Customer Experience
The level of competition for customers' attention in today's e-commerce market has never been fiercer. This is why large consumer brands such as Saucony shoes, Taylormade Golf, REN skincare, and Olaplex Haircare are all using new solutions to provide exceptional shopping experiences that are far more than just transactional - helping them stand above the competition and win customer's attention and loyalty.
Today, customers want far more than just a simple purchase - they’re looking for a personal connection with the brands they choose. But how can they achieve this consistently at scale? The answer lies in effective Customer Relationship Management within Marketing.
Customer Relationship Management in marketing is not just about software; although big software companies like Salesforce have taken on the term and even redefined it as a product rather than a methodology. Customer relationship management is about forming genuine human connections with your customers based on value and trust.
The customer relationship methodology is about understanding their needs, preferences, and shopping habits, and about delivering an insane level of service. Let's not forget that throughout the process, we need to communicate with them in a way that makes them feel listened to valued, and appreciated as a cornerstone of this marketing philosophy.
A CRM strategy in marketing differs from transaction-based, purely ROI-focused approaches, in that its aim is to generate revenues while also building strong customer relationships that last.
In short, It's about nurturing that customer-brand relationship at every stage, from the first interaction to the post-purchase follow-up.
Let's face it in an age where we can see 10,000+ ads per day, where average attention spans are 5 to 7 seconds, and where social media has become the fastest-growing and most effective way of reaching customers, the only way to stand out and be noticed, is by connecting with your customers on a personal level.
Everything has gone digital - and customers are no longer satisfied with making high-consideration purchases without having a personal connection with the brands they choose.
For example, look at the fastest-growing brands on the market today. They're influencer led. For many years Nike, and in particular, the Jordan brand was the only true influencer-led brand in sports. Michael Jordan was not only the G.O.A.T. (and I'll take no argument on this - LoL) in basketball but also an incredible asset to Nike shoes.
Then Tiger Woods, and more recently, Rory Mcllroy joined the Nike brand. It has become increasingly clear that influencer-led personal relationships are what is driving customer loyalty.
Once Red Bull figured this marketing strategy out, they took it to a whole new level and are now one of the most successful beverage companies in the world.
Recently, we saw Kylie Cosmetics, (Kylie Jenner’s Makeup line), and MrBeast Burgers, (Mr. Beast's restaurant chain) take off in incredible ways - generating higher valuations than many mainstream brands and even making Kylie Jenner one of the youngest billionaires on the Fortune and Forbes lists of wealthiest individuals.
At this point, you may be wondering, what do the rise in influencer brands and customer relationship marketing have in common?
It's simple - the personal connection they form with their customers. Influencers like MrBeast and Kylie are building brands through direct human connections with their customers. Whether through competitions or Instagram live interactions, these influencers are creating experiences that their customers can't find anywhere else.
This is why, when Humankind was building our conversational commerce software we decided to focus more on customer interaction than anything else... more on that in a moment.
CRM in Marketing is a methodology that helps you understand your customers on a deeper level, by connecting with them you can ask real questions, get actual answers, and predict their needs so that you can exceed their expectations. It's no wonder that companies with a strong focus on CRM tend to see higher customer satisfaction (CSAT) scores, often reaching the near-perfect range of 4.9+ to 5.0.
To give you a little background as to why Humankind's conversational commerce software is successful at helping brands like Olaplex achieve near-perfect CSAT scores, we have to start at the beginning.
Our CEO and Founder David Weissman, spent years working with some of the biggest retail brands on the planet. He noticed a pattern in how customers preferred to engage with the companies that they purchased their favorite products from. Customers' wanted to talk to real humans, to get answers quickly and efficiently, and they wanted to transfer their chats to channels like SMS which were more convenient for them while living their busy lives.
David presented this problem to a handful of talented people who also realized that the customer journey was broken, and Humankind was formed.
Humankind concierge commerce solution was designed to create personalized one-on-one interactions between brands and customers enabling genuine human connections that enhanced the shopping experience.
