Articles for category: Drive

July 26, 2017

Greg Thomas

Customer Service in an Era of Automation

When everyone is talking about the ubiquity and general awesomeness associated with chatbots that can handle base customer interactions. Are we talking about the benefits of increasing customer loyalty and satisfaction or are we talking about the increased benefits in reduced, qualified agents to help customers solve their problems? Will the chatbot be the differentiator in customer retention or the next cool thing that lets the customer *think* they are talking to someone? Like anything, it’s understanding what Service problem we are trying to solve and whether it is really for Customer.

July 14, 2017

Greg Thomas

The Authentic Sales Funnel

Sales Funnels – at any stage – are an idea of how much work you have in the pipe to keep you going.  You want to keep the initial entry into your funnel large as potential sales (leads) fall off. Eventually – you hit a percentage of conversions from leads to customers. But is your sales funnel authentic? Is every lead focused around your niche? Is every lead a customer you want to work with, you want to go after, you want to have repeat business with? Is every lead the actual value of the engagement or some engrossed version

July 6, 2017

Greg Thomas

Reading the Review

Code Review, Style Review, Editor Review… Pick whatever it is- someone looking at your work, taking a moment to break it down and give you feedback on it. How will you take it? Frustration – at everything you missed? Anxiety – while the review itself is going on? Gratefulness – that someone took the time to actually look over work? Determination – to listen to the reviews and make it better, not simply for a checkbox to say you did it. Maybe it’s less, maybe it’s more, but most definitely it’s not solely one emotion going through you in how you’ll take it.

June 16, 2017

Greg Thomas

Correct LinkedIn Group Usage

If you are not using LinkedIn Groups, not to worry, they ARE, still a thing. In fact, I use them now, more than I ever did before, going so far as to create my own group focused around Software Driven Leadership for Technology Professionals. If you have not been using LinkedIn Groups then I can only surmise you are not interested in; Expanding your network by meeting like-minded individuals sharing their work as much as yours. Receiving feedback on articles you post on LinkedIn. Engaging in respectful discussion on topics that matter to you. Receiving insight and alerts on topics

June 13, 2017

Greg Thomas

How to Make Successful Decisions

It’s not that successful people have better luck when it comes to making decisions, but rather that they apply a differ criteria in getting there, different from our own. Check it out here.