In old business-models, it might be still confusing when marketing t
alks about transformation. For a successful business 4.0. model it’s essential to involve marketing in every transformation step and further ahead enable the organization to support marketing transformation.
Always starting with the question: what comes first: the hen or the egg? Customer or product? Marketing or sales? Revenue or employees? Most discussions are mainly focusing the changed customer scope, customer journey and revenue sources.
Interaction of the 6 most critical divisions determine success or failure of your transformation:
Following sample questions might help to determine expected transformation results.
Strategy
Your marketing journey starts with a strategy. Silos must be busted, inter-divisional goals and processes have to be defined.
- Is your leadership ready for change?
- How fast can you adapt your products and processes to changed market conditions?
- Is your current IT already digital-ready? Does your IT support increased bandwidth?
- Have you implemented data security allowance?
- How would you like to communicate with your customers – today and tomorrow? What does that mean for your customer service?
- Are your employees aware of any changes? Do they know and live the new processes? Do they accept new virtual, digital and technical challenges?
- Which are your products of today and further on? Which are your top-sellers?
- Do you know your target audience? Have you already adapted your communication accordingly?
- Are you working with buyer personas defined by your marketing and sales?
- Do you know the relevant channels for your target audience and can you play them?
Sales
Your sales is your spearhead. They talk directly to your customers and therefore have a huge impact on the success of your company strategy and new business.
- Do they understand the overall business goals and are enabled to spread the core values and messages?
- Do they talk to the right people at the client site? Are they equipped to boost client relationship?
- Is your sales team aware and trained on the relevant communication channels?
- Is sales collaborating with cross-functional teams to develop targeted G2M strategies, client retention programs, etc.
Customer Service
Your customer service leads successful customer retention. Customers will stay when they feel recognized and respected.
- Have you trained/involved your project/account managers on your communication direction and objectives?
- Do you involve/inform all client team members in account strategy?
- Is anyone enabled and motivated to talk to the client individuals?
Marketing
Marketing 4.0. is a core discipline and can drive change with content definitions, the entire product story, optimized customer journey and communication. Communication channels and messages are defined based on buyer personas and the company objectives. Collaboration with customers start with new communication processes and definitions.
- Is your marketing positioned strategically or executing?
- Do you strategically use all relevant customer centric channels and adapt your communication properly?
- Do you know all relevant channels for direct communication and benchmark with your clients and targets?
- How mature is your marketing in driving innovation and cross-functional teams?
- Is marketing collaborating with cross-functional teams to develop targeted G2M strategies, client retention programs, etc.?
Development
Products must be adopted on to customers needs more flexible then ever. Your products, communication and company performance are being discussed in social media – positive or negative. Hence it is essential to open traditional processes to also collaborate with your customers and to optimize or change your products.
- How fast can you adopt your portfolio?
- Which products are really relevant to your clients?
- Do you provide innovative, value adding solutions or rather reply to market needs?
Employees
Your employees are challenged by the new sales concept, customer communication and faster response time. Pick them up by explaining chances and risks. Provide trainings and ongoing support to also answer critical situations right from the beginning. Only motivated and satisfied employees will support your longterm company goals – this is not unique for the digital „revolution“.
- Are your employees aware of business goals and supporting change?
- Do your employees understand the chances of client targeted marketing and communication?
- Have they been trained and do you provide regular and transparent internal communication?
- Can they provide input and have impact on product development, communications and messaging?
Conclusions
Organizations that are open for change and willing to integrate transformed marketing can provide innovations and hence differences to the market. Marketing 4.0. is more than traditional functions, it’s rather driving new processes, perspectives and directions.
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