Success factors for effective customer interaction in digital sales: A case from the digital investment service industry

Abstract

In the off-line world, capable sales representatives align their advisory approach with their customer´s individual profile to improve the quality of the process and the likelihood of a positive outcome for both parties. However, we see a movement away from the classical advisory settings towards “omni-channel” strategies, where companies serve their customers through a combination of on-line and off-line channels. In this short paper, we undertake a first investigation of how specific characteristics in the customer profile could affect the advisory success and introduce the "OPTI-model". We illustrate the application of our model using the example of Digital Investment Services, knowing that the financial services industry is one area where “omni-channel” strategies have become highly relevant.