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AI Agent, AI Assistant, or Chatbot?

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New technology continues to come at us fast and furious—wow, what can you do with it all? Does it overwhelm and make you want to hide in bed, under the covers? Maybe that’s not the worse response if it helps you to (eventually) feel safe and calm enough to check out a few things and get an idea of what may be useful for your organization. As it happens, you can consider three new technologies right now—well, two of them you’ve probably been using for a while, but you may not be aware of the full extent of their capabilities and how they’re able to bring operational efficiencies to your Freelance empire. About the third technology on the agenda you may have a vague idea at best and little to no experience using it. The three processes are connected in that they help you, the user, efficiently complete a number of administrative tasks that keep your business operations rolling. The level of functionality you’ll want, that is, the technology you may bring on board will, as expected, depend on what will serve your purpose.

Why AI Assistant?

If you’ve ever picked up your phone and asked Siri (iPhone) or Alexa (Samsung Galaxy, et al.) a question, you’ve used an AI assistant, also known as a virtual assistant, a type of AI-powered technology that can perform simple administrative tasks such as scheduling appointments, retrieving data, giving you directions to where you need to go and controlling smart home devices. AI assistants can also operate transportation systems, schedule calendar software and manage other types of systems that are designed to complete specific tasks. All you have to do is start talking or typing and give the prompt, the more specific the better. Your AI assistant is an intelligent application that understands natural language commands and you are able to use conversational prompts to initiate your tasks. Keep in mind that AI assistants are reactive, so you must request a task to be done.

The technological capability known as large language models (LLMs) specializes in text-related tasks and enables AI assistants to “understand” questions submitted by humans and will respond to those questions with relevant information, suggestions, or next step actions. Your AI assistant /virtual assistant can also help you simplify access to information, automate repetitive tasks and streamline complicated workflows. In business, AI assistants also perform basic data analysis that enables you to efficiently obtain insights that you can factor into decision-making.

Freelancers are happy to know that an AI assistant/virtual assistant can play a role in improving the customer experience you offer by providing real-time support across online chat, voice and email. AI assistants can manage common customer inquiries, guide users through self-service options and manage complex issues when necessary. Using natural language processing (NLP), they’ll answer questions, recommend products/services and help customers complete transactions quickly and accurately. AI assistants provide interactive support, adapt to user needs and learn from feedback and conversation history to enhance the quality of responses. Their 24/7 availability can substantively enhance customer satisfaction and reduce costs, most notably, staffing.

However, AI assistants have limitations. They require specific prompts to produce the best results and their capabilities are limited to predefined functions they have been equipped and trained to handle. For example, an AI assistant can use a spreadsheet to generate a table that compares “x versus y,” but cannot independently take action to create such a comparison without your prompt.

Furthermore, AI assistants do not necessarily have persistent memory and they do not inherently retain information from past user interactions. Some AI assistants can reference prior conversations within a session by storing relevant details in their context window or by using a feature that is called “memory” to recall selected information and use the stored info to improve future responses. In sum, Freelancers can think of an AI assistant as your virtual personal helper and an efficient support system for a busy Freelancer. 

Is AI Agent the way to go?

AI agent refers to a system or program that can independently complete tasks on behalf of users, or another system, by designing its own workflow and using available tools. The AI agent is more autonomous, connected and sophisticated than AI assistants and can encompass a wide range of functions beyond Natural Language Processing, such as decision-making, problem-solving, interacting with external environments and executing actions.

While the AI assistant requires users to provide prompts to initiate every action, AI agents can operate independently after an initial kick-off prompt. AI agents are proactive and able to work independently to achieve a specific goal by collaborating with your other technological tools. They evaluate assigned goals, break tasks into chunks and develop their own workflows to achieve specific objectives for you. AI agents are versatile and can be used for many tasks, from software design and IT automation to code-generation tools and interfacing with your chatbot or AI assistant to provide customer service that enhances the experience. Using advanced NLP from LLMs, AI agents understand and follow user prompts and have the ability to strategize their actions and determine when to call on external tools to complete tasks.

After your initial prompt, the AI agent is off to the races, working without further input and reducing the need for your involvement at every stage. Unlike AI assistants, which will suggest actions for you to review and approve, AI agents have the capability to independently reason, make decisions and problem-solve for you by using external data sets and tools. Their ability to surpass a purely chat-based framework enables proactive decision-making and learning, saving time by handling complex workflows on its own. 

  • Connectivity: AI agents are able to unify various capabilities into a single workflow, thereby eliminating bottlenecks that arise from disconnected systems. By integrating seamlessly with external applications, data sources and other AI models, the AI agent will enhance productivity while reducing friction between different components of a process.
  • Decision-making and action: AI agents go beyond chat to accomplish tasks on their own, based on a specific goal. They analyze problems, break them into chunks and plan next steps autonomously. This makes them effective for handling complex, ambiguous problems. Some AI agents can even demonstrate computer use, where an LLM can click, type and operate a computer to complete tasks.
  • Persistent memory and adaptive learning: Compared to AI assistants, AI agents have a greater capacity to learn. They store previous actions, conversations and experiences, enabling them to refine their approach over time. With persistent memory, AI agents can recall past interactions to improve future responses, while adaptive learning allows them to adjust their behavior based on feedback and outcomes. Because they integrate with external applications and tools, they can act on real-time data rather than relying solely on their initial training. Over repeated interactions, they become more efficient, sensitive to context and better aligned with your needs.
  • Task chaining: AI agents don’t complete tasks on its own; instead, it will they break complex workflows into smaller, manageable steps—chunks. AI agents identify the connections between tasks, which help ensure that each step logically flows into the next. This ability enables structured execution across multi-step processes and makes automation more dynamic.
  • Team play: AI agents often specialize in specific tasks—one may excel at fact-checking, while another is better at research. These agents can collaborate, forming teams that tackle complex challenges together.

AI agents take customer experience and customer support further by adapting to user behavior in real time. Unlike AI assistants, AI agents fully learn and improve interactions, whether it’s simulating job interviews or handling complex support issues autonomously. They work across websites, apps and Internet of Things devices such as smart watches, smart door locks and fitness trackers to create well executed and highly personalized user experiences. AI agents can improve task management and collaboration by interpreting user needs and assigning tasks to AI assistants, for example. Your AI assistant can use agent-generated data to create more intuitive outputs and enhance coordination.

The downside of AI assistants and AI agents

AI agents have a lot of promise and it’s all quite inspiring but–it’s all new and there can be the occasional system fail, as you might expect. There are risks and limitations with AI-powered technologies to consider. LLMs are susceptible to even the smallest prompt changes that can cause “hallucinations,” meaning that AI agents and AI assistants might fail if, for example, the underlying foundation model breaks. They may have trouble creating comprehensive plans, or may not logically analyze their findings. They sometimes get stuck in endless feedback loops.

