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Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Selling Copiers in the Big City - Don't Mind the Maggots

Is there a better picture illustrating NYC's struggles?
Greg's Words

Not to kick someone when they are down, but NYC is in bad shape with crime is a symptom of failed, short-sighted, agenda-driven, and ignorant policies.  

The exodus, the move to remote work, and the hollow, transparent arguments from the mayor to return to the cubicle combined with a deep seeded sense of victimhood, conscious bias, and entitlement, swirl together in a rank, putrid, oozing sense of doom.

Why would ANYONE want to put themselves through this gauntlet, just to 'collaborate in person'?

New York City was on my list of Greg's Top Ten cities in the US - New York, San Fransisco, Seattle, Chicago, Portland, Las Vegas, Laguna Beach, San Diego, South Beach(Miami), and Scottsdale.

Honorable mention: Milwaukee, and Detroit which are dangerous, but manageable.
The sun goes down
The night rolls in
You can feel it
Starting all over again
The moon comes up
And the music calls...
Here's the rub - As you(we) sell and support Office Technology within the city limits, the number of prospects in those cities has tumbled with no possible increase for the foreseeable future.

How are you going to continue to grow and build your book of office technology business when employees don't want to come to an office?  Crime, or the PERCEPTION of possible harm, not only hurts the image of once great(the return to greatness will happen) cities but degrades the opportunity for you to sell more copiers, IT services, managed print, scanners, document management software, etc.

It's just one more 'thing'.  There are great people in Chicago, New York, San Fransisco, and all the other cities on the path Detroit has been traveling since the 70s - they will come back, better, stronger and different.

In the meantime, those who stay may be Champions.  You love The City, your city, "It's in your moves
It's in your blood".  

Hang in there, everything changes.
_________

Tuesday, May 23, 2023

Artificial Intelligence in Education: ChatGPT Brings One-on-One Teaching to Scale


Title: "Khan Academy is using ChatGPT to bring one-on-one teaching to scale."
Source: The Wall Street Journal
Date: May 21, 2023

Greg's Words

We're still looking for AI's impact on revenue while it starts to penetrate the cost reduction side of the balance sheet.  

Meanwhile, on the education front, fear is giving way to innovation.  One school is utilizing ChatGPT to enhance its educational journey.

Selling technology to education is a pain - isn't it?  Bids, low technical skill, and no business acumen in the decision-making process make the effort singularly based on price, not results.

It's a tough gig, but every now and then, an innovative project comes up overcoming systemic fear and the 'cover your ass' mentality.  

This may be one such event.

 Key highlights:
  • Khan Academy is developing an artificial intelligence-based tool, "Khanmigo," aiming to personalize and revolutionize education by integrating OpenAI's ChatGPT.
  • Khanmigo enables students to ask questions during lessons or videos, offering personalized and contextually aware responses.
  • Khan Academy launched a limited rollout of Khanmigo in March 2023, with wider availability planned for June 15.
_________

Bud Light - Marketing is Overpowering the Act of Selling



In casting an accusing gaze, one cannot help but point a finger at the masterfully produced drama series, "Mad Men." Our present-day fascination and subsequent overvaluation of marketers find its root in the series' enthralling depiction of the golden era of Madison Avenue.

With the phrase "demand generation" gaining popularity, I must admit I remain at odds with its premise. I maintain that demand is not a construct, rather it's something to be unearthed. If anything, demand should be drawn in, courted even, not relentlessly pursued with aggressive targeting. Yes, I confess, I may be leaning toward the idealistic end of the spectrum.

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Greg Walters, Incorporated
greg@grwalters.com
262.370.4193