WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.850 --> 00:00:04.458 Welcome to ChannelWaves, the podcast where channel leaders 2 00:00:04.458 --> 00:00:07.914 share success strategies, best practices, and emerging trends, 3 00:00:07.914 --> 00:00:09.748 brought to you by StructuredWeb. 4 00:00:09.748 --> 00:00:11.738 Here's your host, Steven Kellam. 5 00:00:11.738 --> 00:00:13.610 Welcome everyone to ChannelWaves 6 00:00:13.610 --> 00:00:15.476 StructuredWeb's view into everything channel. 7 00:00:15.476 --> 00:00:17.988 I'm your host, Steven Kellam, and today we 8 00:00:17.988 --> 00:00:20.282 are going to be talking about Generative AI. 9 00:00:20.282 --> 00:00:23.236 And I'm very excited to have Chris Lamborn join us. 10 00:00:23.236 --> 00:00:25.034 Welcome, Chris. Hey, Steven. 11 00:00:25.034 --> 00:00:26.236 Great to be here. 12 00:00:26.236 --> 00:00:29.548 So Chris is a former channel chief and now is 13 00:00:29.548 --> 00:00:33.804 the Principal at Channel XLR8, which is well, actually, I'm going 14 00:00:33.804 --> 00:00:36.594 to let you tell us a little bit about XLR8. 15 00:00:36.594 --> 00:00:37.212 Thanks. 16 00:00:37.212 --> 00:00:40.406 So Channel XLR8 is essentially an advisory 17 00:00:40.406 --> 00:00:43.088 business that works with emerging vendors to 18 00:00:43.088 --> 00:00:44.736 help them maximize the channel. 19 00:00:44.736 --> 00:00:47.862 There's a lot of complexity and potentially 20 00:00:47.862 --> 00:00:49.040 a lot of cost in that. 21 00:00:49.040 --> 00:00:51.158 And we're about helping them build a robust 22 00:00:51.158 --> 00:00:53.476 business that they can then continue to grow. 23 00:00:53.476 --> 00:00:56.212 Generative AI might actually come 24 00:00:56.212 --> 00:00:58.000 in very handy on that. 25 00:00:58.850 --> 00:01:00.852 Generative AI, and you start to look at 26 00:01:00.852 --> 00:01:04.244 all of the modern technologies is really about 27 00:01:04.244 --> 00:01:06.776 helping others do more with what they have. 28 00:01:06.776 --> 00:01:09.784 And so I think most definitely you're looking at companies 29 00:01:09.784 --> 00:01:12.894 now making leaps and bounds of progress that they couldn't 30 00:01:12.894 --> 00:01:15.868 have done before because they can use some of the 31 00:01:15.868 --> 00:01:19.692 newer technologies, generative AI being one of them. 32 00:01:19.692 --> 00:01:20.332 Right. 33 00:01:20.332 --> 00:01:22.636 Well, you and I have talked about this many 34 00:01:22.636 --> 00:01:28.090 times, and there's two sides to generative AI, right? 35 00:01:28.090 --> 00:01:30.768 There is the side that you're talking about where 36 00:01:30.768 --> 00:01:33.136 it could be incredibly helpful, but then there's also 37 00:01:33.136 --> 00:01:36.870 the side where people are a little wary. 38 00:01:36.870 --> 00:01:39.056 So maybe we start with that side. Right. 39 00:01:39.056 --> 00:01:40.518 Some of the challenges. 40 00:01:40.518 --> 00:01:42.852 So what are the big challenges out there 41 00:01:42.852 --> 00:01:44.720 and the people that you talk to? 42 00:01:45.330 --> 00:01:47.498 Simply put, what are people afraid 43 00:01:47.498 --> 00:01:50.590 of in regards to generative AI? 44 00:01:51.330 --> 00:01:54.308 Steven, I think when you cut through it all, 45 00:01:54.308 --> 00:01:56.888 primarily most of the concerns are based around it 46 00:01:56.888 --> 00:02:00.238 being seen as a threat to somebody's job, particularly 47 00:02:00.238 --> 00:02:02.958 in channel marketing or channel in general, because it's 48 00:02:02.958 --> 00:02:05.576 often seen as the redheaded stepchild anyway. 49 00:02:05.576 --> 00:02:09.289 And as generative AI is very often 50 00:02:09.289 --> 00:02:12.546 because it's new, probably more than reasonable, 51 00:02:12.546 --> 00:02:15.340 now positioned as taking over the world. 52 00:02:15.340 --> 00:02:17.692 This is going to make people nervous, I think. 53 00:02:17.692 --> 00:02:19.936 Also there is that stance that says 54 00:02:19.936 --> 00:02:22.720 particularly channel is complex, which it is. 55 00:02:22.720 --> 00:02:25.862 So there's the assumption that there's no way that generative AI 56 00:02:25.862 --> 00:02:30.166 can help or that as soon as you start using generative 57 00:02:30.166 --> 00:02:33.508 AI, your leadership team is going to think that channel is 58 00:02:33.508 --> 00:02:36.130 really easy if a bot can do it. 59 00:02:36.130 --> 00:02:38.212 And I think when you look 60 00:02:38.212 --> 00:02:40.180 through it, there's also another one. 61 00:02:40.180 --> 00:02:42.240 And that's the generational difference. 62 00:02:43.010 --> 00:02:45.364 I didn't come into this world with a cell phone in 63 00:02:45.364 --> 00:02:49.102 my hand, and I grew up with TikTok being a noise 64 00:02:49.102 --> 00:02:52.616 that a clock made rather than something that you video. 65 00:02:52.616 --> 00:02:54.616 And so I've had to deliberately work 66 00:02:54.616 --> 00:02:57.770 to understand, accept, and adopt the benefits. 67 00:02:57.770 --> 00:03:00.060 And so it wasn't natural to me. 68 00:03:00.060 --> 00:03:02.972 And so I think, like with all technologies, and 69 00:03:02.972 --> 00:03:06.668 particularly new technologies, people really have to work out 70 00:03:06.668 --> 00:03:09.312 how they can use them to improve what they 71 00:03:09.312 --> 00:03:11.798 do or to make themselves more efficient. 