Latest news with #customerjourney
Finextra
4 days ago
- Business
- Finextra
Modern Banks Must Adapt to be More 'Phygital'
Describing the evolution of modern banking, Sovan Shatpathy, SVP, Product Management & Development, Oracle Financial Services joined the FinextraTV virtual studio to explain how banks can thrive. As well as contextualising the current landscape and offering insights into the way that banks are now focussing more intently on the customer journey, Shatpathy asserts that all banks cannot be physical or digital, they must be 'phygital'.
National Post
19-05-2025
- Business
- National Post
Selling Power Names BTS a Top Sales Training Company for 2025
Article content Article content This recognition highlights BTS's continued leadership in helping sales organizations perform in a time of disruption—where AI, shifting buyer expectations, and margin pressure are rewriting what effective selling looks like. Article content 'Being recognized once again for our sales training work is a real honor,' said Eduardo Emanzor, Principal at BTS. 'Over the past year, we've pushed the boundaries of what sales training can do—using AI, language analytics, and hybrid delivery to help teams improve performance at every stage of the customer journey. Our clients continue to inspire us to innovate and evolve.' Article content Selling Power publisher and founder Gerhard Gschwandtner emphasized the urgency for sales organizations to modernize. 'As the economy enters a period of stock market ping pong and tariff turmoil—alongside continued AI disruption—sales organizations need more than playbooks. They need training that prepares sellers to think critically, adapt fast, and drive revenue growth. Working with the right partner is key.' Article content Companies selected for the list were evaluated on the depth and breadth of their training, innovation in content and delivery, AI integration, industry contributions, and overall client satisfaction. BTS stood out for its ability to combine business acumen with behavioral insight—designing learning experiences that are immersive, tailored, and proven to drive real results. Article content Client feedback was a major factor in the selection process. Nearly 350 clients were surveyed across applicants. BTS received consistent praise for its hands-on approach, skilled facilitation, and ability to spark immediate impact. A sample of comments includes: Article content 'Extremely effective. They accelerated our sales results by 10x.' 'Our team left energized, empowered, and already seeing early wins.' 'Not a cookie-cutter approach—everyone was engaged, including skeptics.' 'The facilitator quickly earned trust and delivered content that was sharp, relevant, and practical.' 'They met us where we were—and helped us move forward faster.' Article content Selling Power's annual list is a go-to resource for CROs, sales enablement leaders, and commercial teams looking for partners who go beyond one-off training sessions—helping teams build lasting capabilities in a changing world. Article content The full 2025 list is available at Article content BTS is a consultancy specializing in the people side of strategy. For over three decades we've been designing powerful experiences that have a profound and lasting impact on businesses and their people. Our next-generation approach combines deep business knowledge with transformational development to help your people and your company evolve together and turn strategy into results. Article content BTS is a public company trading on the Nasdaq Stockholm under the symbol BTS B. Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content
Associated Press
19-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Selling Power Names BTS a Top Sales Training Company for 2025
STOCKHOLM & SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 19, 2025-- BTS GROUP AB (publ) was recently named to Selling Power's Top Sales Training Companies 2025 list. This recognition highlights BTS's continued leadership in helping sales organizations perform in a time of disruption—where AI, shifting buyer expectations, and margin pressure are rewriting what effective selling looks like. 'Being recognized once again for our sales training work is a real honor,' said Eduardo Emanzor, Principal at BTS. 'Over the past year, we've pushed the boundaries of what sales training can do—using AI, language analytics, and hybrid delivery to help teams improve performance at every stage of the customer journey. Our clients continue to inspire us to innovate and evolve.' Selling Power publisher and founder Gerhard Gschwandtner emphasized the urgency for sales organizations to modernize. 