As we move into a new normal in a world with a persistent pandemic (threat), I have found that way too many communications are more drawn out than ever before! People on Zoom calls are spending a lot of time justifying their work (existence), and it adds a new drain to the business meeting experience which is tiresome. On top of that, we have lost some cues that come from being face to face with others. So - impatience with respect to time is growing.
This article covers a lot of ground. It argues that we must make our interactions more emotive, less formal, more personal. It further argues that it is table stakes now to exceed human expectations with connected, frictionless customer experiences.
I particularly appreciated this gem of an idea - that we relax our pace and offering insights, not just sales. We can share what are you doing to keep our workers safe. We can identify the transformations we are making to improve the safety experience of our customers. And we can talk about how are products and services evolving in a post-COVID world.
I like the notions that we "onboard" our customers; it is like onboarding new employees, and generates value for them in the process. This article addresses how earliest interactions will make or break the whole relationship, emphasizing the importance of being truly welcoming, learning about what makes your audience happy, curbing your preaching and finding a communication cadence. Oh - and you should be listening to your customers. Good short read.
In this article, we are reminded about the importance of helping customers/clients get it quickly, creating frictionless experiences. To quote: "“When it comes to experience, customers want relevance and speed, not delight.” The most important elements of an ideal customer experience are fast responses to questions/complaints and the ability to find information quickly."