72 00:03:11.798 --> 00:03:13.712 They really have to embrace it. 73 00:03:13.712 --> 00:03:17.056 They have to be responsible for 74 00:03:17.056 --> 00:03:18.774 helping to define its role. 75 00:03:18.774 --> 00:03:22.256 And the reality is those concerns about people 76 00:03:22.256 --> 00:03:24.698 who are at risk of losing their jobs, 77 00:03:24.698 --> 00:03:26.884 they may be, but it's not going to 78 00:03:26.884 --> 00:03:29.946 be the generative AI that makes them redundant. 79 00:03:29.946 --> 00:03:32.148 It's going to be the people who take 80 00:03:32.148 --> 00:03:35.432 them on board and become more skillful and 81 00:03:35.432 --> 00:03:37.128 more advanced in what they're doing. 82 00:03:37.128 --> 00:03:39.832 And I think history has proven itself with people 83 00:03:39.832 --> 00:03:44.310 that adopt technologies and move faster and move further. 84 00:03:44.310 --> 00:03:46.984 We've had conversations about the difference between 85 00:03:46.984 --> 00:03:49.886 a digital native and a digital adopter. 86 00:03:49.886 --> 00:03:51.372 And I think both of us are 87 00:03:51.372 --> 00:03:54.840 definitely on the digital adopter side, right? 88 00:03:55.850 --> 00:03:57.042 I don't think we have a choice. 89 00:03:57.042 --> 00:03:58.976 And I don't know about you, but I'm seeing that 90 00:03:58.976 --> 00:04:03.110 play out in conversations when I'm talking to vendors. 91 00:04:03.110 --> 00:04:08.192 I see an excitement level at one end on what 92 00:04:08.192 --> 00:04:11.360 it can do, so there's a positive approach to it. 93 00:04:11.360 --> 00:04:14.678 And on the other end, I see trepidation. 94 00:04:14.678 --> 00:04:16.404 On the positive side, I hear people going, oh 95 00:04:16.404 --> 00:04:17.923 my gosh, it's going to save me time. 96 00:04:17.923 --> 00:04:19.668 I'm going to do my job better. 97 00:04:19.668 --> 00:04:20.778 I can be smarter. 98 00:04:20.778 --> 00:04:23.018 And the other side, people are going, they're 99 00:04:23.018 --> 00:04:27.476 just throwing up security, take my job. 100 00:04:27.476 --> 00:04:29.236 Inaccuracies everything. 101 00:04:29.236 --> 00:04:30.440 You could talk about any technology 102 00:04:30.440 --> 00:04:33.400 they're just throwing out there, right? They are. 103 00:04:33.400 --> 00:04:35.048 And I think this is where 104 00:04:35.048 --> 00:04:38.040 there's a responsibility of companies. 105 00:04:39.210 --> 00:04:41.356 You put new technologies out there, it's great. 106 00:04:41.356 --> 00:04:43.148 People will naturally adopt and 107 00:04:43.148 --> 00:04:45.052 people will deflect from them. 108 00:04:45.052 --> 00:04:46.440 It happens with everything. 109 00:04:47.450 --> 00:04:50.192 But I think companies have a responsibility to 110 00:04:50.192 --> 00:04:52.944 help their employees and those around them become 111 00:04:52.944 --> 00:04:56.480 educated in these new technologies and to really 112 00:04:56.480 --> 00:04:58.864 proactively bring the technologies in. 113 00:04:58.864 --> 00:05:00.620 The day-to-day rhythm of the business 114 00:05:01.710 --> 00:05:04.598 really concerned me, actually, this morning talking with somebody, 115 00:05:04.598 --> 00:05:07.860 and they're working with an organization that has 116 00:05:07.860 --> 00:05:12.618 essentially banned AI from its employees. 117 00:05:12.618 --> 00:05:15.976 Okay, we should talk afterwards because 118 00:05:15.976 --> 00:05:17.646 I have the same conversation. 119 00:05:17.646 --> 00:05:20.136 But the thing is, what does that create? 120 00:05:20.136 --> 00:05:21.688 You really don't want to 121 00:05:21.688 --> 00:05:24.574 create closet generative AI teams. 122 00:05:24.574 --> 00:05:28.478 That creates friction, creates impacts 123 00:05:28.478 --> 00:05:30.290 across your whole organization. 124 00:05:30.290 --> 00:05:33.212 So the key thing is making it acceptable to 125 00:05:33.212 --> 00:05:38.016 use generative AI to help you versus being seen 126 00:05:38.016 --> 00:05:41.302 as cheating or putting yourself at risk and setting 127 00:05:41.302 --> 00:05:44.060 the guidelines and the boundaries around that. 128 00:05:44.590 --> 00:05:49.900 It's a bit like your kids are growing up. 129 00:05:50.510 --> 00:05:52.780 Never tell them not to do something 130 00:05:53.470 --> 00:05:55.008 because what are they going to do? 131 00:05:55.008 --> 00:05:57.172 They're going to go and do it, but they probably 132 00:05:57.172 --> 00:05:59.524 won't tell you they're doing it or they've done it. 133 00:05:59.524 --> 00:06:01.844 And so it's this thing, it's not this crazy 134 00:06:01.844 --> 00:06:05.834 dangerous environment, but help people use it to maximize 135 00:06:05.834 --> 00:06:09.192 not just them, but also you as a business. 136 00:06:09.192 --> 00:06:11.080 Well, I completely agree. 137 00:06:11.080 --> 00:06:13.448 I think that the vendors need to do that and 138 00:06:13.448 --> 00:06:15.832 they need to have a game plan for that. Chris right. 