Nowadays, email is the most commonly used form of business communication. In fact, research from HubSpot found that, for 86 per cent of business professionals, it is the preferred communication method. Email is popular because it is very efficient and speedy. What’s more, technological advancements now mean that emails can be more productive, personalised and, perhaps most importantly, automated. For Accounts Receivable (AR), automation can help reduce workload, all while ensuring consistent, well-timed customer communications.
Initially, businesses were reluctant to adopt email as their main form of customer communication as it was seen to be less personal than receiving a phone call or printed letter. This is much less the case now, not least because email works in the fast-paced, socially distant world we all now live in. So much so, that many businesses now embrace its use.
If an organisation wishes to make email a truly impactful business tool, then automation is key. While numerous enterprises delay this, smart businesses are aware that the sooner they automate their usual communications method, the quicker they’ll reap the rewards of doing so.
How does automation benefit accounts receivable?
One of the main benefits that automating emails has on AR is that it helps avert potential mistakes and oversights, such as forgetting key dates or missing important deadlines. Through automation, correspondence is automatically set up to be sent, as such there is no need for those in the AR team to look up a potential renewal date and note down or remember when to send a notice. This saves the team lots of time and benefits the customer too.
Automating routine tasks such as email communication also enables AR departments to focus on more pressing and impactful tasks, including resolving problems customers are facing. This provides a number of benefits. Firstly, the AR team is in a better mood as the tasks they’re working on are more productive and satisfying, as opposed to being mundane and repetitive. Secondly, the work that the AR team does has a greater impact on business operations, helping to maximise growth in this area. Finally, the solutions provided to customers are faster and more detailed.
Adding to this, the efficiency and flexibility provided by automating emails gives the AR team a significant boost. With a smart AR system in place, it is possible to install an intelligent communications programme for every customer subsection that your organisation interacts with. For example, an account manager may want more account management information and an increase in day-to-day billing, while a chief financial officer (CFO) would like to receive updates on how the business is performing as well as its market perspective.
Putting an automated business communications workflow in place needn’t be complex. You’ll need to take a bit of time to draft your communications in the context of your organisation’s customer journey map. However, once you’ve chosen your preferred workflow and written the messages, automated email communications are effectively set for an extended period of time, saving effort in the long run.
By automating email communications, businesses can engage in long-term planning, establish email sequences based on customers’ behaviour, and obtain peace of mind in the knowledge that their communication with customers is simple, consistent, well-timed and contributes to an improved customer experience.
To find out more information about automating business communications, take a look at YayPay by Quadient, an automated AR management platform.
