The Power of Voice
Note: As with our last post, much of what follows was written in a few seconds by the Open AI GBT artificial intelligence chatbot.
If you prefer to listen to the article (with some added commentary), click on the following audio (VOICE!) file. Otherwise, please read on! 🤓
First off, VOICE is more often thought of as a category of content - versus a form of technology. To be clear, the following is mostly about the tech (i.e. being able to speak versus type; being able to analyze vs simply ‘listen’).
Gordon to AI Open Chat GBT: “What are the potential benefits to businesses utilizing voice technology?”
“Voice technology has the potential to significantly impact businesses in a number of ways. Here are a few examples:
Customer service: Businesses can use voice assistants like Amazon's Alexa or Google Assistant to provide information to customers, take orders, and handle customer inquiries. This can help reduce the workload on customer service teams and improve the overall customer experience.
Employee productivity: Voice technology can be used to automate tasks and allow employees to perform them hands-free, which can increase efficiency and productivity. For example, employees could use voice commands to control their computers or access information without having to stop what they are doing to use a keyboard or mouse.
Data collection and analysis: Voice technology can be used to collect and analyze data about how customers interact with a business. This can help businesses understand customer needs and preferences and make informed decisions about how to improve products or services.
Marketing: Businesses can use voice assistants to reach customers through voice-activated devices like smart speakers. For example, a business could create a skill for Alexa that customers can use to learn more about the business or place an order. - Open AI GBT 🤖.
Gordon’s Take: Overall, voice technology has the potential to improve efficiency, enhance the customer experience, and generate new opportunities for businesses (including salons).
One example: enhanced customer service by way of appointment booking chatbots.
Another example is expanded forms of education by way of podcasts (a content form leveraging our actual voices more so than being an actual technology form). As a longtime podcaster myself, I’m thrilled by how many hairdressers and salon owners view podcasts as a great educational resource for business and career development.
Back to voice as technology, I don’t know about you but I find myself using voice to search Google hands-free (often while walking my amazing rescue pup, Cody)! And per all the consumer research, I’m not alone!
The same is true of searching for directions by way of Google Maps; and I can use Siri (a VOICE assistant) to do more online today than I’d have ever thought possible even two years ago.
I’ve also begun using dictation with both Google and Word docs as well as email-as I talk much faster (sorry to listeners!) that I can type (and I can type pretty darn fast). This is another huge time saver (plus I can walk around while talking; not so while typing).
Note: My 86 year old Mom uses voice constantly as it’s just plain easier for her - and the technology has become a game changer for Mom’s use of the smart phone (which we finally got her onto -from her flip - at the end of 2020). Very much a consumer/shopper, Mom uses voice (often combined with text) for everything from search and directions to entertainment and news.
As for the 20 year old and under crowd: we can’t forget that they have grown up with voice assistants Siri (who recently turned 12 🥳 🎂) and her younger cousin Alexa (who is now 8). They can type, text, talk…and walk… their way through the internet, apps, and more in ways few would have thought possible ten years ago - and they are just getting started. We need to remember as we think about our businesses to ‘meet these generations where they are’.
For a bit more on Siri, here is a link to some great SIRI hacks/uses:
An added note: This post is the 2nd in what is designed to be an ever-evolving platform for my forecasts, predictions, musings …and podcasts.
Never hesitate to drop me (much appreciated positive or negative) feedback at gordon@socialbeautymakers.com
Wishing you a most brilliant week!
gordon
Created by ‘me’ using Open AI Dall E AI: ‘podcasting bears’