'As the economy enters a period of stock market ping pong and tariff turmoil—alongside continued AI disruption—sales organizations need more than playbooks. They need training that prepares sellers to think critically, adapt fast, and drive revenue growth. Working with the right partner is key.' Companies selected for the list were evaluated on the depth and breadth of their training, innovation in content and delivery, AI integration, industry contributions, and overall client satisfaction. BTS stood out for its ability to combine business acumen with behavioral insight—designing learning experiences that are immersive, tailored, and proven to drive real results. Client feedback was a major factor in the selection process. Nearly 350 clients were surveyed across applicants. BTS received consistent praise for its hands-on approach, skilled facilitation, and ability to spark immediate impact. A sample of comments includes: Selling Power's annual list is a go-to resource for CROs, sales enablement leaders, and commercial teams looking for partners who go beyond one-off training sessions—helping teams build lasting capabilities in a changing world. The full 2025 list is available at About BTS Group AB BTS is a consultancy specializing in the people side of strategy. For over three decades we've been designing powerful experiences that have a profound and lasting impact on businesses and their people. Our next-generation approach combines deep business knowledge with transformational development to help your people and your company evolve together and turn strategy into results. BTS is a public company trading on the Nasdaq Stockholm under the symbol BTS B. About Selling Power In addition to Selling Power, the leading digital magazine for sales managers and sales VPs since 1981, Personal Selling Power, Inc., produces the Sales Management Digest and Daily Boost of Positivity online newsletters, as well as videos featuring interviews with top executives. Selling Power is a regular media sponsor of the Sales 3.0 Conference, which is attended by a total of more than 4,500 sales leaders each year. View source version on CONTACT: For more information, please contact: Roanne Neuwirth CMO +1 (339) 222-4112 KEYWORD: NORTH AMERICA UNITED STATES EUROPE SWEDEN CANADA CALIFORNIA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: CONSULTING EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONAL SERVICES PUBLISHING BUSINESS MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS TRAINING DATA ANALYTICS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SOURCE: BTS Group AB Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 05/19/2025 10:00 AM/DISC: 05/19/2025 10:01 AM
Zawya
16-05-2025
- Automotive
- Zawya
The rise of the digital showroom, the new frontline for driving car sales
In a world where purchasing decisions are increasingly informed by online research, the automotive customer journey starts long before the test drive. You can picture it. Gleaming polished cars. Gleaming white floors. Gleaming crowned teeth. The car showroom remains a mainstay of popular culture and of our association with the idea of purchasing a vehicle. But how relevant is the physical showroom in today's increasingly digital-first world? In the inaugural 2025 South African Automotive Industry Report by Rogerwilco and YOUKNOW Technologies, we highlighted that 92% of local consumers conduct online research before purchasing a car, consulting a range of sources including brand websites, search results, reviews and social media. Legacy manufacturers like Toyota, Suzuki and Volkswagen have leveraged this to great effect, consistently converting online engagement into real-world sales. It's not just the giants that are enticing customers digitally. Challenger brands such as Chery, Omoda and Jaecoo have entered the market with distinctly digital-first strategies, utilising influencer marketing and social media to build narratives about pricing and quality. This enables them to build trust and resonate with an increasingly cost-sensitive market. Putting digital first The implications are clear: automotive brands can no longer treat digital presence as an add-on or just another marketing tool. Rather, digital has become an essential part of the customer experience – one that begins long before a customer slides into the driver's seat and hears the satisfying purr of a combustion engine, or the near-silent hum of its electric counterpart. Today's automotive journey is increasingly digital, immersive, and expectation-driven. It therefore stands to reason that digital strategies become an intrinsic part of the business strategy, with brands establishing a digital presence that connects seamlessly across all customer touchpoints – connecting search interest with social media and owned platforms. Unlocking the power of search The customer journey usually begins here: with a search. However, many brands, especially challenger brands, don't unlock the full potential of search trends. Automotive WOLF research by Rogerwilco has identified a host of opportunity keywords – high-ranking search terms not yet leveraged by visible brands – highlighting the need for carmakers to integrate search into their marketing strategies to ensure they remain high in search rankings. The research also shows an 83% correlation between a brand's share of online search and its market share, making search visibility a powerful predictor of sales. By tracking real-time search and sentiment trends, brands can anticipate shifts in customer demand and adapt their strategies accordingly. This brings us to social media. Own the conversation Although social sentiment doesn't directly drive sales, it serves as an early signal of brand affinity and potential buying intent. Nevertheless, the 2024 decline in car sales was mirrored by a 3% year-on-year drop in automotive mentions and a 4% decline in people discussing car brands online. However, it's not enough to monitor what is being said online. Automotive players who actively participate in and shape the conversations about their brands will achieve greater brand affinity, potentially winning customers before they even set foot in the showroom. The polarised response to Jaguar's announcement of its new brand identity in November last year illustrates the