Back in college, I spent a lot of time with a clunky machine on my lap that weighed probably 20lbs. This machine would scan textbooks and read them aloud to me. It would also connect to my computer and, as I typed, would read to me the words on the screen.
I was blind at the time.
Oh, did I forget to mention that? It’s true. And Voice gave me accessibility to things—essential things— I wouldn’t have had otherwise. Voice technology was life-saving for me in college.
While I leveraged voice technology then in ways most people didn’t know existed, I never imagined it would grow into what it is today. Alexa, Siri, Google Voice, Google Translate, transcription services, home automation, podcasting, getting directions, booking a taxi, texting from our vehicles, audiobooks… on and on. Voice is a huge part of our daily lives now, and— in many ways—it sort of snuck in there. Snuck in and found a massive foothold. So, why are we not being more purposeful with leveraging this technology in our businesses?
Take a look at the channels we have at our disposal. Out of all of them, Voice is the closest thing to human interaction we get. Voice clears up misunderstandings, which—let’s be honest—are often caused by texting in the first place. Emojis were born in an attempt to invoke even a fraction of the emotion that Voice can communicate in a single syllable. And, even those haven’t been able to cut it; hence, the creation of literal avatars and cartoon self-images meant to convey how we’re feeling. Why? Because, text and language can be misinterpreted. It’s why so many of us, after a long text thread, send or receive the ever-popular “Can I call you?” message. Voice provides the clarity and tonality of conversation that we all yearn for.
When you really need to talk to someone, silly smiley faces don’t do it for us. In the most critical moments of our lives—and in everyday interactions—hearing a voice on the other end of the line ultimately wins. Every time.
We even have the ability now to communicate across language barriers with voice and google translate. “Hey google, how do you say I love my family in Spanish?” Google responds, not just in text, but with a spoken, “Amo a mí familía.” And boom, a native Spanish speaker knows what you’re saying. Voice has opened opportunities for people to experience the world, without fear of a language barrier getting in the way.
As a new channel, Voice helps activate experiences in a whole new way, and the possibilities here are endless. It requires very little education or literacy. Those that have struggles with literacy can speak to someone without fear of being misunderstood or judged for imperfect grammar. Even my youngest son—well before he could read or write—exercised (over and over) that toddler-induced need for independence with his frequent, “Hey Alexa, play Baby Shark”.
What does this have to do with your brand? Everything.
When it comes to the relationship you build with your customers, voice technology opens up doors. Plain and simple. In fact, a lot of people are already using it! My friend, Sarah, recently mentioned that she’s been using her Amazon Echo to order groceries and control her thermostat. She loves the convenience of voice technology, and said she’s definitely going to upgrade to the Echo Dot when it comes out. Here’s the thing: we all know she’s not remotely unique in this. The truth is, if your brand isn’t using voice technology yet, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to meaningfully connect with customers.
That’s what Flip is all about: providing the very best avenue for real connection. We’re also big on delivering immediate value. Our Voice automation helps you handle simple tasks quickly and affordably, with very little effort. With a less than 30 minute implementation, we have you up and running and seeing results by end of day. So, if you’re looking to access the power of Voice—the channel people innately crave—Flip is the place to start.
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