Latest news with #customerinsights
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Intuit Mailchimp Unveils New AI-Powered Marketing Tools at FWD: London
Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ:INTU) is one of the best US tech stocks to buy now. On June 12, Intuit unveiled a new suite of marketing tools and integrations at Mailchimp's FWD: London event. The innovations are designed to empower marketers and small-to-mid-sized businesses/SMBs by enhancing their ability to understand and use customer data, ultimately boosting conversions and driving sustainable growth. The new offerings include AI-powered tools for deeper customer insights and marketing automation. Intuit Mailchimp has also introduced new lead generation integrations with major platforms such as Meta, TikTok, Google, Snapchat, and LinkedIn to streamline the lead-to-conversion journey. Additionally, over 100 new customizable pop-up templates have been made available for targeted campaigns, and reporting capabilities have been enhanced with the Metrics Visualizer. A professional tax preparer, using a laptop to complete an income tax return. Since December 2024, Intuit Mailchimp has implemented over 2,000 product updates and enhancements. Intuit now plans to release new custom audience tools later this year, allowing marketers to send audience segments directly to Meta technologies and Google Ads for lookalike audiences or retargeting. SMS contact import via API is also on the horizon, enabling businesses to engage SMS-only contacts. Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ:INTU) provides financial management, compliance, and marketing products and services in the US. While we acknowledge the potential of INTU as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the . READ NEXT: and . Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
Forbes
16-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
AI Makes Your Sales Team's Soft Skills More Valuable (not less)
Real-time data and customer insights support human connections rather than replacing them. getty The convergence of artificial intelligence and consumption-based pricing (CBP) is transforming sales relationships, but not in the way you might have expected. Rather than diminishing the role of sales representatives, these technologies are making human soft skills more crucial than ever. Pay-as-you-go models like CBP are becoming increasingly popular–not only in the software-as-a-service (SaaS) arena, but for manufacturing equipment, driver's insurance, and numerous other products and services. And CBP is all about usage data. Customers like it; it inherently feels fair to pay based on real use, versus older seat-based subscriptions. (Salespeople also like CBP, if (and only if) their compensation plan feels fair.) For service providers using CBP, AI is proving vital in analyzing all that data to: The benefits of AI automation and insights are too valuable to ignore. Given so much data to work with, generative AI (GenAI) and agentic AI can even automate some price negotiations and write contracts. As Suzanne Krpata, senior vice president of SAP customer experience, puts it, 'AI is no longer an option in sales.' So much for the sales team, right? Wrong. Instead of automating the entire process, AI is 'the linchpin that lets sellers move from pushing products to providing real solutions,' according to Krpata. 'And with that shift, soft skills become indispensable.' Turns out, buyers are people (who knew!). And people like other people. 'Customers want a human guide through the solutions, someone who can explain, connect, and reassure,' she says. Consider a SaaS renewal meeting: Previously, a rep would gather basic account information and demographics before attempting to position their offerings—a time-consuming and imprecise process. Today, that same rep can take advantage of AI-analyzed usage data to engage a cross-functional team including account management, product specialists, and finance to craft a highly customized acquisition or retention strategy. Instead of simply highlighting a subscription's existing value, reps can reconfigure offerings to coordinate perfectly with the customer's demonstrated needs—potentially including relevant, significant upsells. Time previously spent on calculations and administrative work can be devoted to more strategic discussions about the buyer's future goals, overcoming objections or pitfalls, fine-tuning processes and applications, and exploring more creative use cases. The customer feels understood, the rep secures a win, and the vendor gains deeper market insights with every customer added or renewed. Indeed, that higher level of thinking and flexibility is becoming table stakes. 'Customers expect a true joint investment in customer success. Sellers can use consumption data to act as trusted advisors, offering solutions that grow with the customer's needs,' says Krpata. While aligning with customer expectations, CBP introduces new challenges and requires revamping sales processes for consumption pricing[LD1] . As Ben Chambers, an independent sales compensation consultant specializing in CBP models explains, 'It may be choppier waters than subscription-based models, but it's a better path to revenue growth, especially in competitive environments where core competitors are also offering usage-based pricing arrangements.' 