Now more than two months in, here’s what the internship has been like. I hope that it’ll help paint a picture of what a 3-month internship could mean for you.

What is Airtame

Airtame is the name of the company itself, as well as the name of the device they produce. The device is used for wireless presentations and digital signage within businesses and educational environments (Airtame’s customer base).

The role of customer success

In order for users to make the most of their screens with Airtame, the Customer Success team offers support via live chat, email, and phone calls.

Other than support, the team focuses a lot on finding new creative ways to improve every stage of the customer journey. The goal is to make sure that people know about Airtame’s different streaming and signage features, and that they’re comfortable using them.

What you get to work on

The first day was a lot about getting to know my teammates and talking a lot with my main supervisor.

You’re also presented with both Airtame devices, models 1 and 2. A very important step to feeling confident is to familiarize yourself with the different configurations and features of Airtame. Asking lots of questions is encouraged!

By the end of the first week, I’d become familiar with the following tools:

• Intercom is used by CS for live chat, answering emails/ongoing support cases, managing any pop-ups and storing help center articles. It’s the main tool used to talk to customers and curious leads. By the end of the first week, I’d got the hang of how to use Intercom (e.g. “macros” or “saved replies”, “tagging” colleagues, writing notes, attaching documentation, etc.).
• Shopify is used by the CS and logistics teams to keep track of orders placed on Airtame’s website. You may need to check the status of a shipment and change info such as the receiver’s address in case anything was input incorrectly.
• Aircall is a desktop and mobile app used for talking to customers and leads over a call. Customers and leads can call Airtame’s support line to talk about anything from “what can Airtame do” to “there’s an Ethernet issue”.
• Pipedrive is mainly used by Airtame’s account managers but is also a platform that CS teammates can check. It has info about customers but also resellers, which account manager is in touch with whom, how many devices they’re using, etc. This is great for finding out more about a customer who may have bought from a reseller rather than from our website.

The above tools “talk” to each other, so that relevant information from one tool is sent to another.

On any given day a colleague would maybe ask me to jump in on a phone call, helping to cover chat, etc. Otherwise, the program was mostly up to me.  It’s definitely nice that you get to manage your time so that each day is varied.

Project-oriented

In addition to assisting with support, I was involved in a customer appreciation project. I researched what should be in a tentative customer appreciation package (e.g. coffee mugs, Airtame posters, etc.). This also involved contacting suppliers regarding bulk pricing and figured out what shipping would cost us.

Another project was reviewing Airtame’s help center articles to make sure they were understandable, no links were broken, etc. Additional tasks that came up during the internship included helping with office inventory organization before Airtame moved locations, coming up with creative ways to get more customer testimonials, and of course, getting the chance to write this article!

Teams within Airtame have started to collaborate on more project-based work that involves people from different backgrounds in order to come up with a wider variety of solutions to projects such as “how do we get more customers educated and using an Airtame Cloud”.

Gaining tech expertise

I’ve definitely learned a lot about how wireless screen sharing works. In this period of two months, I’ve probably gained more technical knowledge of AV systems than I had in my first 22 years!

I can now give you the rundown of Airtame’s hardware, software (app) and cloud management platform. I now understand and can explain how devices are able to wirelessly “discover” and communicate with each other, the significance of different WiFi frequencies, the benefits of Ethernet, and the role that physical installation and network setups play. This was all new to me when I first started out, and I know it’ll definitely help in any future tech-related job.

Talking to customers like people

I’ve also received regular feedback on how to phrase messages in a way that shows empathy. Everyone on the CS team avoids sounding “robotic” at all costs. It takes effort, especially if a customer feels that the product doesn’t have something they expected (e.g. 4K support). But at the end of the day, customers are happy to know that there is a polite and “real” person who’s happy to help.

Final thoughts

A key takeaway in this process is that communication within a company isn’t always perfect. The more a company like Airtame grows, the more effort has to be spent on alignment. That means more meetings and more time before an idea materializes into an established company activity.

Fortunately, a big part of the Airtame solution is encouraging customers to have better, more effective meetings, so this extra focus on them as Airtame, as a company, grows means that we get to practice what we preach.

In the end, I can wholeheartedly recommend this internship, as it offers a chance to leave the theoretical world of the classroom and apply yourself in a hands-on way. The internship can also count in terms of academic credits (as was my case), so there’s an extra bonus there. The atmosphere at Airtame, accompanied by a variety of challenging and creative tasks, have made time fly by!

