Evaluate

Evaluate

Weigh the pros and cons of technologies, products and projects you are considering.

• Technical sales rise when you tap into soft skills

  Evgeniy Kharam published a book exploring soft skills in technical sales to improve sales success and minimize turnover. In this Q&A, you'll find key takeaways from the book. Continue Reading

• MTA vs. MMM: What's the difference?

  MTA and MMM help marketers improve their strategies, but MTA has a narrower focus. Key differences between these techniques include focus and data requirements. Continue Reading

• How does DMARC affect email marketing?

  Marketers must prepare for DMARC to ensure their emails reach customers' inboxes -- rather than their spam or junk folders -- and to build trust between consumers and the brand. Continue Reading

• The ultimate guide to contact center modernization

  Advanced technologies, omnichannel support, agent performance, data security and ROI are keys to modernizing contact centers, but AI integration and customer personalization dominate. Continue Reading

• 15 essential contact center features

  Today's multifunctional contact centers must cut through the product hype and incorporate software features that meet customer demands for fast, seamless and personalized service. Continue Reading

• 10 ideas for a post-cookies marketing strategy

  Tracking customers without third-party cookies may concern businesses. However, all organizations are in the same position. Marketers should consider these alternatives.Continue Reading

• 9 omnichannel marketing platforms to consider

  To reach customers consistently on any platform, marketing teams should embrace omnichannel marketing. These software options can help marketers in any industry boost their reach.Continue Reading

• 12 top contact center platforms of 2024

  Which came first: the evolution of the contact center or the evolution of its supporting software? It's the old chicken-and-egg debate. Either way, AI is the catalyst.Continue Reading

• 6 generative AI tools to consider for marketing and sales

  Generative AI tools can write marketing content, score leads and personalize sales emails. Explore six generative AI tools for marketing and sales, such as Jasper and Flick.Continue Reading

• 5 key contact center AI features and their benefits

  As multifunctional contact centers evolve in complexity and importance, AI and GenAI integration are advancing self-service chatbots, customer insights and agent monitoring.Continue Reading

• How AI can improve customer loyalty

  AI plays a central role in customer loyalty. Yet, organizations can have a greater ROI if they focus their AI strategies more on improving CX and less on cutting costs.Continue Reading

• 7 reasons why mobile apps are important for your business

  Mobile apps can build loyal customer bases, provide insightful customer data and more. Businesses should understand the many ways these apps can enhance CX.Continue Reading

• Call center vs. contact center: What's the difference?

  Call centers still live and die by the phone, while time and technologies have demanded more complex contact centers that service customers over multiple channels of communication.Continue Reading

• Marketing automation checklist for beginners

  How can SMBs and small marketing teams develop a proper marketing automation strategy? With a checklist. Here's what to include in a checklist for a successful strategy.Continue Reading

• Will AI replace customer service reps?

  AI can streamline customer interactions and save organizations money, but will it replace customer service agents? Maybe, but customer service will always require a human touch.Continue Reading

• Zendesk users get generative AI infusion for customer service

  Zendesk customers get their shot of GenAI, which comes in the form of agent tools, self-service workflow assistants and workforce management features.Continue Reading

• How agent assist technology works in the contact center

  Contact centers that invest in agent assist technology can help their agents become more productive and eliminate tedious tasks to make their jobs easier.Continue Reading

• IT leaders curb GenAI enthusiasm at Enterprise Connect

  IT leaders at Enterprise Connect expressed enthusiasm for GenAI experimentation in customer experience as well as circumspection that vendors should take on board.Continue Reading

• How AI is transforming the BPO industry and contact centers

  Everyone is talking about AI, but which organizations are adopting it? BPOs are a great example, especially AI for internal CX strategies and contact centers.Continue Reading

• Salesforce TDX reveals how consumer and enterprise AI differ

  The soaraway success of GenAI chatbots has obscured how enterprise AI differs from consumer AI. Salesforce's TDX developer conference threw those differences into some relief.Continue Reading

• 8 free marketing automation tools for SMBs

  Marketing automation can help any business engage more customers, but SMBs might need it most. These free tools can help small marketing teams get started with automation.Continue Reading

• 6 benefits of omnichannel marketing

  Omnichannel marketing shares data between interaction channels, like email and live chat, to improve CX. Key benefits include enhanced personalization and customer loyalty.Continue Reading

• Top 6 marketing automation certifications and courses

  With the right marketing automation certifications, SMBs and small marketing teams can gain the skills and expertise needed to compete with larger companies in their markets.Continue Reading

• Microsoft Dynamics 365 vs. Salesforce: How do they differ?

  Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Salesforce both help organizations streamline sales, service and marketing processes. Yet, they differ in architecture and integration capabilities.Continue Reading

• How contact center modernization plays into AI strategies

  Contact center workers want to work in different ways, so more leaders are experimenting with GenAI. ESG research explores the maturity of contact center tech.Continue Reading

• The future of field service management and trends

  Contactless, cashless and self-service abilities remain standards for field service. The future will bring more flexibility and convenience for workers and customers.Continue Reading

• Overview of RingCentral's RingCX AI-powered CCaaS platform

  RingCentral's new contact center-as-a-service offering, RingCX, is poised to shake up the CCaaS market. Explore its benefits and features to see if it works for your organization.Continue Reading

• The value of a total experience platform

  Combining customer, employee, omnichannel and multichannel, and UX platforms and tools into a total experience offering improves visibility, metrics and insights.Continue Reading

• Sales enablement vs. sales operations: What's the difference?

  Sales enablement and sales operations strategies have a shared goal -- to make the sales team successful and bring in more customers -- yet have different methods of reaching it.Continue Reading

• Why is diversity important in marketing?

  Diversity marketing can help marketers improve personalization, connect with younger audiences and increase brand loyalty. However, inauthentic efforts can erode customer trust.Continue Reading

• Microsoft Ignite highlights future of AI, customer success

  Advancements in AI will affect businesses and customers alike. Learn about the future of AI from Microsoft Ignite's Analyst Day, and how it will affect CX and app development.Continue Reading

• 5 benefits of Microsoft Dynamics 365

  Dynamics 365 offers a comprehensive set of cloud-based business apps to help organizations eliminate data silos, improve decision-making and automate workflows.Continue Reading

• 5 digital sales enablement tools to boost productivity

  Explore how the top sales enablement tools -- such as live chat, email automation and digital asset management -- can help agents boost productivity and efficiency.Continue Reading

• Customer success vs. sales: What's the difference?

  Customer success and sales teams both interact with clients, but customer success prevents churn whereas sales teams focus on loyalty and acquisition.Continue Reading

• 4 email A/B testing best practices

  A/B testing can help marketers improve email campaigns one variable at a time. Best practices include designing the right test, starting with the sender's name and using AI tools.Continue Reading

• How AI can benefit CX and customer service

  If you mix AI into your customer service strategy, you're more likely to keep customers satisfied and employees efficient. Check out three uses for AI in customer service.Continue Reading

• Sales vs. account management: What's the difference?

  Sales and account management teams work together to increase revenue. However, these roles have different goals, responsibilities, skills and relationship timeframes.Continue Reading

• How sales teams can use generative AI

  Sales teams can use generative AI to create personalized content, coach sales reps and improve forecasting. However, risks include data protection and a lack of empathy.Continue Reading

• What is customer experience management (CXM)? Ultimate guide

  Building brand loyalty among customers involves a customer-centric strategy and measuring feedback through voice of the customer data to improve customer experiences.Continue Reading

• 9 customer journey mapping tools that can improve your CX

  Customer journey mapping tools provide valuable insights into the customer experience. Learn more about some of the top tools and how to choose the right one.Continue Reading

• Why businesses should prioritize customer retention

  Proper customer retention can help businesses grow, save money and better understand consumers. Its benefits can lead to better customer experiences and greater business success.Continue Reading

• What does it mean to be customer obsessed?

  Customer obsession can boost a brand's reputation and profits. But it requires C-suite dedication to CX, high levels of personalization and a positive employee experience.Continue Reading

• What is account-based marketing? A guide to ABM strategy

  Companies increasingly use ABM to target high-value accounts and boost sales revenue. Here's the lowdown on the key terms and technologies, plus expert advice on getting started.Continue Reading

• ABM vs. demand generation: How are they different?

  ABM and demand generation differ in significant ways. But when approached correctly, the two can complement one another, leading to higher revenue and long-term customer loyalty.Continue Reading

• Customer experience vs. customer service: How do they differ?

  Customer experience and customer service are not the same, but they do have a shared goal: to ensure customers are satisfied and return for repeat business.Continue Reading

• CX personalization: Why it's important and how to deliver it

  A personalization strategy can increase brand loyalty and customer retention by providing relevant content to customers when they need it. Here's how to get started.Continue Reading

• Top 12 demand-generation strategies for quality leads

  Demand generation can play a key role in increasing revenue. Learn some effective demand-generation strategies that stimulate interest in a company's product or service.Continue Reading

• Top 9 benefits of account-based marketing

  Account-based marketing is a targeted approach to building or strengthening customer relationships. Learn how this strategy can make your marketing campaigns even more effective.Continue Reading

• How to effectively personalize your ABM strategy

  The traditional approach of marketing to the masses is yielding to a more targeted, personalized account-based marketing strategy that caters to high-value clients and boosts ROI.Continue Reading

• Meta's Threads erupts as potential customer service channel

  Threads may or may not be a Twitter-killer, but if 100 million people signed up for it in its first five days, your customer service team should consider supporting it -- and fast.Continue Reading

• Is it time to automate customer satisfaction surveys?

