Calling all solution providers: take a moment to reflect on 2023 and celebrate what you’ve accomplished! When you think back on the strides made, remember how your clients are a cornerstone of that growth. They’ve helped propel your business forward — and that’s a reminder (and incentive) to continue investing in the client experience.
Now that we’ve arrived in 2024, you may be asking what can we do differently to improve the client experience. Here are some strategies on how to improve your client experience in 2024 to honor your existing partnerships and lay the foundation for sustained growth.
#1: Invest in Automation Built for Collaboration
Just a few years back, large companies reported using automation for at least one business process. Over time and in light of the pandemic, businesses have accelerated the adoption of automation tools to reduce reliance on manual measures and effectively scale. In 2024, automation will be at the forefront of delivering consistent, efficient client experiences.
Looking at this through the lens of client onboarding, consider automated updates that keep clients notified of real-time project progress and responsibilities on their plate. It’s just one example of how solution providers can expedite a client’s time-to-value without adding to their workload.
You can tie the success of these efforts directly back to collaboration. When a client onboarding automation platform brings together sales, implementation, and customer success teams in one space, it has a more profound influence on the client experience.
#2: Create a Clear, Flexible Path for Clients
Clients increasingly are expecting faster results and gratification in solution-provider interactions. At the same time, they expect companies to understand their needs — and as HubSpot notes, this can be a “make-or-break benchmark.” All the while, client volumes jumping on the digital adoption bandwagon are apt to continue to grow.
For solution providers, the question becomes how to balance demands for quality client experiences with efficiency. As employee burnout becomes a bigger topic of discussion and risk, client onboarding teams and other departments need scalable processes that allow them to handle fluctuating workloads without compromising the client experience.
Consider establishing a standardized client onboarding workflow and data collection templates in 2024. Your onboarding reps will be able to effortlessly replicate the process for new clients while ensuring all critical data points are captured in a timely manner. While standardized, the onboarding process should be flexible enough to accommodate unique client needs.
#3: Find Opportunities to Personalize the Experience
In one of our previous guest posts, Ben Stein, a thought leader with 17 years of experience in the tech industry, discussed the value of shared customer data points between customer success and marketing teams. As he noted, shared data can be added to propensity models that allow for “more targeted and personalized campaigns that resonate with customers and drive better results.”
While this is one example of how personalization can improve the client experience, it’s important to look at things from a variety of perspectives. Throughout the client onboarding process, is the client receiving relevant tutorials and guides that relate to their use case? Does the experience dynamically adjust if clients easily grasp specific features with advanced functionalities introduced?
Personalization should be part of how you attract and retain clients in the new year. A tailored approach demonstrates your commitment to consistently delivering relevant, meaningful client experiences that translate into long-term satisfaction and loyalty.
#4: Use AI to Optimize for Today & the Future
According to a Forbes Advisor survey, 64% of businesses expect investments in AI to increase productivity. Seeing as how productivity is a linchpin in the client experience, it only makes sense that AI is another point of focus for 2024.
Let’s think about this again from a client onboarding perspective. AI algorithms can help you uncover patterns and trends, including where onboarding delays are most common. If data migration surfaces as the biggest roadblock in timely onboarding, that could be a push to invest in automated migration tools to minimize downtime and support a smooth transition.
At the end of the day, AI helps businesses proactively address issues and deliver timely solutions. As AI systems continue to learn and evolve based on new data, solution providers can continue to refine their strategies to provide an increasingly sophisticated client experience.
As a client onboarding automation platform, Setuply helps lay the groundwork for a positive client experience. Your journey toward better onboarding starts with a demo — contact us today!