Conversation Agent - Valeria Maltoni

Are You a Consumer or a Customer?

Of course, you could say "neither" -- you're just browsing. Online, consciously or unconsciously, you have some form of digital identity. Social media encourages a likely confusion between reporting, sharing, and reading news/information with the actual actions it takes to do. What we do virtually gets mixed up with who we are beyond the animated discussion on privacy. As businesses, we know the difference: The consumers are the users. The customers are the advertisers. Yet we make good on that knowledge only when we deliver on promises. As individuals, we partner with tool makers when we want to self-track, and... Read more →

The Answer to How is Yes

Because she was one of three business development executives in an advertising agency, my mother was on the road a lot. And in the pre-smartphone with Google maps or GPS world, she often asked for directions when going to see a new customer in a less known part of the city or another town. One time she approached a traffic cop with the question. He patiently explained were she needed to turn and go. When he was done, he asked her to repeat the directions back to him to make sure she understood and remembered. People avoid these kinds of... Read more →

Humanization of Computing, The New Science of Persuasion, and Hiring Executives

With the ability to be always online, do we also have connection? A fast read about ubiquitous computing and what it may mean to people. The second link this week addresses an interesting experiment for testing ad effectiveness that merits some thought. As our use of the technology evolves, we should not lose sight that we posses the talents and experience to make better decisions. How we can become better aware of those skills and leverage them in business is the topic of the third article. Humanization of Computing, The New Science of Persuasion, and Hiring Executives The three links... Read more →

Have You Adopted a Broadcast Approach to Networking in Social?

You see the avatar pop up on LinkedIn, the same one you saw on Twitter a few times, and you think to yourself 'why not pop the question?' Well, let's say you would not be so casual about it if that were the question. Does familiarity breed contempt in social networks? Would you just as easily invite the same person to a dinner squeezed between a busy workday and your family? We all start from somewhere, of course. A common interest, an acquaintance makes introductions, working at the same company, or volunteering for the same non profit organizations are all... Read more →

Lesson in Creativity from Hitchcock

“I was always intrigued that one of my Monty Python colleagues who seemed to be (to me) more talented than I was {but} did never produce scripts as original as mine. And I watched for some time and then I began to see why. If he was faced with a problem, and fairly soon saw a solution, he was inclined to take it. Even though (I think) he knew the solution was not very original. Whereas if I was in the same situation, although I was sorely tempted to take the easy way out, and finish by 5 o'clock, I... Read more →

Listening as a Path to Comprehending

[via McKinsey Quarterly, hat tip Om Malik] Biotech Amgen CEO Kevin Sharer describes the epiphany that made him a better listener and explains why listening is a survival skill for leaders and organizations. What he says about past behavior: My conversations were all about some concept of intellectual winning and “I’m going to prove I’m smarter than you.” It wasn’t an evil, megalomania-driven thing; it was mostly because I was a striver, I wanted to get ahead, and getting ahead meant convincing people of my point of view. And what he learned from Sam Palmisano (CEO, IBM) on why his... Read more →

How to Write to High Risk and Low Reward Path to Purchase

[click on image to enlarge] There are four key elements of brand marketing business people need to approach with more rigor in planning, and measurement. A framework I developed over fifteen years of doing work with complex business models in B2Bs, many of which included technology and digital, helps us guide choices. When you deconstruct current approaches you can then reconstruct them to deliver ROI and multiples of growth. Map the brand by: breaking down the modern marketing method: Communicating, conversation, listening, and observing matching it to the right marketing task: Executions leading to a variety of Objectives all done... Read more →

Why are Your Customers Being Difficult? Ten Reasons

When do customers act out in a way that makes them difficult to deal with? My friend Peter in a comment said - I understand that corporations must respond to changing consumer behavior, but I'm fascinated by the the concept of the needy consumer. As customers, do we need a corporation to satisfy our emotional needs to earn our loyalty? In response, I thought of at least ten reasons why your customers are being difficult -- or seem to be: (1.) You're the only game in town or one of a few, limited options You think you have a captive... Read more →

Popular Posts from April

50 Content Ideas to Create Buzz Due to the real time nature of digital media and social technologies, content creation is increasingly a treasure trove of opportunity for business. Marketing and communication professionals are the forefront of this movement. Brands as publishers is a broader concept that just pushing out content. + 25 Ways To Fail and Come Out on Top Have you encountered situations where you failed in your career? What have you learned? I'm sure many of you have had multiple opportunities to learn from failing. It may be splitting words, but to me failing as a verb... Read more →

A Healthy Dose of Fear When Dealing with the Press, 100-Watt Egos, and Why You Fall in Love with Brands

The news-ification of business trend continues to perpetuate a big misunderstanding -- that the press should have complete access to anything that will sell ad space. The solution is not to look for publicity love in the wrong places. There is no free lunch. The secret of getting along in business is to pair complementary skill sets and personalities -- say someone good with ideas with a good organizer. There is more to running away with the circus than meets the eye. Finally, as with many things that become part of life, it is better to look to understand them,... Read more →