Customer Centricity with Multichannel CRM
We are all aware of the clear shift in the life sciences industry to a new commercial model, evolving from a product push to a customer-centric model.
Gone are the days when the main connection between companies and customers was the face-to-face visit from sales reps armed with key brand messages. Today, healthcare providers are part of complex networks, and while they’re more difficult to see in-person, they’re active – and accessible – through more communication channels than ever. Companies have greater opportunities for engagement, from face-to-face interactions, to mobile devices, to the web. With more chances to connect, though, comes a higher risk of falling into the old trap of over-communicating with generic messages.
Life sciences leaders are focusing on delivering content tailored to customers’ individual interests and needs, through preferred channels. Multichannel CRM opens the door to this approach, enabling meaningful communication through a smart, coordinated strategy. There are four essentials your multichannel CRM system must provide, however, to achieve true customer centricity.
1. Comprehensive visibility -Successful multichannel strategies are perfectly orchestrated, delivering on customers’ needs and aligning with their interests. This requires a view into customer preferences, and interaction history across channels. Because cloud-based systems are easily accessible and up-to-date, customer-facing teams have constant visibility into all the data they need. This also allows you to see how customers engage with your content through clickstream data and feedback loops, as well as open and click through rates for email. Knowing what devices they use, when they open emails, and which browser they launch to engage with your content, you will see patters emerge, providing a perspective into the best communication journey.
2. Built-in channels of execution-Customers use multiple devices and channels to communicate and they expect a consistent and connected experience across all of these, including face-to-face interactions. Imagine trying to integrate this entire set of point solutions for direct mailing, mobile communication, and online detailing. The process would be a nightmare: time-consuming, expensive, and – once done – costly to maintain and upgrade. Today, multichannel, cloud-based systems are available that have been built specifically for the life sciences industry and designed to work across channels perfectly, ensuring well-orchestrated execution and strong compliance. When you have a rich source of customer information in CRM, and the ability to act upon it directly, you’re able to move faster and engage more effectively. A customer may request clinical study results during a face-to-face call, for example, or show an interest in a particular topic on your website. Reps can respond immediately, sending a follow-up communication quickly via email without risking non-compliance. You ensure your customers are getting content that aligns with what you already know about them.
3. Extension of your content’s reach-Reusing content across geographies and channels while keeping it current is simple if you have seamlessly integrated content management with execution channels. You can develop content once and use it many times, in closed loop marketing presentation slides, emails, and multiple websites. Based on the insights you gain from customer responses, you can easily make updates or adapt content in each channel.
4. Created for compliance-Life sciences is a global industry, subject to government regulations across geographies. Multichannel CRM solutions designed for life sciences provide controls ensuring that sales and marketing are compliant. A true industry cloud solution connects seamlessly to a repository of all your approved content for cross-channel distribution and use in the field. Life sciences-specific features like off-label restrictions mean that only approved content is released and available for use by customer-facing teams. Consent management ensures only customers who proactively opt-in receive email communications. By consistently delivering accurate and comprehensive information, these systems are supporting the building of trust in the digital domain.
True multichannel CRM is driving a major industry transformation in life sciences. With the flexibility of the multitenant cloud, life sciences companies are more prepared for a constantly changing, interconnected, and increasingly global market. And customers benefit from having the crucial information they want, when and how they need it – helping them better serve patients around the globe.