Implementing Invisible Technology to Power Great Customer Experiences with Tom Martin, CEO at Glance Networks

This episode features an interview with Tom Martin, CEO at Glance Networks, a software company that provides in-the-moment web and mobile co-browsing, screen share, and video solutions that help increase customer satisfaction, improve brand loyalty, and drive new revenue. In this episode, Tom talks about the key to brand loyalty, removing friction points in the customer journey, and how the best technology is invisible.Quotes*”The loneliest place in the world isn't the desert, it's the internet. And people wanna do business with other human beings that they know, like and trust. And when you realize that the world has gotten really complicated and then you have to do everything digitally, we realized that this human piece, this human component, married and brought together with digital suddenly is like the winning combination to really deliver the outcomes that businesses are looking and seeking to achieve.”*”When you can be a business that can help people achieve [their] goals by providing that level of expertise in the middle of a journey, you realize [that] we can actually get more people through that journey and have the outcomes that we're looking for. And that's why people stay in touch. They have a great relationship and suddenly you're the face of that company. The technology needs to be there, but suddenly it's that emotional connection that binds you to that company, into that product that suddenly makes you that lifetime or higher loyalty customer.”*”Humans take the path of least resistance. They're like water. And so if you can remove steps and reduce that friction, that might be the biggest reason why people choose to work with you versus someone else.”*”I think about technology, and if you can make technology create an experience that allows two people to engage and communicate, and they never have to know how the technology works, it's never really present, and it works in the background, suddenly you're like, we've achieved Nirvana.”*”I.M. Pei, the great architect, always said, 'Simplicity is the art of design.' And so, you look at Japanese woodwork and you realize it's so complex, but on the outside, it looks so simple. And the beauty is so apparent. But behind it, it's all these little widgets and connections and joints to create this experience. And I think that to me is what most companies are attempting to achieve. Not all actually achieve it, but how do you create simple experiences knowing the technology is the enabler of the experience?”*”I think you start with the customer journey and you also try to start with how customers are also buying and consuming other things, not just within your own environment. Because today, businesses are really competing against other experiences.”*”When you can have an experience [where you] order something and it shows up tomorrow, you then have to ask yourself, Why is it so hard to buy a car? Why is it so hard to apply for a mortgage? Why is enrolling in healthcare this hard and it takes so long? My expectations have shifted, not because my expectations of healthcare have shifted. It's because I'm having better experiences elsewhere.”*”The best companies have organized around saying someone needs to own the journey, the experience. What is our face to the customer? Knowing full well that they're gonna need to interface with different parts of the business to make it happen, to make it be realized. But you can't sit there and have different parts of the organization be like, ‘No, we're gonna do it this way and we're gonna do it this way.’ It has to be a unified approach.”Time Stamps*[0:10] The Case of Implementing Invisible Technology to Power Great Customer Experiences*[0:24] Introducing Tom Martin, CEO at Glance Networks*[6:35] Facilitating conversation and collaboration using embedded technology*[8:53] Where to begin your technology journey*[10:51] Finding inspiration from your own best customer experience*[14:42] Creating a unified approach to CX*[21:59] Personalizing the future customer experience*[23:42] Creating an affordably luxurious experience for your customer*[31:46] Extending your brand through the experience*[33:10] Debrief*[34:15] HGS PubBioTom Martin serves as chief executive officer of Glance, and oversees the company’s strategy, product development, and go-to-market activities. Tom is known as a customer experience and contact center strategist, product lifecycle expert, and partnership builder. Tom has led Glance through a successful “pivot,” transitioning from a small business screen share tool to a provider of omnichannel visual engagement solutions for some of the largest enterprises in the world. Since that pivot, Glance has experienced multiple years of 70 percent of Year over Year growth. Prior to joining Glance in 2013, Tom spent over a decade at Verizon building and managing strategic partnerships. Outside of the office, Tom is an avid backcountry skier, mountaineer, and competitive cyclist.Thank you to our friendsThis podcast is brought to you by HGS. A global leader in optimizing the customer experience lifecycle, digital transformation, and business process management, HGS is helping its clients become more competitive every day. Learn more at hgs.cx.LinksConnect with Tom on LinkedInFollow Tom on TwitterConnect with Lyssa on LinkedInCheck out HGS