{"id":81299,"date":"2020-01-02T11:26:26","date_gmt":"2020-01-02T19:26:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/?p=81299"},"modified":"2022-07-06T03:47:40","modified_gmt":"2022-07-06T10:47:40","slug":"deliver-engaging-customer-experiences-using-b2b-chatbots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/blog\/deliver-engaging-customer-experiences-using-b2b-chatbots\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Elevate Customer Experiences with B2B Chatbots | OroCommerce"},"content":{"rendered":"

This post was contributed by Rodney Laws, Editor at EcommercePlatforms.io<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

At its core, digital transformation is about using technology to improve everything<\/span><\/i>, so it inevitably becomes mission-critical in the B2B world where even fractional boosts can prove highly consequential. B2B deals may traditionally have been built around tight-knit business relationships, but they\u2019ve moved online all the same.<\/span><\/p>\n

With classic pitch meetings and wine-and-dine tactics receding into the background, a modern B2B brand must turn to its online presence to keep its customers happy (and turn prospects into customers). In this piece, we\u2019re going to look at the prospect of using B2B <\/span>chatbots<\/span><\/a> to keep customers engaged.<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019ll explore why customer experiences matter so much, review what makes chatbots so valuable, and run through some key tips for using B2B chatbots to improve your customer experiences. Let\u2019s get started:<\/span><\/p>\n

Why customer experiences are so important<\/span><\/h2>\n

By now, <\/span>customer <\/span>happiness<\/span><\/i><\/a> has become quite prominent as a business priority. For a long time (in the online retail world, at least) it was a curiosity: something that forward-thinking brands would work into their USPs while older businesses would settle for the classic customer <\/span>service<\/span><\/i>. The difference, of course, is in both breadth <\/span>and <\/span><\/i>depth.<\/span><\/p>\n

Instead of looking at your transaction stage alone (putting resources into converting on-the-fence prospects and fielding post-purchase complaints on topics such as product quality or shipping terms), prioritizing customer happiness involves making an effort to optimize the full range of a given customer\u2019s interactions with your company.<\/span><\/p>\n

Each experience should be strongly positive, helping them pursue their goals even as their actions are helping you pursue yours. In the end, it\u2019s a simple idea: make it as enjoyable and useful as possible for someone to buy from you, and they\u2019ll keep coming back for more. This is vitally important in the B2C world, but it\u2019s even more significant when it comes to B2B selling.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is because B2B deals tend to be bigger, more lucrative, and longer-term (<\/span>though short-term results still matter<\/span><\/a>). The more you can delight your B2B customers with the quality of your customer experience, the more willing they\u2019ll be to continue working with you (even when your rivals attempt to poach them). So how can you manage this? How can you overhaul your customer experiences?<\/span><\/p>\n

Why B2B chatbots are worthy of your time<\/span><\/h2>\n

You could adjust the theme of your homepage to make it more aesthetically appealing. You could smooth out your checkout process to make conversion easier. You could even work on your telephone manner. All fine options \u2014 but what if you could cut to the heart of your customer experiences and fundamentally transform how people engage with your website?<\/span><\/p>\n

This is what well-implemented B2B chatbots can achieve. Chatbot technology has advanced massively during the last decade, and it\u2019s now perfectly possible for a business chatbot to significantly add to your customer experiences. Notably, it\u2019s a \u201cset it and forget it\u201d solution \u2014 once it\u2019s suitably configured, you don\u2019t need to keep adjusting it.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s also easier than you might think to get one running, particularly if you have a modern platform. It\u2019s fine to use a mainstream CMS, but I strongly recommend that you invest in <\/span>a purpose-built B2B platform<\/span><\/a> with the architecture for granular customization.<\/span><\/p>\n

Drift (a chatbot tech provider) has <\/span>an entire page of case studies<\/span><\/a> spanning B2C and B2B implementations. For example, a sales software company called SalesRabbit implemented a Drift chatbot to book meetings in place of its previous form system and saw <\/span>a remarkable 40% uptick in bookings<\/span><\/a> as a result.<\/span><\/p>\n

However you implement it, a solid chatbot ultimately offers <\/span>incredible <\/span><\/i>ROI, and not just because the <\/span>investment <\/span><\/i>part tends to be minimal. It simply brings a lot to the table. With that firmly established, let\u2019s take a look at how you can most effectively use a B2B chatbot.<\/span><\/p>\n

Offer easy access to vital information<\/span><\/h2>\n

In large B2B dealings, there\u2019s often good reason for a client to want an exact update on something important. Perhaps there\u2019s a shipment scheduled and they want to confirm when exactly they can expect it, or they\u2019re planning to place a fresh order and need to know how the product lineup hasn\u2019t changed since they last looked at it.<\/span><\/p>\n

How can they pursue it? They can call, but that can be a slow way to get information (and that\u2019s if you have someone to answer). They can email a request, but even the best email support systems can run into problems when there\u2019s heavy demand. You can even provide a custom portal to post (lor publish) updates, but that still isn\u2019t the optimal solution.<\/span><\/p>\n