With Humankind's software, your personal shoppers and product experts can engage with customers on a personal level, generating rich customer data, answering their queries, providing recommendations, and offering support in real time as customers make purchases. It's like having a personal shopper at the customer's fingertips, ready to assist at any stage of the shopping journey.
Think of this experience as a modern version of retail clienteling, where brands use the latest technology to stay in touch with their customers and build those valuable relationships.
Thus far the primary success metric we've talked about is CSAT scores, but humankind software has been instrumental in helping the brands that we've mentioned in previous sections do far more than just increase customer satisfaction.
We aim to help our customers increase all their vital metrics, beginning with average order values (AOV), repeat purchase rates, customer lifetime value (CLV), and significantly lower churn rates - which in turn lowers customer acquisition costs (CAC). Customer relationship management in marketing can turn one-time customers into "raving fans," by facilitating one-on-one interactions with your brand our software can help you build relationships with customers that last.
Customers report feeling valued and even appreciated. Their concerns are being addressed in real-time by real people. No wonder we see dramatic increases in vital revenue metrics all the way across the board.
A lot of people talk about the 7 C's of CRM: customer, cost, convenience, customization, communication, community, and continuation. These elements are integral to a successful CRM strategy, and Humankind's software addresses each of them in this way:
You can read more about our platform and the benefits to your brand here.
But that's not all. Another question that we see asked constantly is "What are the 4 C's of customer relationship management?"
While this is an abridged version of the list above, it communicates the 4 pillars of a CRM strategy. Customer, Cost, Convenience, and Communication. These elements are integral to the customer relationship management process and are the backbone of Humankind's software.
As we've discussed in previous sections, customer relationship management and the marketing strategies that surround it are more important in today's highly competitive market than ever. The reason for this is that they allow companies to manage, analyze and improve every interaction with their customers – from the very first connection through the entire relationship.
The customer needs to have an exceptional shopping experience.
At its core customer relationship management in marketing is actually a process of using customer interactions to refine the marketing strategies for your brand and create highly personalized shopping experiences that wow your customers and keep them coming back for more. To do this, you have to collect the best data that you can get your hands on- real conversations with customers.
These conversations put you in close proximity to the customer, and they can help you better understand their needs and preferences so you can create highly personalized experiences that leave a lasting impression.
That’s where Humankind’s software comes in. With our platform, you have access to conversations between customers and brand-based experts like never before - allowing for more insight into your customer's journey while creating valuable relationships along the way. This personalization changes the dynamic of the relationship.
Why is this so important? Instead of being immediately sent to "junk" or "spam," messages from personal shoppers who've created 1:1 human connections with customers get read - even if the offer isn't relevant to the customer at the moment, they're in such close proximity that, for customers, Humankind feels more like texting a friend than getting a marketing message.
One of the most remarkable outcomes of implementing Humankind's software is the potential for sky-high CSAT scores.
Through personalized interactions and answers to questions, swift resolution, and a deep understanding of customer needs, Humankind's software has consistently enabled businesses to achieve CSAT scores in the range of 4.9 to 5.0. OLAPLEX Haircare is one example of this dramatic increase in CSAT scores -achieving a 4.94 in a few short months after implementing our platform.
…You can read more about this in our Case study with their team.
These scores not only reflect a high level of customer satisfaction but also the potential for customer loyalty and long-term business growth.
Right now, the world of e-commerce is the equivalent of the Wild West. New technologies like augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are coming online for brands every single day, but one of the biggest challenges that we face with all of the new technologies is the loss of human connection.
PwC surveyed online shoppers and found that 82% of them desired more human connection in the shopping experience.
As many brands switch to Ai, ML, NLP, and LLM models, 8 out of 10 of your customers want more human interaction, not less. To stay ahead of the competition in e-commerce, building strong customer relationships is paramount. With Humankind's conversational commerce software, you can take your CRM strategy to the next level, providing a personalized, 1:1 human connection that makes your customers feel valued and appreciated.
So, if you're looking to boost your CSAT scores and foster genuine human connections with your customers, book your demo of Humankind's software, and chat with someone from our team.
Because building a successful brand is not just about improving your bottom line; it's about creating a shopping experience that your customers will love.
