The evolution of CCM to CXM

Successful businesses know that putting customers first is the key to success. For years, customer communications management (CCM) has played a vital role in delivering on this promise. But while modern CCM is still necessary, it's not enough to power the current era of customer experience (CX).

In today's online, interconnected economy, meeting consumer expectations has shifted how we communicate. The focus has moved decisively toward putting the customer at the center of our communication strategy. This customer-centric approach is the driving force behind modern customer experience management (CXM), and it’s critical to obtain and retain customers.

CCM is all about how your company communicates with customers, whether through emails, letters, or messages. CCM aims to make these interactions personalized and meaningful to meet customers' unique needs and preferences. The goal is to build strong, long-lasting relationships and ensure that customers feel valued and understood.

CXM is a broader strategy that encompasses CCM. It focuses on the overall experience your customers have with your company. It considers a customer's entire journey, from the first interaction to post-purchase support. CXM ensures that every step of this journey is smooth, enjoyable, and meets customer expectations.

In the digital landscape, communication is like a constantly evolving ecosystem. New channels to connect with customers seemingly appear overnight, transforming today’s targeted email campaign into tomorrow's TikTok customer engagement strategy. But amidst this dynamic shift, one thing remains constant: the customer journey and a customer’s relationship with you are paramount.

CXM takes center stage in this digital era. It allows businesses to truly understand their customers, seeing the world from their perspective. It's about meeting customers where they are, on their terms.

In the past, communication management revolved around traditional methods like physical print and phone conversations. But today, the landscape is vastly different. We now have many digital channels at our disposal – from emails and social media interactions to private messaging apps like WhatsApp. The rise of mobile devices further diversifies the landscape, creating new avenues for customer interactions.

Successful businesses are those that embrace an omnichannel strategy. This strategy is like having a menu of options for your customers, ensuring consistency and giving them the power to choose how they engage with your brand.

It's important to realize that the digital transformation of the customer experience is relentless. Those companies that can adapt and stay nimble will thrive, while those that lag will be left in the digital dust.

Opportunities for CXM success are abundant and transformative. Let's explore some of them.

• Customer-centricity: This is your North Star. Empower your customers not only in how they communicate with you but also in their ability to self-serve effortlessly. Make it easy for customers to locate past statements or service communications in one seamless platform. Mastering this archival and retrieval process for your customers – and employees – will set you apart.
• Evolving customer-facing roles: Another opportunity worth exploring is the changing nature of customer-facing roles in your company. Customer service representatives, call agents, and brokers regularly engage in critical conversations with customers. While these interactions may be shorter and less frequent, their significance has grown. Your systems should provide an interactive editing environment to effectively support these interactions.
• Personalization: Data should be readily available in a controlled environment, enabling business users to create a personalized experience for each customer. This could mean crafting personalized quotes or contracts and delivering them through the customer's preferred channel. Personalization strengthens the customer relationship and enriches the journey. Respecting customers' communication preferences is essential to providing a good customer experience.

Technology adaptation

Embracing CXM across various channels is crucial but not without hurdles. Legacy systems can be formidable obstacles, especially in complex and highly regulated industries. The cost of transition and the time spent on retraining can be steep. However, the benefits of a seamless CXM are well worth the investment.

Finding the balance

In the realm of automation and customer empowerment, balance is key. Seamless, low-effort interactions lead to customer loyalty. But tread carefully; too much automation and customers may feel dehumanized. They want personalized experiences but not at the cost of losing their individuality. Remember that each customer is unique, not just a number.

To unify CXM and CCM, the first step is simple: start with journey mapping.

Mapping your customer's journeys provides a clear view of the end-to-end customer experience, not just communication interactions. This benefits everyone in the organization, from the CMO and CXO to the CIO and beyond. Those who've already taken this step are reaping the rewards – streamlined, consistent, personalized, and relevant cross-channel communications across the entire customer journey.

Kickstart your journey to CX transformation with Quadient Inspire Journey. It's the only cloud-based journey mapping solution that seamlessly combines customer journey mapping, data, and communication technologies to design and deliver customer-centric omnichannel experiences. 

Inspire Journey enables you to: 

• Enhance customer understanding with visuals: Comprehensive visualization enables every team member to see the customer journey clearly. Inspire Journey’s modern design and collaboration tools make teamwork easy, no matter where your team is located.
• Make informed decisions with data: Inspire Journey is the only journey-mapping solution that directly integrates data into maps. This means you can rely on facts, not opinions. Get accurate insights into your customers' experiences and real-time KPIs to measure value.
• Prioritize what matters most: Our interactive tools help you identify the most important touchpoints and prioritize improvements that will have the most significant impact on your transformation strategy. Maximize your return on investment (ROI) with ease.
• Enhance communication for customer satisfaction: Connect customer experience insights with effective communications by integrating with platforms like Inspire Flex and Evolve. Optimize the design and delivery of communications across all channels to truly satisfy your customers.

The evolution from CCM to CXM is not just a trend; it's a business imperative. It's about building relationships, not just sending messages. So, ask yourself, are you still shouting through a megaphone, or are you having meaningful conversations with your customers? Embracing CXM can be the key to unlocking customer loyalty, growth, and success.