We live in a self-service age — an age in which customers have seized control of the buying process. In fact, more than half of the buying process occurs via research conducted by the customer or prospect independent of sales representatives. Which is why B2B companies across all industries are getting smarter about delivering a consistent and compelling customer experience.

What does this mean to you? Regardless of your industry, rising above your competition is more challenging now than ever before.

The question is no longer: How can we improve our customer experience? But rather: How can we get better at improving our customer experience?

Customers are savvy. They know they are in control of the buying process, and they expect to have a consistent and compelling experience at every touchpoint along their buying journey.

A recent McKinsey study found that the number one trait of companies that succeed in delivering a superior customer experience is the development and deployment of a clear and compelling corporate message. To effectively deploy your corporate message, executives must be committed to implementing employee training, education and quality control measures in their area of the business and across every facet of the customer journey they impact.

From marketing and sales to human resources, organizations must shift out of their silos and work holistically to achieve success in the increasingly competitive customer experience environment — because, as the CXi indicates, a compelling customer experience leads to compelling business growth.

Learn five ways to transform your customer experience here.