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Multi-Language Customer Email Program
Integration with Salesforce & Vertical Response

By Paul Harris

Support, Marketing & Corporate Communications email system to address worldwide customers per local language preference

“Paul is a great communicator and can make any message sound good. Paul is instrumental in making Saxotech appear professional in all its external communication. In addition Paul is a pleasure to work with and a very proaktive and constructive member of corporate management.” November 11, 2008

Ole Kristensen, Vice President of Development, Saxotech A/S
worked directly with Paul as members of the company’s Corporate Management Team

Challenge:

1. •Saxotech - a worldwide leader in web CMS systems serving high volume media websites - wanted to consolidate multiple systems and processes used to communicate with its customers.
   

2. •The company operates independent web hosting centers in the U.S. and Europe, dedicated to supporting high volume news and information websites.
   

3. •Customers also include some of the world's largest media companies who self-host websites powered by Saxotech's online publishing platform; this presented a case for unique, mission-critical customer communications.
   

4. •Sixty-percent of customers also used Saxotech's enterprise CMS and print production system - often supporting hundreds of users per installation - to plan, create and publish daily newspapers.
   

5. •Six different systems - including a homegrown CRM system - were being used to source and send support email to customers, and marketing email was an untapped opportunity.
   

Solution:

1. •Corporate marketing lead the selection and implementation of Salesforce for enterprise-wide use (Corporate offices in Florida and R&D, Sales, Marketing and Support in Europe), and established corporate guidelines for management of customer data and recording of customer interactions.
   

2. •Customer email was packaged under the "Customer Connections" brand, and an opt-in program was launched allowing customers to complete a web form to set their individual preferences.
   

3. •Contacts were assigned role rankings based on job functions, and all accounts were updated to indicate products used, and specific details on hosting center configurations of their media web properties.
   

4. •Standard email alert templates - typically used to notify users about expected downtime, or unplanned service disruptions - were setup in multiple languages.
   

5. •Customer segment queries were created, allowing for dynamic selection of appropriate email recipients for any type of requirement.
   

6. •"First Responder" support representatives in Europe and U.S. hosting centers were trained to send notifications based on various circumstance they may encounter.
   

7. •Newsletter templates and letterhead were created in multiple languages to support consistent worldwide branding.
   

8. •Verticle Response - integrated with Salesforce - provided analytics on outbound email campaigns, unsubscribes, open rates, and bounce management.
   

Results:

1. •Within 90 days of going live, 100% of customer accounts were updated with correct contact names per product category.
   

2. •In the first year, contacts within 95% of accounts set personal opt-in preferences in the "Customer Connections" program.
   

3. •Product marketing launched quarterly newsletters by product line that are translated and distributed concurrently based on individual language preference.
   

4. •Technical support team members quickly learn when key contacts leave their positions because of the system’s efficient bounce management capability. This allows them to identify new contacts and sell new user training packages.
   

5. •According to a third party survey firm used for 9 successive years, customer satisfaction with "Company Communications" represented the greatest increase of all subjects researched during annual depth interviews
   

6. •Public relations and marketing leverage this new tool to inexpensively support tactics including user conference promotion and registration, trade show and conference participation & product launches.
   

7. •Since all outgoing email was logged in Salesforce, employees worldwide can now track what messages are being sent, and when applicable, they can see reactions from customer.