Six Key Points in a Data Breach: How to React
Notifying customers about a data breach is hard, because it can be more art than science.
“Every data breach event is different because of the circumstances surrounding the situation,” said Heidi Shey, a senior analyst at Forrester, speaking at Forrester’s Marketing 2016 event in New York this week.
But a data breach can be an opportunity to communicate with your audience and show them that you care about their needs, she noted. There are several key lifecycle points to a data breach, where both B2B and B2C marketers need to act.
1. Discovery: This is the initial phase, where everyone finds out that something isn’t quite right. The customer may have heard about it in the media, or they themselves be experiencing some type of fraud.
At this point, marketers need to quickly determine the scope of the issue and the potential impact to customers, and prepare talking points for customer facing employees. “The last thing you want to do is be dismissive and say that it isn’t a big deal,” said Shey.
2. Explore: At this point, the marketer needs to identify which part of the entity has a direct relationship with the customer, and anticipate where and who customers and the general public will reach out to with questions. Then, make sure that part of the organization has the capacity to respond adequately.
3. React: Next, marketers should determine what will help customers the most moving forward—and don’t just do the bare minimum. “Exceed existing brand and customer experience expectations in your outreach,” she says.
4. Advance: Give customers something to look forward to in the future. Listen to their concerns, reaffirm why your brand is different (and better) and clearly articulate your vision for the future.
5. Ask: People don’t forget, and particularly in B2B, where purchase cycles and buyer relationships can last a long time, customers may still be asking questions one or two years down the line. Know how to address those concerns, coordinate talking points for customer-facing employees, and create one page FAQ documents for your sales reps out in the field.
6. Engage: Collaborate with your internal teams on security awareness efforts, and know your data. Explore how security and privacy can be differentiation points for your company.
“Things will happen and you have to know how to respond,” said Shey. “Remember, even small improvements can have a big impact. Put the customer first and identify their needs, and you can turn a data breach event into something positive.”
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Taking Ownership of the Customer Journey to Improve B2B Sales
