Scene 1: Meet Jane. Jane loves pencil skirts. Jane sees the perfect skirt online at SkirtBiz. Jane smiles. Jane purchases the skirt. Jane receives follow-up emails about the shipment of her skirt. Jane gets her skirt. Jane receives another email asking her to rate her customer experience. Jane sees SkirtBiz ads in her mobile device searches displaying the skirt she just bought, now at a discounted price. Jane steams and clicks “Stop seeing this ad.”

The marketing team at SkirtBiz just ran out of track. Or, there’s another ending:

Scene 2: Meet Jane. Jane loves pencil skirts. Jane sees the perfect skirt online at SkirtBiz. Jane smiles. Jane purchases the skirt. Jane receives follow-up emails about the shipment of her skirt. Jane gets her skirt. Jane receives another email asking her to rate her customer experience. Jane sees SkirtBiz ads in her mobile device searches displaying a blouse that coordinates beautifully with the skirt she just bought, now at a discounted price. Jane steams and clicks on “Stop seeing this ad.” whistles and clicks on the ad.

By evolving with its customer’s expectations and coordinating its marketing channels, SkirtBiz just created a seamlessly connected customer experience.

Of course, scene two is always your goal. But that’s easier said than done, you think. And in that thought, you’re in good company:

In its recent State of Marketing report, Salesforce Research shows results from a survey of 3,500 marketing leaders around the globe. Among the top challenges marketers at various performance levels face are creating a single view of the customer, leveraging customer data from different sources, and dealing with insufficient internal resources. Simplus CRM experts have developed a variety of success frameworks to help your organization meet these challenges and lay the track to bridge the gap between you and your customers.

Creating a single view of the customer

How do you gain a single view of the customer when marketing and customer channels are constantly switching tracks?

“Customers expect they can switch between any connection—mobile browser, mobile app, social, desktop, and so on—and have a consistent brand experience. This expectation has sent marketing into a tailspin trying to cover it all,” Salesforce Research reports.

Simplus CRM experts have developed a Marketing Success Framework to help organizations stay on top of the constant changes in customer channels and expectations. This framework consists of campaign, event, and lead management as well as marketing strategies and measurements that will allow your organization to attract customers with applicable, just-in-time messages and monitor program success to stay on the right track.

Leveraging customer data from different sources

How can you offer customized, 1-to-1 experiences if mining your customer data is as grueling as shoveling coal in a steam engine?  

“Marketers at all performance levels struggle to leverage data from different sources in their quest to execute a connected customer experience,” Salesforce Research reports.

A functioning Service Success Framework could help you provide excellent customer service, from giving the right answers in a flash to offering personalized accessories. Implementing customer data technology like Salesforce Service Cloud would allow your organization to manage all of your customer interactions from a single platform with roundhouse efficiency.

Dealing with insufficient internal resources

How do you keep up with the moving train of technology when you are riding a horse?

Outdated technologies and skills can be a huge hindrance to keeping pace with customers’ evolving channel use and expectations. To help you implement best practices and choose the right technologies to move you into the future, Simplus has developed an IT Success Framework. Our CRM experts can help you integrate your systems and maintain accurate customer records for a smooth ride.

Related: Fixing common CRM frustrations with (simple) Simplus solutions

Sentimental journeys await your customers

The value of personalizing the customer experience is evident: they might walk if you don’t. “In a separate study of over 7,000 consumers and business buyers worldwide, a majority of customers said they would switch brands or vendors if communications weren’t personalized,” Salesforce Research reports. Knowing this, “a staggering 91% of high performers agree that a connected customer journey across all touchpoints and channels positively impacts customer loyalty.”

Scene 3: Jane is going to continue her journey. Will it be a sentimental one with your business? That’s yet to be determined.

To help your business create its own customer-aligned tracks, contact Simplus today.