Instead, using a chatbot granted access to the necessary data is the perfect way to deal with this. Chatbots don\u2019t get busy in the way that people can: they scale with the provided resources, meaning that they can duplicate indefinitely on systems with uncapped cloud processing. And with up-to-date <\/span>natural language processing<\/span><\/a>, queries such as \u201cWhen is my next shipment due?\u201d can be parsed, contextualized, and answered accurately.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fully introduce the functionality<\/span><\/h2>\n

Simply providing this functionality isn\u2019t enough, of course: you need to make it clear that the capability is in place, or no one will ever use it. Following your chatbot rollout, you should inform each client of what it can do, how they can interact with it, and even what it <\/span>can\u2019t <\/span><\/i>do. After all, <\/span>retail bots can\u2019t do everything<\/span><\/a>, and you don\u2019t want to give the false impression that they can.<\/span><\/p>\n

Each page of your site should have a small chatbot overlay, ideally with a subtle animation to catch the eye (we\u2019re strongly drawn to motion) \u2014 in fact, animation is important in general for communicating activity. When the chatbot is formulating a response, for instance, <\/span>it can use the classic moving dots to feign typing<\/span><\/a>, reassuring the user that an answer is pending.<\/span><\/p>\n

Be careful with your presentation, though, because you <\/span>don\u2019t <\/span><\/i>want to pretend that the chatbot is a real person (or have it look as though you\u2019re supporting that pretense). Some brands don\u2019t make it clear whether their users are talking to people or bots, and that causes frustration because those users have to figure out what\u2019s happening from context.<\/span><\/p>\n

Focus on rapid response<\/span><\/h2>\n

Turnaround time is of great importance in the B2B world. <\/span>In a piece on this topic<\/span><\/a>, HubSpot cites a study in noting that between 35% and 50% of B2B sales go to the vendors that respond first \u2014 and since it uses a chatbot on its main site (pictured below), it clearly believes that.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"b2b<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t just about popping up immediately. It\u2019s also about getting to the point as quickly as possible. In the case of HubBot, it cuts directly to the heart of the matter in asking what the visitors goals are. If you create a chatbot script<\/a> that waffles on and soaks up time, it doesn\u2019t matter how much value it ultimately has to offer: the user is quite likely to give up and leave.<\/span><\/p>\n

It also allows action much more easily than a more standard form of communication such as email. Per <\/span>Messenger marketer Larry Kim on Marketing Speak<\/span><\/a>, conversion points work \u201cfive times better in chat\u201d simply because they\u2019re more likely to be seen (how many emails do you have in your inbox that you might never read?). Respond quickly with actionable suggestions, and you\u2019ll steal a march on your rivals.<\/span><\/p>\n

Provide a reliable 24\/7 presence<\/span><\/h2>\n

I mentioned the scalability of B2B chatbots, and it allows them to work at all times of the day or night. This is incredibly convenient when you don\u2019t have a distinct support team (and thus no set support hours) and\/or if you have international clients that operate in time zones far removed from yours. If someone needs assistance at 3am your time, it can be provided.<\/span><\/p>\n

The key to this, though, is having a clear and robust <\/span>chatbot escalation system<\/span><\/a>. Even the most sophisticated chatbot will encounter issues it can\u2019t resolve or even requests it doesn\u2019t understand. When this happens, those matters need to be passed to actual humans for review and resolution, and the delay needs to be minimal.<\/span><\/p>\n

Supposing a chatbot can\u2019t come up with an answer, it should acknowledge the query, note that it can\u2019t help with it, and provide a trackable case number along with a realistic expectation of when the matter will be addressed. \u201cWe\u2019ll review the case and get back to you within 24 hours\u201d is fine, whereas \u201cWe\u2019ll get back to you as soon as we can\u201d is too vague.<\/span><\/p>\n

Feature meaningful personalization<\/span><\/h2>\n

Personalization is a powerful tool throughout the retail world, but it matters the most in the B2B realm where the stakes are generally much higher and elements like custom pricing are commonplace (usually through the aforementioned custom storefronts). When you\u2019re dealing with high-value clients, you can put more effort into impressing them.<\/span><\/p>\n

For your chatbot, the vital thing is that it has access to all the data it needs to provide personalized experiences. Assuming a login is detected, it should know what each user does, what they need, what they\u2019ve purchased before, and even what they might want to do next. If there\u2019s a delivery pending, it can default to the details. Remember to ask for permission, though, because we live in a post-GDPR world. The <\/span>Marketo<\/span><\/a> chatbot does this well (see below).<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Marketo<\/p>\n

Assuming you get the necessary permission, you can relate your chatbot window to the assistant screen on a smartphone, automatically populating with elements likely to be relevant. If the user acquires the information they need <\/span>without having to enter any queries<\/span><\/i>, they\u2019ll consider that an exceptional experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

How to implement B2B chatbots<\/span><\/h2>\n

Now that we\u2019ve explored the benefits of why you should optimize customer experiences and how B2B chatbots are great for that, we should <\/span>probably <\/span><\/i>touch upon a very important matter: <\/span>how you can actually implement one<\/b>. Well, there are three plausible options, so let\u2019s set them out:<\/span><\/p>\n