Create and Use Real-Time Customer Data with Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement

The pace of business has been accelerating decade upon decade. We’re at the point where companies that want to thrive must have real-time capabilities across all their operations, including marketing and sales. Timely and relevant customer information can help you uncover new leads before the competition and build better, more enduring relationships with your existing customers.

Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (CE) is a powerful tool for generating and leveraging real-time data that drives customer engagement. This article explores the value of collecting and using real-time customer data and how it empowers proactive engagement.

Why is real-time customer data so important?

We must consider the impact of Internet and mobile technology on the wider world, not just on business. Customer expectations have changed. We expect a near-instant response to our needs in many aspects of our lives. That expectation has spilled over into customer buying habits.

Real-time customer data serves as the compass that guides organizations in making informed decisions and crafting timely, personalized interactions for customers who won’t think twice about looking elsewhere if you can’t answer the questions they have on the spot. Better yet, collecting real-time data enables businesses to not just react to customer actions but proactively anticipate their needs and drive them towards valuable actions.

Real-time data powers proactive engagement, enabling businesses to be ahead of the curve in serving their customers. It empowers organizations to send timely reminders and repeated messages, fostering a sense of attention and care. By leveraging real-time insights, businesses can anticipate customer needs, provide relevant information, and encourage actions that benefit both parties.

How can we utilize real-time customer data to create more proactive engagement?

Dynamics 365 CE can connect various data streams, consolidating information from your website, mobile app, specialized applications, and many other sources into a unified view. This real-time data integration gives businesses a holistic understanding of customer behavior, preferences, and interactions across their various touchpoints with your organization.

Real-time data is only valuable if it is accurate and reliable. Dynamics 365 CE provides tools and processes to ensure that data remains viable, for example, by utilizing the latest generation of AI and machine learning automation tools to qualify and analyze customer engagement data.

Leverage AI and automation

AI algorithms can identify patterns, predict customer behavior, and highlight opportunities for proactive engagement. For example, AI can recognize when customers show signs of disengagement and trigger automated actions to re-engage them before they churn.

Dynamics 365 CE also helps sales and marketing teams implement automated workflows triggered by real-time data events. For instance, when a customer reaches a certain level of engagement or performs a qualifying action, the platform can automatically send personalized messages, offers, or reminders. This ensures that customer interactions are timely, relevant, and driven by data-driven insights.

By maintaining data integrity, businesses can confidently rely on the insights derived from real-time data to guide their proactive engagement strategies.

Sending timely reminders

Dynamics 365 CE allows businesses to generate appropriate follow-ups and reminders to their leads. They are not generic spam messages, either. Dynamics help you craft targeted, meaningful reminder content tailored to customers’ actions and behaviors. Businesses can send reminders that resonate with the customer’s interests by analyzing customer preferences, purchase history, and engagement patterns. For example, suppose a customer has abandoned their shopping cart on your e-commerce website. In that case, the platform can trigger a reminder addressing this action, offering a gentle prompt to complete the purchase.

Of course, effective reminders are not just about what you say but how you say it. By capturing data on preferred communication channels—such as email, SMS, or phone—organizations can ensure that reminders are delivered in a way most likely to catch the customer’s attention.

Implementing effective repeated messaging strategies

Repeated messaging is a powerful technique in customer engagement. Dynamics 365 CE offers businesses the tools to implement repeated messaging strategies that effectively guide your prospects down your funnel toward your desired outcomes. This approach follows the latest strategies in customer engagement, where a gentle push is often more effective than overwhelming the customer with immediate demands.

Timing is critical in repeated messaging. Dynamics 365 CE allows businesses to time their messages to align with customer behavior. For instance, if customers typically engage with your website or app in the evening, they’ll receive a reminder then.

And, of course, when it comes to messaging, one size doesn’t always fit all. So, Dynamics 365 CE supports easy-to-stand-up A/B tests, where your teams can experiment with different message formats, content, and calls to action. For instance, you might test different subject lines, images, or wording in an email reminder to determine what resonates most effectively with your audience.

Customizing messages for different customer segments

Dynamics 365 CE helps you easily craft messages uniquely tailored to the characteristics and needs of specific customer segments. For instance, loyal customers might receive messages that express gratitude and offer exclusive benefits, while prospects might receive messages introducing them to your brand.

Each customer segment has its own set of pain points and preferences. For example, if your 18-24 demographic values cost savings, messages can highlight discounts and promotions. While your 45-54 segment, which your research shows focus on quality, might receive messages emphasizing product features and benefits.

Better tracking of customer responses and actions

Sales and marketing teams need tools to monitor and adapt to customer behavior in real time. Legacy CRM software often does not have the data collection capabilities to do that. Dynamics 365 CE enables organizations to monitor how customers respond to real-time reminders and messages.

• Did they open the email?
• Did they click your CTA link?
• Did they make a purchase following a reminder?

Tracking in Dynamics provides immediate feedback on the effectiveness of your messages and the actions they prompt.

Beyond tracking responses, Dynamics helps you analyze response rates and behaviors. You can identify which messages receive the highest engagement, understand the timing of customer responses, and identify meaningful and actionable patterns in behavior. Such insights are invaluable for fine-tuning your engagement strategies, ensuring that you can replicate successful approaches, and refine fewer effective ones.

Switch to Dynamics 365 CRM to generate better, faster insights into customer behavior

Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement provides all the tools your sales and marketing teams need to operate effectively in real time. No matter what stage your customers are in your funnel, you can monitor and respond to their needs. The new insights you gain also mean you’ll be able to interact with your leads and customers much more proactively.

We at Velosio understand that migrating to new CRM software requires research and careful consideration. As a Gold Microsoft partner, Velosio works with companies like yours, helping implement CRM solutions that differentiate your organization, create value, and add to the bottom line.

Are you interested in migrating to Dynamics 365 CE? Check out our Customer Engagement hub for more information.