Furthermore, because AI agents collaborate with external environments and tools, they must deal with the changes to those tools. Over time, those changes might cause the agent set up to break. AI assistants, however, do not use external tools, so the problem can be avoided.

Finally, for complex tasks, AI agents require a great deal of training and completing tasks might take a minute. On top of that, they can often be expensive. The technology is new and we are still in the early days of understanding and observing what AI agents can do. This future of AI might see nearly complete autonomy of AI technology but for now, human intervention is often still necessary to keep things on track.

Where does Chatbot fit?

By now, you’ve probably used a chatbot to get quick answers to basic questions you may have had about a purchase you wanted to make, like “Is curb side delivery available?” or “What are your store hours on Tuesdays?” A chatbot is a computer program that simulates human conversation with the system user. Not all chatbots are equipped with artificial intelligence (AI), but recent configurations increasingly use conversational AI techniques such as NLP to understand user questions and give responses to them.

The earliest chatbots were merely interactive FAQ programs that relied on a limited list of common questions and pre-programmed answers. Unable to interpret natural language, these FAQs generally required users to select from simple keywords and phrases to move the conversation forward. Such rudimentary chatbots are unable to process complex questions, nor answer simple questions that haven’t been predicted by the developers.

The next generation of chatbots with generative AI capabilities offer more desirable functionality with their understanding of common language and complex queries, their ability to adapt to a user’s style of conversation and use of “empathy” when answering user questions. That means FAQ chatbots no longer need to be pre-programmed with answers to predetermined questions; it’s easier and faster to use generative AI in combination with an organization’s’ knowledge base to automatically generate answers to a wider range of questions.

Conversational-style AI chatbots can process user questions or comments and generate a human-like response, but generative AI chatbots have raised the bar and can even generate new content to incorporate into responses. The new content can include high-quality text, images and sound based on the LLMs they are trained on. When supported by generative AI, the newest chatbots can recognize, summarize, translate, predict and create content in response to a user queries without the need for human interaction. Generative AI can bring a whole new world to old-school chatbots that often gave a rocky performance, to put it politely. But today’s generative AI chatbots can become a 24/7 customer service department that plays a key role in delivering the customer experience that fulfills customer expectations of your brand—and it can be a good fit.

Today’s chatbots can seamlessly manage customer interactions 24/7—and every task becomes a lesson that continuously improves the quality of future chatbot responses. A chatbot can provide a capable first responder and provide back-up support during busy seasons and peak hours, or offload tedious repetitive questions so that human (paid) employees can focus on more complex issues. Chatbots can help reduce the number of users requiring human assistance, while ensuring that businesses efficiently meet customer needs, even after business hours.

A chatbot can also eliminate long wait times for phone-based customer support, or even longer wait times for email, chat, or web-based support, because the system is always available immediately to however many users at once. That’s a great user experience that creates satisfied customers who are more likely to exhibit brand loyalty and give your company good word of mouth, repeat business and referrals.

Again, be advised that caution and due diligence must be conducted when using AI-powered technology, that also includes the generative AI chatbot, along with AI assistants and AI agents. Security risks such as data leaks sub-standard confidentiality and liability concerns, incomplete licensing of source data and uncertain privacy and compliance with international laws. With a lack of proper input data, there is the ongoing risk of “hallucinations,” that undermine the relevance or accuracy of responses that may result in the customer finding it necessary to abandon the technology, creating dashed expectations and an unsatisfactory experience.

When choosing a provider, ask questions to determine if the chatbot meets your deployment, scalability and security requirements. Many chatbots are delivered via the cloud to draw on learning and outcomes from other customer conversations, so if this requires an on-premises solution or a single tenant environment, the list of available providers is much shorter.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: Electronic Superhighway Continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii (1995) created by South Korean artist Nam June Paik (1935-2006)

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Let’s Optimize Your Website Chatbot

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Over the past several years, you’ve most likely noticed that chatbots have become a standard feature, particularly on corporate websites. Whether the user is a prospect on a buyer’s journey, searching for basic product info, or a customer looking to resolve a (hopefully!) quick service request, maybe an exchange or return, experimenting with the generative AI powered resource known as chatbot seems reasonable to many. After all, if it appears that you’ll be able to transact your business more quickly and easily, why not give it a try?

But unfortunately, many users have been disappointed by what they expected would be a good experience with a time-saving new technology. A survey conducted in 2023 found that while 68% of business website visitors have interacted with a chatbot just 35% agree that most of the time, the chatbot helped them achieve their mission. Meanwhile, 77% of users felt their chatbot experience was frustrating.

Duly noted but nevertheless, the corporate bosses are determined to making GenAI adoption a success. They’ve decided that chatbots are the future and the future is now; they envision chatbot as the portal where customers and prospects will access product information, register complaints and obtain refunds or exchanges—all without the assistance of the company’s (paid) employees, BTW.

The bosses are fully aware that these often mundane interactions are critical to customer satisfaction and loyalty, brand image and sales but as of now, users are reporting that their chatbot interactions are lacking. The 2023 survey referenced above also showed that 88% of business website visitors would rather speak with a human customer service agent via telephone when seeking information or resolving a problem, clearly indicating that today’s chatbot is in need of refinement. The current fixes don’t always work, according to users, resulting in what could be a great resource to come up short because the solutions that users want aren’t programmed into the thing. If the corporate champions of generative AI chatbots would like to realize its full value—and I suspect that even disappointed users would agree that the potential value of generative AI chatbot is considerable—the customer experience must be prioritized when programming and implementing the technology.

Customer service and IT teams are on notice to fix chatbot problems and fortunately, they are beginning to realize that the chatbot challenge isn’t primarily technological—it’s psychological. It seems obvious that chatbot developers would be greatly assisted by researching and verifying the solutions that users want and their expectations regarding the overall chatbot experience. In a 2024 survey, 85% of customer service leaders reported that they are currently exploring more user-friendly chatbot solutions.

So, Freelancer friend—does your website have a chatbot or have you, like me, hesitated to adopt a resource that ought to be a good thing, but your own user experience with the technology hasn’t lived up to your expectations? Or maybe those of you who have installed a website or social media chatbot might like to improve the experience? If you’d like to refine the responses, visit the Frequently Asked Questions document, which is the knowledge base for the chatbot. You’ll be able to make edits there and the chatbot will integrate the new information in its responses. Below are enhancements you may want to incorporate as you work to optimize your company’s chatbot experience and facilitate user satisfaction, enhance the perception of your brand and drive sales.

Conversational tone preferred

Research has shown that up to 35%  of customers behave differently when interacting with chatbots, as compared to a human agent, because interacting with a machine feels less personal. Make your chatbot communications more personal and welcoming by programming the system to respond like a friendly and efficient human customer service agent. A conversational yet professional tone, appropriate expressions of empathy (“I’m sorry to hear that”) and giving other common responses that (“How does that sound?”) can encourage users to feel comfortable and trust their chatbot interaction, behaviors that contribute to a positive customer experience. Also, creating a human-like avatar and giving it a name makes users feel that your chatbot is more relatable and trustworthy.

