With 6 customer lifecycle phases and over a dozen i-Dialogue eMarketing tools at your disposal, it can be overwhelming to know how to effectively apply the right tools and when.

The Solution Worksheet (below) simplifies this problem by providing a matrix for mapping eMarketing tools to customer needs by lifecycle phase.

When working with clients, I find it useful to sketch specific requirements and notes into the matrix. Over time the matrix will reveal some patterns; the most common of which I would refer to as "offensive" and "defensive" marketing.

Offensive marketing solutions are typical in B2C environments where the objective is to constantly make consumers aware of your product and persuade a purchase. But these campaigns treat every dialogue as if it's a first encounter with the customer.

Defensive marketing seeks to retain existing customers by segmenting the customer base and providing more personalized self-service to information. This is common in B2B environments where the sales cycle is longer, the customers are self-identifying, and there are formal support and service level agreements in place.

The solution worksheet will quickly reveal any gaps in your overall relationship marketing strategy and help guide the discussion towards these gaps.

You can click on the image below, download, and print on legal size paper to help design your own solutions.