139 00:06:15.832 --> 00:06:17.288 They need to know what to 140 00:06:17.288 --> 00:06:18.924 talk about, what the issues are. 141 00:06:18.924 --> 00:06:21.676 I also think they need to talk with their 142 00:06:21.676 --> 00:06:24.412 solution providers, people in a tech stack, people like 143 00:06:24.412 --> 00:06:27.610 us who are doing something like ChannelGPT. 144 00:06:27.610 --> 00:06:31.056 And as we've talked to our clients and 145 00:06:31.056 --> 00:06:33.776 our prospects, we're literally listening to them. 146 00:06:33.776 --> 00:06:36.486 We're really trying to listen to what their fears 147 00:06:36.486 --> 00:06:38.912 are and then we're able to address them. 148 00:06:38.912 --> 00:06:40.352 Some are pretty logical, right? 149 00:06:40.352 --> 00:06:42.548 We need to protect privacy and we have 150 00:06:42.548 --> 00:06:45.082 boundaries and we need to deal with accuracy. 151 00:06:45.082 --> 00:06:48.618 And all those are pretty straightforward. 152 00:06:48.618 --> 00:06:52.052 It's when it starts to get out into the world of 153 00:06:52.052 --> 00:06:56.692 like really getting serious, as you said, started going down that 154 00:06:56.692 --> 00:06:58.968 path of it's going to change the world or ruin the 155 00:06:58.968 --> 00:07:00.632 world, we're going to start World War Three. 156 00:07:00.632 --> 00:07:02.568 are the thing that people start to go 157 00:07:02.568 --> 00:07:04.238 a little bit off the deepend. 158 00:07:04.238 --> 00:07:06.428 Yeah, I think that kind of comes back to that 159 00:07:06.428 --> 00:07:11.756 piece, is really being as clear as you can, but 160 00:07:11.756 --> 00:07:15.020 also showing people how it can benefit them. 161 00:07:15.020 --> 00:07:18.672 You take channel marketers as an example and you 162 00:07:18.672 --> 00:07:21.782 go, okay, they're the ones that may be concerned, 163 00:07:21.782 --> 00:07:26.272 but you also go, how could it actually help? 164 00:07:26.272 --> 00:07:29.702 And I'm quite a simple person, the engineer 165 00:07:29.702 --> 00:07:31.136 at heart, so you break it down. 166 00:07:31.136 --> 00:07:32.948 And when I look at it and it's doing an 167 00:07:32.948 --> 00:07:36.548 injustice to ChatGPT, but in its simplest form, kind 168 00:07:36.548 --> 00:07:41.284 of this proactive and instantaneous way, gather the relevant information 169 00:07:41.284 --> 00:07:44.630 off the Internet and put it into a useful form. 170 00:07:44.630 --> 00:07:46.296 It's a language tool, right? 171 00:07:46.296 --> 00:07:49.192 It's not a search engine, it's a language tool 172 00:07:49.192 --> 00:07:52.462 and it's searching the Internet to complete your sentence. 173 00:07:52.462 --> 00:07:54.740 That's all that it's doing. 174 00:07:55.990 --> 00:07:59.292 We've spoken about this before and I kind of 175 00:07:59.292 --> 00:08:02.652 challenge anybody to say that not a day goes 176 00:08:02.652 --> 00:08:04.956 by when they're trying to write a plan, or 177 00:08:04.956 --> 00:08:08.402 create some marketing priorities, or gather information on potential 178 00:08:08.402 --> 00:08:11.232 partners, or even look up competitors where they are 179 00:08:11.232 --> 00:08:14.144 not searching input from something. 180 00:08:14.144 --> 00:08:16.758 You do a Google search, you search your old emails, 181 00:08:16.758 --> 00:08:19.984 you pull up something you wrote before, you send a 182 00:08:19.984 --> 00:08:23.504 coworker a message of something you saw them write. 183 00:08:23.504 --> 00:08:28.612 ChatGPT can save you hours, literally, and 184 00:08:28.612 --> 00:08:31.882 it also opens your mind and it enables 185 00:08:31.882 --> 00:08:34.712 you to get those sources of information quickly. 186 00:08:34.712 --> 00:08:37.928 But this is where the reason why this 187 00:08:37.928 --> 00:08:40.087 shouldn't be feared, because this is where you 188 00:08:40.087 --> 00:08:43.352 need the intelligence specialist people to come in, 189 00:08:43.352 --> 00:08:46.542 because not everything you're given is 100% relevant 190 00:08:46.542 --> 00:08:49.058 and the nuances are often missed. 191 00:08:49.058 --> 00:08:51.900 But I'll tell you, I use ChatGPT almost 192 00:08:51.900 --> 00:08:54.348 every time I'm looking to do something new. 193 00:08:54.348 --> 00:08:58.172 Not for the final version, but to give me a 194 00:08:58.172 --> 00:09:01.808 really quick outsider's view, a broad data dump, if you 195 00:09:01.808 --> 00:09:04.480 want to call that that's really easy to work with 196 00:09:04.480 --> 00:09:07.470 and saves me easily half a day at a time. 197 00:09:07.470 --> 00:09:09.712 And I think this you and I was 198 00:09:09.712 --> 00:09:12.450 think this is the point we're pushing towards 199 00:09:12.450 --> 00:09:17.466 generative AI, if adopted correctly, is an aid. 200 00:09:17.466 --> 00:09:18.708 It's an aid to do your 201 00:09:18.708 --> 00:09:21.338 job faster, better, more efficiently. 202 00:09:21.338 --> 00:09:25.924 And you and I, the total hours of 203 00:09:25.924 --> 00:09:28.052 the day when we're emailing dictates this. 204 00:09:28.052 --> 00:09:30.584 But I don't know a person in the technology 205 00:09:30.584 --> 00:09:33.112 space especially who wouldn't turn down an extra half 206 00:09:33.112 --> 00:09:34.344 a day a week just to do what they 207 00:09:34.344 --> 00:09:37.212 would really like to do and to breathe right. 