Your chatbot can even “learn” to give understated compliments that can discreetly recommend purchases. In fact, many customers respond favorably to gentle endorsement of their choices (“Yes, this tie will look both fashionable and professional”) and up to 12.5% are inclined to accept chatbot purchasing recommendations. Still, be aware that attempting to make your chatbot too chummy by programming in what can be perceived as false flattery and a turn-off. Overly personal language triggers suspicion and makes customers feel manipulated. Keep the compliments fact-based, professional and aligned with the professional tone that customers expect from a chatbot.

Customers in a hurry want just the facts

Customers who are in a hurry, or those who are upset and feeling that expectations have not been met, just want to fix their problem, quickly and satisfactorily. Feelings of disappointment and frustration override the preference toward human-like chatbot responses. Research has found that dissatisfied customers were 23% less satisfied when met with conversational chatbot “empathy” when there is a problem to fix. At those times, customers prefer a straightforward, all-business chatbot interaction that is fast and efficient.

Furthermore, conversational responses can raise expectations and inadvertently heighten frustration if chatbot responses do not quickly and accurately produce problem resolution. It will be useful to program your chatbot to shift into all-business mode and respond quickly and clearly when frustration or urgency are detected. In high-stress situations, it’s better to not seem “human” at all.

Advertise accuracy

Advertising the potential benefits of using your chatbot is a good thing! Let visitors to your website or social media sites know that your chatbot is able to quickly and correctly answer questions and solve problems, save time and make accessing information easy. Broadcasting the likelihood of success generates the expectation of a positive experience, promotes trust in the chatbot and encourages customers and prospects to take a chance with your chatbot. Inviting website visitors to “try it, you’ll like it” can potentially increase chatbot engagement by up to 22%, according to a 2021 study.

This point was reinforced in another 2023 study of chatbot interactions that revealed when users engaged in identical conversations with human customer service agents and the chatbot, 8.5% reported they were less satisfied after using the chatbot. But when chatbot benefits were highlighted, for example, announcing 24/7 service availability, 37% of that same subject group reported they were more satisfied with the chatbot than with the slower, and less-available, human agents. Give your chatbot an enthusiastic endorsement and you’ll encourage its use.

Getting better all the time

The best way to improve the performance and acceptance of your chatbot is to help it get “smarter”. Research shows that users were up to 17% more likely to accept the chatbot’s suggestions when told that the chatbot is on a continuous learning curve and is not limited by a static algorithm that’s upgraded only intermittently. It seems a chatbot that’s “enrolled” in ongoing continuing education is favored over a presumably knowledgeable human customer service agent.

In other words, tell the world that your chatbot is always being improved with the ongoing addition of new information and user feedback. It’s like working with an enthusiastic young intern—users may be inclined to forgive occasional small errors and appreciate that each interaction will be better than the last. Without this explanation, some users might have limited confidence in this resource (perhaps a result of underwhelming, if not disappointing, chatbot experiences on other sites). Make the effort to optimize how your chatbot communicates by training the technology to deliver customer service that meets, or exceeds, user expectations. Finally, know that it is also important that human interaction should be available to your customers and prospects when they request it.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: © Dzmitry Auramchik

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How Do Freelancers Get Ready to Use AI?

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Artificial Intelligence continues to expand its presence in the business operations of companies large and small as it delivers to users numerous advantages. That said, business owners and leaders are advised to be mindful that integrating AI into their operations is more complex than installing Software as a Service products; both SaaS and AI require prospective users to determine where and why certain capabilities are desired. For example, there should be a clear understanding of which business function(s) could enhance productivity, perhaps, or save significant time, if it/they operated more efficiently. However, ramping up for the introduction of AI requires a deeper dive than what is required for introducing an SaaS application. A good place to begin your AI decision-making is to answer these questions:

  • What problems do you think AI will solve?
  • Which business functions do you think AI will improve?
  • Which key performance indicator metrics will be chosen to evaluate the impact of AI on your organization?

Business functions that often benefit from AI

Artificial Intelligence is a powerful tool that, when used strategically, can significantly improve the operational efficiency of business processes and in particular, can enhance the ability to make data-driven decisions that can guide your response to critical business questions or opportunities. AI also has many other useful capabilities, from automating repetitive tasks such as inventory management, by calculating optimal inventory levels, to enhancing the customer experience by way of a website chat bot that quickly and accurately answers questions posed by prospective customers and also deliver personalized messages to customers that encourage engagement and loyalty.

Begin your company’s assessment of AI by examining the role AI might have in your business operations—where and how do you envision it can potentially benefit your company? Addressing the above questions should be helpful. Furthermore, studying AI use cases across major industries will provide insight into where your organization might focus. Starting with small and easily measured processes will allow you to gauge both the effectiveness of AI in your operations and your (or your team’s) ability to work with the technology. AI has produced good results in these business functions:

• In marketing, AI will support market research, including data analysis, marketing content creation, generating marketing campaign visuals and marketing campaign support, such as personalized content creation and automating lead generation tasks. More than 90% of companies begin their AI journey with marketing.

• In sales, AI supports competitive analysis, predicts trends and may possibly lead you discover a potentially lucrative niche market.

• In technology, AI will assist in software development and system architecture design, speeds-up innovation and improves outcomes.

• Freelancers will find AI tools useful for project management, budgeting, invoicing and automating customer emails.

• In manufacturing, AI monitors machinery conditions, predicts failures and analyzes real-time data, enabling preventive measures that reduce costly downtime.

Advance planning helps AI implementation

Once you decide which business function will benefit from AI and would also be a good place to start, create an AI onboarding plan to support the success of your roll-out. Furthermore, if you have employees, factor in the attitude your staff may have regarding AI, which is an important consideration that can help or hinder your plan to introduce AI. Transparency is a must as you consider, and then decide, which business function(s) you’d like to see become AI-powered.

  1. Ensure that AI will seamlessly integrate into business processes

AI is considered a disruptive technology, but integrating AI should not disrupt how your business operates. Implementing AI is meant to improve your existing business processes. A well-planned AI data integration strategy will ensure that the technology will work efficiently within your business operations. In other words, AI must work with current systems, not against them. Before introducing AI, you are advised to confirm:

  • Does AI work with your current software and tools?
  • How much upskilling will you and your employees need to use AI correctly?
  • How will AI affect your existing business processes?

