Covid-19 has changed our life and the way we do things in many aspects. We shop, work and do business differently but we’re still figuring out how this transformation is translated to the business part of our live.

Why customer support is so important?

No matter how you see these changes, customer relationships remain crucial for success. During the last 2 years organizations that put customer support as their top priority grew dramatically. However, customer support is only one part of the whole customer journey and therefore it’s important to refer and give the best solution to every part or touchpoint of this journey.

How is customer service changing these days?

From a financial point of view, customer service that was a cost center became a major growth driver. When isolation became a routine the human contact importance grew up. Customer service quality and experience influence directly the impression a company or a brand leaves and it became to be crucial on company’s growth and revenues. If you show a weakness even in one part of the customer experience process, it may affect your revenues since it’s very easy to switch online to another competitor brand…

What about our customers’ new expectations?

The pandemic made customers’ expectations higher: they expect to have a quick, convenient interaction with the company they make business with. One of the major expectations is to have an available support around the clock. Messaging platforms like WhatApp and Facebook are the key channels enabling such interaction. Nearly a third of customers messaged a company for the first time in 2020, and 74% say they will continue to do so.

How can you step up to provide these expectations?

So you need a tool to manage these messaging platforms. Such customer support software that control this messaging enable sales team to handle multiple tickets at once, while saving customers time on the phone and improving customer experience. In addition, for simple questions that do not require conversation, chatbots can save time for both customers and sales team.

Human connection is still very important in spite of the digital revolution. Customer service interactions by the human sales team are still the most effective for building customer trust and achieve brand loyalty.

Digital tools like chatbots create better results for improved customer experience but human interactions providing a level of empathy for technical issues customers facing that chatbots can’t. Chatbots are great for frequently asked questions, but human agents provide kind responses to more comprehensive or complex inquiries and make customers feel that they are being heard and served. By combining digital tools with human representatives, you enable your team to quickly respond to changing customer demands and expectations.

How can you keep personalize interactions with large amount of customers?

75% of consumers are more likely to purchase from companies which know their name and offer them products based on their behavior and their purchase history. Customers want the whole package: convenience, speed, and personalization. Although having it all seems impossible, there are methods to succeed to reply quickly to a large number of customers with a personalized approach. One major tool you can utilize to achieve this goal is customer service software like Zendesk which is one of iCloudius’ cloud solutions.

In recent years, data has become more fundamental and linked directly to companies’ success. With high volumes of data flowing in from multiple sources, managing this data has become a complex task. To make faster business decisions based on more confidence and knowledge organizations need access to high-quality, actionable data. Using Data Management system is a major part of the solution to this issue.

Let’s define “Data Management” and why it’s so important

According to Gartner Glossary, Data Management (DM) consists of the practices, architectural techniques, and tools for achieving consistent access to and delivery of data across the spectrum of data subject areas and data structure types in the enterprise, to meet the data consumption requirements of all applications and business processes.

In simple words, DM is how organizations manage their central data asset. DM includes collecting, storing, organizing, protecting, verifying, and processing essential data and making it available to all the employees. DM is aimed to increase the quality and accessibility of the data used by the company. As the volume of data and the number of sources increase, there’s a growing need to successfully manage and maintain the large volumes of data that companies produce daily.

Since most organizations rely on their data to moderate the risks of their business decisions, DM becomes critical to increasing productivity, creating digital experience and building successful applications. Business decision-making should be based on high quality information. To make data turned into information it needs to be managed, processed and made meaningful and relevant.

High quality DM systems ensure access to complete and accurate data. With no such reliable systems, according to Dun & Bradstreet, nearly one in five (19%) of businesses have lost a customer by using incomplete or inaccurate information about them. In addition, machine learning/personalization/AI cannot be executed without an effective DM in place.

Big amounts of data raise the need for an effective Data Management System

In recent years organizations are subject to a growing number of compliance regulations, large rises in information storage capacity and the big amount of data and documents being generated. This degree of growth is not expected to slow down – International Data Corporation (IDC) predicts the amount of information generated will increase 10-fold by 2025. This large amount of data from ERP systems, CRM systems, and general business documents is often referred to as big data and it makes DM almost a must.

On this big data environment, a good DM enables businesses to rely on a single source of information which can prevent approaching outdated leads by the sales teams and build better customer relationships with relevant potential leads.

