The delicate balance between empathy and technology has become a cornerstone for sustainable success in today’s business landscape. In a recent episode of the Predictable B2B Success podcast, Vinay Koshy speaks with Will Adams, president of Tarkenton, to unpack how to best blend human connection with advanced technology.
Tackling the complexities of long sales cycles and the inherent challenges of integrating AI into customer experiences, Will Adams emphasizes empathy’s quintessential role in understanding and anticipating client needs. From innovative storytelling in B2B marketing to the criticality of journey mapping, Adams’ insights provide a masterclass in leveraging empathy strategically within technology initiatives. Join us as we dive into this conversation’s key takeaways that reveal how to position your business at the forefront of technological innovation and human-centric service.
Watch the episode
About Will Adams
Will Adams is a dedicated entrepreneur leading an opportunistic and driven firm anchored by a simple yet profound mission: the business of helping people. His office environment is imbued with this ethos, underscoring the importance of supporting individuals in various ways. This guiding principle is not just a slogan but a core value influencing hiring practices and company culture. For Will, every entrepreneurial journey is centered around the fundamental goal of positively impacting people’s lives.
Balancing Human Experience, Empathy and Technology Advancements: Insights from Will Adams of Tarkenton on Predictable B2B Success
In this episode of the Predictable B2B Success podcast, Vinay Koshy interviews Will Adams, the president of Tarkenton, a B2B development firm. Throughout the conversation, Adams shares his insights and experiences, providing a roadmap for navigating the complexities of modern business with a blend of technology and human touch. This blog post delves into the key points discussed and highlights essential takeaways for B2B leaders.
The Genesis of Tarkenton: Opportunity and Fun
Will Adams begins by explaining the opportunistic and entrepreneurial mindset that led to the creation of Tarkenton. The firm’s mission is to help people and ensure business ventures are enjoyable. This philosophy underscores the importance of passion and purpose in business, serving as a reminder that success isn’t solely about profitability but also about making a meaningful difference.
Storytelling for Long Sales Cycles
Tarkenton specializes in working with a range of companies—from Fortune 500 corporations to startups—to develop software-as-a-service (SaaS) tools and B2B marketing strategies. Adams emphasizes the significance of storytelling in long sales cycles. By weaving compelling narratives, businesses can better engage potential customers, making their value proposition clear and memorable.
Maintaining the Human Element Amidst Technological Advancements
One of the significant challenges Adams addresses is maintaining the human element in B2B tech companies amid rapid AI and technological advancements. He raises concerns about the impact of technology on human experience, particularly young people’s mental health. Adams and Koshy explore the delicate balance of leveraging technology without compromising human values.
Bridging the Gap Between Client Success and Development Teams
Adams highlights a common issue in technology companies—the disconnect between client success/support and development teams. Tarkenton addresses this by having engineers go through client success rotations and placing development teams inside client success hubs. This approach fosters empathy and understanding of the client experience, ensuring the development process aligns closely with customer needs.
Adding Value Beyond Technology
Adams underscores the importance of adding value beyond mere technological solutions. Businesses should focus on helping people rather than just chasing profitability. This value-driven approach fosters long-term success and differentiates companies in a crowded market. According to Adams, starting from a position of making a meaningful difference and being sincere in one’s efforts is critical.
The Role of Bridge Builders in Driving Innovation
Adams emphasizes the need for a “bridge builder” combined with guardrails and a budget for successful solution implementation. Champions from across the organization are crucial in developing solutions. Journey mapping and identifying insurgents within the company are essential to drive innovation, particularly in risk-averse and bureaucratic organizations.
Essential Qualities for Leaders in the Age of Rapid Technology Changes
When discussing leadership in the context of rapid technological changes, Adams stresses communication, team building, and creating a culture of empowerment. Leaders should ask many questions, initiate engagement, and lead by example to develop empathy and understanding within their teams. Maintaining a personal touch with customers and within the organization is also vital.
Ethical Considerations and Regulatory Guardrails in Technology
Adams references a book by an Israeli professor that discusses the evolutionary forces of homo sapiens and the potential surpassing of human intelligence by artificial intelligence. He stresses the need for ethical guidelines, transparency in design, and regulatory guardrails in this “wild west” moment of technology. Businesses must navigate these uncharted waters with caution and responsibility.
Integrating Empathy into User Design
Connectivity to people and empathy are personal strengths that Adams brings to his business approach. He suggests that businesses integrate empathy into their user design and technology implementation. This human-centric approach ensures that technological advancements enhance rather than detract from the customer experience.
The Challenges of Integrating AI into Business Processes
Adams touches upon the challenges of integrating AI into business processes, citing the abundance of noise in the AI space. Wise investment decisions are crucial. He notes the deliberate approach of Apple and the cautionary tale of Google’s AI rollout. Allowing other companies to make mistakes first can provide valuable lessons and prevent costly errors.