2. AI-ready data

Once you’ve decided to implement AI, it’s important to understand that this technology requires access to high-quality, structured (accessible) and accurate data in order to function effectively, especially in the B2B sector.  When the intention is to incorporate AI, it will be necessary to first focus on data integration. The AI system “learns” from your data bases and formulates data-driven decisions and predictions accordingly. Data accuracy (or inaccuracy) directly impacts AI performance—so, if the input data is incomplete or incorrect, the system may generate flawed results, leading to errors.

Garbage in, garbage out. It is imperative that you review your company’s data quality, consistency and accessibility. AI works best with structured data, that is, data stored in a way that AI tools can easily access and utilize it. You can improve your data integration as follows:

  • Check data accuracy to eliminate AI prediction errors
  • Remove duplicate data to prevent AI from repeated mistakes
  • Use cloud storage to give AI optimum access to real-time data
  • Set data rules to ensure that your data is stored in the cloud in an accessible and useful way

3. AI training for employees (and you)

AI adoption is successful when businesses train their teams to use AI correctly. AI does not exist to replace employees, but to support them. Because AI has acquired a degree of controversy, which might cause employees to feel suspicious, if not fearful, regarding their future prospects for employment, investing in AI training, along with transparent communications about how AI will be used in the organization are crucial. By training employees (and yourself), you will improve the results of your AI integration. Training will also ensure that your employees can appropriately manage the technology, which will make them feel confident and help you to win their support and trust.

An ongoing conversation with employees that includes listening and empathy, presented with the spirit of collaboration, will be crucial to AI’s success in your organization. Once you implement AI, invite employee feedback by asking them how AI affects their work. Your goal is to foster acceptance and that entails helping employees understand the the technology and spark enthusiasm for their opportunity to work with it.

  • Teach AI basics so that employees will understand how AI supports decision-making, for example, and encourage them to learn and test other AI features you’ll introduce in a judgment-free setting
  • Ensure that employees have the opportunity to learn to use AI in their daily tasks, as a way to show them that AI is a helpful tool and not a threat

4. AI security and privacy issues

A major challenge in AI integration for is ensuring that AI does not create security risks. Introducing security measures from the start helps businesses avoid the embarrassment (and possible legal trouble) that result from data breaches. AI works with data, including customer information, financial records and internal business information. Establish rules for AI security, including:

  1. Data protection – Store data securely to prevent breaches or hacking.
  2. Access – Limit who can see and use AI-powered systems.
  3. Quality control – Regularly check AI decisions to ensure they are accurate and ethical.
  4. Compliance – Follow data protection laws like GDPR and CCPA.

5. Start small, monitor and measure

Although AI is without question the Next Big Thing, tech experts recommend approaching AI integration cautiously. Adoption can be risky if not done without both clear objectives regarding what you hope to achieve and an understanding of the technology’s capabilities and limitations. It’s possible for businesses to fail with AI because they overreach with implementation, deciding to use it everywhere at once. AI is complex and mistakes can be costly.

Starting small with AI and testing AI tools in limited areas of your operations, so that you might gauge what works and evaluate where and how AI adds value in your organization, is the prudent way to introduce AI. You want to avoid committing too heavily to a new technology that may not be fully aligned with your business needs. A small project will allow you to test AI in a controlled way, identify challenges and measure results before making AI a bigger part of operations.

Finally, be advised that AI tools are not a one-time setup. AI will require updates, maintenance and adjustments over time, to ensure that your AI tools continue to perform as expected. It’s important to remember that AI “learns” over time and must be updated to remain accurate; without appropriate maintenance, AI can become outdated and unreliable— subsequent technological advances will cause older AI tools to be replaced by updated ones, for example. Companies should set a schedule for reviewing and updating AI. Where staffing allows, they should also assign a team to handle AI improvements. Solopreneurs and SMBs are recommended to speak with an AI systems technology professional to monitor their AI tools.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: © 2025 University of Cincinnati Online

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Crisis Communications: Monitor and Defend Your Online Presence

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Managing the online presence and reputation of a brand, whether personal or company, is no longer considered mere vanity or over-reaching micromanagement. Regular tracking and review of all content that pertains to your organization and shows up in searches—its services and products, the company itself and its leaders—including AI-powered searches, is now recognized as a necessity. Vigilant and consistent monitoring of information that appears online about your company and you, as the principal of your Freelance consulting practice or fractional executive, owner/leader of a traditional business, small or large, or not-for-profit organization executive, can be viewed as an aspect of risk management strategy.

It is imperative for all business owners and leaders to carefully shape and defend their brand’s online image and ensure that all information presented is accurate and leaves viewers of your content with a positive impression, meaning, a portrayal that encourages credibility and trust.

Unflattering or outright negative content associated with your brand, as well as inaccurate info, has the potential to undermine or damage your organization’s credibility. It is therefore highly recommended that Freelancers and other business owners and leaders regularly assess all AI-generated and online mentions of their company and personal brand and verify the accuracy of the information found.

Take control of your online presence

Integral to a comprehensive marketing campaign is building a digital presence that illustrates the competence and credibility of the organization. Online reputation management is essential to defending that carefully curated image, whether you maintain a solopreneur consulting practice, operate a small company, or lead a national or multi–national conglomerate. Failing to take defensive action and waiting until negative content has become an embarrassing crisis may cause an unfortunate outcome that stains your own or your company’s reputation.

Inspection tours are the how you’ll discover inaccurate information and/or negative content. Inspecting the search engines is Step One of your mission to defend and, if necessary, correct online information pertaining to you and your organization. Learning where and how to locate, edit, or suppress content that is untrue or unflattering is the most important step of restorative crisis communications activity. Proactive monitoring and strategic content creation will be central to maintaining control of your online image. The presence of negative content, which may include customer reviews and other user-generated content, can have a direct effect on company reputation and sales revenue: Approximately 94% of customers report that a negative merchant review on a review site persuaded them to avoid doing business with that merchant.

Step Two of your brand defense is the actual defensive action, where you may simply update information to correct what appears sites like Yelp or Google. More thought and time will be necessary if you discover content that is inaccurate and perhaps also misleading; in these cases, you may decide that a substantive reset of your brand narrative is in order. Your best defensive action will be to create and publish relevant, high-quality content that is capable of enhancing your online authority and burying the harmful content by pushing it further down in search rankings.

Google search operators

Re: your search engine inspection tours in most cases, a Google or Bing search of the brand will surface a comprehensive list of brand mentions. However, a more thorough search might locate additional content that you can review and if you discover incorrect information or harmful material on less popular search engines or on online communities, you can explore how to make corrections and/or counteract negative content with a post or two that displays your authority and integrity.

To take a deeper dive and search for potentially harmful content that might otherwise go unnoticed., you’ll be pleased to find that Google’s search capabilities extend far beyond entering a name into the search bar to see what appears. Dipping into advanced search operators will broaden your scope and, if it exists, may help you to locate negative content that does not appear in a traditional search.

