The title I picked for this week's FC Expert blog sounds like something you'd want to say instead of having a break up. There is a reason why we disconnect from brands, companies, neighbors, friends, colleagues -- we stop talking. And by talking I mean communicating, taking the time to hear and be heard. Talk is not cheap, the tools are. Today there is an array of them at your fingertips.
While none will completely replace face to face conversations, the phone comes pretty close to it. If you talk with intent and focused attention, you can transmit warmth and share a smile over the wire. Regardless of what The Boston Post wrote in 1865 in an editorial, "Well-informed people know it is impossible to transmit the voice over wires and that were it possible to do so, the thing would be of no practical value," it's possible to do what used to be thought of as impossible [thanks, Andy].
We realized how dependent on technology we are, especially of the VoIP kind, this past week. As I wrote on my post at the MarketingProfs:Daily Fix, Skype did extremely well on the reliability scale for many years. If you work in technology and IT infrastructure you know that it is a small miracle, given the company's growth. It may have done better on the communications side of things. They could have used their blog more effectively to avoid speculations early on. Open the conversation up, assign someone to talk to customers on your blog, real time. For another bit of trivia, see the etymology of Skype at The Name Inspector blog.
One company has decided that it will use talk as its competitive advantage. Netflix is keeping its phone lines open for you. Standing by are a number of customer service professionals who are ready to listen, inform, and make decisions on the spot. See what it's all about at Fast Company Expert blogs.
This week was all about people and talk -- customer loyalty programs, companies opening up their devices so developers can experiment, and working on getting customers to talk about a product. What's the story of the future? The Institute for the Future tells us that it will continue to be about participation and commons.
We're already there. Thanks to our thinking that we can do the impossible, we have projected what this new age means in the future and set out to present many stories -- 103 of them to be precise. What's the difference between those books and these media? They are all about publishing content, those are portable. This is what this is about. Talk can change everything -- it can change our lives.
[Viral Marketing by Gianluca Arnesano, The Age of Conversation by all of us, How to do the Impossible by Andy Nulman, GUST! by Tim Johnson, 99.3 Random Acts of Marketing by Drew McLellan ]
Valeria
Thanks for your discussion on technology, and the need to keep human traits intact. The art of conversation is a real human need, and although technology can help keep us connected, there is nothing that replaces face-to-face communication.
Since this isn't always feasible, then at least (as you say) companies should "open the conversation up" to give us the impression that they care enough to listen to our concerns. After all, we did take the time to buy their product or service.
In a world ripe with rudeness and indifference, companies who realize this will become the real winners in the hunt for customer loyalty.
Posted by: Karen Hegmann | August 23, 2007 at 08:57 AM
I agree Valeria. Participation is not going to go away -- it will only strengthen and will need to become a "core competency" for any marketing focused organisation. Now all we need is a Chief Participation Officer. Now that would be something!
Posted by: Gavin Heaton | August 23, 2007 at 06:30 PM
Karen -- more than an impression (to start) I hope we will really make strides to give the real thing -- attention.
Gavin -- how nice to have you here and glad the move is behind you ;-) Hmmm... a CPC, should we post a job description?
Posted by: Valeria Maltoni | August 23, 2007 at 07:55 PM