Felix Lill
Is the customer ready to take the next step? Should I call customer A or customer B? Account managers and other sales professionals in SMEs often rely on their gut feeling when making decisions, which is why they are generally skeptical of data-driven guidance from AI.
However, the goal of data-driven customer management is not to replace intuition with data. Intuition yields good results in many situations, provided all influencing factors and their effects are known. Rather, the aim is to supplement the intuition of sales staff with a solid data foundation that will serve as an additional guide.
The SAP Sales & Service Cloud provides a powerful platform for data-driven customer management, enabling companies to leverage the wealth of information available to them. In this blog post, we take a look at the different types of data that can be used in the Sales Cloud. We also explore how they help to optimize customer contacts and enhance interaction with customers.
The Sources of Data: Diversity in Customer Management
Different data sources are used in the SAP Sales Cloud depending on a company's business focus.
- Private customer data supplied by an online store, for example, provides insights into individual customer behavior.
- Business customer data comes from various sources such as cold calling, telephone prospecting, trade fairs, and personal research. This data enables sales teams to target customers and create effective interactions. (All of this data can be combined in the Sales Cloud from the existing data sources you have previously used)
The Power of Information in the B2B sector
Marketing data has become a key element in today’s digital age, where we are constantly exchanging information. Individuals voluntarily share their data to receive tailored advertisements through various channels. While the concept of marketing data is relatively clear in the consumer sector, the possibilities are even greater in the B2B sector. The diversity of data in the B2B sector requires a smart strategy to identify crucial information and make the best use of it.
Data in a company is often distributed across several systems, known as data silos. This makes it difficult to gain valuable insights for the organization. There simply needs to be one place where all data can be analyzed in a consolidated manner.
The SAP Sales & Service Cloud offers SMEs an optimal environment for processing customer and marketing data. With a well-thought-out strategy, companies can use the abundance of data more effectively.
Important: For a CRM to function intuitively and efficiently, it needs data. Like battery power! The more data available, the more efficiently artificial intelligence (AI) can work in tandem with the latest technologies.
Business Customer Data: Leveraging Diversity in B2B Sales
Private customer data provides valuable insights into individual consumer behavior. If an online shop is integrated into the SAP Sales Cloud, companies will be able to track customer behavior in real time. Customer preferences and needs can be addressed individually, allowing offers and services to be personalized. From the analysis of previous purchases to customized recommendations, companies are able to better understand their customers and offer them tailor-made solutions.
In the B2B sector, business customer data comes from a wide variety of sources, which provides valuable information about potential business partners.
Telephone prospecting:
- More detailed information about the needs and requirements of the potential customer
- Feedback on existing products or services
- Information about the decision-making process in the company
Trade fairs:
- Contact details of companies participating in the trade fair
- Insights into new market trends and innovations
- Direct feedback from potential customers on products or services
Research:
- Deeper insights into the financial stability of a company
- Information on competitors and market share
- Historical data on previous business decisions or partnerships
This information is crucial for the sales process, as it enables sales representatives to personalize their approaches, better understand the needs of potential customers, and ultimately build successful business relationships. By integrating marketing data into the SAP Sales Cloud, companies can analyze potential customers more effectively and conduct more targeted marketing campaigns. The challenge, however, lies in identifying the right data and ensuring it is used effectively.
With the SAP Sales Cloud, this data can be managed centrally and integrated into the sales process. The resulting 360-degree overview of business customers enables sales representatives to better respond to individual needs and make targeted offers.
The SAP Sales & Service Cloud as a Central Data Hub
The SAP Sales & Service Cloud serves as a central hub for processing and using all customer management data.
- The intelligent, user-friendly platform brings together tools and insights relating to customer behavior. From here, you control all customer-related processes and benefit from a comprehensive overview in real time.
- All communication channels are integrated - whether that’s in-person on the phone, on MS Teams, online, via social media, or on mobile devices. This prevents data silos from arising in the first place.
- The built-in AI helps with strategic decisions and relieves your sales and service personnel from having to perform routine customer management tasks.
Did you know that the market leader SAP has also released an app for the SAP Sales & Service Cloud? Find out how it supports you with mobile customer relationship management in the blog post Digital Sales with the Sales & Service Cloud App.
3 PART recommendations for data-driven customer management
- Data is a vital raw material for companies. Use it intelligently to recognize decisive trends that you would otherwise have missed.
- Avoid data silos and create an integrated environment with a central data management platform like SAP Sales & Service Cloud, where data from various sources can be consolidated. This provides you with a holistic view of your customers, enabling you to make decisions more efficiently.
- Rely on data-driven analytics and AI technologies. Use advanced analytical tools and artificial intelligence to extract valuable insights from your data. Identify patterns, forecasts, and customer behavior to develop more precise sales strategies and implement a personalized customer approach.
Data as a Key Resource in Customer Management
In a time where data has become a key resource, the SAP Sales & Service Cloud provides an optimal platform for data-driven customer management. The variety of customer data, both private and business, as well as marketing data, can be processed efficiently to enable personalized communication, effective sales, and high customer retention.
We will be happy to advise you in detail on the functionalities and operating models of the SAP Sales & Service Cloud.
