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Year in Review: The Top Trends that Impacted Customer Conversations in 2020

Published Date
Author Ayla Wood

Year in Review: The Top Trends that Impacted Customer Conversations in 2020

 
 
 
 

By: Leigh Segall, CMO at Smart Communications

A new year offers a fresh start and a new beginning. It also provides an opportunity to reflect on the big trends and events that helped lay the foundation for the months and years ahead. The way people live, work and communicate has fundamentally changed following a year that was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As companies around the world continue to explore new ways to positively influence revenue, differentiate themselves from the competition and enhance customer conversations even in a time that is still far from “normal”, we’ve compiled five of our favorite blog posts from the previous year, that may help them do just that. These tips and strategies for success will empower companies to successfully navigate a forever-changed employee experience, increasing customer expectations and technology innovations.

  1. Communications in the Time of COVID-19: Delivering SMARTER Digital Conversations Just Became More Critical
    In the face of a global health crisis, businesses needed to support their customers from a distance. Many enterprises were faced with accelerating their digital transformation initiatives in order to deliver the high touch, digital interactions customers expect. This post from James Brown, CEO of Smart Communications, details how organizations can keep customers at the center and reduce friction, despite remote work environments.
  2. Having SMARTER Customer Conversations Requires Forms Transformation
    COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the way the world lives, works and communicates. These factors combined with customers’ already increasing expectations are forcing businesses to go beyond traditional customer communications and start implementing two-way conversations. Smart Communications makes this possible with forms transformation via SmartIQTM. This post details how enterprises can engage customers in dynamic conversations from acquisition, to onboarding, to servicing and why interactions that are still paper-based and static pose significant risk to the customer experience.
  3. Engaging and Empowering Employees During this Remote Revolution
    Among many of the challenges that 2020 presented was how to keep employees engaged and productive in an almost fully remote work environment. This post from Smart Communications’ Jo Sweet, HR Director, details three areas organizations should focus on to successfully navigate a new way of working while empowering employees to achieve the best results possible.
  4. Situations Change, So Too Must Your Processes
    There’s no shortage of data in the digital era. Organizations across the public and private sectors have an abundance of data, but all too often are unsure how to best use it. This post from Nick Smith, VP Sales & General Manager, APAC, at Smart Communications, details how organizations can not only use data, but also gain insights that lead to better outcomes for the end-customer.
  5. The Results are In, Customer Demands are Changing and Businesses Need to Quickly Adapt
    Throughout 2020, businesses around the world faced challenges that will continue to have an impact on customer conversations in the months and years ahead. Smart Communications commissioned research from Harris Interactive to gain a better understanding of how new challenges, changing expectations and accelerated digital transformation have impacted consumer preferences and corporate priorities. Highlights from the results are featured in this infographic and the full report can be viewed here.

 

For an in-depth look at the major trends featured above, as well as additional information and thought leadership for how organizations can deliver SMARTER customer conversations in 2021 and beyond, check out our Thought Leadership page.