Recently marketing futurist Ross Dawson gave a keynote speech on the ‘The future of customer service’ at KANA Connect in Las Vegas.
In his keynote he packed in a wide-ranging view on where customer service is going, including the impact of connectivity, the rise of new channels, where value will reside in relationships, and what supports the integration and integrity that will be at the heart of successful customer service.
Following is a brief extract of the content Dawson covered in his keynote speech.
Back in 1999 Evans and Wurster in their book Blown to Bits said that the trade-off between richness and reach had disappeared. That wasn’t true. Today the trade-off between what I prefer to call Relationship Strength and Efficiency is eroding, but still exists. The challenge today is to continue to push out against that trade-off, while recognizing that it will never entirely disappear.
A large part of the path forward is in using technologies. There are three categories of channels for customer service:
Presence: There is no substitute for people being physically present in the same place, which allows them to sit down together, converse, relate as humans, and discover more about each other. Shop fronts and meetings will always have their place in customer interaction, however increasingly physical venues will also incorporate other media for accessing customer service.
Human connectivity: The majority of customer service is provided by people, connected to customers via communication technologies. This includes voice, however now includes email, chat, video, and social media.
Automated: Beginning from Interactive Voice Response (IVR), technology is now providing automated interaction using instant messaging, avatars, intelligent voice interaction, and a range of new technologies using the cutting edge of artificial intelligence.
For different industries, countries, customer segments, and companies there will be very distinct issues.
– Physical presence in branches or stores may still be important in some cases, but its role is usually eroding.
– Human connectivity is rising in importance, not least with social media becoming a significant channel for customer service. Quality people are still required, however richer interaction through a variety of means including and beyond telepresence can create far stronger relationships.
– Automation is still a frontier in truly being able to build rather than erode customer relationships, however intelligent implementations are moving into that territory.
Across these categories of customer service channels, there are of course key issues in selecting appropriate channels, and where appropriate migrating or guiding customers to the right portfolio of channels.
Not surprisingly in a world of channel proliferation, things are getting more complex rather than easier. However those companies that can use technologies to push out the trade-off between efficiency and relationship strength will undoubtedly lead their industries.
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Energize your event with leading futurist and keynote speaker Ross Dawson’s compelling and inspirational presentations that leave audiences stimulated. Contact Ross Dawson’s office today to discuss the precise keynote topic and title that will best meet your requirements. |
Strategic overview of AHT Group: sharing our ventures, projects, and enablers
By Ross DawsonI believe that open business is an important and valuable foundation for success today. We actively share our activities and priorities on an ongoing basis, and intend to share considerably more over time.
Two years ago I shared our AHT Group Business Model Overview and a year later I published our 2012 Priorities, and found sharing these useful for ourselves and for others.
To help me and our team to strategize and act effectively in 2013 and beyond, I have created an overview that describes the activities, projects, and current priorities across AHT Group, which currently comprises Advanced Human Technologies, Future Exploration Network, and The Insight Exchange.
The document does not explain the relationship between the companies or the logic of our business models. I will extend this overview soon with an updated visualization of our business model.
Below is our group Strategic Overview as of January 2013, with a brief explanation of each of the major elements. We will provide more detail on the ventures, business models, and lessons learned during this year.
Click on image to see full size pdf
Description of the elements of the Strategic Overview:
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How to prepare for the jobs of the future: Learning, Love, Collaboration, Design
By Ross DawsonA little while back I was interviewed for a cover story on the jobs of the future for the Careers section of the Sydney Morning Herald.
Here are the sections of the article that drew on my thoughts:
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The isomorphism of inside and outside – why exploring our minds and the world are the same
By Ross DawsonOn my recent holiday I was in extraordinarily beautiful surroundings, in the Jervis Bay area of Australia’s Eastern coast.
Being in that environment helped me to recall my thoughts from when I was much younger, when it struck me that the world inside us and the world outside are isomorphic: they have exactly the same shape and structure.
We can learn about our minds and the richness of who we are by studying and exploring the world around us, particularly the natural world.
Equally, we can grow to understand the external world by delving into the unlimited richness of our minds. There is as much to discover within us as there is in the entire universe around us.
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Today show: when will we entrust child care to robots?
By Ross DawsonI was in Sydney over New Year (nowhere better to celebrate it!) before heading off for holidays, and was invited onto the Today national breakfast program to talk about some of the themes from my 2013 and Beyond Appearing and Disappearing framework.
Click on the image below to view a video of the segment.
