Chorus Sales Call Analysis
Product: B2B MarTech SaaS product for customer messaging
Timeline: March 2024 - May 2024
Role: UX Research Intern
Tools Used: Chorus, Excel, Alchemer, PowerPoint
Note: This case study provides a high-level summary of this project for confidentiality.
Background
I completed this project as an UX Research Intern at a B2B SaaS company in the MarTech space. The company was working to deploy a new product that combines the capabilities of two existing products to enhance businesses' marketing and communication with customers.
At a high level, the team aimed to identify how customers respond to the value proposition of the new product, along with their needs and pain points discussed during the sales process. The findings of this project were applicable to several teams, including the UX, marketing, and sales teams, to improve strategy and customer communication.
Objectives
Research objectives aimed to understand customers and their reactions to the product, addressing the following questions:
What do customers need to communicate efficiently with their own customers, and what are their pain points with current systems?
How do customers respond to the product’s value proposition, demos, and use cases?
What messaging resonates with customers based on their professional background, industry, and organizational needs?
What are the professional backgrounds of customers involved in sales calls, and how do these roles shape how customers respond to the product?
Research Methods
Executive Summary
The project began with in-depth case studies of won sales for five companies with rich data available in Chorus, the platform used to record and transcribe sales calls. I sought to identify broad themes in customer pain points and needs, and to identify potential use cases. Finally, I integrated findings from these case studies with data from the quarterly sales survey I presented earlier in the year.
Given stakeholder interest in the project following the initial presentation, a follow-up project emerged. The first analysis within this project case studies for lost sales. Other analyses were quantitative, examining trends in customer industries, interest in expanding communication channels, and the influence of decision-makers' professional backgrounds on the sales process.
Initial Study: Case Studies for Won Sales and Comparative Analysis
Case Studies for Won Sales
The original study focused on analyzing video call data from five accounts with won sales. I deliberately selected accounts representing multiple industries and business models after receiving a list of all customers who had signed up for the product. Accounts included both current and prospective customers.
Following this selection, I extracted data from calls, including presentation stimuli and customer responses, to identify themes across accounts in alignment with the research objectives.
Rationale
The comprehensive assessment of this sampling of cases allowed me to understand customers’ responses throughout the sales process, to identify pain points and needs during each stage. This allowed me to listen not only to what was directly stated during calls, but also to observe customers' nonverbal reactions. For example, I was able to see in real time how customers reacted when the value proposition of the product was described. This also allowed me to gather and share insights on use cases that resonated with customers.
Comparative Analysis
Earlier in the year, I completed an analysis of quarterly feedback survey data collected from sales reps in Alchemer. In this survey, sales reps were asked about their experiences with current and prospective customers, particularly regarding factors that led to won or lost sales and interest in expanding channels. I compared data from the quarterly survey to case study findings.
Rationale
When analyzing case studies, it become evident that findings from this study dovetailed with those from the recent survey. The survey was quantitative, while the case studies were qualitative; I combined these findings to provide the team with well-rounded insights.
Follow-Up Study: Case Studies for Lost Sales and Additional Data Analysis
Case Studies for Lost Sales
I selected six additional accounts with lost sales to analyze. I applied a similar process as with won sales, reviewing video call data from Chorus to observe customer responses to demos and the product's value proposition, while noting pain points.
Rationale
Examining lost sales revealed pain points and frustrations not captured by analyzing won sales alone. This method offered insights to improve the sales process, address concerns proactively, and enhance retention.
Descriptive and Correlational Analyses
Identifying patterns in customer industries and business models was considered early in the project to help select accounts for case studies. However, the follow-up study delved deeper into this data to analyze current channel usage and interest in expanding messaging channels.
This research included several sub-analyses:
I systematically reviewed recordings for each customer to gauge their interest in expanding channels. Then, I nominally ranked the level of interest in each channel, to identify relationships between industry, business models, and potential channels.
I analyzed account data and conducted a digital audit to identify the channels customers were using to uncover connections between messaging, app, and social media usage across industries and business models.
I reviewed call logs from Chorus, noting customer backgrounds and sales stages, to identify relationships between professional background, industry, business model, and presence at specific stages of the sales process.
Rationale
This information helps the team better understand trends across industries regarding their interest in and use of various communication channels, as multichannel marketing is a key benefit of the new product. It provides insights into the types of stakeholders most often participating in sales calls and their needs.
The combination of these descriptive and correlational analyses enable the team to better understand customers and tailor messaging to various stakeholders at different points within the sales process and market to them in a more meaningful way.