Being exposed to so many different facets of the customer journey at Airtame, I feel that the steep learning curve has kept me busy, curious and prepped for the wider work environment.

Want to work for Airtame? Check out our careers page. We’re hiring!

The post Two months in the life of a Customer Success intern appeared first on Airtame.

That’s why I have an immense amount of respect for the Customer Success team at Airtame.

Our Customer Success team (learn more about the team here) is always on support for those of our users out there in need of assistance. Sometimes, they get help from their co-workers, like me. We call this “all-hands support”. I want to give you a run-through of what that process looks like and how it makes up the foundation of the Airtame employee experience.

Want to know the difference between customer support and customer success? Don’t fret, we’ve got you covered.

What is all-hands support?

All-hands support at Airtame is established as a 10-step program, with all of us getting the offer to join the customer support chat for 10 individual hours during which we get paired with a buddy from the support team to guide us through the problems we are likely to run into.

After finishing the program, the employee is awarded with a gift card or voucher plus public appreciation across Slack channel. Being celebrated and praised for helping out is a great incentive and also serves the purpose of sparking the interest of other employees.

Helping out on chat (we use Intercom as our customer support tool) is voluntary, but strongly encouraged from the Customer Success team, and upper management as well.

The Social Media management tool Buffer (which we use and love, by the way) actually recommends implementing a rule where everyone in the company spends around 5% of their total work time on customer support. That’s no more than a day a month or two hours a week. The reason why is super simple; to keep in touch with both the product and the customers.

The big guys like Zapier and Basecamp are fired up over the same idea as well, so don’t just take it from us. Even McDonald’s sets a requirement for every new hire to join the front of the line (I know, burger flippin’ isn’t the same as customer support, but there is a connection), no matter if it’s the CEO, accountant or an actual salesperson.

Joining all-hands support every once in a while is not just beneficial for company culture purposes but product-related issues as well.

Way back when…

Let’s go back in time for a moment so you can get the full scope of why we decided to invite all employees to join the support team from time to time. We start with the beginning; the founders.

After our initial crowdfunding success and the troublesome birth of our first product, the founding team took it upon themselves to reply to every person out there with a comment or problem.

Since then, we’ve done a lot of scaling (something I’ll get back to), and we actually hired 35+ people in 2018. That made it the perfect time for our Customer Success team to re-establish the “all-hands support” methodology.

The benefits of all-hands support for employees

All-hands support isn’t just about making the lives of your customers easier. It’s about changing how you work as a team and grow as a company.

Learn directly from your customers

Who will give you the unfiltered truth about your product? Your customers. Who can tell you about the challenges they run into on a daily basis? Your customers. You get the gist.

I know for a fact that everyone at Airtame who regularly joins all-hands support gets something different out of it. Luke, our Director of Communications, writes down the most common worries so he can create a content plan that addresses those problems and opportunities with the product. Andrew, our UX Designer, learns exactly what parts of his design are confusing and which are spot on.

And me? By joining all-hands support, I learn a lot about how to communicate with the customer when they’re frustrated.

Learn to work in a stressful environment

Our average response time is a little less than 3 seconds, and we work hard on maintaining such a low response rate during standard working hours in Europe and on the Pacific time zone.

With the buddy system of all-hands chat, I can learn how to work steadfastly, aiming to get the best possible answer and advice to any customer on the other side of the chat window.

Learn what your product is all about

Sounds stupid? It’s not, I promise. Employees usually only know what the product is all about from the inside or, even more limitedly, from their own department focus. They don’t immediately consider the overall user experience of the product they help deliver to market.

Helping out on all-hands support forces everyone to learn about the product in general, as a user sees it, instead of just their focus area.

Learn to help

Not to be overlooked, learning how to help both your colleagues and your customers will make you stronger as a team as well as a company.

Sometimes a user might ask such a specific technical question that our customer support team need to lean on the expertise of others’ in the office, such as engineers.

By bringing the product team onboard in all-hands support sessions, an engineer is able to develop a more direct understanding of how their hard work lands in the hands of a user, and what blind spots they may have overlooked. We call that customer empathy.

That means more motivation to quickly solve issues and fewer support tickets in the future. All in all a happier team and better business!

The benefits of all-hands support for the customer

But what’s in it for you, the customer? Let’s break it down.

Better support

Our Customer Success team is incredibly good at taking care of our customer needs, there’s no doubt about it. But customer support can always be improved.

Our 10-step program improves our ability to provide technical, diverse feedback because more team members bring valuable knowledge to the table.

