Don't Underestimate Your Value

The other day I was scrolling LinkedIn and I came across a former customer of mine talking about AI powered virtual meeting notes, something I know all too well these days. He mentioned both Google and Microsoft in his post, but (gasp!) not Zoom. My initial response was confusion. Don't you know you have that (and more!) with your Zoom license and you don't have to pay extra for it?!

So, I commented on the post - "Don’t forget about Zoom AI Companion and the Meeting Summary feature!". Now, he and I had a very good customer/vendor relationship, so I knew he would be receptive to me saying something. However, I was a bit concerned how he might respond. Would he say he tried it and its terrible? Would he say they were moving away from Zoom so he wasn't going to consider it? What he responded with shocked me a bit, "Valid point! I should have noted Zoom AI, too. This is what happens when I don’t have you telling me about all the cool stuff Zoom comes out with every month! 😆".

There are a handful of things I learned from this interaction. First, even though he gets the automated emails from Zoom on a regular basis, and the fact that AI has been all we've been talking about for the past 8-12 months, Zoom didn't even come into the conversation until a Zoom employee reminded him. Second, most people don't read marketing emails. Last but not least, it seems I actually provided a value to him as his former Customer Success Manager.

I know the headlines read that AI is going to take all of our jobs. That, unlike in the past where more jobs were created because of a technological breakthrough, this time will be different. I myself have a real fear of this and I do think it will be very disruptive to many. Well, at least for now, human to human interaction, even if it is through computer screens, is still really valuable and worth the investment. Just be sure that you continue to bring additional value in your interactions and don't just phone it in. AI can do that for you... 😏