Gen5 – Communication and Miscommunication
A conversation between Skip and Francis
Skip:
Welcome, everyone, to episode three of our Lead Generation Gen Five Podcast Series. Hey, Frankie, how are you doing?
Frankie:
Very good, thank you.
Skip:
Excellent. What are we going to talk about today?
Frankie:
Today, we’re diving deep into one of the problems we overviewed in our previous session – specifically, the issues that arise when people talk to other people and the inherent problems that can come up when you’re dealing with other people.
Skip:
Sounds like we’re about to have a therapy session!
Frankie:
(Laughs) It does, doesn’t it? But seriously, in any project involving a lot of people—especially in lead generation—communication is key. Everyone knows that good communication is essential to avoid errors and achieve goals, but that’s where the problems start to appear.
Skip:
What are some of the main problems you’ve observed?
Frankie:
Having worked in the technical services division for so long, I’ve noticed that communication between clients and our team can often get muddled. Clients tell us what they need, and we go off to execute those tasks. But the formalities and informalities of communication tend to blend, which can cause issues.
Skip:
What do you mean by that?
Frankie:
I’m talking about the chit-chat—the small talk that some people love, and others hate. It happens over email, Microsoft Teams calls, and other platforms. It’s those “Hi, hope you’re doing well” kind of messages that can become part of an email’s furniture. But when informal conversations blend into more formal discussions, that’s when things get tricky, especially on the sales side.
Skip:
So, the issue is that important information can get lost in the noise?
Frankie:
Exactly. When you’re exchanging 20 or 30 emails on a subject, it’s easy for the critical details to get buried among all the other chatter. And it’s not just the chit-chat; sometimes you have important conversations all jumbled together in one place. This makes it easy to miss key points or waste time trying to find where something was discussed.
Skip:
I can relate to that. It’s frustrating when you know something was discussed, but you can’t remember where. And then you have to search through multiple channels to find it.
Frankie:
Yes, and that’s part of the problem. We touched on this in our Week Two podcast when we talked about businesses bringing in technological solutions to help with communication. The issue is that communication then gets spread across multiple platforms, like Microsoft Teams, Slack, email, and even WhatsApp.
Skip:
And that’s a nightmare to manage.
Frankie:
It really is. Especially when informal communication, like chatting on WhatsApp, starts blending with formal work discussions. For example, you might be arranging a social event with a client over WhatsApp, but then you also send an important work-related message through the same channel because you know it’s the quickest way to reach them.
Skip:
I’ve seen that happen. And it’s tricky because once clients have access to your personal contact, they might think it’s okay to reach out anytime, even during weekends or holidays.
Frankie:
Exactly. It’s a boundary issue, and it also complicates things when managing lead generation campaigns. We spend a lot of time focusing on the channels we use for executing campaigns, but we don’t always think about the channels we’re using to manage them.
Skip:
So, how is Gen Five going to solve this problem?
Frankie:
One important aspect of product definition is establishing what a product is not before defining what it is. We’re not aiming to create a utopian future where everyone uses a single communication platform—that’s unrealistic. Instead, we’re focusing on making sure the system can provide control and transparency over the moments that matter in communication.
The system will ensure that, as you reach consensus on something, it captures those key decisions. So, while informal conversations can still happen, the system will be responsible for logging the final agreed-upon decisions. This way, you have a clear record without needing to sift through endless emails and chats.
Skip:
That sounds like it will save a lot of time and reduce errors.
Frankie:
Absolutely. The system will help manage RFPs, for example. It will serve as a central repository for all the assets needed for a campaign, and it will automate the process of sending out RFPs to suppliers. This eliminates the manual legwork of managing multiple email threads and reduces the chances of errors.
Skip:
And it also saves time, which doesn’t add value but eats up a lot of it.
Frankie:
Exactly. It’s about replacing the grunt work with a more efficient system. With Gen Five, you’ll be able to press a single button to handle what used to take 30 minutes of opening and checking emails. This not only cuts down on inefficiencies but also reduces the human error that comes from trying to juggle multiple tasks at once.
Skip:
I like that the system doesn’t eliminate chit-chat, but rather focuses on capturing the key components—those important decisions that get made after hours of discussion.
Frankie:
Yes, that’s a crucial part of the design. We’re not trying to get rid of the informal conversations, which are important for building relationships. Instead, we’re making sure that when key decisions are made, they’re captured in the system so that everyone knows where to find them.
Skip:
It sounds like this will make collaboration much easier and more transparent, especially when someone needs to take over a project temporarily.
Frankie:
That’s the goal. We want to empower people to collaborate more effectively, without worrying that important information is buried in someone’s email inbox or lost in a chat. By providing transparency and control, the system ensures that everyone can stay on the same page, even if someone has to step away from the project.
Skip:
I can’t wait to see it in action. Anything else you want to add before we wrap up?
Frankie:
Just that our vision is to create a system that empowers good communication and collaboration. We all know the difference between good and bad communication, and with Gen Five, we aim to push everyone towards that good side—where things run smoothly, and everyone is a lot happier with each other.
Skip:
That’s a great note to end on. Frankie, thanks for the time today.
Frankie:
Thank you, Skip.
Skip:
Join us next time, when we’ll be talking about specification errors—another thing that frustrates Frankie.
