Whether it’s to ask a question or inquire a service, potential customers want useful responses more quickly than ever. One of Coffee’s key talking points was the qualities needed to bring in and maintain customers. These included both technological and human factors, such as:

Search engines have developed over the years to serve an entirely new purpose: instead of looking for specific brands, users turn to search results to answer questions.

But app developers for companies don’t want to simply answer a question and turn a customer loose. “Your app needs to solve problems and have prolonged use,” Coffee states. “If your app only has one use, you get a customer and then you give them up.”

Although efficiency in automation and AI are imperative, there are still people working on the other end of the screen – and a successful work culture is necessary for a company to succeed.

Salesforce values a collaborative work environment because “people do their best work so as not to let down the team.” This means that positive reinforcement from a supervisor and validation from peers will directly translate into a better experience for a customer.

In addition, Coffee attributes a great deal of success to the diversity of thought and the methodologies used in their work. While all of this happens outside the realm of customer interaction, the behind-the-scenes workings are crucial to the final product that the customer sees.

Technology and customer expectations are changing constantly, which can make the Quote to Cash realm seem chaotic. But as Coffee states, “The word ‘chaos’ is always used in a negative sense. Chaos is a creative medium.” To him, it is an opportunity to grow, change, and innovate.

As the world of Quote to Cash continues to evolve, forward-thinking companies will have an advantage. The ATG Quote to Cast Summit will feature insights from some of the sharpest minds in Q2C today, so be sure to register today if you haven’t already. The summit will take place July 14-16 in Missoula, MT.