Key Data Management Advantages

1. Trust and availability – Employees should trust the available high quality data for making decisions. Having the data/information distributed in a simple user friendly manner to the relevant employees makes it easier to use.
   
2. Data Compliance practice – Having DM system makes it easier for the company to ensure that the data is collected in one system and fits the compliance practices like the European GDPR. Validating data confirms that data comes in an anticipated constant format across the whole organization which makes it quicker and easier to work with.
3. Data Security – Another issue of having a lot of customer data is the security risks engaged in it. A strong, effective DM system helps protecting the information from cyber-attacks or other kinds of abuse. DM system reduces the risk of losing vigorous company information. It also ensures that this info is backed up and can be recreated if required. Companies invest time and money into data compliance since almost 77% of consumers would stop using a brand if that organization lost their personal data or used it irresponsibly.

Data Management implementation strategy

DM implementation strategy should be thought as a roadmap for the company to use the data to achieve its business goals. To become a data-driven company, the implementation DM strategy includes 4 steps:

1. Find and pick the right DM software tools for your business.
2. Identify how to use the data collected to achieve the company’s goals. The way the data is collected, processed and transformed should fit the company’s business model and objectives.
3. Create a DM team that can analyze data and understand technologies associated with DM.
4. Ensure employees have access to the relevant data according to their role. Different permission levels should be defined. Each department should have access to a different level, quantity and type of customer data to be able to provide a better service.

In our world everywhere you go or whatever you do there is a digital interaction which causes endless data to accumulate. This data can be used to increase sales and to improve personalized

marketing and services that are expected by today’s customers. To translate this data into sales growth you need to use Artificial Intelligence (AI).

AI is based on the concept of having computers think like humans including performing tasks like rationalizing, designing, learning and understanding language. The logic behind AI is machine learning technology, which is aimed to make our life easier and more productive.

Machine learning is a subcategory of AI focusing on using statistical tools to create intelligent computer systems to deduct from big databases using algorithms adapted to the data creating behaviors with minimal programming. This technology anticipates expected behaviors of B2B and B2C customers so businesses can be proactive and use CRM system more effectively.

57% of buyers (B2B included) depend on suppliers to foresee their needs. Customers know you have their personal data from their purchase history and they expect you to use it in order to help them to make current purchase decision easier for them and even offer them the products that fit their needs the most. They expect every interaction along the purchase process to be fast, smooth, clever and personalized.

The same principle works for B2B sales process. Most complex B2B deals take months or years to close since they include many human interactions like Q&A, issues, solutions and forecasting plans. It’s expected that even post Covid-19 pandemic this process will remain virtual and digital. By personalized approach closing deals process may be shortened.

Customers are engaging at specific times and for specific reasons along the buyer journey. However, usually a CRM measures the progress of a deal through stages, but the level of engagement happening, the content generated and shared by the buyer is not often tracked at all. This information is critical for the identification which leads have better chances to be converted into a customer. Implementing AI and machine learning is expected to take B2B companies’ sales process a big step forward, enabling businesses to scale their efforts, measure more efficiently, and close more deals.

To make the best out of AI you need a team of professional data scientists and developers that access the suitable data, arrange it in the correct way, develop the right models and at the end incorporate the personalized estimates and convert them into the CRM system to provide the optimal end-user experience.

What is the impact of using AI on B2B sales?

B2B S&M departments were early adopters of digital transformation which helped them to personalize their engagements with customers which is very important especially with their longer sales cycles. According to McKinsey research, B2B sales teams that adopted new technology tools to improve sales models show growing revenues at twice the rate of GDP. According to the research, data-driven decision making adds a 2%-5% rise in sales.

AI helps B2B marketing team to focus on the most valuable leads. AI tools facilitate the flow of marketing information to sales, saving precious time by helping sales teams find out who to contact and when. AI helps identifying which of the potential lead actions are indicators of the buyer intent, marking the correct time to approach the potential customer.

Maximizing B2B marketing ROI

AI can handle a high volume and low variety of tasks. Most AI solutions available for B2C marketing are optimized to do this at the lowest cost possible. This explains why most B2C marketers are able to present positive ROI on the investment in marketing automation technology. However, it’s not the same for B2B marketers as B2B and B2C marketing are different.

