automated talk.

Chatbot Interview
 

• your morning medium?

  I usually have a substantial breakfast of radio, smartphone headlines and well, yes… tradional newspapers. That leaves enough time to eat properly as well.

• which MarTech was/is groundbreaking for you?

  Wow, that’s a killer question. Do you have a few days…? MarTech has dramatically changed our industry over the past couple of years. But it’s hard to pick out one single item, as I believe the true strength of MarTech is in the symbiosis, in the interaction of all the tools available today and how this as a whole reinforces marketing power. Groundbreaking is the increasing knowledge of how our human brain works, allowing machines to better ‘understand’ how we function and to refine their interaction. Because of all things, success in the end relies more on what is communicated than on how this is done.

• your biggest PAIN pitch and what you learned from it?

  Pitch is bitch. Every pitch is a pain to some extent. It involves smart work being set aside for no good reason, and so much lost energy. I learned to reverse the question, asking people how much they would invest in pitching for their own job.

• what would you like to automate and what would you never automate?

  Machines are better than humans in almost everything that involves crunching figures. So for anything involving rates or data or modeling, that’s a no-brainer.

  Humans are way beyond machine capacity in interpreting meaning, verbal and non-verbal signs, culture etc. So, even if AI can perfectly write news articles or recipes for dinner meals, anything that needs to be really persuasive would involve real people.

• do you prefer group or family business?
  
  I couldn’t really care, actually. As long as things get done. Though I must admit I generally encounter more commitment in family businesses...

• which event is more important for your company: company party or future workshop?

  Well, again here, I’m convinced it should not be a choice between one over the other. Our workshops generally end up in great parties.

• how do you make room for the further development of your corporate strategy in your daily operations?

  It’s worthwhile planning time to discuss and align people, so that’s what we do.

• your dinner tip in Antwerp?

  Zilte is an extraordinary venue on the top floor of the iconic landmark MAS (‘Museum on the River’), where chef Vicky Geunes cooks up stunning food. That said, if you don’t want to spend all your cash on eating, there’s plenty of amazing budget-friendly dining options in this vibrant city!

• at the top of your dream travel bucket list is...

  Fiji Islands organizing the World Rugby Championship, giving us another reason to make the 24h+ trip.