埃森哲：在COVID-19期間增強中小企業彈性 -埃森哲（英文版）.pdf

1、OUTMANEUVERUNCERTAINTYNOWNEXT POWERING SMB RESILIENCY IN A COVID-19 WORLD Platforms use AI and data analytics to help SMBs thrive. Small-and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are the worlds most powerful growth engine representing approximately 90 percent of all global companies and over half of the wo

2、rlds employment. But now, COVID- 19 has shaken local economies around the world to the core, and SMBs are at the epicenter. Many SMBs have been forced to suspend business as usual and/or furlough workers. Many others have had to rapidly adapt to a whole new way of operating. And with such little cla

3、rity about the immediate and longer- term impacts of the pandemic, few know when, if ever, theyll be able to return to business as usual. 2 Powering SMB Resiliency in a COVID-19 worldCopyright 2020 Accenture All rights reserved. In these unprecedented times, government-mandated social distancing and

4、 physical business closures have created shifts in digital consumer behavior. Social media usage is up 87% in India, for example, as more users spend time on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and Instagram and consume more online content. SMBs have tried to make the best use of their digital capabilities

5、in order to preserve cashflow and retain their base, but with customers no longer able to go to them, finding the best routes to reach customers has become an imperative. Platform companies play a key role in helping SMBs address these immediate challenges now and can position themselves as a partne

6、r to help these smaller companies with what comes next by: creating virtual and digital services to help SMBs maintain operations during physical shutdowns, redefining marketing and products for specific SMB sectors with unique needs, and utilizing applied intelligence (AI) to capture key behaviors

7、and inform ongoing relationship and service development. The time to act is now. This document outlines the practical steps you can take to help ensure your platform is ready to support SMBs. 3 Powering SMB Resiliency in a COVID-19 worldCopyright 2020 Accenture All rights reserved. What are platform

8、 companies doing to help SMBs NOW? There are shining examples of how platform companies have been able to step in and help. For example: To help local restaurants quickly move to online ordering, pick-up and delivery: Uber Eats is offering free delivery for more than 100,000 independently- owned res

9、taurants across the US and Canada. Uber Eats no-contact delivery option reassures both drivers and consumers about the safety of continuing to order on the platform. To help small companies shift from physical to digital: Shopify, is extending its free trial period and allowing all users to sell dig

10、ital and physical gift cards regardless of plan. While highlighting the platforms most relevant features, the company is offering $200 million to a US SMB relief fund, and hosting live webinars to help guide SMBs through the disruption. To help as consumers shift from in-store grocery shopping to de

11、livery services: Instacart is supporting local food stores and experiencing record profits. Once the pandemic lifts, its by no means certain that this trend will continue. But Instacart will have built a solid data record of customers willing to pay for the convenience, creating invaluable marketing

12、 insight for future campaigns. 4 Powering SMB Resiliency in a COVID-19 worldCopyright 2020 Accenture All rights reserved. To help SMBs easily find and implementcloud- based marketing and support tools: Googleis offering user- friendly, self-serve product kits specific for SMBs, and providing a one-s

13、top resource guide on navigating the effects of COVID-19. In addition to providing free skills training, the platform is committing $800 million to support SMBs and overall crisis response. Ongoing partnership and support Besides enabling deliveries, platform companies have a unique opportunity and

14、responsibility to help SMBs operate in new ways. In some cases, that means helping traditional “brick-and- mortar” businesses transition to operating in an online, digital world. Platforms can help by supporting that migration with services such as website development, online storefront, email signu

15、p, ecommerce and payments, blog communications, content creation, live-streaming capabilities, inventory management, customer support and shipping. The emphasis for digitally-mature SMBs should be on helping them to expand their reach through offerings like social listening, 24/7 helpdesk functions,

16、 digital assistants, video chats, tutorials and webinars, and online community groups. 5 Powering SMB Resiliency in a COVID-19 worldCopyright 2020 Accenture All rights reserved. What can platform companies do to help SMBs NEXT? Going forward, platform companies can help SMB customers develop more di