necessity of active engagement, with the automotive giant failing to create dialogues that could mitigate negative feedback and turn the buzz generated into an opportunity for strengthened brand equity. Peddling influence One way to shape the conversation is through influencers. Market challengers Jaecoo, Chery and Omoda in particular have leveraged influencer collaborations to drive visibility and engagement, with the latter's partnership with Khosi Twala resulting in 8,500 brand mentions between December 2023 and September 2024. Subaru also saw great success with its #LiemaxSubaru campaign, a collaboration with Liyema Pantsi that generated nearly 18,000 mentions in May 2024. However, our research shows that while such campaigns create tangible spikes in awareness and positive sentiment, they need to be integrated into broader, complementary strategies. By keeping the conversation going through open, active community engagement, brands can turn the short-term visibility gleaned by influencer marketing into long-term loyalty. The omnichannel effect The results of our research underscore the importance of digital-first strategies, but even more importantly, ones that follow customers through their engagement with the brand, just as your sales assistant might follow them around the showroom floor. In today's automotive landscape, optimising for search, managing digital narratives, and leveraging influencer momentum are no longer optional - they are essential. A cohesive, insight-driven digital strategy not only builds brand loyalty but steers real-world sales. The brands that integrate these touchpoints seamlessly will be the ones leading the pack, long before the customer ever steps foot in a showroom.
Entrepreneur
10-05-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
From Lead to Loyalty: How AI Builds Market Leaders in Financial Services
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur Asia Pacific, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. In today's hyper-competitive financial landscape, institutions that embed artificial intelligence across the entire customer journey are emerging as clear market leaders. What distinguishes these frontrunners is not just their adoption of technology, but their ability to harness AI as a strategic infrastructure—one that unites data, intelligence, and personalized engagement from the very first interaction to long-term loyalty. The journey begins with precision-driven lead qualification. AI systems are now capable of parsing massive volumes of behavioural, contextual, and transactional data to identify high-value prospects. Platforms like BOF's AIMEE integrate advanced segmentation with predictive analytics to deliver customized outreach and content. This translates into higher conversion rates and lower acquisition costs, giving firms a competitive edge in a crowded market. Onboarding, traditionally a pain point in financial services, is transformed into a seamless digital experience. AI facilitates instant identity verification, document authentication, and real-time risk assessment. These innovations reduce friction while ensuring compliance with complex regulatory frameworks. Importantly, they also set the tone for a responsive and trustworthy client relationship. Yet, the most significant value of AI unfolds after onboarding. Financial institutions are increasingly relying on AI models to continuously analyze account activity, spending patterns, investment performance, and long-term goals. This enables real-time personalization, from tailored financial advice to proactive alerts and fraud detection. Clients benefit from services that feel intuitive, relevant, and always a step ahead. Generative AI (GenAI) enhances this dynamic by adding a layer of intelligence that goes beyond pattern recognition. These models can create financial simulations, generate customized product summaries, and support human advisors with rapid scenario analysis. For instance, GenAI tools help simulate mortgage plans or investment outcomes based on personal financial data—making complex decisions easier for the end user and increasing trust in the institution's advisory capabilities. Such integration of GenAI isn't just technological sophistication—it's a strategic differentiator. Institutions that scale these capabilities gain a notable advantage in cross-selling, client retention, and customer lifetime value. Indeed, personalization driven by AI has been shown to significantly reduce churn and improve satisfaction across all customer segments. However, market leadership through AI requires more than technical capacity. Financial firms must address critical challenges such as data security, AI explainability, and ethical use. The increasing reliance on algorithmic decisions raises the bar for transparency and fairness. Regulatory expectations are evolving rapidly, and institutions must design governance frameworks that anticipate scrutiny, ensure data integrity, and uphold public trust. Furthermore, as AI expands the digital footprint of financial services, cybersecurity becomes both a risk and a necessity. While AI can detect and neutralize threats in real time, it also broadens the attack surface. A robust, "security by design" approach is essential to balance innovation with resilience. In this new paradigm, intelligence is no longer an add-on. It is the engine behind scalable growth, deeper customer relationships, and enduring market leadership in the age of algorithmic finance.