Better product development

Input a customer or lead presents to us is more likely to have a genuine impact on the product roadmap. If, say, one of our engineers encounter a problem first-hand in a chat session, they are motivated to fix the issue faster than if they hear it from someone else.

A better understanding of the product

I’m not talking about the benefits we, the employees, gain from knowing the product better, but rather the insights a customer gets from talking to someone in our team.

With more hands joining customer support, they get the chance to hear a specific solution to a problem, straight from the specialist’s mouth – and hopefully more quickly.

Why all-hands support should be mandatory for everyone

We have started thinking about making all-hands chat sessions part of the job description at Airtame.

When people start a job here, we expect them to set up an Airtame all by themselves and to learn more about the product by talking to other department leads – even join a demo call. Next step is making sure everyone understands our customers and how we deal with them daily.

We’d like to think our team is approachable and friendly, and we can see that in the feedback we receive from our support sessions.

We’re doing an awesome job when our all-hands support initiative is not only proving beneficial for our team, but when customers don’t even know they could be talking to a total customer success rookie like me, and still receive 5-star service.

Want to chat to the Customer Success team? Do it! You can reach out to us here

The post All-hands support: The benefits of joining your customer success team appeared first on Airtame.

At Airtame, we focus on delivering experiences through strong customer support and customer success. Airtame has experienced tremendous growth since getting started back in 2014, and for this to continue it’s vital to attract competent partners who will expect both support and success from us as we mature further.

But what do these terms mean? In a nutshell, customer support involves helping people to install and use a product in the correct way and solving any issues that come up in the process. And then there’s customer success, which has to do with managing the relationship between a company and the people who use its product and services. Providing customer support is a precursor for delivering customer success, and both should be considered indispensable.

It’s a mistake to use these terms interchangeably, but it’s also incorrect to consider them as independent of each other. Many of the goals of customer support and customer success overlap: achieving customer retention and loyalty, brand differentiation, increased customer lifetime value (CLV), return on investment (ROI), and reduced customer churn. In other words, you should care about these areas of your business.

The purpose of this article is to share about how we’ve learned to incorporate and prioritize both support and success, as well as manage the exchanges between them.

The motivation for writing about this topic is twofold. First, we want to communicate how we handle relationships with leads and customers. Second, we want to offer inspiration for other fledgling B2B companies who are at a crossroads in understanding how to implement support and success to keep advancing in a meaningful way.

Before sharing our journey and how things look at Airtame today, it’s first necessary to understand the differences between support and success.

Making the distinction

Back in the day: The evolution of support and success at Airtame

How we do customer support today

Transitioning from support to success

How we do customer success today

Looking to the future

Making the distinction

The purpose of making the distinction is to be able to grasp how the needed processes, skills and mindsets can vary between customer support and customer success.

Having the right people in place is a good point of departure. When selecting candidates for support, hiring managers would do well to look for someone who is a natural problem solver, a great listener, patient, and tech-savvy. Playing a part in support requires the skills to communicate with and between product developers and end users.

When it comes to success, you’d likely want someone with strong presentation and interpersonal skills, and experience with relationship management. They’d need to comprehend technology from a customer’s point of view, to act as a consultant when advising on the best use case for a prospective client.

It’s important to keep in mind that these characteristics are by no means mutually exclusive. They instead reflect the particular demands of support and success. This can be further understood when looking into the nature of the processes and perspectives that are common to support and success:

It’s once again relevant to note that these dichotomies don’t have to contradict each other. They rather represent two sides to a balanced approach. An example is how our team has guidelines for how quickly we should get back to customers via live chat, and how long it should take to solve an issue.

While markers are in place, there is some wiggle room regarding how much time to spend with a given customer. It’s much better to take an extra few minutes to introduce yourself in the beginning and be 100% sure that all is well by the end of the conversation.

We don’t want to risk sacrificing social etiquette and quality support for the sake of speed.  At the same time, it’s good to have at least an average response time to shoot for.

In the case of Airtame, both support and success are encompassed in the Customer Success team. The choice of name reflects our emphasis on long-lasting partnerships with the businesses and schools that partner with us.  That said, we do not undervalue the vital role that support plays.

We believe that success will never actually be possible if it’s divorced from support. It’s taken us some time to develop our approach and manage the complexities of giving separate attention to both, as well as managing the interactions between them.

