Be Customer Led

“It’s your customers telling you what they think about your company, what your product about your service; it’s incredibly valuable if you can use that to your benefit.”

Etie Hertz, CEO of Loris.ai, is featured in this episode of Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos. Currently, Loris provides customer service employees with real-time coaching. When transitioning to chat and email-based customer care, firms employ Loris to assist the support team’s shift to these more current channels of client communication. In 2019, Loris transformed into a technology firm with an interaction-level impact. They developed a software solution based on natural language processing that can be integrated with existing customer service platforms to guide agents in real-time with their best practice language suggestions. In 2021, Loris emerged from stealth mode as a potent AI solution in the form of a chrome extension. Having such expertise and experience, Etie investigates the influence of conversational AI on CX in great detail throughout today’s episode. 

[01:02] Etie’s Journey – Etie shares the defining aspects of his life and career that led him to become the CEO of Loris.

[04:05] The Evolution Of Conversational AI - How conversational AI has altered over the past 15 years and how the B2B sector has adopted this technology.

[08:18] Benefits – Etie describes some advantages of customer involvement he has observed while working with his clients. 

[12:32] Rush to Digitalization - Etie explores if he sees some individuals rejecting technology due to corporations pushing more digital towards them and whether businesses need to be more thoughtful about how they engage customers across several platforms.

[15:51] B2B and B2C - When it comes to the application of conversational AI technology, how do business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) organizations differ?

[19:51] Horizon – Etie expresses his thoughts on the future of conversational AI, emphasizing real-time conversational awareness and disclosing insights. 

[22:15] Digitally Immersive Environment  - We pondered what it might be like to have an agent in a digitally immersive environment.

[24:48] The Policy - Does Etie’s company have a policy that is so customer-friendly that it causes customers to perform a double take?

[26:30] Inspiration - Etie shares what has been influential to him.

Resources:

Connect with Etie:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/etiehertz/

Website: loris.ai/

“You don't move past obsession. I guess what's beyond obsession is more obsession.”

This episode of Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos features Marbue Brown. He is the founder of The Customer Obsession Advantage, an organization devoted to assisting businesses in achieving exceptional business outcomes through customer obsession. He is an experienced executive in the field of customer experience (CX) who has proven his ability to lead by example. Also, Marbue is a well-known speaker and published author on topics such as customer experience, business strategy, and economic policy. In today's episode, he explores in great depth a wide variety of topics pertaining to Customer Obsession and contrasts it with other topics.

[01:49] Introduction – Marbue discusses the ups and downs of his professional life. Furthermore, he talks about his upcoming book and the inspirations behind penning it. 

[09:59 Three Terms – Marbue outlines the distinctions between customer focus, customer-centricity, and customer obsession.

[14:23] Maturity Path - Is there a rung on the ladder of maturity that leads to a focus on the customer?

[28:10] The Next - After Customer Obsession is More Obsession.

[31:36] Inspiration – Marbue mentions the factors that have been an inspiration to him. 

[34:21] Biggest Roadblock - In response to the previous guest's question, Marbue explains why he believes maintaining established franchises is the most prominent hurdle organizations have in delivering customer-obsessed experiences, internally or externally.

[36:41] Marbue's Question – Marbue poses a question to the subsequent guest. In addition, he specifies when he intends to release his book for sale.

Resources:

Connect with Marbue:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marbue-brown-43a8a52/

Link to Marbue’s New Book: Blueprint for Customer Obsession

“When people ask me what marketing is, I say it's the customer experience from the first time they engage with your brand to the last time they purchase and after that.”

Erik Huberman, the Founder, and CEO of HawkeMedia, the fastest growing marketing consultancy in the United States, appears on this episode of Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos. Hawke Media began operations in 2014 and has seen its valuation rise to $75 million while expanding from seven to more than 150 workers. Among the many accolades bestowed to Hawke Media include spots on the Inc. 5000's "Fastest Growing Companies" list for 2017, the "50 Best Workplaces in Southern California" list from Fortune and Forbes' "Content Marketing Companies to Check Out in 2018" list. In today's episode, Erik discusses the underpinnings of marketing and the future of the field as a whole. 

