Evaluate

Evaluate

Weigh the pros and cons of technologies, products and projects you are considering.

• Sales enablement vs. sales operations: What's the difference?

  Sales enablement and sales operations strategies have a shared goal -- to make the sales team successful and bring in more customers -- yet have different methods of reaching it. Continue Reading

• Why is diversity important in marketing?

  Diversity marketing can help marketers improve personalization, connect with younger audiences and increase brand loyalty. However, inauthentic efforts can erode customer trust. Continue Reading

• Microsoft Ignite highlights future of AI, customer success

  Advancements in AI will affect businesses and customers alike. Learn about the future of AI from Microsoft Ignite's Analyst Day, and how it will affect CX and app development. Continue Reading

• 5 benefits of Microsoft Dynamics 365

  Dynamics 365 offers a comprehensive set of cloud-based business apps to help organizations eliminate data silos, improve decision-making and automate workflows. Continue Reading

• 5 digital sales enablement tools to boost productivity

  Explore how the top sales enablement tools -- such as live chat, email automation and digital asset management -- can help agents boost productivity and efficiency. Continue Reading

• Customer success vs. sales: What's the difference?

  Customer success and sales teams both interact with clients, but customer success prevents churn whereas sales teams focus on loyalty and acquisition.Continue Reading

• 4 email A/B testing best practices

  A/B testing can help marketers improve email campaigns one variable at a time. Best practices include designing the right test, starting with the sender's name and using AI tools.Continue Reading

• 6 generative AI tools to consider for marketing and sales

  Generative AI tools can write marketing content, score leads and personalize sales emails. Explore six generative AI tools for marketing and sales, such as Jasper and Flick.Continue Reading

• How AI can benefit CX and customer service

  If you mix AI into your customer service strategy, you're more likely to keep customers satisfied and employees efficient. Check out three uses for AI in customer service.Continue Reading

• Sales vs. account management: What's the difference?

  Sales and account management teams work together to increase revenue. However, these roles have different goals, responsibilities, skills and relationship timeframes.Continue Reading

• How sales teams can use generative AI

  Sales teams can use generative AI to create personalized content, coach sales reps and improve forecasting. However, risks include data protection and a lack of empathy.Continue Reading

• What is customer experience management (CXM)? Ultimate guide

  Building brand loyalty among customers involves a customer-centric strategy and measuring feedback through voice of the customer data to improve customer experiences.Continue Reading

• 9 customer journey mapping tools that can improve your CX

  Customer journey mapping tools provide valuable insights into the customer experience. Learn more about some of the top tools and how to choose the right one.Continue Reading

• Why businesses should prioritize customer retention

  Proper customer retention can help businesses grow, save money and better understand consumers. Its benefits can lead to better customer experiences and greater business success.Continue Reading

• What does it mean to be customer obsessed?

  Customer obsession can boost a brand's reputation and profits. But it requires C-suite dedication to CX, high levels of personalization and a positive employee experience.Continue Reading

• What is account-based marketing? A guide to ABM strategy

  Companies increasingly use ABM to target high-value accounts and boost sales revenue. Here's the lowdown on the key terms and technologies, plus expert advice on getting started.Continue Reading

• ABM vs. demand generation: How are they different?

  ABM and demand generation differ in significant ways. But when approached correctly, the two can complement one another, leading to higher revenue and long-term customer loyalty.Continue Reading

• Customer experience vs. customer service: How do they differ?

  Customer experience and customer service are not the same, but they do have a shared goal: to ensure customers are satisfied and return for repeat business.Continue Reading

• CX personalization: Why it's important and how to deliver it

  A personalization strategy can increase brand loyalty and customer retention by providing relevant content to customers when they need it. Here's how to get started.Continue Reading

• Top 12 demand-generation strategies for quality leads

  Demand generation can play a key role in increasing revenue. Learn some effective demand-generation strategies that stimulate interest in a company's product or service.Continue Reading

• Top 9 benefits of account-based marketing

  Account-based marketing is a targeted approach to building or strengthening customer relationships. Learn how this strategy can make your marketing campaigns even more effective.Continue Reading

• How to effectively personalize your ABM strategy

  The traditional approach of marketing to the masses is yielding to a more targeted, personalized account-based marketing strategy that caters to high-value clients and boosts ROI.Continue Reading

• Meta's Threads erupts as potential customer service channel

  Threads may or may not be a Twitter-killer, but if 100 million people signed up for it in its first five days, your customer service team should consider supporting it -- and fast.Continue Reading

• Is it time to automate customer satisfaction surveys?

  With automated customer surveys, organizations can get data in real time to improve their marketing, sales and customer service strategies. And AI's role is still growing.Continue Reading

• 8 SMS marketing software to know in 2023

  SMS marketing is the best way to reach customers where they are. These platforms can help organizations send automated replies, add personalization and integrate with other tools.Continue Reading

• Customer success vs. account management: How do they differ?

