Why are Chatbots Important for B2B Businesses?
In the world of B2B marketing, chatbots have made it possible to automate and simplify a variety of marketing and customer management processes. Whether it’s providing instant responses to customer questions or optimizing lead generation, AI messengers are the future.
Despite this, only 1 in every 200 B2B companies use a chatbot.
Within the current digital landscape, that number represents a massive opportunity to gain a competitive edge in your industry. This quick guide explains why and how.
#1 Convenience for Customers
According to a Harvard Business Review study, if a company doesn’t respond to a potential customer’s online query within five minutes, they risk losing their business forever.
Chatbots are capable of answering up to 80% of routine customer questions. Plus, they’re tireless workers… literally. They’re “on the clock” 24/7.
This push toward convenience helps customers get the fast and accurate responses they’ve grown accustomed to. On the business’ end, using a chatbot saves on customer service overhead and frees up team members to focus on more complex questions—ones that actually require that human touch.
#2 Lead Generation
A chatbot can help your business generate high-quality leads and nurture potential relationships as you drive them down the sales funnel.
When a customer asks questions about your service or product, a well-programmed bot will provide the relevant information and prompt the inquirer to take further action, such as guiding them toward a sales-driven landing page.
In which case, chatbots can glean valuable data and actionable insights within minutes of their initial interaction with a potential lead. By asking the right questions, a bot can quickly understand what a person is looking for and then steer the conversation toward the sale.
Lead bots can be designed specifically to:
- Gather contact information from prospects and then automatically qualify leads
- Lead site visitors through the conversion funnel
- Connect favorable prospects with human agents
Put simply, they can uncover the potential customer’s needs and then provide an instant, valuable response.
#3 Automation is Cost-Effective
In the name of optimization and cost-savings, companies will continue to phase out business processes that can be automated by technology.
For example, consider the costs of employing a team of customer service reps—there’s the hiring, onboarding, training, salary, benefits, and the list doesn’t end there. Even then, human customer service operators are limited to a finite number of customer interactions per day.
A single bot, on the other robotic hand, is capable of handling multiple conversations simultaneously.
Although it may cost a few thousand dollars to build or lease a chatbot (depending on its capabilities), that’s an inconsequential upfront investment compared to salaried employees. Additionally, ongoing maintenance doesn’t require a hefty budget.
As a result, a chatbot could save you up to 30% in customer support services.
Semgeeks: How Else Can We Help Your Business Optimize?
Chatbots are a tool that can create convenience for customers, optimize your internal processes, drive lead generation, gather valuable customer data, and help you reduce your bottom line.
They’re a powerful technology that far too many B2B companies are overlooking. Take advantage of this golden opportunity to embrace automation and set your growing business apart from your competitors.
Are you looking to create your own chatbot? Perfect. Just drop a line in ours to start the conversation.
Sources:
Leftronic. 41+ Must-Know Chatbot Statistics in 2020. https://leftronic.com/chatbot-statistics/
Harvard Business Review. The Short Life of Online Sales Leads. https://hbr.org/2011/03/the-short-life-of-online-sales-leads
IBM. How chatbots can help reduce customer service costs by 30%. https://www.ibm.com/blogs/watson/2017/10/how-chatbots-reduce-customer-service-costs-by-30-percent/
Azerati. How Much Does it Cost to Build a Chatbot. https://azati.ai/how-much-does-it-cost-to-build-a-chatbot/
Chatbot Magazine. Can Chatbots Help Reduce Customer Service Costs by 30%? https://chatbotsmagazine.com/how-with-the-help-of-chatbots-customer-service-costs-could-be-reduced-up-to-30-b9266a369945