Enhancing Customer Experience with Technology and Empathy
Tarkenton’s SaaS applications, including a business consultation application that leverages AI, exemplify the blend of human touch, empathy and technology. The company employs real-life business operators who, along with AI, accelerate research processes and provide responses to business owners. This blend ensures that the customer experience is enhanced with empathy and efficiency.
The Significance of Journey Mapping
Journey mapping is the initial step in Tarkenton’s processes. Adams emphasizes the importance of thorough research and design before initiating any project plan. Understanding the customer journey is crucial for creating solutions that address their needs and pain.
Fostering Innovation in Bureaucratic Organizations
Tarkenton employs strategies such as skunkworks to foster innovation in risk-averse and bureaucratic organizations. Adams mentions the importance of a bridge builder between the organization and an external team to drive innovative efforts. This approach helps overcome institutional inertia and encourages creative problem-solving.
Key Takeaway
The key takeaway from this episode is the importance of balancing technological advancements with the human element in business. Will Adams encourages B2B leaders to focus on empathy, ethical considerations, and adding value beyond technology. By fostering a culture of empowerment and maintaining strong communication channels, businesses can navigate the complexities of modern technology while enhancing the human experience.
Bridging the Gap Between Human Experience and Technology: Insights from Will Adams on Predictable B2B Success
Let’s examine key themes paramount for B2B companies, including maintaining the human element in tech-centric workplaces, creating empathy within development teams, launching successful AI tools, and ensuring ethical practices in technology advancements.
Theme 1: Maintaining the Human Element in a Tech-Driven World
Actionable Takeaways:
1. Empathy Through Client Success Rotations:
Implementation: Have your development team participate in client success rotations. This hands-on approach ensures they understand client pain points and fosters better communication and empathy towards end-user problems.
Outcome: This direct exposure to client issues can lead to more user-centric design and development practices.
2. Focus on Storytelling for Long Sales Cycles:
Implementation: Wrap your product features and benefits in compelling stories that resonate with your client’s challenges and aspirations.
Outcome: A storytelling approach can make complex solutions relatable and easy to remember and aid in building long-term relationships.
3. Balancing Technology and Human Experience:
Implementation: Implement a blended approach that leverages advanced technology and human touchpoints. For example, AI can handle repetitive tasks while ensuring customer interactions remain human-centric.
Outcome: This blend maintains efficiency without losing personal connections, crucial for client satisfaction and loyalty.
Theme 2: Creating Empathy in Development Teams
Actionable Takeaways:
1. Client Success Hubs:
Implementation: Place your development teams within or adjacent to client success hubs. Ensure they are aware of real-time client interactions and issues.
Outcome: This proximity can dissolve silos, enhance empathy, and result in features that better address client needs.
2. Journey Mapping:
Implementation: Start every project with journey mapping sessions involving client-facing and development teams.
Outcome: Journey mapping helps ensure all team members understand the client experience, fostering empathy and alignment in project goals.
3. Regular Feedback Loops:
Implementation: Establish continuous feedback mechanisms where developers regularly discuss issues and solutions with client success teams.
Outcome: These feedback loops can lead to more agile and responsive development cycles, ultimately enhancing the product experience.
Theme 3: Balancing Innovation and Risk in AI Integration
Actionable Takeaways:
1. Deliberate AI Rollout:
Implementation: Observe market trends and competitor moves before diving into AI implementations. Use caution and learn from others’ missteps.
Outcome: A calculated approach reduces risk and increases the chances of successful AI integration into your business processes.
2. Value Beyond Technology:
Implementation: Integrate your AI tools with human insights and customer service to ensure they add value to the client experience.
Outcome: A balanced integration of AI and human input can make your offerings more effective and appreciated by clients.
3. Investment in Ethical AI:
Implementation: Develop transparent, ethical guidelines for AI deployment. Ensure your AI solutions are designed and implemented with fairness and accountability.
Outcome: Ethical AI practices build client trust and safeguard the company against potential pitfalls associated with unethical technology use.
Theme 4: Making a Meaningful Difference in Business
Actionable Takeaways:
1. Start from Helping, Not Just Selling:
Implementation: Shift the organizational mindset to prioritize help over profit. Train your teams to approach client problems with a genuine desire to resolve them.
Outcome: A genuine focus on assistance can significantly improve client relations and foster long-term, meaningful partnerships.
2. Empower Champions and Insurgents:
Implementation: Identify and empower ‘champions’ within your organization who advocate for innovative ideas and ‘insurgents’ who challenge the status quo.
Outcome: A culture that encourages internal champions and calculated insurgents can drive innovation and dynamic problem-solving.
3. Create a Culture of Empowerment:
Implementation: Cultivate an organizational culture where team members feel encouraged and empowered to ask questions and propose solutions.
Outcome: Empowered employees are more likely to be engaged and proactive in innovating and improving processes and products.
Theme 5: Ensuring Effective Leadership in Technology-Driven Environments
Actionable Takeaways:
1. Communication and Team Building:
Implementation: Prioritize open communication and team-building activities that foster a sense of unity and shared purpose.