  Customer success and account management strategies help organizations grow in different ways. Customer success focuses on loyalty, while account management focuses on revenue.Continue Reading

• 4 components of a customer obsession model

  Customer-obsessed organizations put customers at the heart of their operations. A customer obsession model requires important elements like a data strategy and leadership support.Continue Reading

• 6 risks of ChatGPT in customer service

  Despite ChatGPT's customer service benefits, organizations must understand the technology's risks, such as fabricated information, bias and security concerns.Continue Reading

• Top 10 SMS marketing best practices

  Customers may be willing to opt into receiving texts from a brand, but marketers should follow various best practices to ensure they don't overload or overstep with customers.Continue Reading

• Customer service drives retention, operational efficiency

  In times like these, organizations often prioritize and invest in service and support, as they need technology that helps retain customers. New data shows it is happening again.Continue Reading

• AI takes center stage in the future of contact centers

  Generative AI has disrupted the technology world, and contact center vendors are already looking to add it to products. Here's what AI in contact centers could mean for agents.Continue Reading

• How generative AI will sink or swim in customer service

  Generative AI may have captured the tech world's mindshare, but it will have to be commercialized well for customer service applications in the contact center.Continue Reading

• 8 customer success software platforms to consider

  Proper customer success requires the right tools to keep customers satisfied. Here, dive into eight popular platforms on the market, including their features and benefits.Continue Reading

• How Gen Z will shape the future of customer experience

  The future of customer experience is in the hands of Gen Z -- and new technologies, like generative AI and XaaS. These trends will affect consumer and enterprise markets alike.Continue Reading

• 7 examples of sustainable marketing

  Organizations can help the environment, society and their bottom line at the same time with sustainable marketing. Examples include charity partnerships and social transparency.Continue Reading

• 10 customer success KPIs and metrics to track

  What's the best way to tell if customers are satisfied? These 10 customer success KPIs and metrics can gauge everything from potential customer churn to retention.Continue Reading

• Why is sustainable marketing important?

  On a grand scale, sustainable marketing brings awareness to environmental and social issues. On a business level, this practice can improve brand loyalty and worker engagement.Continue Reading

• How do green marketing and sustainable marketing differ?

  Many organizations use green and sustainable marketing to build trust with consumers. Green marketing focuses on the environment, whereas sustainable marketing is broader.Continue Reading

• Compare the top 13 CDP software products in 2023

  CDPs, which vendors may sell as standalone products or as subsets of CRM systems, help organizations build detailed customer profiles. Top CDPs include Emarsys and Oracle Unity CDP.Continue Reading

• The future of field service management and trends for 2023

  Contactless, cashless and self-service abilities mark the new standards for field service. The future of field service brings flexibility and convenience for workers and customers.Continue Reading

• Ultimate guide to customer service for businesses

  Good customer service can make or break a business -- which is why it's more important than ever to understand customer service and develop a strategy to implement it.Continue Reading

• 4 types of customer data platforms

  Data consolidation CDPs simply collect and unify customer data. Other CDP types, such as automated analytics and automated actions CDPs, go a step further and analyze data.Continue Reading

• Top 8 e-commerce marketing platforms to consider

  An e-commerce marketing strategy is no longer optional. Organizations need a marketing platform that meets their e-commerce teams' needs, can customize websites and is affordable.Continue Reading

• 4 benefits of a customer data platform

  CDPs organize customer data to support personalized CX strategies and compliance. Benefits of CDPs include unified customer profiles and enhanced marketing efforts.Continue Reading

• AI-powered CRM platforms compared

  CRM vendors can apply fundamental AI capabilities in various ways. Learn about the similarities and differences between AI functionality in the major CRM platforms.Continue Reading

• What's the difference between WFM and WFO?

  WFM and WFO systems can automate employee schedules. However, WFO platforms include contact center features, such as call recording, to improve agent performance.Continue Reading

• 5 benefits of workforce optimization in contact centers

  In an industry with high turnover, contact center leaders must engage with their agents. Workforce optimization tools can help improve employee satisfaction and productivity.Continue Reading

• Top 4 CRM systems comparison

  What differentiates the 'big four' CRM providers? Explore the advantages and disadvantages of Salesforce, Oracle, Microsoft and SAP in this CRM comparison.Continue Reading

• 9 disadvantages of self-service options

  Customer self-service platforms free up live agents for more complicated issues, but if organizations don't keep this software up to date, its disadvantages can frustrate users.Continue Reading

• Customer loyalty vs. brand loyalty: What's the difference?