One of the ideas they wanted to talk about was “robo-nannies”. We originally dreamed of robots that could do more than help with manufacturing and mechanical processes, and we are now on the verge of robots being engaged in what we consider very human functions. However there are a number of elements required before we entrust our children to robotic nannies.
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A change of tack for Trends in the Living Networks
By Ross DawsonHappy New Year! I wish you a most wonderful year ahead. I for one am very, very excited about what 2013 holds.
I’m just back from close to three weeks holiday over Christmas and New Year, including some wonderful time on the beach and among the kangaroos in Jervis Bay.
As always after a holiday I have a broader perspective on where I am and what I am doing. The time was ripe for other reasons too, but I realized while I was away that it is time for me approach this blog a little differently than I have.
It is a constant struggle to keep the blog active given all my other activities and commitments, but it is still a high priority so I will do what I can to keep it alive and flourishing.
I will continue to share as I can snippets of ideas from my speaking and media appearances, as well as particularly relevant content that illuminates key trends in how the networks are coming to life.
However there are a number of other ways I will also intend to use this blog, including:
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10 most popular blog posts on the living networks of 2012
By Ross DawsonI have just had a look at the most popular posts this year on my blog, and very interestingly almost all of the top dozen were written before this year, with perennials like the launches of our Web 2.0 Framework, Social Media Strategy Framework, Trend Map to 2050, and Newspaper Extinction Timeline still attracting consistent very healthy traffic.
Below are the most popular posts written this year on my blog. I will share the list of all-time favorites another time.
1. Which countries have the most Twitter users per capita?
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New framework: 2013 and beyond – What will appear and disappear in our lives
By Ross DawsonAs a futurist, the end of the year means it is once again time to release a structured look at the future.
As every year, at Future Exploration Network we are using a substantially different format from our most other annual frameworks, 12 Themes for 2012 and Zeitgeist 2011.
This year we are focusing on what will appear and disappear in our everyday lives next year and beyond. We are once again collaborating with Richard Watson of NowandNext.com, following the extensive work we’ve done together in the past, notably on the famous ‘London tube map’ 2007+ Trend Blend (the original trendsetter for all the other city underground trend maps over the last years), 2008+ Trend Blend, and our highly popular Extinction Timeline.
As always the framework is released on a Creative Commons license so please feel free to download and share.
Click on the image for the full-size framework
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5 things to tweet and 5 things not to tweet – Twitter expert Ross Dawson
By Ross DawsonRecently Twitter expert and keynote speaker Ross Dawson spoke at a financial advisor retreat in the stunning Margaret River region of Western Australia, a region of wide-open beauty that is the source of many extraordinary wines.
He gave two compelling keynotes at the event on subsequent days, on How to Lock-in Your Clients, and Success in a Connected World, which drew on his connected world visual framework.
Following is a brief excerpt of what Dawson presented in his keynote speech on how to approach Twitter
WHAT TO TWEET ON TWITTER
* Interesting, current links with useful descriptions. The most valuable tweets usually point to fantastic content, with sufficient description for people to know why they should click on it.
* Links to your own content. People like links to content created by the Twitter account owner, which is why they follow them.
* Stimulating questions. People find value in interesting and provocative questions, whether or not they respond on Twitter.
* Occasional unusual or humorous posts. It is good to break up the flow of a Twitter account with funny or different posts, rather than have it be too consistent.
* Responses to others. Twitter is a conversation, so it is important to respond to others, and these can be among the most interesting and informative posts.
WHAT NOT TO TWEET ON TWITTER
* Content-free statements. Don’t say things like hello and goodbye, or other interjections that contain no content and add no value.
* Excessive personal updates. Unless your Twitter circle is only close friends, don’t just tweet your day-by-day activities. It is good to share of yourself and the notable things that you experience, just don’t overdo it.
* Negative thoughts. If you’re feeling down, it’s usually better to keep it to yourself. People are attracted to positive attitudes rather than negative ones. Of course, if you do want to reach for connection at a time of need, Twitter can be invaluable.
* Extended conversations with individuals. Anything much more than a couple of to-and-fro tweets is stultifying to everyone else. Move to direct messages or email.
* Old news. Don’t share things that everyone has already seen. If you’ve seen something on the TV news, be sure that everyone on Twitter knew about it a long time ago.
Every keynote speech by twitter expert and keynote speaker Ross Dawson is fully customized to the client and the audience. Energize your event with his inspirational presentations that leave audiences with valuable and actionable insights.
Energize your event with Twitter expert Ross Dawson’s compelling and inspirational presentations that leave audiences stimulated. Contact Ross Dawson’s office today to discuss the precise keynote topic and title that will best meet your requirements.