208 00:09:37.212 --> 00:09:40.732 And so this is where I think, yes, there 209 00:09:40.732 --> 00:09:44.476 are some elements that need some structure, but it 210 00:09:44.476 --> 00:09:48.576 really can help change how people do things instead 211 00:09:48.576 --> 00:09:51.020 of replacing how people do things. 212 00:09:51.950 --> 00:09:54.352 And I think the other piece to it is 213 00:09:54.352 --> 00:09:57.238 it opens up an opportunity for a new generation 214 00:09:57.238 --> 00:10:01.260 of people, particularly in the channel space. 215 00:10:02.430 --> 00:10:04.692 We've all been here a long time and 216 00:10:04.692 --> 00:10:06.740 it's quite hard to bring new people into 217 00:10:06.740 --> 00:10:09.834 something that is quite challenging, is quite complex. 218 00:10:09.834 --> 00:10:13.256 And if we can use these types of technologies to 219 00:10:13.256 --> 00:10:17.118 help people get involved in the channel more and evolve 220 00:10:17.118 --> 00:10:21.582 their own skill set, I think that's an added benefit. 221 00:10:21.582 --> 00:10:23.860 But something that we need as a market. 222 00:10:25.350 --> 00:10:29.516 I've been in the tech stack for a long time 223 00:10:29.516 --> 00:10:32.796 in this space and anytime that you can take something 224 00:10:32.796 --> 00:10:37.330 that's somewhat redundant and allow someone to be more strategic, 225 00:10:37.330 --> 00:10:39.804 I mean, I go back to MDF and do you 226 00:10:39.804 --> 00:10:44.012 want to be dealing with prior approvals pop right? 227 00:10:44.012 --> 00:10:45.808 Or would you rather have it automated or someone 228 00:10:45.808 --> 00:10:47.830 else do it so I can be more strategic? 229 00:10:47.830 --> 00:10:49.168 Makes a ton of sense and to 230 00:10:49.168 --> 00:10:50.656 me it's kind of the same thing. 231 00:10:50.656 --> 00:10:54.468 I wrote three blogs last week in 3 hours and 232 00:10:54.468 --> 00:10:56.340 it usually takes me much longer to do that. 233 00:10:56.340 --> 00:11:00.228 And I use chat GPT to give me the basic outline I 234 00:11:00.228 --> 00:11:04.148 had to rewrite it still took me hours to rewrite it and 235 00:11:04.148 --> 00:11:07.688 put my own impressions on it, my own words, but I've got 236 00:11:07.688 --> 00:11:10.840 it trained in my voice and I can get it much better. 237 00:11:10.840 --> 00:11:13.368 So basically it's just coming alongside for 238 00:11:13.368 --> 00:11:15.496 me and helping me create content, right? 239 00:11:15.496 --> 00:11:18.188 But you're right, it's not that finished product. 240 00:11:18.188 --> 00:11:19.788 I think we will get closer to that 241 00:11:19.788 --> 00:11:23.426 finished product as things like our ChannelGPT 242 00:11:23.426 --> 00:11:25.634 or ChatGPT continue to evolve. 243 00:11:25.634 --> 00:11:28.336 But I think right now I'm just trying to tell 244 00:11:28.336 --> 00:11:32.800 people start simple, think a subject line on an email, 245 00:11:32.800 --> 00:11:37.766 think a simple email content or maybe a blog. 246 00:11:37.766 --> 00:11:40.160 We don't have to get super carried away 247 00:11:40.160 --> 00:11:43.062 about some of the legal issues like copying 248 00:11:43.062 --> 00:11:45.268 code, encoders, all that sort of stuff. 249 00:11:45.268 --> 00:11:47.476 I'm trying to keep it narrowed in on channel 250 00:11:47.476 --> 00:11:50.148 marketing but I think to your point around it 251 00:11:50.148 --> 00:11:52.212 can become better as it moves along. 252 00:11:52.212 --> 00:11:53.860 I think that's part of the opportunity. 253 00:11:54.390 --> 00:11:57.998 You look at how vendors and partners 254 00:11:57.998 --> 00:12:01.134 engage with each other and historically partners 255 00:12:01.134 --> 00:12:02.942 have been much more advanced than vendors 256 00:12:02.942 --> 00:12:05.198 have new technologies and methodologies. 257 00:12:05.198 --> 00:12:07.948 But you play that statement through that 258 00:12:07.948 --> 00:12:11.922 you had that you could enable partners 259 00:12:11.922 --> 00:12:15.186 to be able to almost instantaneously. 260 00:12:15.186 --> 00:12:19.728 Take content, take marketing materials, take pieces from you as 261 00:12:19.728 --> 00:12:24.102 a vendor and turn it into something that is relevant 262 00:12:24.102 --> 00:12:28.758 for themselves, with their own benefits, with their own unique 263 00:12:28.758 --> 00:12:33.060 positioning, relevant to their skills, and have it in market 264 00:12:33.060 --> 00:12:34.640 in less than a few hours. 265 00:12:36.850 --> 00:12:40.506 That's the benefit of it becoming personalized 266 00:12:40.506 --> 00:12:41.908 for one to the better world. 267 00:12:41.908 --> 00:12:43.924 Because what would you normally do? 268 00:12:43.924 --> 00:12:46.328 You wouldn't support half of those partners because 269 00:12:46.328 --> 00:12:48.600 you don't have the resources to do it. 270 00:12:48.600 --> 00:12:51.048 And so therefore, you're losing the 271 00:12:51.048 --> 00:12:53.190 opportunity to grow your business. 