It was necessary to facilitate the communication and maintain quality contact in the AP world, with a guaranteed proximity. The Sales Management team was looking to improve the quality and consistency of assets and information shared by all Sales reps to AP clients. The solution had to integrate in the existing messaging appsā€™ ecosystem that reps used daily with their clients (WhatsApp, Line, WeChat, Messenger, etc.) Indeed, we couldnā€™t ask AP clients to download a specific app to communicate with Sales reps (too much friction). Rather than developing a new communications app, we've created an intelligent keyboard (called AP Messaging) for use with the main existing messaging apps that sales reps use (WhatsApp, Line, WeChat, Messenger, etc.) usually with their clients.

The keyboard becomes a sales tool

The goal was to improve the brand perception, as business benefits lie in an improved customer journey and a relationship experience before and after the sale. Which indirectly benefits the sales numbers.

The AP Messaging tool is linked to the CRM and the PIM, a database containing information about the watches, including real-time stocks and prices, as well as related visuals in high quality. The keyboard becomes a sales tool.

The application is now used by over 98% of AP's Sales Associates in hundreds of points of sale worldwide. This represents 458 sales boutiques, our nomadic brand ambassadors and other internal sales staff. The total number of AP installations is almost 1,000, i.e. almost half the workforce! The employees love this very useful and effective application.

Innovation means helping the end user make progress in his job-to-be-done

The main messaging apps (WhatsApp, Line, iMessage, WeChat, Messenger, to cite a few) are widely used by clients with their AP Sales rep. Thatā€™s where business happens all day long. It would have been too risky from a user adoption perspective to try to make AP clients switch to a custom made AP messaging app. Thatā€™s where the real innovation came through: use the underrated iOS custom keyboard solution to provide the high quality pictures and content at the very right time when the AP Sales rep teams need it: when texting a client. No copy-pasting from a PIM system or ERPā€¦ all the info is available at their fingertips in their usual environment.

Enhanced customer service interaction and brand perception

Rather than imposing a new app on the sales teams (and potentially on AP clients), we developed a keyboard integrated into the existing messaging apps, giving them direct access to information and visual assets, avoiding the need to copy and paste and ensuring consistent brand communication. Thatā€™s User Experience at its best: nail down when the real problem in the entire Sales Rep journey happens, and brainstorm on solutions only for that.

With a single iOS keyboard tool, AP sales reps can continue using their usual messaging app: WhatsApp, Line, WeChat, Instagram, FB Messengerā€¦ They can access and share all relevant high-quality pictures and news to their clients, and provide a high-end customer service interaction (e.g. instead of just informing that a clientā€™s timepiece has been repaired, sales team can use designed templates).

The AP Messaging keyboard offers greater efficiency and profitability by raising the brand perception to a new level. It enables internal and/or B2B processes to be improved (greater synergy between sales and marketing by always up-to-date CRM and PIM data). With this keyboard, content is pushed directly to everyone's phone with video.

No more home-made pictures of a sales rep wearing the watch with a sandwich in the background... Instead, always the high quality pictures and content when texting a client with AP Messaging.