B2B marketing presents a few challenges that are exclusive to this arena. To overcome these challenges, B2B organizations utilizing ABM (Account Based Marketing) which is a marketing strategy that is based on choosing a few specific target accounts and applying highly personalized marketing strategy for each account. This strategy is effective for companies that sell big products and services. ABM reduces the sales cycle and increases the conversion rate.

How Application of AI affects B2B Marketing?

• High qualification leads – AI tools are able to analyze and assess leads’ purchasing intent by analyzing large volumes of data pertaining to an account such as social media activity, search key words and market trends. In B2B business this capability can differentiate between sales cycles of a few months to one that lasts several years.
• Super personalization – AI based ABM tools can help marketers to personalize marketing strategy even within accounts to different stakeholders in the same potential company based on demographic, firmographic and behavioral data. This high distinguished marketing personalization enables S&M team to create personal relationships with many stakeholders which translates into faster conversions.
• Multichannel Integration – By using AI-based ABM you ensure that every interaction with potential customer will be “aware” of all past interactions with the same lead which makes this interaction improved and more likely to end in conversion.
• Campaigns performance – AI based ABM can follow marketing campaigns performance enabling cost optimization of advertising budget.

With the high increase of online shopping during Covid-19 pandemic, Data Protection is becoming a huge concern for both consumers and businesses. A significant step towards dealing with this concern was the GDRP (General Data Protection Regulation) that entered in force in May 2018. The GDPR is designed to protect and set a standard for the way personal data is kept, handled, and processed. The GDPR made all countries have a centralized regulation put in order for organizations to implement. 

Generally, people are more aware these days for their rights around their personal data. Customers value transparency and privacy when buying online and trust became a part of a good customer experience. 

GDPR Implementation brings better customer relationships 

Implementing GDPR forces companies to examine how they handle customer data, to focus on building trusted B2C relationships. This focus has an impact on marketing activities since the business must have better understanding of its audience as an essential requirement for ensuring better customer relationships. GDPR also raised the need to understand customer needs and interests. Instead of mass marketing businesses focus more on personal messages that fits their potential customers in the process of acquiring customers’ trust especially following the uncertainty of the Covid-19 reality.      

It’s critical that all business segments joined the GDPR implementation

Like any large project it’s very important that all business sections will join forces to make the GDPR implementation effective. It’s critical not to miss out all customer and data touchpoints of the business which include personal information of customers to ensure that we don’t risk missing a lot of valuable information. By keeping all the key personnel involved in the GDPR implementation project you make sure that you get greater understanding of your customers’ needs and that you can choose the most effective procedures and strategies to keep their data information and their privacy. 

2020 brings new marketing insights

According to the results of the Salesforce sixth edition of the State of Marketing report, senior marketers mentioned three priorities:

1. Innovating
2. Engaging customers in real-time
3. Complying with privacy regulations

The last one is new to be included within the top five priorities in 2020, displaying the importance of it to businesses. The ability to comply with GDPR, unify and securely handle customers’ data, although challenging, is crucial in creating successful customer journey.  

Handling properly customers’ data is essential for building their trust to use our website or application. That is the reason why marketers realize basic compliance with GDPR as a basic requirement for increasing their business.   

Salesforce is committed to its customers’ privacy

Salesforce see the GDPR as an important step forward in promoting data protection requirements. However, complying with the GDPR requires a partnership between Salesforce and its customers. Salesforce offers customers a robust data processing addendum containing strong privacy commitments. This addendum contains data transfer frameworks that allow customers to transfer personal data to Salesforce legally and safely. 

How can an organization make sure it’s compliant with GDPR?

1. First you have to verify that management is aware of the importance of compliance with the GDPR since leadership should be willing to allocate human and financial resources to this task.  
2. Following this the organization should identify the team to work on the compliance effort. It is recommended that this team include representatives from different departments especially from the information security, procurement, legal, human resources, product management, and marketing departments.      
3. Once the team is ready, the organization’s privacy status should be analyzed. Critical issue is the place of storage of personal data, sometimes it reveals that the personal data is saved in many databases and systems. 
4. Next step is building a data inventory that shows which type of data is stored where, the origin of the data, the usage of the data, who can access the data, its security level, which third party it is transferred to and the duration this data is kept in the database system. From this process the organization can identify its high risk security issues related to data protection.  
5. Following this assessment the organization needs to determine which action should be taken to ensure that the proper protection is taken to guarantee individual privacy rights as ordered by the GDPR. Coping with the security issues usually requires operational and technological changes followed by an action plan to conduct all the necessary changes. 
6. Last but very important is the creation of the documentation of the compliance process through the day to day working flow such as privacy notices and consent forms, written policies and procedures, training materials, internal company data transfer agreements and vendor contracts.              