Keynote speech – The future of local government
By Ross DawsonRecently Australian futurist Ross Dawson gave a keynote speech on ‘Creating the future of local government’ at the Local Government Association of Tasmania‘s annual conference. On the occasion of its 100th anniversary, the association wanted to look forward to the future.
The current issue of the association’s magazine, LGAT News, contains a write-up of his insightful keynote speech:
“In a defining era for government globally, councils are in the front-line of changes and challenges and are best placed to take the lead in turning these challenges into opportunities.” This was the message to Tasmanian councils from leading business futurist, Ross Dawson, in his keynote address to conference delegates.
Mr. Dawson said among the prominent trends were the rapid ageing of our communities, particularly in regional areas, changing patterns to work enabled by communications technologies, heightened expectations of service and a widespread desire to ensure our society is sustainable. “Councils need to address these shifts in their organizational structures, from attracting and inspiring talented younger workers, to making the knowledge and expertise of their most experienced staff available beyond their retirement,” Mr. Dawson said.
“The ability to collaborate easily and effectively is now fundamental for any organization and one of the biggest opportunities is for councils to get their communities truly involved in their day-to-day thinking, Around the world, forward-thinking local councils are creating powerful ways for their residents to participate, contribute, and to have genuine conversations across their communities on the issues that really matter to them. Tapping into the ideas and energy of local residents can help to generate better outcomes than ever before,” he said.
“Elected representatives could also benefit greatly from understanding the current dramatic shift in how people communicated with their peers and friends. Those who can participate genuinely in the new flow of online conversation will be best positioned to have their voices heard and views supported,” he said.
“The vital role played by Local Government will grow even more important in the decades ahead as greater value is placed on peoples’ local communities. Local Government is the closest tier of government to the people and is central to creating a prosperous world for our citizens. It just needs to recognize and effectively respond to the inexorable forces of change,” Mr. Dawson concluded.
Energize your event with leading futurist and keynote speaker Ross Dawson’s compelling and inspirational presentations that leave audiences stimulated. Contact Ross Dawson’s office today to discuss the precise keynote topic and title that will best meet your requirements.
Future of customer service – Marketing futurist Ross Dawson
By Ross DawsonRecently marketing futurist Ross Dawson gave a keynote speech on the ‘The future of customer service’ at KANA Connect in Las Vegas.
In his keynote he packed in a wide-ranging view on where customer service is going, including the impact of connectivity, the rise of new channels, where value will reside in relationships, and what supports the integration and integrity that will be at the heart of successful customer service.
Following is a brief extract of the content Dawson covered in his keynote speech.
Back in 1999 Evans and Wurster in their book Blown to Bits said that the trade-off between richness and reach had disappeared. That wasn’t true. Today the trade-off between what I prefer to call Relationship Strength and Efficiency is eroding, but still exists. The challenge today is to continue to push out against that trade-off, while recognizing that it will never entirely disappear.
A large part of the path forward is in using technologies. There are three categories of channels for customer service:
Presence: There is no substitute for people being physically present in the same place, which allows them to sit down together, converse, relate as humans, and discover more about each other. Shop fronts and meetings will always have their place in customer interaction, however increasingly physical venues will also incorporate other media for accessing customer service.
Human connectivity: The majority of customer service is provided by people, connected to customers via communication technologies. This includes voice, however now includes email, chat, video, and social media.
Automated: Beginning from Interactive Voice Response (IVR), technology is now providing automated interaction using instant messaging, avatars, intelligent voice interaction, and a range of new technologies using the cutting edge of artificial intelligence.
For different industries, countries, customer segments, and companies there will be very distinct issues.
– Physical presence in branches or stores may still be important in some cases, but its role is usually eroding.
– Human connectivity is rising in importance, not least with social media becoming a significant channel for customer service. Quality people are still required, however richer interaction through a variety of means including and beyond telepresence can create far stronger relationships.
– Automation is still a frontier in truly being able to build rather than erode customer relationships, however intelligent implementations are moving into that territory.
Across these categories of customer service channels, there are of course key issues in selecting appropriate channels, and where appropriate migrating or guiding customers to the right portfolio of channels.
Not surprisingly in a world of channel proliferation, things are getting more complex rather than easier. However those companies that can use technologies to push out the trade-off between efficiency and relationship strength will undoubtedly lead their industries.
Energize your event with leading futurist and keynote speaker Ross Dawson’s compelling and inspirational presentations that leave audiences stimulated. Contact Ross Dawson’s office today to discuss the precise keynote topic and title that will best meet your requirements.