To find what may be hiding in the shadows, launch an exact match search by placing your name in quotation marks (e.g., “John Smith” or “The Best Company”) to specify search results to that unique name and eliminate unwanted mentions. To further refine search results, you can exclude irrelevant pages using the minus sign. for example, searching for “The Best Company” -Instagram removes Instagram results and help your mission to dig up potentially damaging content pertaining to your brand that may be posted on less visible sites.

Furthermore, a site-specific search can help when you suspect that a particular domain features negative information about your brand. Typing the site domain address, followed by a colon and your company name will produce only results from that chosen site. It is also useful to search variations of your name, for example, “J. Smith” or “Best Company;” — subtle changes could possibly bring up mentions that do not appear in the traditional searches.

Set-up Google Alerts for ongoing monitoring

It is wise to be vigilant and regularly monitor your name online, to prevent damage before it spreads. Google Alerts is a free tool that notifies you whenever new content is indexed and includes your name. To get started, visit Google Alerts and enter your full name and company name along with relevant variations (e.g. “Jane Smith” or “Jane K. Smith”). Use quotation marks to ensure your alert captures the exact phrase. Then click “show options” to select how frequently you’d like to receive alerts —the “as-it-happens” option is best for reputation management. Set alerts to receive notification of name mentions and be sure to correct inaccuracies and gratuitously negative content. Counteract what is negative with relevant and compelling content that can potentially suppress unflattering narratives.

You can also filter alerts by geographic location and type of content, such as blogs, news articles, or discussions. Finally, enter your email address to start receiving updates. These alerts act as a digital early warning system. You’ll know immediately if a new piece of content starts gaining traction — giving you time to prepare a response or counter-strategy. Staying visible online requires more than awareness — it demands consistency and strategy.

  • Monitoring social mentions and online discussions

Negative content is known to more frequently begin on nontraditional search engines. Social media platforms, forums and blog comments can amplify by way of the metaverse effect and damage to your brand image can spread quickly—even as it never appears in traditional search results.

To really scrutinize your online presence, investing in the services of a social listening site such as EmbedSocial or AgoraPulse will detect online conversations that mention your name and your company name across blogs, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, media outlets and more. Social listening platforms also provide sentiment analysis, an excellent feature that distinguishes between harmless chatter and attacks on your brand reputation. Most social listening platforms are a paid service but if a free solution will be more appropriate for you at this time, consider Talkwalker Alerts (by HootSuite). Incidentally, Talkwalker provides more extensive web and social listening coverage than Google Alerts and is easy to integrate into your workflow.

Finally, make a point to investigate online communities like Reddit and Quora. These platforms typically feature informal discussions and some have been known to quickly go viral. Get your investigation started with a targeted search— reddit.com:The Best Company to uncover mentions that might not appear on Bing or Google. Knowing what’s being said about you when you’re not in the room lets you know who your friends are and also gives you the opportunity to respond with a brand image defensive strategy.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: © Behnaz Farahi. Gaze to the Stars, an installation created by Behnaz Farahi, Assistant Professor at the MIT Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA. Gaze to the Stars was displayed on the MIT Great Dome December 2024-March 2025.

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Future-Proof Your Business NOW

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Freelancer friend, when did you last update—upgrade—your office technology? If it’s been more than five years since you’ve purchased hardware or software to modernize and optimize your company technology, let the warning bell ring and signal that it’s time to re-think your tech capabilities. While you’re at it, you can also research security solutions to defend your company against cyberattack. It is time to put on your strategic planning hat and future-proof your IT systems.

Think about it—if positioning yourself as a thought leader is an element of your marketing strategy, you cannot fully inhabit that role when the organization you lead is limping along on a seriously outdated, inadequate, IT infrastructure. Cyberthreats have become increasingly brazen and persistent, from high-profile data breaches to incursions into everyday life, such as a recent email that was sent to me by an alleged employee of an organization that has a name and email address similar to a company with whom I do business. The email message requested that I sign and return the attached “vendor contract and forms.” That message was the inspiration for this post (and it’s been deleted).

Updating and upgrading the technology that runs the business is an element of your risk management strategy and intended to protect your business by eliminating vulnerabilities. An updated IT system will bring many benefits to how you do business, including support of agile business practices, enabling operational efficiencies and facilitating a seamless and pleasing experience that not only keeps your customers coming back, but also inspires them to refer your company to their friends. Using the right technology is an affirmation of your brand promise.

So, whether it’s to strengthen IT security measures, or streamline business operations and enhance customer service and customer experience protocols, it will benefit you to rethink how you can optimize your use of technology, a reimagining that will likely cause you to consider Artificial Intelligence tools, cloud-based solutions marketing automation (which is now AI-powered) and customer relations management software.

Surrendering to avoidance behavior that makes you shy away from investing time and thought to considering goals you might pursue over the next 12-36 months or so, as well as researching potential tech solutions that are capable of supporting those goals, is costing you more than you think. The longer you plod along with outdated IT systems that no longer adequately serve your business, no matter that they’ve become familiar and comfortable, represents a risk—to the security of your data and to your ability to operate in an agile and efficient manner, for starters. Keeping up with Microsoft or Apple updates can only help so much—they are band-aids, a helpful short-term fix but not a comprehensive IT solution. Modernizing the technology that enables your business to function is not to be confused with buying the coolest and newest mobile phone. Your IT system is not a vanity project.

What technology does a Freelance consultant need?

Freelancers and other small business owners need hardware and software that serves both front-end (user facing) and back end functions (data management, processing, storage). A well thought-out IT strategy will function as a roadmap that outlines your technology needs and how to achieve them, including the budget and timeline. At top-of-mind must be that Freelancers are often in the B2B sector and work remotely; Work From Home demands a tech set-up that facilitates teamwork when team members are in different locations, maybe in different time zones, maybe on different continents.

Collaboration and communication tools that facilitate productivity and team cohesion are paramount for Freelancers and will include videoconferencing, team chat and project management. Also expected to be high on your IT shopping list will be AI tools and the hardware required to accommodate them and cloud-based solutions that will likely include CRM software, data protection and data retention.

A 2022 survey found that 61% of respondents whose companies upgraded their communication technology in the previous year primarily focused on streamlining processes, reducing costs, saving time and improving productivity to support the overall goal of making business operations more efficient. Those priorities will surely figure prominently in your IT upgrading decisions as well. Still, investing in customer experience tools has the potential to deliver tangible returns.

Let’s end with reassuring news—your IT upgrade needn’t be done all at once. The project can be structured to make it more affordable and manageable than you might expect in terms of time, money and decision-making stress. Your company’s IT infrastructure can be updated and upgraded step-by-step to replace obsolete equipment with modern solutions that align with your current strategies and will likely support your plans for future growth. Every wise and courageous action you take to move your company forward will deliver immediate benefits and also lay the groundwork for further progress.