272 00:12:53.190 --> 00:12:56.702 Look, as a former partner and a sub $10 million 273 00:12:56.702 --> 00:13:00.060 partner, when piece of content came in and my team, 274 00:13:00.060 --> 00:13:02.754 which is very small, had to reach, let's say we're 275 00:13:02.754 --> 00:13:04.444 in the wine business, we're in Napa, and we had 276 00:13:04.444 --> 00:13:07.164 to reach these wineries and the COO there, we need 277 00:13:07.164 --> 00:13:08.860 to position one of our vendors there. 278 00:13:08.860 --> 00:13:10.498 I mean, you freeze as a partner. 279 00:13:10.498 --> 00:13:11.314 It's like, oh my gosh, what's 280 00:13:11.314 --> 00:13:12.560 my subject line look like? 281 00:13:12.560 --> 00:13:13.712 Oh, how do I take this 282 00:13:13.712 --> 00:13:16.150 content that's about this big vendor? 283 00:13:16.150 --> 00:13:18.272 And how do I make it about risk mitigation and 284 00:13:18.272 --> 00:13:22.432 business continuity for me to this vertical, there is no 285 00:13:22.432 --> 00:13:25.364 way, Chris, that people have been able to do that. 286 00:13:25.364 --> 00:13:27.908 And I think this opens up that world. 287 00:13:27.908 --> 00:13:30.292 Here's the interesting piece for it. 288 00:13:30.292 --> 00:13:32.948 If you let partners do it on their own, what you 289 00:13:32.948 --> 00:13:37.044 just talked about, if the vendor says, okay, here's I'm out 290 00:13:37.044 --> 00:13:38.568 there, I'm just going to let my partners do this. 291 00:13:38.568 --> 00:13:40.328 I give them this tool and they go and search. 292 00:13:40.328 --> 00:13:42.734 Remember, there's some things you have to pay attention depending 293 00:13:42.734 --> 00:13:46.632 on which is open AI, when did it stop? Right? 294 00:13:46.632 --> 00:13:48.956 And how relevant is how far does it go back? 295 00:13:48.956 --> 00:13:51.612 Which is why training, I think it's a huge opportunity 296 00:13:51.612 --> 00:13:56.722 for vendors, for consultants, for anyone to have input. 297 00:13:56.722 --> 00:14:00.172 What we do is we train whoever the vendor is. 298 00:14:00.172 --> 00:14:02.498 We would train that instance, that private instance, 299 00:14:02.498 --> 00:14:04.496 to make sure everything is accurate, right? 300 00:14:04.496 --> 00:14:06.736 Whatever that vendor wants is inside of it. 301 00:14:06.736 --> 00:14:08.288 And then the partner comes in there and 302 00:14:08.288 --> 00:14:09.840 they know then that data is correct. 303 00:14:09.840 --> 00:14:11.318 And then the partner can even input 304 00:14:11.318 --> 00:14:13.680 the most relevant data on there. 305 00:14:13.680 --> 00:14:15.924 And then you, Chris, can come in and say, hey, 306 00:14:15.924 --> 00:14:20.090 I'm an expert on ChannelGPT or generative AI. 307 00:14:20.090 --> 00:14:21.066 Here's the IP. 308 00:14:21.066 --> 00:14:23.812 I am added to it to make it what we're building out. 309 00:14:23.812 --> 00:14:25.944 And I'm sure other people can do this about 310 00:14:25.944 --> 00:14:28.408 StructuredWeb, it's just the direction we're going. 311 00:14:28.408 --> 00:14:31.832 We're building inputs, spaces where the 312 00:14:31.832 --> 00:14:33.576 right input can go in. 313 00:14:33.576 --> 00:14:34.728 And then you're going to 314 00:14:34.728 --> 00:14:37.646 create experts at generative AI. 315 00:14:37.646 --> 00:14:38.920 It's going to be a whole field 316 00:14:38.920 --> 00:14:40.728 of people that are knowledge base. 317 00:14:40.728 --> 00:14:42.668 They're going to be able to help build this stuff out. 318 00:14:42.668 --> 00:14:45.922 But the thing is, Steven, that those people are emerging 319 00:14:45.922 --> 00:14:49.644 now, and not just because of generative AI, because of, 320 00:14:49.644 --> 00:14:51.846 as you said, all of the other functions. 321 00:14:51.846 --> 00:14:53.968 Digital marketing is not new. 322 00:14:53.968 --> 00:14:55.632 Everybody's been singing on about it 323 00:14:55.632 --> 00:14:57.190 for kind of nearly a decade. 324 00:14:57.190 --> 00:14:59.616 So they've already got the head start about 325 00:14:59.616 --> 00:15:01.476 needing to do things in a different, more 326 00:15:01.476 --> 00:15:05.044 proactive and a more automated way. 327 00:15:05.044 --> 00:15:07.108 Unfortunately, you've got a lot of companies having 328 00:15:07.108 --> 00:15:10.132 to reduce number of heads they have, having 329 00:15:10.132 --> 00:15:13.812 to be careful on costs, and that will 330 00:15:13.812 --> 00:15:15.934 ebb and flow as it does naturally. 331 00:15:15.934 --> 00:15:19.278 But to enable yourself to recover faster 332 00:15:19.278 --> 00:15:21.918 and continue that revenue growth, you can't 333 00:15:21.918 --> 00:15:23.560 just stop what you're doing. 334 00:15:23.560 --> 00:15:26.632 And so what this helps is companies who are having 335 00:15:26.632 --> 00:15:29.996 to just put more work on the remaining individuals now 336 00:15:29.996 --> 00:15:33.800 can give that work life balance by bringing in technology 337 00:15:34.490 --> 00:15:37.218 to an area, we all live most of us lived 338 00:15:37.218 --> 00:15:39.052 with cell phones and what is it? 339 00:15:39.052 --> 00:15:42.768 60% of us live with something like Alexa. Why? 340 00:15:42.768 --> 00:15:44.976 Because it makes our lives easier. Okay? 341 00:15:44.976 --> 00:15:47.808 And by the way, do you remember and throw the 342 00:15:47.808 --> 00:15:50.336 whole privacy, ethics, out the window. Don't even go there, 343 00:15:50.336 --> 00:15:51.328 I've got a good friend. 