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I have been using Echo Auto for the last three weeks and testing how good this product works. What I can share with you now is that the ability for Alexa, the digital assistant, to understand commands while music is playing or under the ambient noise of driving in general is pretty impressive. This level of quality can also be said for other digital assistants like Siri, Cortana, ‘Hey Google’, and others.

In episode #96, Head of Evangelism for Search for Microsoft, Christi Olson, shares how the world of digital assistants has gone from a place of search to a place of action. More and more, the way users interact with a digital assistant (also sometimes known as a voice assistant) leads to a particular action being performed. It’s like your significant other finishing your sentence. The traditional use cases are to ask a digital assistant, "Cortana, what is the address to Mandalay Bay Hotel?" This triggers the digital assistant’s search functionality. In normal human behavior, what comes next after inquiring about a location is…actually getting there. And this is where digital assistants are becoming a place of action. After Cortana replies with the address, the next question offered by Cortana is ‘Would you like me to take you there?”

With more adoption of digital assistants in our homes, cars, and on our bodies (mobile phone), the practical applications are becoming more apparent. As stated in the 2019 Microsoft Voice Report which was authored by Olson, she describes the evolution of digital assistants and how businesses can think concretely about integrating this technology into a business.

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Do automotive retailers even have a mobility problem? The framing of this question suggests that a problem has been identified, though perhaps under a false pretense. Think back to products and services that tech companies have introduced — Google Glass, Microsoft Zune, or Amazon’s Fire Phone — in an attempt to solve real problems. But what really were the problems these products were solving?

In episode #95, we hear from Russ Lemmer, President and Chief Product Officer of Dealerware, a fully-connected, fully-digital fleet management platform. His knowledge and experience in learning the art of problem framing led to a successful acquisition of Silvercar, a car rental mobility solution which he helped co-found and was acquired by Audi in 2017. His process to uncover business problems entails applying the scientific methodology of identifying the situation, complication, stating a hypothesis, and testing to confirm or disprove the hypothesis. If performed correctly, this rigorous process results in iterations of a product until it actually solves a real problem.

Tune in to learn how Russ and Dealerware have identified the problem of mobility within an automotive retail operation.

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Traveling opens the mind and heart to different cultural experiences. You can see history before your eyes when touring the Coliseum in Rome. And you can also witness the economic turmoil in a country like Argentina.

What’s more, in this day and age of social media, you can sit at your desk or in the comfort of your bed and fill your time with nostalgia and escapism, but simply visiting Instagram and Youtube.

Recently, I came across a Youtube channel called 'Sailing La Vagabone' where a young Australian couple is circumnavigating the deep blue sea and documenting all of their excursions. While this couple, named Elayna and Riley are young, they speak with such maturity.

In this episode, we hear from millennial founder and CEO, Lyamen Savy of 321 Ignition. Her travels have taken her to 30 different countries and through her eyes, she sees that mobile devices are shaping consumer behavior. In the United States, there are 250 million smart phone users and so it’s easy to infer that their first encounter with your business is through their mobile device. And throughout Lyamen’s travels and surveying different walks of life, she contends that 'You will never go wrong by putting your customers first” and that starts with their mobile experience.

It should be noted that what underlies the idea of a mobile experience to a millennial is their fear of missing out.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]A few months ago, CNBC did a piece on Jaguar Land Rover stating how the automaker faces an uncertain future. Since August 2016, parent company Tata Motors has been experiencing a declining stock price. Yet, if there is a silver lining, it is to be found in the North American market.

SUVs are the vehicle of choice for most Americans, which is why the re-launch of the Defender is pivotal to JLR's success. Arguably, the Defender was made popular through the enthusiast culture and their affinity of offroading. Three enthusiasts share their history and perception of the brand; and we find out if Land Rover will be able to re-capture the hearts and minds of the enthusiast with the re-launch of the Defender. Tune in to episode #93.

Resources/References:

Camel Trophy -- The Land Rover Years

CNBC -- Why Jaguar and Land Rover Face Uncertain Futures

Soundtrack:

Edit Beats by Panth Lab

Seven Seasons by The Days

Eden Hazard by OK Otter

Vultures by Vegan Friendly

A Distant Shoare by Itay Kashti

Take Me On Down by Jay Denton

A Minor by Wake Up Lucid

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It is often said that the best sales professionals listen more than they talk. And whether you would like to admit this or not, we all are some version of a sales professional. We may be selling a customer a product, selling our boss an idea, or even selling our spouse on a holiday vacation. In order to get better at selling, then you must practice listening.

Call tracking is not a new technological advancement, but it does carry many practical purposes. When customers call into a business, their phone call is logged and recorded. The recording may be used for internal training purposes, for instance, to practice listening to yourself. Or the recording may be used as evidence for a dispute.

One area of call tracking that has evolved is the ability to gauge sentiment. Sentiment is not a linear metric. It is not voice + length of call + keywords = sentiment. Rather, you must combine a variety of data points to create a new model that would yield in the ability to measure the sentiment of a caller.

Here is another sales adage: It’s not what you say. It’s how you say it.

On today’s episode, we feature Anthony Giagnacovo, CEO of CallRevu, and Steve Laureys, Senior Director of Sales of CallRevu. Together, they are pioneering how calls are measured through a new metric of sentiment. As phone calls are tracked and machines are trained to identify ‘how you say it,’ then businesses can listen better to their customer’s needs. And when you use data to optimize the customer journey, then you are also delivering a customer experience.

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