Just remember that avoidance behavior will do you no favors and, in the end, will be more costly and stressful. Do yourself a favor and commit to starting the process within 30 days; if you’re in the midst of a big project, get started on your IT makeover within 30 days of wrapping things up. You will receive great satisfaction, among other rewards, by avoiding the drama of a hacking or other crises. The longer you put this off, the less control you’ll have over your time, money and satisfaction derived from your role as a company leader.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: Courtesy Wikimedia Commons (1994)

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Artificial Intelligence–Where Do You Begin?

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I haven’t used AI much, other than inviting this platform to do a free AI review of the posts I write for you, to make sure that the information is reasonably complete, for example, and my vocabulary choices clearly communicate what I want to share. Sometime soon, though, incorporating AI tools into my modest Freelance operation will be inevitable and as a Freelancer who fares best when operating expenses are reined in, thinking strategically about the business functions that will inaugurate my AI roll-out is a must. So as I work through this decision, I’ve decided to take you with me, because you’ll also need to figure out AI for your business needs in the near future. An AI tool is not an impulse buy. To obtain the results you want, big-picture thinking is needed.

  • Assess your current operations: Before spending money and implementing AI technology, review your business processes and identify where an upgrade would make a difference. For example, how might your productivity benefit if you could generate more extensive and specific data insights, or improve the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, or expedite content generation —blog, newsletter, marketing emails? Where might AI create the most value for your organization?
  • Start small: Choose one or two areas to implement AI tools and learn how to produce the results you want. A website chatbot programmed to answer inbound marketing FAQs might be a good place to start.
  • Let AI provide inspiration: In particular when using AI for content creation, remember that AI gives you a draft, such as suggesting good topics, or personalizing marketing messages for diverse audiences. Avoid directly posting AI-generated content on your website or social media accounts as your final version. Check AI suggested sources for accuracy.

Which AI tools are suitable for Freelancers and SMB?

As we head into 2025, it is understood that AI will become an essential resource to promote business growth, identify how to improve competitive positioning and overall move an organization forward. Whether you use AI to generate data analyses, conduct market research, create a revenue forecasting model, or manage customer relationships, these tools are designed to support companies of every size. Whether you’re a Freelance writer, wedding planner, or bookkeeper, there are AI tools that will improve your business operations in many ways, from project management to image creation, search engine optimization to financial projections. One or more of the four AI tools below may get you off to a good start.

Canva

Canva Magic Design makes it easier to design graphics that reflect your brand when you must create presentations, proposals, marketing emails, or other documents. Magic Design (with a complementary feature called Magic Write) is part of all Canva plans, including the free version. Jumpstart your design with either a text query or photo and Magic Design will auto-generate relevant templates that fit your description. With plain text commands and just a few clicks, you can create customized graphic designs. Just describe your preferred image or upload your media and Magic Design will create social media posts, presentations and even videos. No coding and advance design skills required. Subscription is either free, or from $9.99/month for Magic Design Pro.

  • Ask Canva to produce social media graphics for your marketing campaigns.
  • Update webpage template colors and fonts to match your brand color scheme.
  • Turn AI-generated content into a presentation slide deck.
  • Transform Instagram posts into a series of swipeable images known as a LinkedIn carousel post.
  • Upgrade your Canva plan with Magic Design for Presentations or Magic Design for Video.

Asana Intelligence

Asana Intelligence is an add-on to the Asana project management platform and is especially well-suited for IT, marketing and operations needs. Website developers and others who work with multiple clients might use Asana Intelligence to track client projects and write status updates that keep clients informed. Teams may use Asana Intelligence to aid in making shared project management faster and easier. Customer service virtual assistants can speed up client workflows when the Intelligence feature is activated. Users can also ask questions on any work in Asana to receive insights, identify challenges and set up next steps.‍, keeping the client in the loop. This versatility makes Asana Intelligence a nice choice for those responsible for both creative and administrative work. Premium and Business tier Asana plans include the Intelligence feature at no additional cost. Plans start at $10.99 per user, per month.

  • Create automated workflows that activate when someone new joins your Asana team or project.
  • Sort and label projects with auto-generated fields.
  • Generate summaries and action items for projects.
  • Edit project summaries and team messages for voice, tone and clarity.
  • Find data points and information in a project within an Asana workspace.

ChatGPT

ChatGPT is a generative AI chatbot that users can interact with through conversation threads, making it an excellent tool for projects that require lots of Q & A to drill down into specific market challenges, customer pain points, or competitor strengths, for example. Its conversational interface makes ChatGPT great for narrowing down discussions that help you discover the nuances—that might mean an exploration of your customer journey or understanding your customer’s end-user workflows. ChatGPT can also help build a more powerful go-to-market strategy for new product launches by identifying influential players in your target market and revealing relationships and interactions between those influential players that can influence both product or service sales and the customer experience. This step is very helpful to find people to interview and build relationships with to improve your go-to-market strategy. Buy a Plus subscription is $20/month to access what you’ll probably need.

  • Data collection for market research.
  • Discover and explore untapped market opportunities.
  • Write drafts for project proposals.
  •  Identify growth strategies, find ways to reach new audiences and discover insights that position you as an industry thought leader.
  • Create a revenue forecasting model to assist in predicting future financial performance based on historical data and assumptions. Conduct scenario analysis, a financial model that allows users to test different possibilities and assess their impact on financial outcomes.

Lumen5

Lumen5 is an AI video generation platform for marketers. The platform enables those without training or experience to easily create video content by simplifying the process of converting text into engaging visual content. Its user-friendly drag-and-drop interface and automatic text transformation capabilities make video creation much easier, saving time and effort. Storyboarding and video editing are two key advantages. You can use the service to create two kinds of videos:

  • Auto-captioned talking head videos using footage that you upload.
  • Marketing videos based on written presentations, documents, or blog posts.

When creating marketing videos based on a document, the text is all you need. You don’t have to film any footage yourself—Lumen5 will generate visual content that pairs with your words. Lumen5 plans start at $19 per month and allow you to create both videos and AI-generated voice-overs for your clients.

  • Marketers can use the tool to create content for client marketing campaigns.
  • Sales managers can turn presentations into personalized videos for prospects.
  • Freelancers can turn to Lumen5 for help creating their own social media content.

Disadvantages of AI

While AI has numerous highly valuable benefits, the technology also carries potential downsides. Being circumspect about the big picture consequences of implementing AI is important for you, your customers and your community. Think corporate social responsibility.