344 00:15:51.328 --> 00:15:54.276 Oh, my God, I can never do this because it's just good. 345 00:15:54.276 --> 00:15:56.532 I know you get a better what is this? 346 00:15:56.532 --> 00:15:57.428 Although you laugh with it. 347 00:15:57.428 --> 00:15:58.868 So I've got a good friend 348 00:15:58.868 --> 00:16:02.532 banned Alexa from their house, okay? Banned it. 349 00:16:02.532 --> 00:16:07.490 However, they use facial recognition to get into their iPhone, 350 00:16:07.490 --> 00:16:10.248 which takes a photo in every 4 seconds of your 351 00:16:10.248 --> 00:16:13.350 face and says where you are and your surroundings. 352 00:16:13.350 --> 00:16:14.360 But that's fine. 353 00:16:14.360 --> 00:16:15.838 That's fine because it's apple. 354 00:16:15.838 --> 00:16:18.812 Look, we could have conversation and people don't even 355 00:16:18.812 --> 00:16:21.148 know where their food source is anymore, right? 356 00:16:21.148 --> 00:16:23.756 You ask a kid, what does a 357 00:16:23.756 --> 00:16:25.612 chicken look like versus a pig? Right? 358 00:16:25.612 --> 00:16:27.548 And all they know is it comes. 359 00:16:27.548 --> 00:16:29.644 So I think humans were a little attuned to 360 00:16:29.644 --> 00:16:31.568 that and we sort of get over that sort 361 00:16:31.568 --> 00:16:33.350 of stuff, but I think it's fascinating. 362 00:16:33.350 --> 00:16:34.700 Let me ask you this. 363 00:16:35.390 --> 00:16:36.768 Do you believe partners are just 364 00:16:36.768 --> 00:16:38.240 going to use it anyways? Right? 365 00:16:38.240 --> 00:16:39.472 Here's the thing. 366 00:16:39.472 --> 00:16:40.544 Do you think people are just going 367 00:16:40.544 --> 00:16:41.900 to use it no matter what? 368 00:16:42.590 --> 00:16:44.130 Do you know what? 369 00:16:44.130 --> 00:16:45.668 I think there will be a group of people 370 00:16:45.668 --> 00:16:49.460 that use it no matter what the forward thinking 371 00:16:49.460 --> 00:16:52.116 and what you find is particularly in the channel, 372 00:16:52.116 --> 00:16:54.580 it's a very small market of people. 373 00:16:54.580 --> 00:16:57.918 It's a very close-knit environment, so it will spread. 374 00:16:57.918 --> 00:17:00.238 And the reality is that those partners 375 00:17:00.238 --> 00:17:02.968 adapt a lot faster than vendors do. 376 00:17:02.968 --> 00:17:05.531 And so where a partner won't necessarily have 377 00:17:05.531 --> 00:17:07.852 to go out to proactively, start to use 378 00:17:07.852 --> 00:17:10.859 generative AI, they're naturally going to do it 379 00:17:10.859 --> 00:17:14.700 because the people they employ will use it. 380 00:17:14.700 --> 00:17:18.188 A vendor may not take it on at 381 00:17:18.188 --> 00:17:21.942 that speed because there's structure, there's process, there's 382 00:17:21.942 --> 00:17:24.640 everything else that we've just discussed in there. 383 00:17:24.640 --> 00:17:27.167 So I think that's where I think the vendors that are 384 00:17:27.167 --> 00:17:30.432 going to win with this are those that are take that 385 00:17:30.432 --> 00:17:34.922 stance, as we said earlier, of helping partners guide. 386 00:17:34.922 --> 00:17:38.052 Maybe that's a good way of putting it, because 387 00:17:38.052 --> 00:17:39.946 they've got the skills, they've got the desire. 388 00:17:39.946 --> 00:17:41.780 So let's work in the right place together 389 00:17:41.780 --> 00:17:45.240 because, yes, you're not going to stop people 390 00:17:45.240 --> 00:17:48.450 using advanced technology to advance their own businesses. 391 00:17:49.030 --> 00:17:51.272 I mean, that's been my premise all along. 392 00:17:51.272 --> 00:17:53.160 If partners are going to use it, 393 00:17:53.160 --> 00:17:55.730 take it to its simplest core. 394 00:17:56.790 --> 00:17:58.556 What are partners worst at? 395 00:17:58.556 --> 00:18:00.840 What's the worst thing that they do? 396 00:18:01.770 --> 00:18:03.794 I'm not going to get drawn into this one. Steven 397 00:18:03.794 --> 00:18:06.034 I'll get kind of like it's. 398 00:18:06.034 --> 00:18:08.520 It's marketing, okay. 399 00:18:09.930 --> 00:18:14.290 Everybody thinks in the tech space sales certifications, 400 00:18:14.290 --> 00:18:16.300 the studies of feeds, they got that down. 401 00:18:17.150 --> 00:18:18.982 They could talk about, you know, why marketing? 402 00:18:18.982 --> 00:18:20.134 You know, why marketing? 403 00:18:20.134 --> 00:18:24.436 Because most organizations, most partners that drive 404 00:18:24.436 --> 00:18:27.802 marketing don't have the investment and can't 405 00:18:27.802 --> 00:18:29.732 make the investment in the broad set 406 00:18:29.732 --> 00:18:31.588 of marketing skills that are needed. 407 00:18:31.588 --> 00:18:35.902 And vendors can't always support your argument earlier, 408 00:18:35.902 --> 00:18:39.080 the broad selection of partners that come across. 409 00:18:39.080 --> 00:18:41.928 So you're kind of setting marketing people up to 410 00:18:41.928 --> 00:18:45.756 fail out the gate on that side, except for 411 00:18:45.756 --> 00:18:49.810 large, large organizations, large partners and large investment. 