17、gital capabilities to survive the current crisis and help protect against future disruption. Now is the time to analyze the customer base and take actions specific to their needs. To create an impactful strategy, platforms should: 6 Powering SMB Resiliency in a COVID-19 worldCopyright 2020 Accenture

18、 All rights reserved. Redefine the platform-SMB- customer sales model Segment using a multi- factorial analysis Develop customized marketing strategies NOWNEXT 7 Powering SMB Resiliency in a COVID-19 worldCopyright 2020 Accenture All rights reserved. Resegment the SMB market through a COVID-19 lens

19、Where SMBs are concerned, theres no such thing as a “one size fits all” approach to service. To understand how individual markets are impacted by the pandemic now and will be in the future its essential for platforms to segment their SMB marketplace using a multi-factorial analysis. Every platform n

20、eeds a strong customer base, and in the current environment, growth wont be as easy to find. With millions of SMBs to take into account, platform companies need automated methods to identify companies most in need, ones that are successfully adapting, and those that are surging ahead under these new

21、 market conditions. COVID-19 has transformed both the needs of SMBs and the services platforms can provide to rapidly enable SMBs. Platforms can identify and support emerging needs by resegmenting prospects and customers using an SMB COVID-19 lens to develop hyper-targeted, customer-centric capabili

22、ties. Platforms should focus pursuits and choose their acquisition and retention targets wisely. Resegmenting the customer base is a first step in evaluating how different businesses are responding to COVID-19 and identifying the most promising prospects, tailored treatments and personalized outreac

23、hes. 8 Powering SMB Resiliency in a COVID-19 worldCopyright 2020 Accenture All rights reserved. While many variables play into how SMBs could be segmented, the figure to the right illustrates a potential scenario for mapping companies (restaurants, in this example) based on two key business viabilit

24、y indicators: Disruption and Resilience. In this case, the top priority are those businesses in the upper- right quadrant that are most likely to weather COVID-19 and future disruptive events. Marketing strategies and tactics are then customized for each segment. AI makes this exercise easier, faste

25、r, and more reliable. Using an assessment that incorporates additional performance indicators across the entire SMB customer base will likely yield a very accurate and robust plan going forward. SampleCOVID-19 Impact SMB Segmentation 9 Powering SMB Resiliency in a COVID-19 worldCopyright 2020 Accent

26、ure All rights reserved. Targets identified. now what? Part of the power of a platform is the ability to customize and quickly launch products and offerings to users. A customized SMB “Jump-Start” kit is a simple way to onboard SMB customers with the basic capabilities they need to get by. These kit

27、s dont have to follow the popular “free trial” template that applied pre-COVID-19. SMBs resources are under strain and they need ways to get started quickly, rather than having to implement a full feature-set. To help with adoption, platform companies can also develop playbooks to keep SMBs going. W

28、eek-to-week guidance on getting started and evolving to get the most out of the platform may significantly increase adoption and carry over into long-term loyalty. Now is also the time for platform companies to demonstrate the power of what they can do. One example: Unacast, a company that aggregate

29、s and shares insights around cellphone location data, used its platform to share a COVID-19Social Distancing Scoreboard. This harnesses mobile data to show how well states and cities are socially distancing and assigns a score to each. Since its launch, the scoreboard has been cited in the news and

30、attracted over 3.8 million views. This information can be useful for governments and citizens in the immediate term while also demonstrating the power of Unacasts platform and how it could be extended to other use cases. 10 Powering SMB Resiliency in a COVID-19 worldCopyright 2020 Accenture All righ

31、ts reserved. The new platform-powered SMB sales model More than ever before, SMBs are reliant on online channels. So how can platform companies most successfully engage with and sell to their target SMB customers? Easy-to-use, seamless self-service experiences are essential to driving sales in a vir

32、tual environment. Customers need to quickly understand how to find answers on the platform. Many SMBs will be running their business by day and digitizing by night. This means that platform sales channels should extend support to SMBs when they are unwilling or unable to utilize self-service functio

33、ns. But to reduce pressure on those channels, AI-powered real-time feedback loops can help improve the self-service experience. AI can also help categorize leads. Not all customers will be willing to buy via self-service, and intelligent solutions can help uncover the signals required to identify cu

