ImprovingCustomerCommunicationISSUESPAPERPersonalized,ConsistentCommunicationsByJayMcKeeverArespectedandversatilebusinessprofessional,JayMcKeever’svastcareerexperienceencompassesavarietyofindustrygenres,includingpositionsincommunications,humanresources,operations,contractingandmarketing.BeforejoiningCincom,Mr.McKeeverspent17yearsattheUnitedParcelService(UPS)risingquicklytothepositionofoperationalsupervisorwherehesuccessfullyimprovedoperationsresultsfrom65percentto110percentwithinthefirstsixmonths!HethenservedasaUPSHumanResourcesDivisionrepresentativeandeventuallyleddistrictcustomercommunicationsforfiveyears.ItwasduringthistimethatMr.McKeeverbegandevelopinghisapproachtocustomer-centriccommunications.AfterUPS,Mr.McKeeverjoinedMortgageNow,aCincinnati-based,mortgage-lendingfirm.Duringhistimewiththeorganization,hedevelopedandexecutedinventivemarketingstrategiestosuccessfullyoverhaulanunderperformingmarketterritory.In1996,Mr.McKeeverjoinedCincomSystems,Inc.asabusinessmanagerresponsibleforproductroyaltypaymentsandreportingtothird-partyvendors.Inaddition,inhisroleasCincom’sDirectorofWorldwideMarketingsince1999,McKeevercurrentlymanagesallmarketing,customercommunicationsandproductdevelopmentoperations.AtCincom,Mr.McKeeverstrivestodeliveraconsistentvaluepropositiontocustomersviaawiderangeofcommunicationsmedia,inparticularelectronicandtelemarketingmedia.HeusesCincom’sownsoftwareproductstoimprovecommunicationsquality,responsetimeandreturnoninvestment.Whenitcomestoexecutingeffectivecustomercommunicationsstrategies,Mr.McKeeverhasthistosay:“Todayweareseeingtheneedforanold-fashioned,yetavant-gardeapproachtocustomerrelationshipmanagement–gettingtoknowyourcustomers,talkingtothem,listeningtothem.Butalackofreal-timedialoguepreventsmarketersfromrespondingtocustomerquerieswiththeappropriateproductorsolution.Consequently,marketingbecomesallaboutpushingmessagesintoavoidwheretwopercentresponseratesareconsideredsuccessful!Andunfortunately,allbutafewcompaniesfailtocommunicatewithrelevanceandwithinanacceptabletimeframe.Onlythroughpersonalizationandreal-timedialoguecanorganizationsaligntheirproducts,pricingandpromotionstomeetcustomerneedsanddemands.”ImprovingCustomerCommunications2AboutTheAuthorImprovingCustomerCommunications3OurBackgroundFoundedin1968,Cincomstartedwithasimpleideaandblossomedintoamultinationalenterprise.Thatsimpleideawassellingsoftwareseparatelyfromhardware,anideathatrevolutionizedhowcomputersandtheircomponentsweresold.Sinceourinception,wehaveprovidedsoftwaresolutionsthathelpourclientscreate,manageandgrowcustomers.Oursoftwareproductsincludemanufacturingcontrolsystems,databases,documentmanagement,salesknowledgesystemsande-Businesssolutions.Tohelpyousucceed,we’veconductedacomprehensiveanalysisoftheissuescurrentlyplaguingbusinessmarketers.Duringourstudy,weexaminedscoresofanalystbriefingsandresearchdocumentstoidentifytheforemostcustomerproblemsaffectingmarketers,aswellaspossiblesolutionstothoseissues.TheinformationpresentedinthispaperisbasedonproprietaryresearchconductedintheUnitedStates,theUnitedKingdom,Germany,Spain,FranceandItaly.Inadditiontotheinformationgatheredfromresearchandinterviews,we’vealsoincludedinformationfromcurrentnewsarticles,theexpertiseofCincomstaff,consultantsandbusinesspartners,includingBearingPoint,DoculabsandFujitsuConsulting.Theexperiencesofourowncustomershavetaughtusthatsuccesscanbeachievedbyimplementingtechnologyappropriatelyandeffectively.Wehopeourknowledgeandinsightsassistyouinimplementingsoundbusinessstrategiesthatenableyoutomaximizethepotentialofyourorganization.ImprovingCustomerCommunications41TerryVavra,Ph.D.,Don’tLetCustomersShortCircuitYourRetentionEfforts,CustomerRelationshipManagement,March1996,pp33-352BrianMcDonough,WirelessCarrierstoTheirCustomers,WirelessNewsFactor,June14,20013CustomerRelationshipManagementConfrontstheFinancialServicesCrisis,PeppersandRogersGroupandRoperStarchWorldwide,December2000ImprovingCustomerCommunications5ExecutiveSummaryUnfortunately,mostcustomerscantelllittledifferencebetweenyouandyourcompetitors.Worseyet,manycompaniesareactuallydestroyingcustomersatisfactionbydeliveringcommunicationsthatare:1.Self-servingandcompany-centric2.Overstatingofactualproductsandservicedelivery3.Confusingandannoyingtocustomerswithcomplicatedmessages4.InconsistentlycommunicatingovermultiplechannelsOneofthemostdamagingoutcomesoftheseinefficientmarketingtypesistheincreasedcustomerchurnthatinevitablyresults.Thenumbersspeakforthemselves:•ThetypicalU.S.companyloses15percentto20percentofitscustomerbaseeachyearand50percentwithinfiveyears;someindustries(auto,telecommunicationsandairline)arelosingnearly50percentoftheircustomersperyear.1•Customerlossandreplacementinwirelessphoneservicescostsproviders$55millionayear.2•Financialservicescompaniesarelosing$700millioninprofitannuallybynotbuildingmeaningfulrelationshipswithcustomers.3Howdidwegetintothissituation?Moreimportantly,howdowegetoutofit?Theanswerseemssimpleenough:Whenwechargeddowntheroadtoglobalexpansion,one-stopshoppingandCRM,welostsightofth