B2B buyers today are accustomed to the ease and efficiency of consumer-grade technology. They demand, or rather, naturally expect, the same level of convenience and personalization in their business interactions as they get in their personal lives. This translates to a growing preference for self-service options and real-time support accessible through familiar channels.
Legacy B2B support relies on email ticketing systems or phone queues, leading to frustration and wasted time for customers seeking immediate answers. They want businesses to shift away from such models of customer service.
Customers are increasingly turning to self-service onboarding and knowledge bases for troubleshooting and basic inquiries. If they face a problem and can resolve it by themselves within minutes, well, that’s a boon.
What’s more B2B buyers expect solutions tailored to their specific needs. While products are created to meet such custom demands (or at least are marketed that way), customer support experiences fail to resonate with customers because they deliver generic answers.
Natural Language Understanding (NLU) voice technology is a smart way to handle the needs of B2B customers. It lets your platform understand natural language, so you can –
- Deliver self-service on autopilot: NLU-powered chatbots can answer FAQs, troubleshoot common issues, and even point customers in the right direction for trickier problems, all without the aid of a customer service agent.
- Personalize the customer journey: NLU voice can understand the context of what your customers are really trying to achieve. This means faster solutions and happier customers who feel truly heard.
- Make things effortless: Voice interfaces are like having a conversation with your platform. It's natural and intuitive, so users can get things done quickly and easily, boosting their overall satisfaction and keeping them loyal to your brand.
NLU in action in the B2B world
NLU voice technology does just make exceptional customer experiences possible. It also offers a powerful option for B2B SaaS companies looking to streamline internal processes, boost sales and marketing efforts, and empower employees.
Transforming customer support to 24/7 self-service
- Enabling intelligent chatbots for issue resolution and FAQs: NLU-powered chatbots can handle a significant portion of customer support inquiries. Customers can simply ask their questions using their voice, and NLU chatbots can answer frequently asked questions in a flash. For complex inquiries, NLU chatbots can intelligently escalate the issue to a human agent, ensuring your customers can seamlessly switch from voice to a live customer support agent if needed.
- Streamlining onboarding and training with voice-guided processes: Onboarding new customers can be time-consuming and it needs a smart, scalable approach. NLU voice can be integrated into onboarding and training modules, offering interactive voice-guided tutorials that walk users through the platform's functionalities. This self-directed approach allows users to learn at their own pace and reduces the burden on customer support and training teams.
Personalized user journeys for engaging and retaining users
- Proactive feature and content recommendations: NLU voice can analyze user behavior within your platform and recommend new features or functionalities relevant to their workflow through voice prompts. This personalized approach keeps users engaged and helps them discover the full potential of the platform.
- Contextualized learning resources: Using NLU voice, the platform can suggest relevant training resources or industry-specific content based on user interactions and goals. This voice-driven learning experience keeps users up-to-date and makes long-term user retention possible without the need for human intervention.
Boosting sales and marketing efforts
- Interactive voice assistants for product demos and personalized pitches: 75% of B2B buyers prefer a rep-free sales experience. NLU voice assistants can deliver exactly that, allowing potential customers to interact with a chatbot and learn about your SaaS offering. They can answer product-related questions, provide personalized demos highlighting specific features relevant to the customer's needs, and even schedule appointments with sales representatives. This not only personalizes the first level of the “sales pitch” but also allows potential customers to engage with your product at their convenience.
- Real-time lead qualification and data collection through voice interactions: NLU voice can be used to develop qualification tools that capture lead information and intent through voice interactions. Potential customers can interact with a voice assistant to express their interest and answer qualifying questions. Such real-time data collection allows sales teams to prioritize high-potential leads and personalize their outreach strategies.
Building an NLU voice strategy
The success of an NLU voice implementation hinges on a well-defined strategy.
Here are key considerations for B2B SaaS companies that are looking to incorporate NLU voice technology as part of their systems.
Prioritizing accuracy and security
- Accuracy is paramount: The cornerstone of a positive user experience with NLU voice is flawless speech recognition. Inaccurate recognition can lead to misunderstandings, frustration, and ultimately make it irritating for customers, defeating the whole purpose of employing NLU voice technology. Invest in NLU solutions with high accuracy rates and robust training data sets that reflect the specific terminology and industry jargon used by your target audience.
- Data security is essential: As NLU voice interactions collect user data, it is of great consequence to have robust security measures in place. Ensure your chosen NLU solution adheres to industry best practices for data encryption and user privacy. Also, be transparent with your customers about how their data is collected, stored, and used.
Creating natural and engaging voice experiences without users in mind
- Focus on natural language understanding: Move beyond simple keyword recognition. Your NLU voice solution should be able to understand the nuances of human language, including intent, context, and even sentiment, like Copilot from CommandBar does! This allows for more natural and engaging voice interactions that feel less robotic and more like a conversation with a human representative.
- Design for usability: The user interface for your NLU voice application should be intuitive and easy to navigate. Users should be able to discover functionalities and complete tasks through simple voice commands without extensive training or it would defeat the entire purpose of the voice technology.
Seamless integration with your existing technology infrastructure
- Seamless integration: For a smooth user experience, your NLU voice solution should integrate seamlessly with your existing B2B SaaS platform. This way data will flow smoothly between systems and users can access the information and functionalities they need through voice commands.
- Scalability for future growth: As your business scales, your NLU voice solution should be able to handle increased user traffic and data volume. Choose a solution with a scalable architecture that can adapt to your growing needs.
Leveraging machine learning for ongoing optimization
- Machine learning for refinement: The beauty of NLU voice powered by machine learning and generative AI is its ability to continuously improve. Over time, the NLU engine can learn from user interactions and identify areas for improvement. Utilize machine learning capabilities to refine speech recognition accuracy, understand user intent more effectively, and personalize the voice experience over time.
- Gather user feedback: Actively solicit user feedback on your NLU voice experience. It can come in handy in identifying areas for improvement and ensuring your NLU voice solution is actually relevant to your end-users.
Driving B2B success with NLU voice technology
The integration of NLU voice technology presents a transformative opportunity for B2B SaaS companies. You can harness the power of natural language to understand what your users need. This means you can unlock a new level of efficiency for your customer support teams, deliver exceptional customer experiences and personalize a customer’s journey from the moment they enter your business pipeline as a lead to the time they become active, engaged users.
When using NLU voice technology, prioritizing accuracy, security, and user-centric design is paramount, along with seamless integration with existing infrastructure and a commitment to continuous improvement through machine learning.
Beyond onboarding, NLU voice can be used to personalize the user journey. By analyzing user behavior, your NLU voice-activated “chatbot” can proactively recommend features and suggest contextualized learning resources through voice prompts. Such ongoing, personalized engagement keeps users actively using the B2B SaaS platform, so that it doesn’t just emerge as a solution to their problems, but becomes an indispensable partner in their success.
