PitfallsofAIChatbotsinCustomerService

The Pitfalls of AI Chatbots in Customer Service & CX

By / / Communication, Customer experience, Customer Service

In 30 Seconds

In recent years, large corporations have increasingly turned to automation, especially AI chatbots, to manage customer interactions, aiming for greater efficiency. However, this shift, particularly evident in B2C sectors like airlines, banks, telecoms, and energy providers, has led to heightened customer frustration as human representatives become harder to reach.

Automating processes can enhance business efficiency, but not at the expense of customer experience. The Net Easy Score (NES), designed to measure the ease of customer interactions, has ironically turned into a Net Extreme Difficulty Score (NEDS) due to excessive automation. Unlike the collaborative, human-centered approach in B2B markets, B2C …

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A Human-centred Approach to Internal Communications

By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Blog, Communication, Human-centred, Sales Methodology, Soft skills

In 30 seconds

Internal communication, like successful sales, requires a clear process and methodology. However, silos within organisations often hinder collaboration and innovation. A human-centred communication approach, similar to the “Selling Better” sales methodology, can bridge these gaps. It prioritises empathy, active listening, and understanding the needs of different teams. This fosters trust, encourages collaboration, and allows for flexibility in adapting to various contexts. By prioritising human connection and understanding, organisations can break down silos, build consensus, and ultimately achieve greater innovation and productivity.

In 2.5 minutes

The world of sales has long recognised the power of effective processes and methodologies. A well-defined …

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Sales Trend 7 – Facts AND Stories

By / / Blog, Communication, Human-centred, Sales Results, Sales Skills, Soft skills

This is Trend 7 from Barrett’s 12 Business and Sales Trends for 2024. You can download the full report here.

In 30 seconds

In successful sales, facts and stories are complementary. Facts build trust, provide evidence of value, and meet regulatory standards, and stories engage emotionally, make information relatable, and inspire action. New IT tools, like AI or data visualisation apps make it easier than ever to bring facts and stories together, and to the next level.

In 2 minutes

Facts and stories are two essential components that play a vital role in successful sales operations. Sales teams tend to be more inclined …

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Striking Balance – Barrett’s 12 Sales & Business Trends for 2024

By / / Blog, Business Growth, Collaboration, Communication, Customer experience, Customer Service, Customer-centric, Digital credentials, Education in Sales, Emotional Intelligence, Ethics & Values, Human-centred, Hybrid Selling, Leadership, Learning and Development, Opportunity, Sales Consulting, Sales Culture, Sales Driven Organisations, Sales Growth, Sales Leadership, Sales Management, Sales Methodology, Sales Operations, Sales Results, Sales Skills, Sales Strategy, Sales Tips, Sales Training, Sales Trends, Selling Better, Soft skills, Solution Selling, Strategy, Success, Value Based Selling

In December 2023 we published Barrett’s 12 Sales & Business Trends for 2024. This is a summary of that report, in case you missed it.

For decades, the business world has been dominated by what looked like opposites to choose from. You could be a hunter or a gatherer, a manager or a leader.

These concepts have been pitched to the business community as opposing and mutually exclusive choices, forcing a binary mindset. These polarisations don’t apply to modern businesses and sales operations – and they haven’t served us well for some time now.

In 2023 we’ve worked with businesses across industries and …

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The Double-Edged Sword of Communication Tools

By / / Blog, Collaboration, Communication, Customer-centric, Human-centred, Soft skills

In 30 seconds

Tech is great, but it’s only as good as the people using it. That’s especially true for communication.

But wait, there’s a catch. Tools like Slack and Teams, while helpful, can cause information overload and misunderstandings. Constant messages, unclear chats, and brief texts lacking context can create a communication mess.

On top of that, company culture and our own communication styles can add to the problem. Unclear goals, fear of speaking up, and even hidden biases can make it hard to talk openly.

The good news? These challenges can be fixed.

Strong communication builds bridges, not walls.

In 2 minutes

Communication is the lifeblood …

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The Stuff No One Teaches You About Human Engagement

By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Blog, Brand & Reputation, Communication, Education in Sales, Human-centred, Life Skills, Presentation & Grooming, Sales Presentation & Grooming, Self Promotion, Uncategorized, Wellbeing

In 30 seconds

We all need to know how to engage, relate, and persuade people. It’s part of life. So, how do we learn to make memorable introductions, deliver compelling presentations, effectively position ourselves for career promotions, and navigate our way through a myriad of human relationships without falling to pieces? When it comes to presenting and engaging with others, a lack of skills can fill people with fear, especially when you’ve never been taught how to manage yourself in these situations. I see this all the time. As one MBA student told me recently on a Narrative, Presence and Presentation …

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What is your top sales concern in 2022?

By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Blog, Communication, Remote selling, Sales Culture, Sales Process Maps, Sales Relationships, Sales Tips

In August 2020 I wrote an article about where businesses had been exposed during the pandemic crisis.

At that time, having conversations with business leaders across Australia and internationally, we found the following 11 ‘cracks’ as the most common to have appeared in their sales systems:

  • CRM – The lack of quality and accuracy of customer data
  • No Sales Strategy – zip, nothing, zero
  • A reactive and short-term approach to sales
  • No proactive prospecting activity, capability, and discipline
  • Lack of support and training for sales team to help them keep selling while at different stages of lockdown
  • An overreliance on networking events to get …

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    The Difference between Generosity & Reciprocity & why this really matters

    By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Blog, Communication, Sales Relationships

    What is the difference between Generosity and Reciprocity and why does this matter?

    In simple terms and for the purposes of our work in sales and business, and maybe life in general:

    Reciprocity

    Is the practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit. Think buying and selling and creating a fair exchange of value.

    Generosity

    Is the practice of giving something -time, money, food, kindness, advice, etc.- to people, usually, but not always, in need, without expecting something in return from the recipient of our generosity.

    Seems pretty straightforward, doesn’t it? But we can get ourselves into all sorts of relationship …

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    Listening beyond self interest to achieve a fair exchange of value

    By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Blog, Business Acumen, Common Ground, Communication, Life Skills, Sales Tips

    Back in 2012, I wrote the article – Are you really listening or just waiting to speak – which resonates with salespeople and leaders and gets them thinking about how well, or not, they really listen to others and how comfortable they are with silence and creating the space for others – in this case, their clients – to be heard and understood.

    As we say in the Selling Better Manifesto, Selling is about creating a fair exchange of value between buyer and seller; it’s about mutual prosperity. For that to happen, we need to …

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    Customer Experiences – Difficult or just different?

    By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Blog, Common Ground, Communication, Customer experience, Customer Service, Human-centred, Solution Selling

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