Tech in Motion: Orange County was grateful to be the last stop on Shervin Talieh and Thomas Knoll's "Voice of the Customer" speaking tour! Both men are co-founders of successful startups.
They spend their free time advising new startups on how to get off the ground by giving talks on why it's important to build credible, authentic interactions for your prospects and customers.
We recently had the chance to ask them a few questions regarding the tour, trends they are seeing, and of course, their favorite city along the way.
TIM: How did you guys come up with the idea to do the RoadShow?
ST: We were talking one night, over drinks, and reminisced about the days where we spent most of our time outside of the office. The VoC tour was an excuse to get us out, talking, but more importantly listening.
TK: I don't think we ever intended it to be a roadshow. Originally we just wanted share some of our observations with some friends. But, as soon as we put the word out there about trying to visit some meetups, suggestions and requests started flooding in. Next thing we knew we had introductions and hosts in twelve or more cities.
On a deeper level, we just want to live in a world where brands at least try to have a good relationship with us. We want to be loyal to brands who are willing to be loyal to us. And, since so many businesses are still acting like humans are just metrics to move around, we figured it couldn't hurt to spread the gospel of the "voice of the customer."
TIM: Out of all the places you traveled over the past 4 months on the “Voice of the Customer” roadshow, which city did you enjoy speaking at the most?
ST: I would say Boulder and Minneapolis were my two favorites, although they all were amazing. Both of these cities had thriving startup communities, an appreciation of the arts, culture, food and music… all necessary ingredients to be amazing towns.
TK: Are you trying to trick me into be a jerk? Well, it will work. While–obviously–all the cities were unique and interesting, going back to Minneapolis (which was home for 10 years) was the best. It was so great reconnecting with the folks I haven't seen very often over the past 5 years.
TIM: Shervin, what would you say was the turning point for you to break away from the corporate scene, and branch out on your own?
ST: I had been unhappy for a few years, but the money in management consulting was really good. Finally, I went to a retirement party for another partner and learned just how miserable he was, how little he knew of his own children’s lives, how unhappy he was in his relationship with his wife. That night I decided I had to do something else.
TIM: So, both of you are Startup Advisors for very different areas, Las Vegas and Orange County. What challenges do you see in your area that you wouldn’t see if you swapped places with each other?
ST: I think OC is a driving/freeway community, and really big! I love the fact that Vegas has a downtown hub, with coffee shops and co-working spaces that act as organizing points for the community. Love the density of people in the smaller footprint.
TK: Wow, great question. And I honestly have no idea how to answer it. When I visit the OC tech scene, I'm inspired by the access to huge businesses that have gone before and have the opportunity to support and encourage the next generation of entrepreneurs. And, they also have a very strong CS program in their backyard at UCI that is pumping out talent.
Vegas is an amazing community, and regardless the industry, customers and clients are going to be in Vegas at least one or twice a year for industry conferences or trade shows, or just for fun. It's exciting that the world comes to us.
TIM: In a few words, what is the #1 things that makes an authentic interaction with a client?
ST: Putting their interests ahead of yours.
TK: Be human. Act human.
TIM: One of the concepts that you go into during your presentation is how Mobile is changing the way we communicate. How would you counteract that as mobile use becomes more and more prevalent?
ST: You can’t counteract nature and human behavior. Instead, you should focus on giving people what they are craving, irrespective of the technology or channel: authentic engagement.
TK: The fact people are receiving more and more of their communication in their hands, wherever they are, whenever it is convenient, is a great opportunity. Just to give you an idea of how significant this is, consider that 98% of SMS messages sent are opened, and 90% of them are opened within 3 minutes. Now, guess how fast you'll get deleted from someone's life if you abuse that relationship. But, if you're focused on adding value, that is a *very* meaningful way to communicate with people.
And, on the social end, this means people are more likely to channel specific conversations around content, rather than sitting and reading long chunks of marketing material. So, there is an opportunity for brands to embrace the mobile customer by being willing to have short, conversational interactions with the people who are actively engaging with their brands. If you (a brand) are ignoring those channels, you're slowly losing touch with your customer.