Conversation Agent - Valeria Maltoni

Record. Remember. Revisit.

Letting Go View more presentations from yiibu Quick, how fast do you draw conclusions from short statements? If you're on Twitter and use social networks with some degree of regularity, you're probably fast on the draw, as they say. Shoot, fire, aim -- the classic busy person approach. Is it a defense mechanism, or is it an overactive offshoot of our survival instinct: fight or flight? Everyone is talking about it, it's a reality. And if it weren't... perception about it would make it so. In an age of continuous partial attention, people prefer not to get involved with information.... Read more →

Daily Life is Better than Daily Deals

Did I have a project this weekend. The plan was to tend my sparse garden: replace a bush, trim several others around the house, rearrange the soil in the front after the recent heavy rains, and enjoy the outdoors. Little I knew, there was an unscheduled closet emergency brewing. A space built for twentieth century life caved in under the weigh of twenty-first century buying habits. Admittedly, I do most of my shopping in Italy, when I visit. However, the better quality (still), and classic cuts both mean over the last couple of years I added many nice suits and... Read more →

Email as the Connective Tissue

[this is a sample supporting article for the bonus issue of the August Premium Newsletter] Many of you have sent positive feedback about my this newsletter. When executed with permission, email is still the most connective medium to transactions. And transactions are the purest form of preference. Email is a more intimate way to establish value and build rapport as well. Email tethers together customer experiences across channels. For example, Glamour puts blog content in its weekly e-newsletter. British Airways created an email campaign to drive downloads of its new Executive Club app. Mint.com generated 8,500 new leads for 50... Read more →

100 Percent

How many times has a customer or co-worker told you they're going to give something 110 percent? A 110 percent claim puts you in a vise. Do we ever stop to think about what even 100 percent would look like? Do you ever agree with anyone 100 percent? Chances are, you're probably from 70-90 percent there most of the time. We reserve the last bit. How about charity giving: 100 percent? Charity donations or Church memberships tend to get to 10 percent as a ceiling. As for students and workers, self-made and self-employed tend to give more. For the rest,... Read more →

If You Missed This...

What you're paying attention to is a choice. As Seth says in this video, the Internet is this giant cocktail party where thousands and thousands of people are busy with activity to keep score: Who's talking about me today? Who's "buzzing" about my business today? Then the day comes, when you need them to authorize a transaction - or do something on your behalf - all this activity doesn't matter. What matters is where are the real relationships? You know, the people (and they could be customers, too) who are connected to you or you feel connected to by real... Read more →

Ambient Concierge

“Aggressive music can only shock you once. Afterwards its impact declines. It's inevitable.” [Brian Eno] When I used to watch TV, I noticed the volume would go up during commercials. They were not only interruptions to the flow of the story - usually a movie, the reason why I was watching, entertainment - they were also designed to shock the viewer into paying attention. And it worked, the first time. Maybe the second time, too. Then, you'd get used to it. In some cases, you could even anticipate the moment and hit mute on your remote. Which is why I... Read more →

Find the Magic. Find the User. Connect the Two.

It was the opening line of a job position for Head of Business Brand Marketing at Google. I really like the opening, only ordered differently: Find the magic. Find the user. Connect the two. Because it sounds a little like the concept we have here: Connecting ideas and people. The ideas come first - they are the attractors, the value for the right people. Technology is an enabler. Even when you are in the technology business, it's still about what people want to do. In that vein, it would be a job that helps users (people, us) solve the world's... Read more →

The Lean Startup (book review)

I worked in a startup company into 2001. It occupied offices in what was the old Lee Tire building in Conshohocken, PA. It was a really good experience for me, even as following the events that unfolded after 9.11, the company is no longer. My first full out exposure to both technology, outside an IT person or group, and startup culture. You could say I was fearless in Philly (note: I prefer to use the full name, Philadelphia, when I think about the city. It feels more grown up). Thanks to the explosion of technology and tools over the last... Read more →

Work on Those Emails, it Pays Off

A couple of years ago, I gave you the secret for writing emails that stand out. Using an example (with permission) from my own inbox, I showed what got my attention. Hint: It was about the care and interest the author took in writing it so that it would not come across as promotional or self serving in any way. What I remembered most though was how I felt after reading the email. Because the author provided context with the story. What did he do right? He started with the payoff - this is good news. Framed his state of... Read more →

Warning Signs

Whether it comes to a great restaurant or a great technology company, the inevitable distractions, overload, outside scrutiny, arrogance, confusion, and fear of screwing things up (rather than focusing on making things better and better) mean, all too often, that "success ruins everything." Being very good at what was Because businesses become very good at what was. And something else. The irresistible urge to be liked (now literally so) is a pull toward the middle. It's incredibly easy to give in to that urge. To compromise just a little. Do that enough times, and all of a sudden, you're trying... Read more →