  • Job displacement–AI’s abilities to automate processes, generate rapid content and work for long periods of time can mean job displacement for human workers.
  • Data quality–AI models are only as good as the data they are trained with. The model will produce unreliable results if the data is incomplete or inaccurate. If you’ve previously used SAAS tools, always double-check the result of AI generated info.
  • Hallucinations–AI systems may inadvertently “hallucinate” or produce inaccurate outputs when trained on insufficient or biased data, leading to the generation of false information. 
  • Ethical concerns–AI systems may be developed in a manner that isn’t transparent, inclusive or sustainable, resulting in a lack of explanation for potentially harmful AI decisions as well as a negative impact on users and businesses.
  • Privacy concerns–The data collected and stored by AI systems may be done so without user consent or knowledge and may even be accessed by unauthorized individuals in the case of a data breach.
  • Environmental costs–Large-scale AI systems can require a substantial amount of energy to operate and process data, which increases carbon emissions and water consumption.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: © Marciobnws for Shutterstock. The Creation of Artificial Intelligence by Man, an image inspired by The Creation of Adam (1508-1512) by Michelangelo.

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AI 2024: Freelancers and SMB Think Marketing

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So much of operating a successful business centers on marketing. Generating revenue is about customers: bringing them in and keeping who you have, all the while doing what you can to outmaneuver competitors and work around business climate challenges. To slip through the obstacle course and achieve those objectives, you must think and execute strategically and that includes making use of resources available to you. Among the most powerful and most discussed resources can be found in the many groundbreaking technological developments that have so radically reshaped our lives over the past hundred years.

Some of these useful and exciting tools are capable of delivering significant advantages to your organization—quick access to relevant data, the analysis and interpretation of that data and automation of routine functions such as email marketing and social media posting among them—all can be yours with just a few taps on your keypad. Your task is to stay abreast of the fast pace of emerging technologies and recognize the tools that will give you operational efficiencies you need most at a price you can afford.

The tool that’s got everybody talking is, tah dah, Artificial Intelligence. Open AI/Microsoft (Chat GPT), Google AI, Nvidia AI and Amazon (AWS machine learning) are among the leaders in the race to dominate AI technology. It’s imperative to start your learning curve and figure out the right way to use AI in your business. Maybe you’ve already started and have a chat bot on your website? That’s a great tool to enhance customer service and there are more marketing functions that AI can successfully support.

More than a trend

AI’s gift to marketing rests on its data-driven insights that help you personalize the customer experiences your company provides. Freelancers and small business owners are able to affordably access AI generated data that is actionable, meaning you can convert whatever insights you’ve gleaned into marketing strategies that can be expected to move the needle and set your organization apart in a highly competitive marketplace.

Personalization builds relationships

Marketing thought leaders have already pointed out that the future of effective marketing is personalization. Creating a memorably satisfying customer experience has replaced the hard sell. Now, the task is to lead customers to develop a connection with your business and give them reasons to continue doing business with you. Promoting connection through the inclusion of personalized marketing tactics is how to build relationships now, as you discourage churn and encourage repeat business.

New technologies, AI and otherwise, enable you to precisely personalize your company’s marketing strategies and tactics. The data that AI et al. delivers enables you to deepen your understanding of the customer persona by amassing demographic info that, among other insights, gives you actionable data about their buying habits and preferred experiences that you can use to make them feel valued. You can use recently developed technological tools, including AI, to create a more trusting and mutually beneficial relationship between your company and customers that ultimately leads them to give your marketing content more responses and followers that result in more sales, donations and growth for your organization.

Personalize and optimize AI prompts to personalize and optimize marketing content

The good news about AI technology is that it enables users to create both text and visual content. The downside, if you want to call it that, is you must “tell” your AI tool the result you want; to make it happen, you must learn to write instructions known as prompts. AI prompts can be divided into two categories: text prompting and image prompting. The prompt is how users communicate with the chosen AI tool—think key words and long-tail phrases. With prompts, you “tell” the AI what you want and how you want it to be done. You must describe what you want to see as a result.  

In text prompting, you’re “talking” to a natural language processor like ChatGPT. If your prompt is a general query, e.g., “how do you bake bread?”, you’ll be given a generic answer. But if your prompt is a more specific query or statement, e.g., “explain in simple terms how to bake whole wheat bread”, then you’ll likely end up with an acceptable recipe. When your goal is to create an image, you’ll use image prompting words to describe that image. The AI image generator is a text-to-image tool that was designed to make it easier for digital marketers and content creators to create images online. The text-to-image models you’ll use will include DALL-E2, Google’s Deep Dream Generator, Jasper.ai, or Stable Diffusion.

Incidentally, know that while AI tools are designed to process language, they have a different way of understanding than your average human. When using a natural language text prompting tool, you may receive outcomes that are incorrect or downright nonsensical, so it may take several tries, using different phrases to develop the prompt, to arrive at the outcome that you want. 

A cheat sheet of prompts written by someone else most likely will not produce optimal results. Your own words, perfected through a process of trial and error, in the end will breed success. Before you get started with AI prompts, here are a few things to keep in mind:

  1. There’s no magic prompt. The Internet is flooded with AI prompts, but it might take some trial and error before you figure out which type is most effective for your particular use case. 
  2. Clarify your desired outcome. A good rule of thumb: the response will generally be as broad or specific as its prompt. In some cases, it might actually be preferable to skimp on the details—like if you’re brainstorming blog post topics and want more varied and diverse answers. Something more complex, like a sales playbook or chatbot script, will almost always require more details.
  3. Garbage in, garbage out. The quality of the output depends entirely on the input. AI enables teams to move a lot faster, but it’s still important to take the time to flesh out your prompts. Otherwise, you could find yourself drowning in responses that are unclear, inaccurate, irrelevant or just wildly off-base.  

Marketing copy text prompts

Ramp up your creativity with prompts like “craft a brief, captivating story of a summer trip” or “compose a social post introducing a new skincare product for winters.” The suggestions that you get for these prompts can inspire imaginative content. Another strategy is to tailor your content based on audience preferences — from short-form copy to artwork, music and videos. This can help generate more tailored, engaging content for social media posts or emails. 

Informational text prompts

Hone in on the most relevant metrics and other info that’s buried in big data by using prompts like “provide a brief overview of Adidas’ top-performing footwear collection.” This is perfect for informed decision-making and finding out what’s still trending. 

Reasoning text prompts  

These prompts go beyond facts. They help AI provide thoughtful conclusions about a subject, adding depth and insight to your content. This includes prompts like “what is the impact of sustainable practices on corporate profitability?” Such lines of questioning can go a long way in helping you with industry knowledge and competitive analysis questions. 

List text prompts

Compile lists effortlessly by using prompts like “create a list of engaging podcast topics in the realm of artificial intelligence.” They’re ideal for generating concise, bulleted options, be it for email subject lines or blog titles. These prompts help structure your thoughts in a more systematic way. 

Instructional text prompts  

Guide your content creation with prompts like “detail the process of setting up a home automation system from scratch.” Utilize them to provide step-by-step guidance, which is incredibly useful for creating how-to guides or informative content. 

Interactive text prompts  

Interactive prompts initiate conversations. This includes prompts like “imagine you’re a travel guide giving recommendations for a solo trip to an exotic destination.” They create engaging scenarios, which are ideal for training sessions or interactive content. 