'Companies are getting pushed into the pool,' he says. 'If they don't start swimming, they won't be able to win against the competitor that designs and delivers a lower-friction sales cycle requiring far less money up front.' An effective customer success team using AI-driven analytics becomes crucial for maximizing CBP benefits. Krpata notes, 'AI enhances CBP models by simplifying data collection and recommending content that supports customer-tailored solutions, making the partnership more collaborative and value-driven.' Today's customers expect personalization, transparency, and efficiency. They want real-time insights and tailored experiences that clearly demonstrate value. They don't want disconnected customer service experiences or to feel burdened with configuring the right services themselves; they expect vendors to handle this seamlessly, which modern AI tools now make possible. Sales representatives must still build genuine connections, understand needs, and negotiate complex deals. 'Primarily, they should be using their skill sets to unlock demand and identify and win new business—things that take persuasion and selling skills,' says Chambers. So what counts as 'authentic' in sales? Genuine sales relationships center on: A quickly widening variety of AI-powered tools for sales training and support are available. These tools can enhance soft skills by helping sales representatives: However, Krpata emphasizes again that human connection remains irreplaceable. 'A trusted advisor relationship is built 100% on soft skills. How do I connect with you? How do I truly understand and listen to what you need? And then, how do I propose solutions that meet those needs? AI can't do those things, but it can empower them.' The most successful sales organizations will use AI as a strategic enabler of human connections—using real-time data to support genuine, transparent person-to-person relationships rather than attempting to replace them. A version of this story also appears on
Forbes
12-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The Quiet Power Of First- And Zero-Party Data In An AI-Driven World
Ali Behnam, founder at Tealium. In an age of predictive algorithms and AI-generated insights, it's easy to assume that more complexity equals more value. For forward-thinking brands, however, the most powerful data doesn't come from machines—it comes directly from customers. First-party and zero-party data, gathered through real-time behavior and explicit feedback, are the secret weapons for brands seeking real, enduring customer relationships. They are proving to be more accurate, actionable and trustworthy than many predictive models. While AI has its place, there's growing evidence that listening to customers leads to stronger relationships and smarter business decisions based on pure, intentional insight. In an era of tightening privacy regulations and the rapid decay of legacy tracking methods, businesses that prioritize data that customers willingly offer can set themselves apart. They can earn deeper trust and deliver personalized experiences that feel natural, not invasive. Many organizations underestimate the power of simply listening to what customers are saying and doing right now. One of our customers, a major global brand, described to us how it had built a sophisticated segmentation model designed to predict customer behaviors and next best purchase. In reality, its fancy model was often rendered useless within seconds of real-world customer activity. Predictive algorithms slotted customers into tidy segments, yet just a few moments of live browsing revealed completely different interests. For example, a customer tagged as a "TV buyer" would visit the site and start shopping for dishwashers. If the business had relied solely on predictive scoring, it would have missed that moment entirely. First-party behavior and real-time zero-party feedback aren't just supporting characters—they're the main event. While machine learning is powerful, there's often no substitute for responding to what customers are doing and telling you in the present moment. This isn't a call to toss sophisticated models aside. Predictive analytics is a critical component of modern marketing (i.e., customer churn prediction, lead scoring). However, leading with customer-provided data ensures that your marketing, product suggestions and experiences stay grounded in reality. When you put first- and zero-party data at the center of your strategy, you're moving beyond predictions toward active collaboration with your customers. To unlock the full potential of customer-declared data, brands must be intentional. Here are four essentials: • Create real value exchanges. Most customers will share their preferences if they clearly see what they gain—whether it's personalized recommendations, exclusive access, better experiences or rewards. • Be radically transparent. Customers deserve to know exactly how you'll use their data and how it will benefit them. Trust is