Buried deep beneath the conversational earth

Here’s a phrase you’ve heard a thousand times while waiting on hold.

This call may be monitored or recorded for quality assurance and training purposes.

That disclaimer probably doesn’t even phase you anymore. Of course the company is recording your phone call. It’s standard procedure and good business hygiene. Not only for compliance and legal protection, but also for data integration, performance monitoring, call analytics, and so on.

Most companies do it. Government agencies aren’t the only institutions that know everything about us.

But let’s not go down the libertarian paranoia rabbit hole just yet. Because this is a good thing.

I’ve worked for companies that used call recording software, and while I’m not a team member who’s making calls, like our salespeople or customer success reps, this tool has still given me a significant source of leverage and insight as a marketer.

I simply treat the platform a podcast of my customers.

Now all of the sudden, something mundane like tens of thousands of recorded phone calls, elevates into a unique, intriguing and valuable asset. Now it’s accessible and relatable. Treating it like a podcast repositions what would otherwise be another mountain of data. It helps me see the practical benefit of a tool most people overlook.

Where is the podcast of your customers? How are you leveraging it for valuable insights into customer pain points, needs, and perceptions?

All the gems are there. Buried deep beneath the conversational earth, awaiting excavation. Insight isn’t as hard to find as people think it is. It’s simply a function of intention, attention, volume and variety.

The more input that crosses your field of view, the more leverage you have, the more entry points insight have to enter, and the more paradigm shifts you can ultimately generate.