  Low prices can generate customer loyalty, whereas reliability and reputation foster brand loyalty. To maximize customer retention, organizations should strive for both.Continue Reading

• Why are loyalty programs important?

  Loyalty programs can help organizations retain their most valuable customers with special offers. Additionally, they can gather useful marketing data, increase referrals and more.Continue Reading

• How strong workplace values affect ethical marketing

  Modern customers actively seek out companies with strong values that match their own, so brands should embrace ethical marketing strategies to ensure customers see their values.Continue Reading

• The link between employee experience and customer experience

  A customer's experience with an organization is only as good as an employee's experience. Business leaders should know that empathy is key to employee and customer success.Continue Reading

• Compare pros and cons of live chat vs. phone support

  Phone support offers personalized experiences, but live chat agents can answer simple inquiries more quickly. See how these service channels stack up against each other.Continue Reading

• 7 reasons why businesses need mobile apps

  Mobile apps can build loyal customer bases, provide insightful customer data and more. Businesses should understand the many ways these apps can enhance CX.Continue Reading

• 5 upcoming CCaaS trends to watch

  As organizations plan to increase CX spending over the next few years, they should pay attention to CCaaS trends, like agents changing workspaces and integrations with UCaaS.Continue Reading

• How the convergence of UCaaS and CCaaS affects businesses

  The UCaaS and CCaaS markets began to converge so organizations could handle internal and external communications on one platform. But integration requires planning and consideration.Continue Reading

• What is Adobe Experience Cloud? CRM platform overview

  Adobe Experience Cloud -- the vendor's CRM platform -- includes tools to help medium and large enterprises manage all facets of their customer engagement strategies.Continue Reading

• Why you need a total experience strategy to drive CX and EX

  More companies are using a 'total experience' approach to win customers and support employees in the post-pandemic economy. But they won't find a single platform that does it all.Continue Reading

• Contact center of the future is now

  AI, machine learning, NLP, advanced analytics, cloud-based tools and workforce management software are transforming the simple call center into multidimensional contact centers.Continue Reading

• Zoom CCaaS a big bet on the future of customer service

  Zoom already integrates with the most popular contact-center-as-a-service platforms. So why has Zoom come out with a CCaaS of its own?Continue Reading

• Call center vs. contact center: What's the difference?

  Call centers and contact centers provide customer service in different ways. Decision-makers should understand which option best fits their organization's needs to optimize CX.Continue Reading

• 13 customer retention strategies that work

  As the cost of acquiring new customers exceeds the cost of retaining existing customers, implementing an effective customer retention strategy should be a top priority.Continue Reading

• Benefits of moving to a cloud contact center

  Cloud contact centers have various benefits for organizations, including cost savings, more interaction channels and staying with -- if not ahead of -- the competition.Continue Reading

• CRM vs. CDP vs. DMP: What's the difference?

  Sales and marketing terms are like alphabet soup, and the different acronyms can get confusing. Find out the difference between three major platforms: CRM, CDP and DMP.Continue Reading

• 10 voice of the customer tools to consider

  A voice of the customer tool is invaluable for creating an action plan to improve the customer experience.Continue Reading

• Inside 5 big-name relationship marketing strategy examples

  How does Nike form an emotional bond with sneakerheads? How does Starbucks know what latte flavors customers want? The answer lies in their relationship marketing strategies.Continue Reading

• Top 10 contact center platforms of 2021

  Contact centers enable organizations to support customers through various channels, but finding the best-suited platform can be difficult. Explore 10 options in this expert tip.Continue Reading

• 15 essential contact center software features

  Looking for the best contact center software features? We review some of the most useful capabilities including data reporting, speech analytics, routing methods and AI.Continue Reading

• How do omnichannel vs. multichannel marketing differ?

  While multichannel marketing connects customers and companies through various forms of communication, omnichannel marketing takes it further and removes any silos.Continue Reading

• On-premises vs. cloud contact center: What's the difference?

  On-premises and cloud contact centers differ in terms of costs, staff requirements and management. Organizations must weigh both options to find the right fit.Continue Reading

• 7 benefits of a personalized marketing content strategy

  Customers want companies to treat them as individuals, and personalized marketing can help accomplish that. Personalization can also improve customer retention and brand affinity.Continue Reading

• Sentiment analysis: Why it's necessary and how it improves CX

  Sentiment analysis tools are essential to detect and understand customer feelings. Companies that use these tools to understand how customers feel can use it to improve CX.Continue Reading

• 10 sentiment analysis tools to consider

  Sentiment analysis is a vital component in customer relations and customer experience. Several versatile sentiment analysis software tools are available to fill this growing need.Continue Reading

• Top 5 personalized marketing examples and their takeaways

  Personalization is a marketing tactic that is easy to get wrong. Learn from the best with five examples of successful campaigns that used personalization.Continue Reading

