Roadmap to include customers in your digital transition (5 steps)

Digitisation

Your customers are your legitimacy. Everything you do, should be aimed at offering them the best service possible, now and in the future. So if you are considering implementing digital services, like e-signatures or digital identification, their interests should be the driving force.However, many companies forget to include their customers in these kind of processes or think they know what their customers think. Implementing a digital solution will only be successful if you involve your customers. Here are five useful tips to make your customers as enthusiastic about your new service as you are.
 

1. Make it about them, not you

This sounds very logical. Yet, when it comes to changes or digitisation many companies communicate inside out.

Did the customer ask for this change? No. So tell them why you are implementing this: to be able to serve them in a sustainable way. Make them the focus point of the change, not the company. Even if it is about cost cutting, communicate it is a necessity to survive or – even better – communicate the cost savings they can expect. Always, always, make the change about them.

To involve them, set up a user group of critical and interested customers. Let them have their say in different phases of the project. Do not wait until the last phase. Their input might already be very valuable in the beginning when you still have time to make changes. Appreciate their input and do not see it as a delaying factor. Show them how their input is processed in the end solution.
 

2. Align your digitisation and business strategy

Your project – and digitisation strategy in general – need to be in line with the overall business strategy. If the digitisation is not supported by a vision and business mentality it will be doomed to fail. Customers will immediately feel if both are not in sync.

An example: when a customer walks into a bank and needs help with executing a service on a monitor, the employee should be there supporting the service, explaining why it is safer, more efficient etc. If he criticizes the system and tells the customer everything was better in the old days, the customer will never feel good about the new service.
 

3. Communicate: what is in it for them?

Many customers feel like they are less important because of digitisation. While actually digitisation should allow your employees to spend even more time on customer services, as routine jobs will require less time.

Also digital services can be a lot safer than analogue ways. Take for instance the way data of an e-identity card is imported in a system versus the way data of a traditional identity card is processed. From a digital version all data is scanned and copied into the system, one-on-one. This makes it less error prone than copying data from a traditional card by hand, where there is always the risk of typo’s.

Put yourself in your customer’s shoes and think about the advantages after the change from their perspective: easy-to-use digital services, always and everywhere available, more security, better and more information and less bureaucracy. Focus on these points in your communication.
 

4. Start communicating early

Start communicating about the change in an early stage. People need time to adapt to changes. Also if you start explaining why you are implementing digital services, your customers will be more understanding and have a more positive attitude than when you surprise them only just before or after the launch.

Use all communication channels, like newsletters, your business LinkedIn page, website etc to communicate what you are doing, why and what is in it for them.
 

5. Celebrate the new service

When the new service is about to be launched, make it a celebration. Set up a kick off campaign with plenty of communication and design a user experience to make customers familiar with the service.

Really make the launch a party so everybody has a positive attitude towards the change. If you can, offer discounts, to make it even more festive.
 

The human factor

Never forget that digitisation is nowhere without humans. After all, digitisation is here to serve us. All innovations which proved easy usability, were adopted within no time. Think mobile phones, debit cards, social media. If you are able to enthuse your customers, your innovation will certainly be a success.

Also do not forget to involve your colleagues and management. They are essential to the success of your project as well. Read our blog about how to enthuse employees here.
 

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