[01:00] Erik's Journey – Erik discusses the distinguishing characteristics of his career while recounting his path to this point. 

[03:34] The Hawke Method – Erik explains the impetus behind the writing of his book.

[06:27] Three Pillars - Erik outlines how he works with and advises customers by referencing the three pillars outlined in his book: awareness, nurture, and trust.

[16:49] Social Media – Erik addresses the impact of social media on marketing and how social media has altered the nature of trust.

[21:23] The Future - Erik expresses his predictions for the future of marketing over the next few years.

[2437] Impact on CX - Erik outlines the effect of marketing on the customer experience, specifically how the three pillars described would affect the customer experience.

[25.35] Inspiration – Erik shares the sources from which he draws his inspiration.

Resources:

Connect with Erik:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/erikhuberman/

Mentioned in the episode:

The Hawke Method: The Three Principles of Marketing that Made Over 3,000 Brands Soar:goodreads.com/en/book/show/60087797-the-hawke-method

This episode of Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos features Ivonne Kinser. Ivonne is the Vice President of Marketing and Innovation for "Avocados from Mexico." She is in charge of the high-performance team and the company's innovation strategy, both of which helped propel "Avocados from Mexico" to the top of the branding category on Fast Company's 2021 list of the world's most innovative companies. Throughout our discussion today, she shares her insights on whether the experience itself is the brand or the brand itself is the experience.

[01:10] Ivonne's Story - Ivonne recounts her journey while discussing her eclectic job. In addition, she describes the company for which she works, "Avocados from Mexico."

[07:31] Innovative Marketing – Ivonne discusses the reason behind combining marketing and innovation and how they function together. She also offers her opinion on whether marketing firms would benefit from incorporating more innovation-related disciplines into their teams or responsibilities. 

[11:56] Difficult Balance – Ivonne outlines her approach to marketing while serving all these partners along the value chain.

[17:15] CX – Ivonne presents her views on the customer experience concerning her role in marketing. 

[20:37] Brand vs. Experience - Some say the brand is experience. Some say experience is the brand. Ivonne expresses her opinion on whether she agrees or disagrees with a particular camp and the possibilities of connecting the two.

[22:50] The Future - Ivonne explains how she believes marketing will evolve over the next couple of years, and what she means by combining brand and performance is where marketing is headed. 

[25:04] Driving Factors - Ivonne outlines some of the ecosystems generating a great deal of change in the marketing sector. In addition, she analyzes if a marketing leader requires any new skills or resources in light of these changes. 

[29:44] Inspiration – Ivonne reveals where she finds inspiration.

Resources:

Connect with Ivonne:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ivonnekinser/

Website: ivonnekinser.com/

“You have to be careful about what dials you are changing because you do not get to learn if you are doing too much, specifically in driving customer acquisition costs down, which is something we think a lot about.”

On this week's episode of Be Customer Led podcast with Bill Staikos; the special guest is Corey Ashton Walters, the Founder, and CEO of Here. "Here" makes it possible for people all over the world to invest in holiday rentals online and receive passive income from the asset class with the most significant yield in real estate, all without lifting a finger. In today's episode, Corey takes the listeners along on his journey as an entrepreneur, sharing his experiences and the lessons he's learned along the way. 

[00:32] Corey's Journey – Presenting a concise overview of his company's business model, Corey shares how this path ultimately led him to start "Here." 

[13:57] Development Process – Corey describes how he uses client insights into his development process. 

[16:51] Advice – Corey imparts his guidance to business owners and other entrepreneurs. 

[19:30] Superfan - Corey discusses how to recognize a superfan and how he has included them into his company's growth strategy.

[24.47] Name – Corey recounts the sequence of events that led him to choose the name "Here." 

