Are you multichannel or many separate channels?
Many organizations profess a multichannel strategy, but are they really multichannel or are there many channels of separate communication? &n
By on Sep 16, 2010Many organizations profess a multichannel strategy, but are they really multichannel or are there many channels of separate communication?
With a core customer base utilizing the web for research, education, and networking, the pharmaceutical industry is positioned to transform the traditional sales and marketing approach into an interactive, multichannel strategy which leverages near-real time interaction data to improve relationships.
Why now?
As the pressures of cost, access and increasing regulatory focus squeeze the sales channel, new strategies are imperative to navigate the labyrinth of health care provider, payer, and patient specific challenges. The combination of web metrics, sales data, census information, and longitudinal patient analysis can help organizations gain a stronger understanding of their customers and behavioral drivers. Successful execution requires an overarching umbrella of connectivity and the capability to act on insights derived by combining social media, web interactions, email/campaign responses, and scheduled traditional data. This new strategy fully integrates these interactive channels with traditional tactics and represents the new vision of Customer Relationship Management (CRM).
Sound familiar?
Sure, CRM has been around for some time, but the original concept failed to readily connect all stakeholders and their representative data. Many of the roadblocks were process and operationally driven, but the single largest challenge was that technology had not yet evolved to integrate interactional data or enable real-time, data driven decision making. Today, for organizations prepared to embrace it, the infrastructure to provide the connectivity across applications exists and facilitates adoption of a multichannel sales and marketing strategy.
Whats essential?
Dissecting a multichannel strategy will differ by organization; however, these five key components are fundamental:
Integration Linking systems, processes and people provides the opportunity for powerful insight. Integrating all the moving parts allows you to optimize each customer interaction.
Consistency Ensuring customers receive the same brand message across channels and interactions. Customers are in the drivers seat for determining when and how they interact with your brand. Be sure your messaging is clear and consistent across all these interactions.
Flexibility Utilizing insights to proactively adapt to meet changing customer needs. Quarterly reviews of sales tactics (POA) represent the traditional reactive model dependent on lagging indicators; embracing a multichannel approach encourages proactive management tactics based on insight from patterns in customer behavior across multiple channels.
Scalability Implementing a scalable approach will allow you to accommodate new channels as they emerge. Technology and customers are evolving; dont be stuck with a model that isnt adaptive.
Insight Delivering analysis across connected channels enables proactive customer focus. Insight driven agility and predictive modeling delivers the opportunity to proactively address customer demands and unmet needs.
What lies ahead?
Customers will have an increasing role in driving interactions based on their preferences. Traditional primary communication channels will evolve into a continuous, integrated approach requiring new organizational roles to support dynamic market needs. A flexible platform today will provide scalable opportunities for growth; laying the foundation with a comprehensive strategy now will help keep a leading edge.