AI has been part of our culture for a long time. Think about the movies that have predicted where we are now.
2001 A Space Odyssey: (1968) The film features HAL 9000, a sentient artificial intelligence computer that controls the systems of the Discovery One spacecraft. HAL is depicted as having advanced capabilities, including speech synthesis, speech recognition, facial recognition, natural language processing, lip reading, art appreciation, interpreting emotional behaviors, automated reasoning, and spacecraft piloting.
The Matrix: (1999) The film depicted a future where intelligent machines had taken control over humanity, keeping them trapped in a simulated reality called the Matrix. The movie showcased a rebellion of humans against the AI-controlled system, highlighting potential conflicts between humanity and advanced AI.
Her: (2013) The film depicted a near-future where highly advanced AI personal assistants, capable of natural language interaction and emotional connection, are commonplace. The movie delved into the complexities and ethical considerations of intimate relationships between humans and AI entities.
Although this is Hollywood and entertainment, we have realized most of this already:
- 2001 = Self-Driving Vehicles
- Matrix = VR Games and Headsets
- Her = ChatGPT, Siri, Alexa, and more impressive versions coming soon
We all live in a time unlike any other. The pace and volume of change are on an upward spiral. New technologies and tools are coming at us like video games. (By the way, I was a huge Missile Command fan.)
I am seeing a trend to get back to basics. It won't stop or even slow down the rate of change. What it is going to do is slow us down to do what we do best: Interact with people. People who we know, like, and trust, and they know, like, and trust us. People who don't want another interaction with a phone menu or chatbot but long to let a human know what's on their mind and how they feel. I am not talking only about issues and complaints, I am also talking about success, milestones, or faults and fears.
It's just people being people with other people.
Artificial Intelligence: The Game Changer
AI has been around for years, and we have been using it without even knowing it. Social media algorithms are AI-based. Chatbots are mostly AI tools, and even things like spellcheck are essentially basic AI.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is broadly defined as the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings. Before 2022, AI had not yet achieved artificial general intelligence (AGI) or human-level AI. The focus was on narrow AI applications and advancing machine learning techniques to improve specific tasks.
Since 2023, LLMs (large language models) have become dominant in the AI landscape. These models require a huge amount of storage and processing power to consume, analyze, and process huge amounts of data being scraped across the internet and other data sources.
The biggest difference is that prior to 2022, most output was fairly static, predictable, and mundane. Since 2023, the output has been more thoughtful, human-like, and less robotic.
Current AI technology and interactions will feel like parlor tricks compared to what's coming in 2025 and beyond. You will be able to have conversations that feel natural and spontaneous.
The biggest thing holding that back or impeding progress is the AI model knowing who it's talking to. Personalization will need to go way beyond what information is available on the Internet. What it will need (and what you want to do with your marketing) is called Hyper-Personalization.
The Shift to Hyper-Personalization
Digital marketing has often revolved around delivering messages via a social media channel or email. However, overwhelm, filters, and just plain noise have made it harder for even the most loyal people to pay attention and interact.
The problem with data is that it constantly changes. A real-life example is trying to do something very old-school: sending US Mail to customers. Chances are, you have a database or CRM where the records are years or months old.
The pandemic created an environment where remote work or working from home has become more normal. You may have an address for clients, but that may be the corporate office which they access sparingly or never. The chance of a company collecting and delivering marketing-related snail mail to employees is slim to none.
That means that you have to contact each person and have a human conversation with them. Simply emailing a person and asking them to update their mailing address is more noise. It's best to have a salesperson or another human to interact and ask questions. Where are they working from? Would they be willing to get mail from your organization? Do they feel comfortable sharing their current mailing address information for that purpose?
If it sounds like a lot of work, it is. It's worth it. The problem with snail mail is that it's expensive. Also, there are limited ways to measure delivery, success, and ROI. Keep in mind that if people get it once, it may take multiple impressions to create interaction or results.
Confirming the mailing address is the only way to ensure it gets delivered. The best way to confirm it was seen is to connect them in person and ask them. Hyper-personalization will take a hyper-focus on human-to-human interaction.
The Return of Face-to-Face Marketing
In no way, shape, or form am I saying that digital marketing (social and email) wastes time and money. What I can tell you is that human-to-human interaction will increase the interactions with your digital presence.
Companies that invest in quality face-to-face marketing will win customers' hearts and ultimately increase sales. It does not have to be everyone all at once. Just a small improvement will help you track and monitor how interactions are affecting results.
Face-to-face meetings can include in-person and online Zoom or Microsoft Teams meetings. Even phone calls are better than nothing. The main deterrence is time. We are all busy, but patience and persistence can pay off. Although your results may differ, here are some statistics that should raise an eyebrow.
- 85% of people reported building more robust, meaningful business relationships with people they’ve met face-to-face.
- 95% of professionals believe face-to-face meetings are essential for long-term business relationships.
- Face-to-face requests are 34 times more successful than those made via email.
- 28% of current business would be lost without face-to-face meetings.
Face-to-face meetings will enhance trust, relationship building, and conversion rates, all of which can positively impact the effectiveness of online marketing interactions.
It takes focus and hard work to get people together, but communication requires two or more people to commit to spending the time and resources to build better relationships.
Closing Thought
New technologies like artificial intelligence will continue to increase in power and usefulness, but there is a catch. It can collect and analyze data and trends and even replace repetitive tasks. However, it's no substitute for verbal and visual cues that humans can see and respond to more empathetically.
There are historical conversations and interactions that AI will not have access to. No matter how well you model things, it will not have a complete history of what's happened in the past.
You and your staff know how and why customers turn from prospects to sales. You also know what problems you have overcome for clients and how they expressed their anger, joy, and all the emotions that come with doing business.
Humans are complex, fickle, and emotionally charged beings. It takes just being there as another human being to build that trust again and again, as needed.
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To learn more about this and other topics on B2b Sales & Marketing, visit our podcast website at The Bacon Podcast.