What are the 4 Key Attributes of a Successful Customer Engagement Model?

No one can deny the fact that customers are invaluable, and so businesses do everything to retain them. To do that and ensure long-term business success, they must have in place an efficient customer engagement model.

There are several touchpoints where a brand engages with a customer. Such interactions could be with a company’s marketing, sales, or customer support. The key to customer engagement model success is to enhance the quality of all interactions.

Importance of a Customer Engagement Model

Creating a B2C or B2B customer engagement model and modifying it for the future is crucial because it is monumental for customer retention. Generally, customer acquisition costs are much higher than the cost of retaining a customer. Plus, retained and cared for customers are a company’s biggest advocates.

A B2B business like an IT support company or an outsourcing solutions provider can yield more benefits in the long term by making use of an engagement model. In fact, automation and other engagement and customer support technologies like Interactive Voice Response and chatbots are being leveraged increasingly by businesses now.

4 Key Qualities for Any Customer Engagement Model Success

According to a report by Gartner, there are four attributes paramount to a customer engagement model’s success:

Active and Aligned Customer Engagement

Being active on a business’s channels like social media and customer support is the key. Today, more customers expect 24/7 service compared to how things were in the past. But day-round workforce management on traditional channels is not enough. Now businesses need to open more active channels where their customers can reach them. Active engagement with existing and potential customers can strengthen the bond and help increase customer loyalty.

That is the reason why so many contact centers today are also offering omnichannel solutions and incorporating customer engagement software.

Emotional Customer Engagement

Emotional customer engagement is linked to several factors and is often more rewarding than rational support in creating a strong relationship with the customers. Businesses often go the extra mile to establish emotional connections and trust with customers. Such relationships are more likely to last for a long time. Therefore, for a customer engagement model to be successful, maintaining trust and emotional connection through engagement is essential.

Rational Customer Engagement

Rational customer engagement is linked to customers researching and learning about a business. The aim of this research is to find out whether a business’s services or products are worth opting for or not. Therefore, sharing more information for potential customers to see and directing them towards a decision. Further, the creation of a self-service portal and extensive knowledge base are some other additions a company can make to cover this attribute.

Ethical Customer Engagement

In the past adhering to ethical practices was somewhat optional which made customers more selective of brands. But today customers are much more aware as they have access to social media and smartphones. The customer experience is more crucial than ever before, and businesses know that. They know the consequences of a bad customer experience going viral.

Therefore, a customer engagement model must include certain ethical components. It should be ensured that there is no misrepresentation, what they claim is true, and customers are truly getting value out of a relationship with that business.

Conclusion

Businesses must not compromise on customer engagement. Especially when they are looking to build a loyal customer base, and long-term client relationships, augment sales, and improve their reputation in the target market.

A customer engagement model based on the above-mentioned four attributes will reflect business’ brand values. It is bound to drive deeper and profitable engagement.

Frequently Ask Questions:

What is a customer engagement model?

An engagement model is a strategy a business utilizes to engage with customers, build lasting relationships, and boost sales.