In recent years there have been many relationship shifts between brands and their customers, who are living their lives online. The cyber world is not following the traditions of the real world.
With power shifted to the customer, companies are required to seriously focus on customer experience. And the eradication of time boundaries has pushed companies to be available when, where and how customers demand. If brands don’t adapt to customers’ expectations, they miss revenue opportunities and lose customers. This monetary impact is accompanied by reputational impact.
Traditional open hours no longer suit modern customers living their lives digitally. They want and expect 24×7 accessibility and availability of the brands they wish to interact with – whether it be consumer, business, government, or utility organisations – and to be able to do whatever task they need to whenever they want to.
Sales & Marketing Chatbots
Next generation chatbots can provide human-level service to customers in the online environment. Not only is it a human-level service it is a highly personalised service akin to a personal shopper, personal advisor, or personal assistant.
24×7 ecommerce sales assistant
Customers are used to being able to shop at the time of their choosing. Using analysis of customer preferences, browsing history and past purchases, AI-powered chatbots act as sales assistants. They can provide customers with personalised product or service recommendations, offer discounts, and suggest alternatives if a product is not available.
Virtual sales assistants can also be used to guide customers through product features, offer demos and answer questions to help close a sale.
Having this sales capability available 24×7 improves conversion rates and upsell or cross-sell opportunities – ensuring no sale is lost. And, importantly, payment can be made via the chatbot – without being transferred to another platform or app.
Sales chatbots deployed as personal shoppers increase sales, customer satisfaction and ensure a great customer experience.
Service businesses
Customers want control and choice over their calendars and appointments. Chatbots as personal assistants can help customers schedule meetings and appointments for service-based businesses.
Checking time availability of appointments, providing reminders, and giving customers the ability to change or cancel appointments at any time caters to the modern customer for whom traditional ‘work hours’ do not align with their lifestyle.
Connecting chatbots directly to calendars ensures that customers can conduct their business via the chatbot interface and are not taken to another window or app. They are provided the service they want where and when they want.
Lead generation and qualification
Chatbots are not just for getting answers from. They can also ask questions and engage with potential customers. By asking targeted questions chatbots collect relevant data to figure out whether a lead is qualified or not and pass it on to sales.
This provides sales with better leads and higher closure rates, as they can focus their time on engaging with customers that need their product.
Sales and marketing chatbots = better business
Chatbots and voicebots are now an essential tool for sales and marketing. The 24×7 availability, instant response and scalability enable businesses to engage with customers efficiently. Key processes can be automated, freeing human sales and marketing time to focus on high value activities.
Elevated levels of customer service and effective lead generation can be delivered cost effectively, and the continued collection of relevant data will offer invaluable customer insights to enable even more personalised interactions and to refine marketing strategies.
Creative Virtual has customers around the world from the retail, education, travel & tourism, transport, and financial services sectors using chatbots for sales and marketing with highly effective, revenue generating outcomes.