[28:54] Guest's Question - In response to the prior guest's question, Corey expresses his thoughts on reducing acquisition costs. Also, he poses a question for the following guest. 

[34:24] Inspiration – Corey mentions where he finds inspiration.

Resources:

Connect with Corey:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/coreyashtonwalters/

Mentioned in the episode:

The Practicing Stoic: goodreads.com/book/show/37886498-the-practicing-stoic?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=8KYEW83BHY&rank=1

This episode of Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos features Bella Obudho, Head of Operations and Customer Experience at BrighterMonday Kenya. BrighterMonday Kenya is part of Ringier One Africa Media Group (ROAM), one of Africa's major digital publishers, offering global businesses to access targeted audiences nationally, regionally, and continentally. Bella is regarded as a thought leader in ROAM Africa, where she manages the CX Centre of Excellence (COE) and drives the adoption and accountability of NPS best practices. Throughout the span of today's episode, we delve into a diverse range of topics pertaining to the process of setting up a CX Team for Success.

[01:17] Background - Bella recounts her life and career, mentioning the path that led her to become an expert in customer experience.

[03:56] CX in Kenya – Bella discusses the current state of customer service in Kenya and how she believes it may have changed over the past several years.

[08:09] Core Tenants – Bella shares her take on the fundamental principles of customer experience. In addition, she describes how the COVID epidemic has altered her perspective or method for reaching the consumer or employee voice.

[16:05] Technology – We discuss how technology has shaped a new direction in the consumer experience. Additionally, Bella lists a few tools she is eager to use and begin testing.

[26:54] Advice - As a frontrunner in the CX industry, Bella guides individuals who wish to head a function or team.

[31:46] Inspiration – Bella mentions the people she admires and where she finds inspiration.

Resources:

Connect with Bella:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rosebella-abok-10951a19/?originalSubdomain=ke

“Smart AI can differentiate who you’re talking to, when you’re talking to them, and what you need to say, and how that’s where this starts to make a real difference.”

Christopher Willis, Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Product Officer of Acrolinx, joins us on this episode of Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos. Chris is regarded as a very innovative and results-driven CMO with a track record of building effective marketing and sales groups. Also, he is accountable for all areas of the organization’s marketing strategy. Moreover, Chris specializes in content governance, artificial intelligence, and pipeline management. In today’s discussion, we dive deep into various aspects concerning the improvement of content and its effect on the customer experience. 

[01:10] Background – Chris shares his journey to this point and highlights the characteristics that set him apart. 

[06:03] Acrolinx - Chris outlines Acrolinx’s fascinating AI and content-related projects. He then elaborates on AI’s impact on content development, curation, and consumption since its adoption. 

[15:48] Content as an Asset - Numerous businesses consider content an afterthought rather than an asset. Chris describes what he believes companies lack on the experiential side, especially when explaining its value for the first time.

[20:36] C - Level Initiative – Chris explains how revenue modeling resulting from content governance becomes a C-level endeavor. 

[23:33] Content Fitness – Chris gives an excellent explanation regarding the idea of content fitness.

[29:46] Horizontal Solution – Chris discusses the corporate sizes to which their service extends and whether or not it is genuinely an enterprise-level solution. 

[32:13] Inspiration – Chris mentions the business executives he looks up to most and why he does so. He also notes where he gets his inspiration.

Resources:

Connect with Christopher:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/cpwillis/

Website: www.acrolinx.com

This week's episode of Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos will feature the CEO of Walnut.io, Yoav Vilner. Yoav has started multiple businesses. Also, he is a startup adviser for Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and United Nations-affiliated accelerators. While discussing Yoav's journey with Walnut in today's conversation, we delve deeper into the relevance of sales experience for the success of a business.

[01:06] Yoav's Background - Yoav describes the journey that finally led him to start Walnut. 

[03:08] Walnut – Yoav describes what problem he was attempting to answer with Walnut, how he came up with the company's name, and how long it took him to develop a platform from concept to prototype. 

