Here are the highlights of my conversation with Steve:
Lesson from Steve’s coolest sales experience when he was the customer:
Acknowledge if things go wrong and own up to it and that will build trust.
AI Systems to Help You and Your Business:
- Chatbots
How Messenger Chat Bots Can Help Business Owners:
- While emails do not respond to a particular request or inquiry from the customer, chatbots allow you to set it up in a way that the customer is in control of the way conversation is happening.
- Through chatbots, you may now present things relevant to them and answer questions.
- Chatbots are effective at dealing with basic things online where customers have different options. So you can really dive deep into the offerings.
Why chatbots are better than text messaging:
- Chatbot has more control with less of interruption factor than text messaging
- You’re providing that other content (brochures for example) that you simply can’t do via a text message.
- Google Beacons
Have you noticed that when you jump online and search for your favorite restaurant, it will show busy times? Google has taken that one step further as they’re now starting to track people by their phone. They have developed an open source platform that provides one-way communication between the device and your phone.
How the device works:
It identifies which store you’ve walked into. The device is able to detect and determine the thing you’re standing in front of and it could be serving you relevant content. It’s extended beyond being a marketing application. They also use it for art displays.
Results:
Steve mentions there are case studies where companies are seeing three times the profitability of a customer that walks in the store. It’s because they’re having a conversation with the sales agent and you have data in front of you where you can determine that what happens online might be producing a different result in-store. So you have to adjust the campaign accordingly.
Benefits of Google Beacons:
- Tracking what happens offline (store visits, coupon redemption, etc.)
- There’s a 70% chance that if it happens on the credit card, Google can tell you whether that customer has been on an ad or responded to an online campaign previously.
- They can be used by any size of company from small-scale to large organizations.
- It extends your available selling hours. Sales offers are open 24 hours so even if no one is around, sales could still happen.
- It lets you deal with people who want to just have some initial questions dealt with first.
Steve’s Major Takeaway:
Have a look at bots. Play with it and put it in place. Think about your own email inbox and how you used to look at email years ago. We’re now in the same place with chatbots. Chatbots are the new things that improve customer experience. Spend a few dollars a month and try a few things out.
Episode Resources:
Connect with Steve de Mamiel on Twitter @sdemamiel and check out www.mongrelmethod.com
The Mongrel Method: Sales and Marketing for the New Breed of Buyers by Steve de Mamiel
Maximum Influence by Kurt Mortensen
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