  With automated customer surveys, organizations can get data in real time to improve their marketing, sales and customer service strategies. And AI's role is still growing.Continue Reading

• 8 SMS marketing software to know in 2023

  SMS marketing is the best way to reach customers where they are. These platforms can help organizations send automated replies, add personalization and integrate with other tools.Continue Reading

• Customer success vs. account management: How do they differ?

  Customer success and account management strategies help organizations grow in different ways. Customer success focuses on loyalty, while account management focuses on revenue.Continue Reading

• 4 components of a customer obsession model

  Customer-obsessed organizations put customers at the heart of their operations. A customer obsession model requires important elements like a data strategy and leadership support.Continue Reading

• 6 risks of ChatGPT in customer service

  Despite ChatGPT's customer service benefits, organizations must understand the technology's risks, such as fabricated information, bias and security concerns.Continue Reading

• Top 10 SMS marketing best practices

  Customers may be willing to opt into receiving texts from a brand, but marketers should follow various best practices to ensure they don't overload or overstep with customers.Continue Reading

• Customer service drives retention, operational efficiency

  In times like these, organizations often prioritize and invest in service and support, as they need technology that helps retain customers. New data shows it is happening again.Continue Reading

• AI takes center stage in the future of contact centers

  Generative AI has disrupted the technology world, and contact center vendors are already looking to add it to products. Here's what AI in contact centers could mean for agents.Continue Reading

• How generative AI will sink or swim in customer service

  Generative AI may have captured the tech world's mindshare, but it will have to be commercialized well for customer service applications in the contact center.Continue Reading

• 8 customer success software platforms to consider

  Proper customer success requires the right tools to keep customers satisfied. Here, dive into eight popular platforms on the market, including their features and benefits.Continue Reading

• How Gen Z will shape the future of customer experience

  The future of customer experience is in the hands of Gen Z -- and new technologies, like generative AI and XaaS. These trends will affect consumer and enterprise markets alike.Continue Reading

• 7 examples of sustainable marketing

  Organizations can help the environment, society and their bottom line at the same time with sustainable marketing. Examples include charity partnerships and social transparency.Continue Reading

• 10 customer success KPIs and metrics to track

  What's the best way to tell if customers are satisfied? These 10 customer success KPIs and metrics can gauge everything from potential customer churn to retention.Continue Reading

• Why is sustainable marketing important?

  On a grand scale, sustainable marketing brings awareness to environmental and social issues. On a business level, this practice can improve brand loyalty and worker engagement.Continue Reading

• How do green marketing and sustainable marketing differ?

  Many organizations use green and sustainable marketing to build trust with consumers. Green marketing focuses on the environment, whereas sustainable marketing is broader.Continue Reading

• Compare the top 13 CDP software products in 2023

  CDPs, which vendors may sell as standalone products or as subsets of CRM systems, help organizations build detailed customer profiles. Top CDPs include Emarsys and Oracle Unity CDP.Continue Reading

• Ultimate guide to customer service for businesses

  Good customer service can make or break a business -- which is why it's more important than ever to understand customer service and develop a strategy to implement it.Continue Reading

• 4 types of customer data platforms

  Data consolidation CDPs simply collect and unify customer data. Other CDP types, such as automated analytics and automated actions CDPs, go a step further and analyze data.Continue Reading

• Top 8 e-commerce marketing platforms to consider

  An e-commerce marketing strategy is no longer optional. Organizations need a marketing platform that meets their e-commerce teams' needs, can customize websites and is affordable.Continue Reading

• 4 benefits of a customer data platform

  CDPs organize customer data to support personalized CX strategies and compliance. Benefits of CDPs include unified customer profiles and enhanced marketing efforts.Continue Reading

• AI-powered CRM platforms compared

  CRM vendors can apply fundamental AI capabilities in various ways. Learn about the similarities and differences between AI functionality in the major CRM platforms.Continue Reading

• What's the difference between WFM and WFO?

  WFM and WFO systems can automate employee schedules. However, WFO platforms include contact center features, such as call recording, to improve agent performance.Continue Reading

• 5 benefits of workforce optimization in contact centers

  In an industry with high turnover, contact center leaders must engage with their agents. Workforce optimization tools can help improve employee satisfaction and productivity.Continue Reading

• Top 4 CRM systems comparison

  What differentiates the 'big four' CRM providers? Explore the advantages and disadvantages of Salesforce, Oracle, Microsoft and SAP in this CRM comparison.Continue Reading

• 9 disadvantages of self-service options

  Customer self-service platforms free up live agents for more complicated issues, but if organizations don't keep this software up to date, its disadvantages can frustrate users.Continue Reading

• Customer loyalty vs. brand loyalty: What's the difference?

