CX Doesn’t Have to Be So Expensive

Customer service costs rose during the pandemic, but now it's time to get back into savings mode.

Required Reading: Amazon Can Be Beat with the Right Focus

To compete with digital giants, identify and stick to a target market.

Digital Marketing Challenges Move Within

Organizational difficulties will be the biggest hurdle in 2021, Gartner finds

The Five Ps of Sales Success

Sales leaders will need to emphasize purpose, precision, personalization, productivity, and profitability, Forrester advises.

Americans Lack Digital Privacy Knowledge

Most people do not fully read privacy agreements, a study finds.

Marketers Who Respect Contextual Privacy Stand Out to Customers

Companies should collect and use private data as part of a fair exchange of value, Forrester urges.

Marketers Need to Consider Post-Pandemic Behaviors

Some consumers will be ready for face-to-face contact, but other consumer behaviors that developed during the pandemic will endure.

Required Reading: Trustworthy Companies Focus on These Three Things

Here's how organizations can earn trust, loyalty, and respect.

Chat Adds to Retail Success

Consumers patronize companies that offer chat on their websites.

Gartner Uncovers Gaps in Socially Distanced Selling

Sales organizations must address three main challenges around coaching in a virtual sales era.

B2B Marketplaces Offer Opportunities for Marketers

Businesses have embraced the digital marketplace much like consumers have.

Required Reading: Augmented Intelligence Is the New AI

Collaboration between humans and machines is the way of the future.

Third-Party Messaging Offers Customer Service Opportunities

Businesses can meet consumers where they are by adding messaging apps to their channel mix.

Virginia Passes Privacy Legislation

Required Reading: Breaking Down Conversational Artificial Intelligence

Conversational AI has been around for a while, but it's rarely been clearly explained until now

Digital CX Tops Retail Priorities for 2021

RCP survey highlights the importance of holistic customer experience improvement

Companies Still Not Unifying Customer Engagement Channels

Gartner urges marketers to prioritize omnichannel engagements to retain customers post-pandemic

To Boost Profits, Hire and Promote Female Sellers

Forrester finds that companies with female sales leaders are 50 percent more profitable

Gartner Eyes Customer Service Shift from Mobile Apps to Messaging

Changing technology landscape focuses on team building, research finds

Marketing Must Become Multilocal

Forrester emphasizes local trust amid ongoing geopolitical disruption