Outcome: Effective communication can bridge gaps between departments, and strong team cohesion can drive productivity and innovation.
2. Lead by Example:
Implementation: Leaders should frequently engage with different teams, ask questions, and demonstrate empathy and understanding in every interaction.
Outcome: Leading by example sets a standard for the entire organization, encouraging a culture of empathy, communication, and proactive problem-solving.
3. Personal Touch in Customer Interactions:
Implementation: Integrate personal touches in customer interactions. Train teams to personalize communications and go the extra mile in addressing client needs.
Outcome: Personalization can significantly enhance client satisfaction and loyalty, setting your company apart in a technology-driven market.
Theme 6: Ethical Considerations and Regulatory Guardrails in Technology
Actionable Takeaways:
1. Ethics in Design and Implementation:
Implementation: Develop and adhere to ethical guidelines throughout design and implementation phases of your technology solutions.
Outcome: Ethical practices build trust with your clients and ensure your technology solutions are fair, transparent, and accountable.
2. Promote Transparency:
Implementation: Ensure transparency in your technological processes and implementations. Be clear about how data is used and what measures are taken to protect it.
Outcome: Transparency fosters trust and credibility with your clients, which is crucial for long-term relationships and success.
3. Regulatory Guardrails:
Implementation: Stay informed on regulatory requirements and ensure your solutions comply with relevant laws and guidelines.
Outcome: Compliance with regulations avoids legal pitfalls and enhances the reliability and acceptance of your technological solutions.
Merging Empathy and Technology
In a world where technology is rapidly advancing, Will Adams’s insights provide a valuable roadmap for B2B companies striving to maintain a balance between human experience, empathy, and technological innovation. Organizations can navigate modern business’s complex landscape with agility and integrity by fostering empathy within development teams, cautiously integrating AI tools, prioritizing ethical practices, and creating a culture of empowerment.
Some areas we explore in this episode include:
1. Role and Mission of Tarkenton:
– Description of Tarkenton’s services and their focus on storytelling for long sales cycles.
– The entrepreneurial mindset and mission of making business fun while helping people.
2. Balancing Human Experience and Technology:
– Challenges B2B tech companies face in maintaining the human element amidst rapid AI and technology advancements.
– Impact of technology on young people’s mental health and the ethical responsibilities of tech creators and consumers.
3. Empathy and Client Experience:
– Importance of fostering empathy and understanding of the client experience within development teams.
– Practices like rotating engineers through client success roles and placing development teams in client success hubs.
4. Value Beyond Technology:
– Emphasis on adding value to businesses beyond just technology.
– Starting from the point of making a meaningful difference and ensuring sincerity in business practices.
5. Leadership in Rapid Technology Changes:
– Essential leadership qualities include communication, team building, and creating a culture of empowerment.
– Leaders should ask questions, engage teams, and lead by example to foster empathy and understanding.
6. Personal Touch in Customer Relations:
The significance of maintaining a personal touch with customers and within the organization based on Will Adams’ early career experience.
7. **Ethical Guidelines and Regulatory Guardrails in Technology**:
– Importance of ethical guidelines, transparency in design, and regulatory guardrails in AI development.
– The balance between innovation and ethical responsibility.
8. Blending AI and Human Elements:
– Integration of AI with human consultation in their SaaS applications to enhance customer experience.
– Understanding the need for a balanced approach with real-life human support alongside AI.
9. Journey Mapping and Research:
– Initial steps in Tarkenton’s process, emphasizing journey mapping and thorough research and design before project planning.
10. Fostering Innovation in Bureaucratic Organizations:
– Strategies to drive innovation in risk-averse settings.
– Use of Skunkworks and the role of a bridge builder to connect the organization with an external innovation team.
11. And much, much more…
Listen to the episode.
Related links and resources
- Check out Tarkenton
- Learn more from Minter Dial – How to Unlock The Power of Empathy in Business With AI Personalization
- Learn from Mark Phinick – How to Overcome B2B Sales Challenges And Drive Growth With Deal Coaching
- Learn from Kasper Sierslev – 10 Insider Secrets To Build An In-house Agency For Creative Collaboration And Growth
- Learn from Jeff Dolan – 10 Secrets to Tracking Content Marketing And Long-Term Strategies to Drive Growth
- Learn from Natalie Oldfield – How to Drive Business Growth by Building Trust And a Culture of Trust
- Learn from Ryan Janssen – How to Use Business Intelligence to Remove Data Complexity And Drive Growth
- Learn from Doug Camplejohn – How a New Approach For Employee Satisfaction And a Happy Workplace Drives Growth
Connect with Will Adams
Subscribe to & Review the Predictable B2B Success Podcast
Thanks for tuning into this week’s Predictable B2B Podcast episode! If the information in our interviews has helped your business journey, please head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review.
Your reviews and feedback will not only help me continue to deliver great, helpful content, but it will also help reach even more amazing founders and executives just like you!