Keeping Customer Advocacy Programs Alive and Well in the Age of Mergers & Acquisitions
We all know that every company has a different view and investment in their customer advocacy program (if they even have a program at all). Depending on the state of advocacy at both companies, you’ll want to keep different key considerations in mind while going through a merger and acquisition (M&A).
Combining Mature Customer Advocacy Programs
An easier situation is where both companies are already running robust programs, and are using the same reference management system (RMS) software as well as the same CRM platform. In this scenario, the biggest focus will be on combining data and processes.
One of the main priorities will be combining the data from both RMSs in the go-forward database. This may be a challenge while your databases are integrated with separate CRMs. The goal should be to avoid having duplicate records, which would result in not demonstrating the full picture of your customer’s combined footprint, contacts, collateral, use cases, etc. Ideally, everything needs to be contained in one record. Where both RMSs are tracking the same companies, determine which record is the most robust to keep and then combine the details from the secondary record. It will help to know which CRM account will be the go-forward record, so the correct CRM ID is recorded in the corresponding RMS account. The CRM system merger may have to occur first and then the RMS data combination follows.
In addition to merging RMS databases, there also may be the responsibility to combine teams to handle the joint workload. An argument can certainly be made that it is important to retain members from both teams based on their unique product knowledge, relationships within the organization as well as rapports with customers. Processes also need to be assessed for best practices and a clear definition established for the go-forward ones so that the entire team works in the same way.
There may be the scenario where each company uses different RMS platforms. Each team will certainly want to argue why they want to keep the one they are currently working with but for efficiency, only one tool should prevail. The platform decision should be based on expense, usage, maturity, quantity of data being tracked, integration with CRM platforms, security strategy, availability of CRM administrator support and functionality.
For those merging mature customer advocacy programs, take comfort in knowing that both companies have obviously invested in their customer advocacy programs and understand the value it brings to both the company as well as their customers. Despite the changes that will occur and the compromises that will be made, there is a very good chance that the program will remain healthy and deliver powerful results.
Merging with a Company that Does Not Have an Advocacy Program
If the acquiring company does not have an established advocacy program, typically Sales has been taking care of its own reference needs or someone has been maintaining potential references in a spreadsheet/smartsheet. The organization may need to be convinced of the necessity of having a formal program, a centralized RMS, and dedicated customer advocacy staff.
The first objective is to gain executive buy-in; someone to advocate for the program and who understands the many benefits of customer advocacy for all parts of the organization. You will need to demonstrate the program’s ROI as it will now require an investment from the company. Be sure to present the most compelling metrics from your prior program, such as client lifetime revenue (CLTR), value of sales revenue influenced, the usage of customer collateral created through the program, the engagement of advocates, etc. By illustrating the value that the advocacy team added in the past and can extend to the whole organization moving forward, you will be able to justify the added expense of keeping an RMS platform as well as headcount.
It is important to impress upon the executives the value that a formal program adds to customers. For example, by tracking the usage of advocates, a program can help prevent advocate burnout, which often happens when Sales is taking care of its own reference needs. Similarly, by working closely with customer contacts, a program is better able to understand the activities of interest to each of them and can enable participation, which increases customer satisfaction. A formal program also will assist many other stakeholders within your organization when they are looking for customers to support their needs such as taking an interview with an analyst, representing the voice of the customer in a marketing engagement, or participating in speaking opportunities.
Just remember that no matter which scenario you experience, you will have to be prepared for change, challenges and possibly even a reinvention of your customer advocacy program. However, as long as you continue to prove the success of the program, keep customers engaged, maintain executive buy-in and have the ability to adapt to the inevitable changes that come with any M&A – no matter which side of the table you are on – you will succeed!