Keyword text prompts  

Keyword prompts pinpoint words or phrases. They are used for tasks like drawing insights from data or aiding in image and video creation. Take the example of this prompt: “Generate creative ideas for nutritious meal options that are easy to prepare at home. Focus on incorporating fresh ingredients and simple cooking techniques.” This keyword prompt guides the AI by specifying terms like “nutritious,” “easy-to-make,” “fresh ingredients” and “simple cooking techniques,” providing a clear direction for content generation related to healthy and easy-to-make meals. 

Image prompts

Use a phrase to describe what you’re looking for. A few specific details about the object or character, including a description of the character or object that will be in the foreground or background and the setting you’d like to see in your preferred image design.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

 

 

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Making Sense of Your Data

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When you think about it for a minute, you might agree that basically every aspect of your business can benefit from relevant and timely information—-i.e., data. However, your potentially helpful data can leave you with a puzzle to put together, unfamiliar terrain to navigate, before you can make sense of the information and understand the picture it’s trying to show you.

The puzzle pieces that contain your data could be expressed in various formats, e.g., columns of numbers, pie charts, bar graphs, or the written opinions of researchers and thought leaders. Furthermore, the data sources often use different benchmarks and measuring standards and make getting a sense of things sort of a wrestling match.

Analyzing data reminds me of buying produce at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. At Trader Joe’s, the bananas are 19 cents each and there are no scales. At Whole Foods, bananas are 49 cents a pound. How can I calculate what I’m paying for the fruit or the other produce that I buy at each market and compare prices?

Data analysts and other experts say that for much of the information we access, tools that cut through the maze and bring focus to the picture, such as identifying patterns and trends for you to consider, are a must. Otherwise, you’ll be unable to fully comprehend the data’s story, unable to make good use of the information and enable it do what you need it to do, which is to support good decision-making. Micrsoft Excel or Power BI, Python, Jupyter and Apache Spark are among the most highly rated data analytics tools.

Among the most common functions that data analysis is called upon to provide insight are:

Marketing teams use data to examine website visits, often by way of Google Analytics and social media stats, by way of services such as BuzzSumo, Sprout Social, or HubSpot. Understanding what’s happening in the company’s marketplace and revealing customer behavior by analyzing Descriptive Analytic data is a typical goal.

Sales teams use data to understand the customer buying journey and learn what motivates a sale, along with revealing customer buying patterns. With access to unlimited online information, prospective customers are better informed about potential purchases than they’ve ever been. B2B sales researchers have documented that prospects are usually 80% of the way through the buying cycle before making contact with a sales team. Customers are in the driver’s seat.

Finance/ Accounting teams have always had access to the reams of data that’s attached to invoices, accounts payable and receivable transactions, sales revenue, inventory counts and other movements of money and resources.

Operations teams are charged with continually reviewing any number of business processes, from how to source or manufacture the products and services that a company sells, to recommending the most optimal methods to connect those products to customers, to ensuring that company offices are equipped with effective HVAC systems. Obtaining data that reveals operational efficiencies and enables business functions to be executed in the easiest, fastest and least costly or risky methods is the eternal goal.


Yet the question has always been, how can anyone—-multinational conglomerate or Freelance solopreneur—-maximize the value of your data?

  • Put data to work Your data is wasted unless you examine it, interpret it and let it guide your actions and decision-making.
  • Sort and analyze Appropriately grouping, categorizing and analyzing your data makes business intelligence tools necessary when working with large amounts of data. Today, data analysis means Artificial Intelligence. AI-powered systems will in mere seconds collect, sort, analyze and make meaningful recommendations for you and your team to review and evaluate. If that’s not enough, your AI tool will ”learn” from the data you feed it and the recommendations it makes to continually refine and improve the outcomes.
  • Strengths into opportunities Let your data show you where you shine. Maybe it’s your amazing referral rate or customer retention rate. Maybe it’s the memorable customer experience that you create or the loyal followers who’ve turned into brand cheerleaders for your company.
  • Prioritize Get clear and pragmatic about goals and objectives the organization would be wise to pursue over the long and short terms. Your customers and their emerging preferences and priorities are certain to influence the strategies and actions that emerge at the head of the line. Let the marketplace guide you.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: © Warner Brothers Pictures. Malcolm McDowell in A Clockwork Orange (1971), directed by Stanley Kubrick 

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AI and U: Bye, Bye Billables

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The trouble hasn’t trickled down to us middle grade Freelance consultants or small boutique consulting companies yet,  mostly because we are not servicing Fortune 500 C-Suite clients, but apparently, the Artificial Intelligence phenomenon is being positioned to impact in particular the high-end management consultants and not for the better.  Eventually, our comparatively modest stratum will be touched as well, depending on the services that your consultancy provides.  I’ve got no love for the consulting giants Bain and McKinsey, but I’m worried by this trend.

AI is already at work, automating routine tasks such as maintaining calendars, but it is now poised to support decision-making functions in HR, marketing, finance (budgeting) and resource allocation.  It seems safe to say that AI will in the near future be used as a strategic planning tool.

According to The Wall Street Journal, U.S. businesses spent $58.7 billion on management consulting services in 2016, a 7.1% increase over 2015, and the bulk of the business was generated by the financial services industry.  The primary expertise of high-end management consultants is data analysis and presentation and facilitating long-range strategic planning.  It is becoming obvious that AI can execute many functions as well as an elite consultant, and can perform more accurately, faster and at a fraction of the cost of a consultant’s billable rate.

Do you have an iPad or iPhone? Then you are part of the AI revolution yourself whenever you ask voice-activated Siri to give you directions or show you the lunch menu at a new restaurant.  Alexa, the AI voice-activated digital personal assistant app for your tablet or smart phone developed by Amazon, will already allow you to control your smart home features such as lighting, heating/ air conditioning and keyless entry for your doors.  Presently, Alexa has the capability to answer economic questions for clients of the Swiss global financial services giant UBS Group AG.  The Wall Street Journal reported that Alexa will answer UBS client queries by using information provided by its chief investment office.  Alexa is expected to soon begin analyzing markets and may also be used to buy and sell stocks.

Meanwhile Boston-based Blackrock, the financial planning and investment management outfit, which happens to be the world’s largest asset management firm, used by institutions and individuals, is rolling out computer-driven algorithms and models in a move toward management by smart machines, that is, employing passive management rather than active management of their funds.  In other words, a machine will become the asset manager of Blackrock’s funds and not human, salary, bonus and benefits receiving employees.

Like the 1992 candidate for president Ross Perot predicted, that sucking sound you hear is your job going out the window.  The middle class is about to shrink some more.  Happy Labor Day.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Photograph of Lost in Space, the CBS-TV series 1965 – 1968               Jonathan Harris (as Dr. Smith) and the robot