412 00:18:49.810 --> 00:18:54.546 And I think that's why people use agencies. 413 00:18:54.546 --> 00:18:57.250 People use marketing automation tools. 414 00:18:57.250 --> 00:19:00.732 This is just another tool to go in that 415 00:19:00.732 --> 00:19:04.330 tool bag to help you get further, faster. 416 00:19:04.990 --> 00:19:06.342 No, it's a game changer. 417 00:19:06.342 --> 00:19:10.064 I think it's going to be you're either plugged into it, 418 00:19:10.064 --> 00:19:12.208 or you're going to have a real challenge catch up. 419 00:19:12.208 --> 00:19:14.112 And you either going to let your partners kind of run 420 00:19:14.112 --> 00:19:16.554 with it, like the Wild West, and by the way, they're 421 00:19:16.554 --> 00:19:19.412 going to get some stuff wrong, or you're going to come 422 00:19:19.412 --> 00:19:22.356 in and you're going to race it with them and learn 423 00:19:22.356 --> 00:19:25.338 to be whether you're a digital native or a digital adopter. 424 00:19:25.338 --> 00:19:26.676 Chris it doesn't matter. 425 00:19:26.676 --> 00:19:28.906 I met people who are digital adopters 426 00:19:28.906 --> 00:19:30.810 who are just as smart and talented 427 00:19:30.810 --> 00:19:33.322 in the digital world as digital natives. 428 00:19:33.322 --> 00:19:35.034 They just had to open their minds. 429 00:19:35.034 --> 00:19:36.508 Little hard at it, right? 430 00:19:36.508 --> 00:19:37.692 It really doesn't matter. 431 00:19:37.692 --> 00:19:40.444 And I think that's what's going to have the 432 00:19:40.444 --> 00:19:45.874 biggest impact of its overall evolution and its adoption. 433 00:19:45.874 --> 00:19:50.236 I do think generative AI will still probably be 434 00:19:50.236 --> 00:19:52.608 seen for the next year or so as a bit 435 00:19:52.608 --> 00:19:55.450 of an underground movement or a guilty pleasure. 436 00:19:56.430 --> 00:19:58.240 And you'll be reading things. 437 00:19:58.240 --> 00:19:59.984 Every time I read something you write now, I'm going 438 00:19:59.984 --> 00:20:02.240 to wonder how much of it you actually wrote, but 439 00:20:02.240 --> 00:20:05.252 you're going to be reading things and wondering about why 440 00:20:05.252 --> 00:20:08.930 because you haven't accepted it as part of the norm. 441 00:20:08.930 --> 00:20:11.908 But the people who are really going to benefit over 442 00:20:11.908 --> 00:20:14.552 the next year are those who really do adopt it 443 00:20:14.552 --> 00:20:18.792 early and recognize it as a powerful tool to help 444 00:20:18.792 --> 00:20:22.830 them deliver that higher quality, faster outcome. 445 00:20:22.830 --> 00:20:26.072 And I think you said it earlier, the key thing with this 446 00:20:26.072 --> 00:20:29.288 is you don't have to be a geek to benefit from it. 447 00:20:29.288 --> 00:20:33.020 Yeah, you can evolve it yourself. 448 00:20:33.020 --> 00:20:34.652 It's not like going and working out 449 00:20:34.652 --> 00:20:37.410 how to do major excel calculations. 450 00:20:37.410 --> 00:20:39.152 It's about leading people through. 451 00:20:39.152 --> 00:20:43.638 And I think that's the real benefit of generative AI. 452 00:20:43.638 --> 00:20:47.830 End of coming after the first AI trance 453 00:20:47.830 --> 00:20:51.456 because that's made the usage of stuff the 454 00:20:51.456 --> 00:20:54.850 ability to use technology much easier. 455 00:20:54.850 --> 00:20:56.420 Okay, so two last questions. 456 00:20:56.420 --> 00:20:59.546 One is in your shoes as a consultant. 457 00:20:59.546 --> 00:21:00.756 What are, like, the three things 458 00:21:00.756 --> 00:21:02.890 you would recommend to a vendor? 459 00:21:02.890 --> 00:21:04.488 Now, that's question number one. 460 00:21:04.488 --> 00:21:05.544 And question number two. 461 00:21:05.544 --> 00:21:08.664 What do you think this thing looks like in five years? 462 00:21:08.664 --> 00:21:10.600 Wow. All right. 463 00:21:10.600 --> 00:21:14.504 So vendors, look at now look at how 464 00:21:14.504 --> 00:21:19.138 generative AI can make your business, the functions 465 00:21:19.138 --> 00:21:22.476 of your business, particularly your marketing functions, more 466 00:21:22.476 --> 00:21:25.270 scalable, more efficient, and more effective. 467 00:21:26.170 --> 00:21:29.952 You will still need your specialist people there to 468 00:21:29.952 --> 00:21:32.940 make it relevant and true to your business. 469 00:21:34.190 --> 00:21:38.752 Also look at how you can engage the partners with 470 00:21:38.752 --> 00:21:43.732 this so that it becomes what generative AI is a 471 00:21:43.732 --> 00:21:47.306 true round source of information to get an outcome. 472 00:21:47.306 --> 00:21:49.684 Because to your point, start to put some 473 00:21:49.684 --> 00:21:54.346 guidance, put restrictions, but start to give guidance. 474 00:21:54.346 --> 00:21:56.372 Now if you want to travel somewhere in a car, 475 00:21:56.372 --> 00:21:58.296 you go into a GPS and you follow them. 476 00:21:58.296 --> 00:21:59.816 You don't get the map out. 477 00:21:59.816 --> 00:22:01.246 Give people that guidance. 478 00:22:01.246 --> 00:22:03.358 However, it's your fault if you jump 479 00:22:03.358 --> 00:22:04.950 off the end of the cliff. 480 00:22:04.950 --> 00:22:06.616 It's that kind of piece. 