the foundation of any successful data strategy. • Take immediate action. If you ask customers for their preferences and then ignore them, you risk doing serious damage to the relationship. It erodes trust and disengages the very audience you're trying to reach. Every piece of information shared is a chance to build loyalty. • Keep it conversational. Gathering insights shouldn't feel like filling out a survey. Build natural, engaging touchpoints into the journey (quizzes, onboarding tools, product finders) that feel like part of the experience, not a chore. The future belongs to brands that don't just collect customer data but actually listen and act on it. By elevating first- and zero-party data over black-box predictions, companies can create more human, responsive and, ultimately, profitable experiences. In the end, the smartest move is simply paying attention to the clearest voice: your customer's. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
National Post
04-06-2025
- Business
- National Post
Andersen Consulting Adds Dimension with David and Golyat
Article content SAN FRANCISCO — Andersen Consulting deepens its global consulting capabilities through a Collaboration Agreement with David and Golyat, a Philippines-based digital strategy consultancy. Article content With a strong focus on business intelligence, customer insights, and digital-first executions, David and Golyat works with clients across sectors—including government, development organizations, and private enterprises—to drive long-term value through data-informed decisions. Article content Article content Miko David, managing partner of David and Golyat, said, 'We're excited to collaborate with Andersen Consulting as it represents a milestone in our growth trajectory. By combining our expertise in digital strategy and Andersen Consulting's global platform, we are positioned to deliver even greater value to clients navigating complex markets.' Article content 'This collaboration allows us to bring an additional dimension to our global consulting platform,' Mark L. Vorsatz, global chairman and CEO of Andersen, said. 'Miko and his team bring exceptional regional insight, creativity, and analytical rigor—qualities that perfectly complement our commitment to delivering best-in-class solutions to our clients worldwide.' Article content Andersen Consulting Article content is a global consulting practice providing a comprehensive suite of services spanning corporate strategy, business, technology, and AI transformation, as well as human capital solutions. Andersen Consulting integrates with the multidimensional service model of Article content Andersen Global Article content , delivering world-class consulting, tax, legal, valuation, global mobility, and advisory expertise on a global platform with more than 20,000 professionals worldwide and a presence in over 500 locations through its member firms and collaborating firms. Andersen Consulting Holdings LP is a limited partnership and provides consulting solutions through its member firms and collaborating firms around the world. Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content
Forbes
23-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How To Build Effective Personas To Foster Empathy
How To Build Effective Personas To Foster Empathy Forrester Is everyone in your organization aligned on who your customers are? Does your organization understand your customers? Since at least the turn of the millennium, businesses have turned to personas as a way to address questions like these. Personas are insights-based, easy-to-understand representations of a group of people, including their goals, needs, and behaviors. They likely exist in some form in your organization. But I'd hazard a guess that they aren't living up to their full potential — i.e., eliciting empathy, helping teams prioritize, and driving human-centric decision-making. Why the disconnect? Most personas we see are based on outdated or ineffective practices, leading them to collect dust on a shelf. Companies succumb to pitfalls such as including identities that invite bias, overloading personas with irrelevant data, or using personas as the default audience framework when other tools (e.g., segmentations) would be a better fit. The good news is that these pitfalls are avoidable. Personas remain a powerful design tool in 2025 for brands that take an intentional approach to planning, building, and activating personas. This starts with knowing the qualities of an effective persona, which include being: Whether you're getting started on your persona journey, updating your personas, or striving to unlock more value from the personas you have, start with the foundation of these qualities of a modern persona. When created with these practices in mind, personas can be the powerful empathy-building tool they were always intended to be. Register to attend Forrester CX Summit North America in June, explore the full agenda for event to attend Forrester CX Summit North America in June, explore the full agenda for event here. This post was written by Principal Analyst Gina Bhawalkar and Principal Analyst Audrey Chee-Read and it originally appeared here.