34、stomers likely to need higher-touch sales interactions. A full suite of self-led training modules for SMB owners and staff on Google Digital Garage covers topics ranging from social and channel marketing to AI, allowing users to choose the best learning path for their situation. 11 Powering SMB Resi

35、liency in a COVID-19 worldCopyright 2020 Accenture All rights reserved. With the foundation for supporting virtual sales in place, platform businesses should find new ways to engage SMB customers. They need to answer questions like: “How are customers using the product?” “Are new customers using the

36、 product in the COVID-19 era, and are there differences in consumption patterns?” “What are common pain points in the self-serve model?” “Where are customers dropping out of the sales process?” How can a platform company get these insights? Plug AI and chatbot technology into the free product to hel

37、p enable faster onboarding and create a stickier platform experience. Specifically, freemium deals combined with AI can equip sales reps with the tools and insights needed to upgrade users from trial to a paid plan post-COVID-19. Include performance metrics to help SMBs measure success and effective

38、ness. To increase adoption, SMBs need to clearly see the value they are getting from the platform. Put “skin in the game” and offer creative models beyond free trial licenses. Focus on selling outcomes via innovative strategies like helping develop ecosystem partnerships that differentiate their bus

39、iness or leverage co-operative marketing with local, adjacent-industry retailers. External messaging and proactive outreach to customers in a virtual world is essential. Until the COVID-19 constraints are fully lifted, platform businesses will need to increase reliance on webinars and B2B influencer

40、s. Online touchpoints can be transformed into valuable opportunities for platform businesses to better understand their customers. AI tools such as natural language processing can uncover data during virtual sessions, providing companies with customer insights, and capturing live audience reactions

41、to shared content. This feedback loop provides a rich, 360-degree view of the customer that can be used for marketing, targeting, and product improvements. Time for action 12 Powering SMB Resiliency in a COVID-19 worldCopyright 2020 Accenture All rights reserved. NOWNEXT Platform companies can help

42、empower SMBs to accelerate in a digital world. How? By providing the tools, services, and capabilities to scale, automate, personalize, and engage with customers like never before. To do this, platforms should: 01 Resegment prospects and customers using an SMB COVID-19 lens to enable hyper- targeted

43、, customer- centric capabilities. 02 Invest in digital channels and create digitally immersive experiences that acknowledge the shift many SMBs have made in response to COVID-19. 03 Remove friction from onboarding with SMB “Jump- Start” kits and self- service. Focus on education and enablement. 04 E

44、ngage with SMB customers by embedding AI into freemium products and virtual events to drive insights on usage, audience targeting, and product evolution. 05 Where possible, “zero in” on the SMBs key buyer (i.e., owner or manager) to build a more human connection via channels such as FaceTime and Wha

45、tsApp. By supporting SMBs, platform companies can help reboot the economy. But to be effective in the short- and long-term, platforms should go beyond the freemium services and enable change at lightning speed. Platform companies that help SMBs adapt quickly to digital customer channels will likely

46、develop a reputation as a community supporter, drive exponential use, and create ongoing adoption and loyalty. 13 Powering SMB Resiliency in a COVID-19 worldCopyright 2020 Accenture All rights reserved. 14 Powering SMB Resiliency in a COVID-19 worldCopyright 2020 Accenture All rights reserved. How A

47、ccenture can help Look at your customers in a new light Customer growth is not always easy to find, and customer retention is more important than ever. SMBs need new approaches to help them survive and thrive. We can help identify those needs and resegment your prospect and customer base with a data

48、-driven, COVID- 19 “impact segmentation” analysis. Power virtual sales teams with an “intelligent sales & customer ops” network AI tools can identify when higher touch is needed, guide interactions, and answer questions. With an extensive global network, we can help quickly launch virtual inside sal

49、es and service teams with personalization capabilities and managed services. Create platform-specific SMB “jump-start” and self-service kits Awareness is not enough. SMBs need clear and concise instruction on how to leverage your platform to drive engagement and revenue. “Jump-start” kits accelerate the path to value. Automate data mining and data- driven decision-making capabilities Intelligent solutions like automation and big-data analytics can identify new pockets of growth and churn signals. We can help turn hidden data into insights