There's no denying that AI has completely transformed the enterprise landscape. However, most businesses are still struggling to successfully turn their AI expectations into reality.
A mere 25% of CEOs say their AI initiatives have delivered their anticipated ROI.
Although larger companies often have the time and resources needed to experiment with this technology, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that are forced to navigate tighter budgets don't have the financial resources to wait for impact. The lack of ROI is extremely costly to their bottom line.
SMBs need to see tangible results that can help justify their investments. In short, their AI strategies must take an approach that enables them to drive more near-term results for their business.
So how can SMBs turn AI investments into real impact?
CX Expectations Are Creating a New Opportunity for SMB Marketers
At a time when business growth is becoming increasingly reliant on customer experience (CX), with 78% of consumers saying a bad customer experience would cause them to switch from using a business, SMB marketers are in a prime position to help their businesses reap the benefits of AI.
Marketers are the driving force behind the initial interactions that leads have with their brand, and in today's CX-centric world, those first impressions are everything. Especially when people are willing to move their business elsewhere when their expectations aren't met.
Enhanced customer experiences now play a critical role not just in converting leads into customers for SMBs but also in their overall growth as well. That CX demand offers SMB marketers a unique opportunity to make AI investments that'll drive actual, and immediate, results for their business.
Three Reasons SMB Marketers Need Voice AI in Their Toolkits
Considering the explosion of AI tools available to businesses, finding the right solution can be a major obstacle—in fact, nearly half (48%) of small businesses using AI are struggling to choose the right tools.
Because SMB marketers require solutions that can drive actual results while enabling them to deliver enhanced CX interactions, they should be prioritizing investments in voice AI, which is able to process and generate human-like speech.
Instead of a generic robotic voice that's limited in responses, voice AI solutions provide customers with human-like interactions with the ability to recognize and adapt responses based on everything from tone to caller needs.
Voice AI capabilities take traditional interactions to the next level. Powered with the right voice AI tool, SMB marketers can achieve three strategic objectives.
1. Eliminate missed opportunities for their business
Because of resource restraints, SMBs often have smaller teams tasked with wearing many hats. Therefore, as calls come in, they may well be occupied with other high-priority tasks, resulting in calls that go unanswered.
For SMBs, each call is an opportunity, and missed calls result in missed revenue.
Voice AI solutions equip SMBs with the ability to ensure every call to their business gets is picked up, even when the business is closed. SMBs leveraging voice AI capabilities have an edge over competitors because they're able to provide leads and existing customers with 24/7 support—allowing marketers to increase lead conversion and drive more revenue to their business.
2. Offer more enhanced CX interactions
Although AI agents are currently all the rage, their abilities tend to be limited to performing only certain narrow tasks. Voice AI technology can perform more advanced tasks, from automatically scheduling appointments for callers to handing off calls to SMS and continuing the conversation via text, helping to create a more seamless experience for callers.
Agents that leverage voice AI are equipped with powerful intelligence, including context from callers' prior conversations and even multilanguage support that can allow for AI agents to switch from English to Japanese mid-conversation.
That additional layer of intelligence empowers SMBs to ensure every interaction isn't just smooth but also truly, and instantly, personalized to every customer.
3. Optimize budget with data-driven insights
Voice AI tools don't just allow SMBs to pick up more calls; they also track key insights from every call—not only details like why a caller reached out but also how qualified leads are.
These solutions provide marketers with deeper knowledge into the best leads—and also provide recommendations on the next best action for high quality leads by analyzing call insights.
Even more impressive, they can take things a step further by using call insights to craft templates so that marketers can instantly follow up with leads in a way that caters to their specific scenario.
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As SMBs look to cut through the AI noise and find areas where their business can experience actual ROI, voice AI solutions should be top-of-mind. After all, they allow SMBs to make an immediate impact, including an increase in both the quantity and the quality of opportunities coming to their business.
With voice AI technology, SMB marketers can bring potential and existing customers the experiences they're actively seeking from brands, helping to not only convert more leads and fuel overall business growth but also build a strong level of brand loyalty.
CX demands are continuing to steer businesses toward a new reality; to keep pace with this rapid shift, voice AI technology will be what separates the leaders from the laggers.