481 00:22:06.616 --> 00:22:10.440 And I think you start to look at five years. 482 00:22:11.050 --> 00:22:13.132 And it's funny, I was having this discussion the other 483 00:22:13.132 --> 00:22:16.428 night about the impact that generative AI could have on 484 00:22:16.428 --> 00:22:19.392 the world as whole and how exciting it was. 485 00:22:19.392 --> 00:22:20.800 But I think when it comes 486 00:22:20.800 --> 00:22:23.808 to the channel universe, it's similar. 487 00:22:23.808 --> 00:22:26.550 I hope it's going to become an integrated 488 00:22:26.550 --> 00:22:29.776 and accepted part of how we at work, 489 00:22:29.776 --> 00:22:32.404 just like the Internet is now, nobody questions 490 00:22:32.404 --> 00:22:34.880 whether you looked something up on the web. 491 00:22:35.410 --> 00:22:39.570 So don't start questioning, but take it for what it is. 492 00:22:39.570 --> 00:22:43.790 Accept it for what it's helped people do and appreciate. 493 00:22:44.850 --> 00:22:46.068 I think we got all this. 494 00:22:46.068 --> 00:22:48.472 I do appreciate there do has to be some 495 00:22:48.472 --> 00:22:50.820 structure and controls put around how it's used. 496 00:22:52.470 --> 00:22:54.728 That balances some of this piece out and 497 00:22:54.728 --> 00:22:56.392 some of that has to be technology based 498 00:22:56.392 --> 00:22:57.900 and some of that is company based. 499 00:22:57.900 --> 00:22:58.908 Okay, sure. 500 00:22:58.908 --> 00:23:02.332 But I kind of come back to this thing, the 501 00:23:02.332 --> 00:23:05.004 channel business, as you've grown up and I've grown up 502 00:23:05.004 --> 00:23:08.650 with it, they're built around people building relationships. 503 00:23:09.630 --> 00:23:11.462 Now, generative AI doesn't 504 00:23:11.462 --> 00:23:13.770 replace the personal connections. 505 00:23:14.350 --> 00:23:17.750 Avatars don't replace personal connections. 506 00:23:17.750 --> 00:23:20.692 But what they should do is enable us 507 00:23:20.692 --> 00:23:23.972 to spend more of the time building those 508 00:23:23.972 --> 00:23:26.922 relationships and enjoying those relationships than being SaaS 509 00:23:26.922 --> 00:23:30.372 sucked behind laptops and with keyboards trying to 510 00:23:30.372 --> 00:23:33.600 get information that's readily available from us. 511 00:23:34.470 --> 00:23:35.960 That's a pretty good point, right? 512 00:23:35.960 --> 00:23:37.896 More time to think and more time to 513 00:23:37.896 --> 00:23:41.224 interact, more time to do something that's going 514 00:23:41.224 --> 00:23:44.168 to benefit you and benefit the business. 515 00:23:44.168 --> 00:23:46.840 Because isn't that what technology is about? 516 00:23:48.250 --> 00:23:49.996 That's what it's supposed to be about. 517 00:23:49.996 --> 00:23:52.412 So it's supposed to be about if 518 00:23:52.412 --> 00:23:54.172 people adopt it and use it. 519 00:23:54.172 --> 00:23:57.628 And I think that's the exciting thing that for 520 00:23:57.628 --> 00:23:59.296 me is the piece that goes okay, yes. 521 00:23:59.296 --> 00:24:06.096 I get same concerning as automation, same as probably 522 00:24:06.096 --> 00:24:08.368 when the abacus moved to a calculator, people were 523 00:24:08.368 --> 00:24:10.742 concerned they'd lose their jobs making abacuses. 524 00:24:10.742 --> 00:24:12.378 They moved to making calculators. 525 00:24:12.378 --> 00:24:14.932 And I don't demise the threat in 526 00:24:14.932 --> 00:24:17.428 certain industries that generative AI can bring. 527 00:24:17.428 --> 00:24:21.092 But I think in our world, it's very hard to 528 00:24:21.092 --> 00:24:24.292 see where it doesn't give people an opportunity to add 529 00:24:24.292 --> 00:24:28.712 more of the value that they inherently have than the 530 00:24:28.712 --> 00:24:31.918 negativity that it may bring into it or the conflict. 531 00:24:31.918 --> 00:24:34.328 That it may bring into it, but does have 532 00:24:34.328 --> 00:24:37.618 to be accepted and it has to be acknowledged 533 00:24:37.618 --> 00:24:40.332 that it's part of what's there and not this 534 00:24:40.332 --> 00:24:44.780 hidden gem that only a few people use. Agree. 535 00:24:44.780 --> 00:24:46.636 So, Chris, thank you for joining us. 536 00:24:46.636 --> 00:24:47.698 Much appreciated. 537 00:24:47.698 --> 00:24:50.348 So really quickly, what's the best way for 538 00:24:50.348 --> 00:24:51.452 people to get in touch with you? 539 00:24:51.452 --> 00:24:54.192 It's easy, Chris@channelxlr8.com. 540 00:24:54.192 --> 00:24:55.440 Make it easy for everybody. 541 00:24:55.440 --> 00:24:57.648 And this is a big passion of myself, as you 542 00:24:57.648 --> 00:24:59.856 know, Steven, which is kind of why we're doing this. 543 00:24:59.856 --> 00:25:03.300 And seeing the evolution of these technologies of AR 544 00:25:03.300 --> 00:25:06.644 VR and those pieces across, I think it's going 545 00:25:06.644 --> 00:25:10.052 to be game changing for the world, but for 546 00:25:10.052 --> 00:25:13.470 channel as well in pretty short term. 547 00:25:14.530 --> 00:25:15.060 Cool. 548 00:25:15.060 --> 00:25:18.100 All right, thank you. Steven. Thanks a lot. 549 00:25:18.100 --> 00:25:19.440 Everybody have a great day.