  Low prices can generate customer loyalty, whereas reliability and reputation foster brand loyalty. To maximize customer retention, organizations should strive for both.Continue Reading

• Why are loyalty programs important?

  Loyalty programs can help organizations retain their most valuable customers with special offers. Additionally, they can gather useful marketing data, increase referrals and more.Continue Reading

• How strong workplace values affect ethical marketing

  Modern customers actively seek out companies with strong values that match their own, so brands should embrace ethical marketing strategies to ensure customers see their values.Continue Reading

• The link between employee experience and customer experience

  A customer's experience with an organization is only as good as an employee's experience. Business leaders should know that empathy is key to employee and customer success.Continue Reading

• Compare pros and cons of live chat vs. phone support

  Phone support offers personalized experiences, but live chat agents can answer simple inquiries more quickly. See how these service channels stack up against each other.Continue Reading

• 5 upcoming CCaaS trends to watch

  As organizations plan to increase CX spending over the next few years, they should pay attention to CCaaS trends, like agents changing workspaces and integrations with UCaaS.Continue Reading

• How the convergence of UCaaS and CCaaS affects businesses

  The UCaaS and CCaaS markets began to converge so organizations could handle internal and external communications on one platform. But integration requires planning and consideration.Continue Reading

• What is Adobe Experience Cloud? CRM platform overview

  Adobe Experience Cloud -- the vendor's CRM platform -- includes tools to help medium and large enterprises manage all facets of their customer engagement strategies.Continue Reading

• Why you need a total experience strategy to drive CX and EX

  More companies are using a 'total experience' approach to win customers and support employees in the post-pandemic economy. But they won't find a single platform that does it all.Continue Reading

• Contact center of the future is now

  AI, machine learning, NLP, advanced analytics, cloud-based tools and workforce management software are transforming the simple call center into multidimensional contact centers.Continue Reading

• Zoom CCaaS a big bet on the future of customer service

  Zoom already integrates with the most popular contact-center-as-a-service platforms. So why has Zoom come out with a CCaaS of its own?Continue Reading

• 13 customer retention strategies that work

  As the cost of acquiring new customers exceeds the cost of retaining existing customers, implementing an effective customer retention strategy should be a top priority.Continue Reading

• Benefits of moving to a cloud contact center

  Cloud contact centers have various benefits for organizations, including cost savings, more interaction channels and staying with -- if not ahead of -- the competition.Continue Reading

• CRM vs. CDP vs. DMP: What's the difference?

  Sales and marketing terms are like alphabet soup, and the different acronyms can get confusing. Find out the difference between three major platforms: CRM, CDP and DMP.Continue Reading

• 10 voice of the customer tools to consider

  A voice of the customer tool is invaluable for creating an action plan to improve the customer experience.Continue Reading

• Inside 5 big-name relationship marketing strategy examples

  How does Nike form an emotional bond with sneakerheads? How does Starbucks know what latte flavors customers want? The answer lies in their relationship marketing strategies.Continue Reading

• How do omnichannel vs. multichannel marketing differ?

  While multichannel marketing connects customers and companies through various forms of communication, omnichannel marketing takes it further and removes any silos.Continue Reading

• On-premises vs. cloud contact center: What's the difference?

  On-premises and cloud contact centers differ in terms of costs, staff requirements and management. Organizations must weigh both options to find the right fit.Continue Reading

• 7 benefits of a personalized marketing content strategy

  Customers want companies to treat them as individuals, and personalized marketing can help accomplish that. Personalization can also improve customer retention and brand affinity.Continue Reading

• Sentiment analysis: Why it's necessary and how it improves CX

  Sentiment analysis tools are essential to detect and understand customer feelings. Companies that use these tools to understand how customers feel can use it to improve CX.Continue Reading

• 10 sentiment analysis tools to consider

  Sentiment analysis is a vital component in customer relations and customer experience. Several versatile sentiment analysis software tools are available to fill this growing need.Continue Reading

• Top 5 personalized marketing examples and their takeaways

  Personalization is a marketing tactic that is easy to get wrong. Learn from the best with five examples of successful campaigns that used personalization.Continue Reading

• The psychology of UX design: How design affects CX

  In her book, '100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People, 2nd Edition,' Susan Weinschenk explains how UX design relies on psychology to improve customer experiences.Continue Reading

• How the Salesforce-Zoom integration benefits sales

  Video conferencing is now the primary form of communication for sales and marketing teams that rely heavily on meetings. The Salesforce Zoom integration increases efficiency.Continue Reading

• Advanced upselling tactics, technologies expand bottom line

  Upselling technologies that segment customers, predict buying habits, analyze emotions and target campaigns arm companies with the weapons to tap new revenue streams.Continue Reading