[07:45] Sales Experience – Yoav explains his point of view on why he believes many people have forgotten about the importance of sales experience. 

[09:16] Service – Yoav discusses the services that his organization provides and the motives behind delivering such services. 

[12:28] Demos as Assets - Yoav offers an explanation as to why businesses do not view demos as an asset. 

[15:35] Data – Yoav further elaborates on Walnut's services and discusses the direction he believes the sales experience will take as a differentiator for organizations. 

[24:07] Inspiration – Yoav mentions the business executives he admires and the sources he frequents to be inspired and energized.

Resources:

Connect with Yoav:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yoav-vilner/

Website: yoavvilner.com/

“From an EX/CX perspective, what some of our cutting edge clients are starting to see is that any changes that occur even on the EX side, actually have an impact on the CX side, around retention, around levels of engagement.”

On this week's episode of Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos, our guest will be Manish Goel, the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of TrustSphere. In the fields of Relationship Analytics and Organizational Network Analysis, TrustSphere is the company that has established itself as the undisputed market leader. They assist companies in capitalizing on one of their most precious assets - the collective relationship network. Throughout today’s episode, we dive into relationship analytics and how businesses can utlilize it to improve their growth.

[01:06] Background – Manish outlines his journey and the factors that distinguished his profession and led to TrustSphere. 

[02:18] TrustSphere - Manish talks about his company and what they do for clients.

[05:59] Use cases - Manish describes the primary use cases that he observes many of his clients considering for his company's work.

[07:27] Inclusiveness – Manish explains how he considers gauging inclusion in an organization by examining details about the individuals. 

[10:19] Leadership Network – Manish discusses observations he has made that he deems vital in the leadership network. 

[14:36] CX – Manish illustrates how companies can enhance the customer experience through relational analytics. 

[19:04] Business Outcomes – Manish demonstrates how firms may boost their revenue and top-line growth by utilizing relational analytics.

[21:09] The Future – Manish discusses the direction he believes his work will take over the next three to five years and the aspects of his job that excite him the most.

[23:32] Predictions - As the capability of relationship analytics improves, Manish mentions what else he thinks may be quite intriguing in terms of predictive aspect. 

[25:33] Inspiration – Manish describes his business role models and sources of inspiration.

Resources:

Connect with Manish:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/manishgoelts 

Website: trustsphere.com/

Email: [email protected]

“If we're gonna move to something like AR, we want it to do something new and something different, something that we couldn't do before.”

This week on Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos, we have an in-depth interview with Brad Quinton, an entrepreneur, and researcher who has consistently pushed the technological frontier. Brad is the CEO and CTO of Singulos Research, Inc, which focuses on developing cutting-edge software and intellectual property (IP) to enable Deep Learning-based solutions for Augmented and Mixed Reality applications. Throughout the episode, we discuss Brad's previous work and his perspectives on various aspects of augmented reality, particularly regarding how AR Advances may alter experiences. 

[01:24] The Journey - Brad recounts some distinguishing aspects of his profession.

[04:32] Singulos Research Inc. – Brad mentions the problem he was attempting to remedy in the world that prompted him to create this firm and how he chose the names, Singulos and Perceptus. 

[07:38] Definitions – Brad discusses the distinctions between augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality. 

[09:58] Perceptus Platform – Brad outlines the distinguishing characteristics of the Perceptus Platform and some of the use cases that personally thrill him the most.

[14:44] AR Technology - Brad mentions when he anticipates that augmented reality (AR) technology will be widely available and how he believes people would react to such a change. 

[22.39] Consumer Demand - Brad explores whether consumer demand drives technological innovation or whether technological innovation drives consumer demand. 

[25:04] Privacy – Brad comprehensively analyzes data security versus privacy. 

[30:42] Inspiration – Brad describes the business executives he admires and the sources of his inspiration.

Resources:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brad-quinton-489a423/?originalSubdomain=ca

Website: singulosresearch.com/

Mentioned in the episode:

What if AR could see: perceptusai.com/