• The psychology of UX design: How design affects CX

  In her book, '100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People, 2nd Edition,' Susan Weinschenk explains how UX design relies on psychology to improve customer experiences.Continue Reading

• How the Salesforce-Zoom integration benefits sales

  Video conferencing is now the primary form of communication for sales and marketing teams that rely heavily on meetings. The Salesforce Zoom integration increases efficiency.Continue Reading

• Advanced upselling tactics, technologies expand bottom line

  Upselling technologies that segment customers, predict buying habits, analyze emotions and target campaigns arm companies with the weapons to tap new revenue streams.Continue Reading

• 10 Dreamforce to You 2020 sessions for sales managers

  DreamTX -- part of the Dreamforce to You 2020 lineup -- will offer a variety of relevant sessions for attending sales managers. Here's a peek at 10 of those sessions.Continue Reading

• Why customer-centric design is crucial for CX

  In her book, '100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People,' Susan Weinschenk talks about why it is important for companies to know their audience to better design for them.Continue Reading

• 10 technologies to transform customer experience in 2021

  AI-powered technologies such as sentiment analysis, chatbots and real-time transcription can help customer service organizations improve the customer experience.Continue Reading

• Transactional vs. relationship marketing: Key differences

  Some companies thrive on building strong relationships with customers, while others want to make a sale without long-term commitment. Either way, the business needs a strategy.Continue Reading

• 6 demand-generation strategies to drive business

  Among the demand-generation activities to increase awareness of a business's products and services are creating buyer personas and investing in content creation.Continue Reading

• 5 ideas for a post-cookies marketing strategy in 2023

  Tracking customers without third-party cookies may worry businesses; however, all organizations are in the same position. Companies should consider these alternatives.Continue Reading

• Evolving customer data platform features set sights on CX

  In pursuit of the perfect customer experience, CX pros increasingly look to CDPs to unify data and provide a deeper understanding of behavior patterns and buying habits.Continue Reading

• Customer data platform tools push personalization, privacy

  Evolving CDPs help companies unify the flood of consumer data collected from disparate sources, resulting in better customer insights and compliance with privacy regulations.Continue Reading

• Consider adopting extended reality for improved CX

  Research shows that consumers are ready for extended reality when it comes to interacting with brands. Jason Cottrell explains why now is the time to consider adopting XR and AR.Continue Reading

• Mobile wallet mania: Contactless payments are here to stay

  The COVID-19 pandemic has affected a lot of B2C industries and one aspect of customer experience that is likely permanently shifting is the increase in mobile wallet adoption.Continue Reading

• The evolution of customer service

  Today's customer service meets the consumer where and when it is convenient for them, with multiple contact channels, self-service and always-on coverage.Continue Reading

• CDP vs. marketing automation: What's the difference?

  CDPs and marketing automation software collect customer data, automate processes and increase efficiency, but they also have features that set them apart from each other.Continue Reading

• 6 customer retention best practices for businesses to heed

  Customer retention is essential to an organization's success, so it's important to keep customers educated, engaged and feeling as though they're part of the business family.Continue Reading

• 21 lead generation tools to fill the sales funnel

  While live events are on hiatus, there are other tools that businesses can use to generate sales leads, such as email tracking, marketing automation and social media.Continue Reading

• Sales funnel vs. flywheel: How sales and marketing has evolved

  The sales funnel is evolving into a more customer-centric approach named the flywheel. These processes approach sales and marketing differently, but both are useful.Continue Reading

• What's the difference between CRM and database marketing?

  Database marketing is a component of customer relationship management. CRM includes all processes, strategies and tools to support sales, marketing and customer service initiatives.Continue Reading

• Evaluate call center outsourcing costs and benefits

  Outsourcing call center operations can take some financial burden off businesses -- depending on what partner they choose. But there can also be some drawbacks.Continue Reading

• Are you a customer experience leader or laggard?

  Organizations need to invest now in customer experience to ensure they're leaders in their industry. They cannot risk falling behind their competitors with their CX initiatives.Continue Reading

• What to consider for a contact center remote working strategy

  Colin Taylor suggests 11 areas that a good contact center work-from-home policy should address, including who provides equipment, workforce management, coaching and more.Continue Reading

• How to build a world-class customer experience system

  Megan Burns highlights the first four building blocks necessary for building a customer experience -- core journeys, criteria, blueprints and safety nets -- in this first article of a two-part series.Continue Reading

• Combat event fatigue with a virtual event marketing strategy

  Virtual events can be a great way to generate leads and improve customer retention -- but only when done right. Here are some ways that marketers can host a successful online event.Continue Reading

• A look at contact center technology and support costs

  With so many technology options available to contact centers, per-agent spending can vary greatly. It's up to businesses to figure out what technology matters most to them.Continue Reading