Retail Communications Objectives: Strategies for Today’s Businesses

Kent Yunk

March 19, 2019

Cloud technology is changing the way people interact with each other. In the retail business, acknowledging these trends and refining communication objectives allow you to stay competitive. A unified communications system is at the heart of achieving this goal.

A retail communications program should focus on more than just a specific transaction. Objectives should center around enhancing the total shopping experience, which increases customer satisfaction and encourages brand loyalty. By implementing a system that allows you to reach across multiple platforms, you can leverage each interaction to develop broader and stronger customer relationships.

Objectives of a Retail Communication Program

As the needs of shoppers continue to evolve, it’s crucial for your retail communication program to evolve with them. In the past, shoppers frequented brick-and-mortar stores and mainly relied on sales associates for transactions, such as pricing of merchandise and processing sales at cash registers. Today, shoppers not only demand the flexibility of online shopping, but they also expect better and more comprehensive service from retailers.

If you want to meet the needs of a changing market and maintain a competitive edge that attracts modern shoppers, you must redefine your retail communication strategy. Key objectives include:

Enhance Customer Experience: Choose mobile apps that allow customers to shop online from any device. Maintain a strong social media presence to encourage brand engagement and foster community.
Improve Customer Support: Surveys conducted by Salesforce indicate that email, live chat, texts, and Facebook messages are the preferred methods for shoppers to provide feedback, resolve issues, and obtain support.
Maintain Brand Consistency: Sales training materials and product user guides should be easily accessible online.
Provide Real-Time Tracking and Inventory Tools: Implement a retail operations system that allows for real-time tracking of warehouse KPIs, inventory levels, product order status, and follow-up sales.
Streamline Communications: Select a retail communications program that can be used on any device and by all employees in your company, with features such as call recording, team messaging, and automated responses.

Implementing a Retail Communication Strategy

With advances in internet technology and cloud communications, there are more options to successfully implement a retail strategy. Toolbox Tech acknowledges that keeping up with these trends can be confusing. However, doing so provides new and more efficient ways of conducting business, which can increase your productivity, sales, and customer satisfaction rates.

Choosing a platform for your retail communications program is the first step. Deciding which one is right for you depends on the type of business you operate and the communications strategies you plan on implementing. Platforms include:

Voice Over IP (VoIP): Otherwise known as “internet phone service,” VoIP provides an alternative to traditional landlines and cabling, allowing for greater communication capabilities.
Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS): By providing communication services through the cloud, UCaaS lets you unify VoIP, messaging, conferencing capabilities, data access, and file sharing services in one platform. It also offers access to software collaboration apps, which eliminate front-end costs and save on IT update and maintenance expenses.
Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS): A multichannel platform system, CCaaS provides a cloud information management system for contact centers. It allows access to all UCaaS features while allowing users to “pay as you go,” picking and choosing the apps or services they need.

When choosing a platform to implement your retail communication strategy, recognize the importance of one unified system. Cloud-based communication platforms allow for better integration between apps and mobile devices, such as smartphones, laptops, and tablets, which both your customers and your sales associates are likely to be using on a daily basis.

Achieving Your Retail Communication Objectives with 8x8

At 8x8, we focus on enterprise engagement solutions, which harness the collective power of your organization through integrated communications and collaboration to increase sales, boost efficiency, and improve overall customer experience:

Sales associates have access to the tools and information they need to act as brand ambassadors when engaging with customers.
Managers can easily train staff regarding products and company policies while being able to quickly track inventory, sales goals, and employee, department, or product performance.
Customer service representatives can immediately tap into the resources and information they need to address customer questions or concerns.

Choosing the right technology is crucial to a successful retail business. Establish a streamlined retail communications strategy with 8x8, and focus on growing your business. Call 1-877-615-8209 or fill out an online form to request a no-obligation quote from an 8x8 product specialist.