Findings
Synthesizing findings from both the initial study and follow-up analyses provided a comprehensive view of the sales process and identified strategies to improve and personalize messaging for each stakeholder. Additionally, the research highlighted industry trends and ways for cross-functional teams to leverage this data.
Pain Points
Customers frequently expressed bandwidth limitations which could hinder their team’s ability to onboard with a new system and use complex data in a meaningful way. They also noted that data silos in their existing systems posed a potential concern during integration.
Bandwidth concerns were cited as an obstacle to implementing additional channels, even those with potential to improve marketing strategy. Smaller companies with limited resources struggled more to justify the costs of investing in new channels and technologies.
Needs
Overall, customers described a need for more insights and to reach customers more efficiently, but also had a need to this quickly and in a meaningful way.
Customers also expressed a need for practical, rather than theoretical, information to gain a more informed and realistic sense of how the product would improve their processes. They wanted to understand how the product would deliver a notable ROI, especially in comparison to their current systems.
Strategies
Customers benefited from information provided by sales reps on how the product could simplify their current processes rather than add stress. They also found personalized use cases and demos helpful, as these allowed them to see the product in action and understand how it could improve conversions, therefore contributing to increased ROI over time.
Additionally, customers valued practical details about implementation and discussions of available resources to address common concerns about time and resource constraints.
Beneficial Messaging by Stakeholder Type
Along with the overall trends, customers benefited from specific messaging strategies based on their professional backgrounds. While stakeholders from teams like customer success or graphic design occasionally participated, the primary audiences were marketing, IT, and executive teams (e.g., CEO, CMO, VP).
Specific messaging strategies by stakeholder type included:
Marketers
Marketers were the primary influencer group during sales calls.
Pain Points: Marketers were concerned about the bandwidth required for setup and expanding communication channels, some citing challenges in past attempts. They valued detailed data but worried about the time needed to interpret it.
Strategies: Marketers appreciated detailed information about the product, its interface, and the integration process. Realistic use cases and demos helped them quickly recognize the product's value and the benefits of additional messaging channels.
IT
IT personnel were the secondary influencer group during sales calls.
Pain Points: Similar to marketing teams, IT teams expressed bandwidth concerns. However, these stakeholders approached them from a technical perspective; for example, the challenges of merging existing data warehouses with a new system.
Strategies: Similar to marketers, IT personnel sought detailed information, particularly about integration. Specifically, they needed insights into the product's tech stack and migration process, which they gained through meetings with technical representatives.
Executives
Executives participated in sales calls at the beginning and end of deals, often as final decision-makers.
Pain Points: Executives faced resource management challenges across their companies, often juggling multiple initiatives simultaneously. They were hesitant to invest in the product and setup costs without a clear understanding of ROI.
Strategies: Executives approached decisions with a big-picture perspective. They valued upfront information on costs and ROI. Hard data which directly spoke to ROI was beneficial, especially for executives without a marketing background.
Research Impact
UX/UI Team
Findings were shared with the UX/UI team, including researchers, designers, and writers. The alignment of customer needs identified during sales calls was compared with internal personas. Given the UX team’s role in creating demos and web tutorials, this research was applicable for creating stronger content that resonates with the needs of actual users.
The findings were also shared with leadership teams within the product department to improve overall strategy.
Marketing Team
Findings were presented to the Marketing team to share identified trends in industries and channels used by current users, along with information on use cases, to improve messaging strategy. The UX Research team frequently collaborates with Marketing to align on user-centric marketing strategies.
Sales Team
Findings were also shared with Sales to provide further insight into the overall strategy, including trends in customer industries that may not be directly visible to reps as customer accounts are distributed.
Takeaways and Lessons Learned
This was one of my first major projects as a UX Research Intern and has shaped my approach to subsequent projects. It helped me grow in the following areas:
Expansion of UX Research Skills: While I had experience analyzing data from interviews and surveys during other parts of my internship and bootcamp, this project allowed me to expand my skillset by incorporating new data sources, particularly video calls and call log data. I also became familiar with additional secondary research methods, such as digital presence audits.
Interdisciplinary Communication and Presentation Skills: I had the opportunity to present findings to multiple teams, with leadership present. This experience challenged me to communicate complex findings and adapt my messaging to the needs of various departments.
Understanding Customer Priorities: I learned that customers benefit from actionable insights that are feasible to implement. This means that messaging must not only demonstrate an engaging value proposition, but also address practical concerns such as customer bandwidth and resource constraints for implementation and ongoing use.
Enhancing Value Communication: I identified that customers need to understand a product's unique value proposition to justify their investment. Specific examples and realistic use cases are more effective than theoretical ones in demonstrating ROI.