Introduction:

Digital transformation was once a foreign term or stood as a long-term vision for most of the companies around the world. A Few years ago, the world, businesses and the economy came to a standstill when it was hit by the COVID-19 wave. People had no idea on how to tackle this situation. Customers required products and services but were immobilized due to the restrictions. The traditional business model suffered a significant blow, and that’s when people realized its bottleneck. It was at this point that they understood the importance of digital transformation for organizations.

Digital transformation is disrupting the business by breaking the barriers between people, businesses and things by the ability to create new products and services and finding out platforms/methods to handle businesses more efficiently. In the words of Marc Benioff, Chairman and Co-CEO of Salesforce “Every digital transformation is going to begin and end with the customer, and I can see that in the minds of every CEO I talk to.” These profound words highlight the paramount significance of customer experience in every digital transformation journey.

Importance of Customer Experience

The customer’s need for a product or service is the first step for any business lifecycle. When we discuss about digital transformation, organizations invest significant efforts in automating or re-engineering their business processes. However, in doing so, we sometimes develop a myopic vision. Prior to any business process remodeling, it is crucial to consider the primary stakeholders – the Customers. Unfortunately, many organizations tend to overlook the importance of viewing their business processes from the perspective of a prospect who is interested in obtaining a service from the business.

Before embarking on any digital transformation journey, organizations typically map their current business process to envision their future state. The journey of a customer begins as a prospect, transitioning from the end of marketing automation, progressing through various stages within a CRM, and eventually being a customer.  It is highly imperative for companies to thoroughly analyze the pain points experienced at each of these stages and ultimately craft a business process that is engaging and seamless for the prospects.

The subsequent step in the digital transformation journey involves enhancing the customer experience by prioritizing improvements in the business process and selecting appropriate tools and software enhancement that facilitates this transformation. A single platform that connects all the business units within an organization is necessary to achieve digital transformation, i.e. having a seamless interaction with customers at all touch points of business.

Rapid digitization heavily relies on the extensive use of CRM, which also serves as a starting point for lead generation and transformation. One important factor to consider when choosing a CRM is the hosting type. Cloud-based CRMs are considered as a great option for companies due to their numerous advantages, including the tools they offer, cost benefits and the level of scalability it offers.

One of the top cloud-based CRM platforms is Salesforce, a unified platform that redefines the way in which businesses connect with end users (partners, customers, and potential customers) to maintain a healthy relationship. With the extensive array of features and capabilities, the Salesforce CRM platform is progressively being integrated into the core operations of the organization.

Salesforce in Digital Transformation

Customer expectations have undergone a significant evolution. The widespread boom in technology has made it more affordable and has rendered people remarkably tech-savvy. As a result of these changes, customers now anticipate businesses to keep pace with technological advancements and empower their experiences.

According to Salesforce, more than 71% of the customer loyalty is influenced by the quality of customer service provided. Customers expect companies to offer support anytime, anywhere. Salesforce firmly believes that customer experience always acts as a key differentiator, both for customers in choosing a company and for a CRM, which serves as an initial point of contact.

Salesforce consistently sets itself apart by offering products and services adapting to the ever-changing needs and desires of the end customers. One of the main strengths of Salesforce is its ability to incorporate the SMAC (Social, Mobile, Analytics, and Cloud) technologies. It provides uninterrupted mobile connectivity for the customers with the employees. The analytical capabilities offered by Salesforce facilitate the analysis of vast amounts of data and translates it into actionable insights.

Furthermore, as a cloud-based solution, Salesforce eliminates concerns related to data storage and scalability. Additionally, Salesforce has the potential to leverage IoT (Internet of Things) technologies to enhance the customer experience, adding another feather to its cap. Employee adoption of new systems becomes a vital consideration during the digital transformation process. Salesforce addresses this concern by offering an Intuitive and user-friendly platform. Salesforce CRM is a low code-no code platform as it does not require any technical knowledge to set it up and use in the organization. The point-and-click tools and the drag-and-drop options make the life of a user easy and allow him/her to efficiently handle large volumes of data. Salesforce allows the businesses to customize the platform according to the business requirements and provides an easy integration with any third-party tools. Moreover, Salesforce’s automation capabilities enable the streamlining of redundant tasks for the employees, making them more productive and allowing them to focus on other tasks that require more attention. This way Salesforce helps in achieving a hassle-free digital transformation experience for the businesses.

In conclusion, digital transformation has become a necessity for organizations worldwide, driven by its crucial role in adapting to the evolving market demands. Customers are considered as lifeblood for all businesses and customer experience stands as a paramount that needs to be prioritized. Salesforce being the world’s No.1 CRM empowers organizations to embrace this digital revolution. By leveraging SMAC technologies, and uninterrupted mobile connectivity required for support, analytics, and scalability, Salesforce addresses the changing needs of customers and fosters digital transformations. Salesforce guides organizations towards a hassle-free and customer-centric digital transformation experience. Embracing Salesforce as a partner equips businesses with the necessary tools to thrive in the digital age.