Problems don’t just go away, they get Solved! NetSuite solves them for you

Enterprises, giant financial empires and even your local flower shop – they all tackle problems as they come. There is no operation which is perfect, and everyone face obstacles on their way. Good news! You don’t have to be discouraged, you just need to take action and prepare better. Meet NetSuite – your new guide for a better, smoother, and more beneficial future.

Running a business is tough. There are various departments, numerous employees and a huge room for error. In order to run any business successfully, you need to be on top of it all, acquiring and analyzing information from both the outside markets, and within the corporation itself. Most businesses, at least up until a few years back, had to solve every problem that occurred in motion. A problem appeared? A solution was needed. Businesses who managed to assign personnel, resources and time? Got to grow steadily. Those who could not afford the retaliation of the hurdles on the way? Crumbled and failed. The meaning of this is fairly simple – small businesses have less chances to survive in the market. But since then we have developed, evolved and made it possible to improve on our own problem-solving skills. It is time for you to learn how.

Early bird gets the worm – use NetSuite to predict future problems!

To understand how NetSuite’s systems, operate and benefit you, we first have to understand what “ERP systems” mean. To manage a business successfully there are a lot of pieces of data which you will need to take in consideration to see the whole big picture of the market, and your place in it. Data from sales, human resources, customer relations and many more have to all go into account in order to maintain a corporation. Managing this much data alone is inhuman, and if we are honest, impossible. That’s where ERP systems come in for the rescue. Enterprise resource planning systems gather all the necessary data from your corporate’s different departments, analyses it and grants useful insights. Netsuite does exactly that, and enables you to predict future hurdles for your operation, and avoid them before drastic impacts occur.

The sky is the limit – NetSuite’s cloud ERP

Most ERP systems offer you basic analyses through constant feeding of information from every department. In order to feed the information in the system you need to invest personnel and resources so to get clear and useful data. But why should you work for your system, when your system can work for you? NetSuite’s cloud ERP is the solution for this problem. It operates on cloud services, gathering data from all department in real time and supplies you with the analyses quickly and efficiently. Connect all departments through the cloud, and let it work for you – not the other way around!

No adjustments, all automation – NetSuite works for you

NetSuite developed its systems in order to optimize your working process, and business. Its adaptive nature allows you to connect NetSuite’s ERP to your own already existing systems, and integrate with the CRM systems which you presently use. NetSuite automates all your business processes across sales order management, purchasing, manufacturing, inventory management, shipping and invoicing, which helps you optimize your work in every field and sector so that you can be sure that you avoid possible disruptive outcomes, problems or hurdles, and better your business model as a whole.

NetSuite is the leading cloud-based ERP product on the market today, and you deserve nothing but the best. Take matters into your own hands, work better, and help your business grow even further. Contact us today to start working with NetSuite as soon as possible, and as effectively as possible.

As a financial controller, you are expected to bring strong value to the organization and it is all about the tools at the end of your fingertips. Netsuite is the rock star of all these tools as it provides both a 30,000 thousand feet helicopter view as well as a deep dive into the details on the transaction level. Take your organization to the next level!

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There is no doubt that the new and surprising partnership between Google Cloud Platform and Salesforce will have a great impact on the world of cloud services and on CRM particularly.

Mainly, it would substantially benefit the customers of Google and Salesforce and emerge as a force multiplier for both corporations in the cloud domain. Their customers would get a more comprehensive picture of their data residing within Salesforce, Gmail, Drive, Hangouts etc.

In addition, it seems like the new partnership is already making difficulties for Salesforce and Google’s competitors who would have to create better technology and better services if they want to stay in the game.

We think that it will take a few months before we realize and understand the great impact of that new partnership.

We at iCloudius are very excited about this new partnership, and wish Salesforce and Google the best of luck!