Back in the day: The evolution of support and success at Airtame

Airtame started production back in early 2014 upon the success of an exciting Indiegogo campaign that raised over 1,500,000 USD. In the beginning, what was originally called the Customer Support team focused on communicating with backers who had funded us on Indiegogo.

Once Airtame was launched, most support issues concerned shipping delays. The team worked in a reactive mode most of the time, concentrating on solving logistical and technical problems. Work became more effective when Zendesk was introduced, as we could create macros such as saved replies to send in response to FAQs.

The focus was on increased efficiency, but this soon developed to emphasize a more proactive approach. We switched from Zendesk to Intercom, as the later offered a more extensive range of tools, including the possibility to create onboarding flows.

Asking for feedback

The team began reaching out to users to ask them for individual feedback on their experiences, while also getting the message out that there were ways to make Airtame more advantageous by updating its software. This assisted in growing customer retention, as many people dusted their Airtames off once they got wind of the latest progress.

In addition to providing email contact, we got live chat up and running on our website, and started calling customers to get a more personal feel for their use case and pain points. A big step was to input customer information into Pipedrive, which has since served as an excellent tool for keeping track of potential and existing customers and their use cases and preferences.

The team collectively worked on comprehensive documentation to be used for training new hires as well as onboarding new users.

Involving people from different departments, including sales and marketing, resulted in valuable ideas for growth. In fact, it was someone from our sales team who pushed the fact that Airtame was well suited to serve educational institutions as well as businesses (our primary target at the time).

The first-ever follow-up message was developed in collaboration with someone from our marketing team. We wanted to increase the number of onboarded and active users. Product improvements were pivotal to achieving this, but so was expanding the scope of how we interacted with users.

Follow-up and onboarding communications fostered a lot of feedback, which was then fed back into the pipeline when molding how we did support and success, as well as marketing and product development.

Keeping customers satisfied

Although many of our pioneering initiatives were time-consuming, they were necessary to learning what to pursue in the future.

In the beginning, these projects helped to improve support metrics such as customer satisfaction, which came into effect started responding faster and with more concise answers based on streamlining information. We never ceased to abandon support efforts. The impact over time was rather that the team grew in size and maturity, and so they broadened their priorities to cover success metrics.

Regarding success, we started asking people how likely they’d be to recommend us so we could assess our Net Promoter Score (NPS). The data this generated was both quantitative (in the form of a numerical score), as well as qualitative (in the form of explanations that customers would provide for the ratings they chose).

Incorporating this level of insight opened up new possibilities for understanding customer value, as well as how we could improve functionality and onboarding instructions.

At this point in our journey, we had gotten on the right track to a long-term success strategy. A decision that was symbolic of this transition was when we changed the name of the team from Customer Support to Customer Success.

How we do customer support today

Support continues to be a critical part of the Customer Success team’s responsibilities today. Delivering high-quality support contributes to maintaining a unique reputation, as our target audience will opt for those who offer the best experience.

Assisting our customers in using Airtame, and solving any issues they encounter, takes place in both our Copenhagen and New York City offices.

In both locations, we work in an open space office, to make support run smoother. We can easily and quickly assist each other if a question or issue come up that is outside of our expertise. At the same time, there are extra rooms outside of our primary workspace, so that we can sit somewhere quiet to concentrate fully on a given call.

All team members in charge of support strive to ensure that any technical issues that arise will not discourage our customers, but conversely, offer an opportunity for our partners to feel even more comfortable in doing business with us.

• Reacting

  We strive to respond to customers in a timely and precise manner. Depending on the specific need and level of urgency, they have various options for how to get support. As we have people working in both Copenhagen and New York, we’re able to offer phone and chat support for business hours in both regions. If an issue is timely (e.g., someone setting up for an important conference), then they can reach out to us on our live chat, and, if necessary, we can call them to walk them through how to solve a given problem. Being able to react fast in a calm and collected way helps to reassure users and earn their trust.

  Customers can also book a call in advance. We offer welcome calls, set-up calls, technical calls, and Q&A calls. We use Intercom for live chat and email support, Calendly for booking calls, and AirCall for contacting people who’ve scheduled a call.

• Focusing on solving problems

  Problem-solving can range from figuring out why the sound is not coming out of someone’s TV when streaming a video to Airtame, to findings solutions to shipping delays. For troubleshooting technical issues, it’s necessary to be methodical in eliminating possible causes/solutions until you find the right one. Such tasks require a holistic knowledge of the entire company and who’s doing what when, to know which coworker to loop when a situation that can’t be solved individually.

• Focusing on satisfaction

  We track our Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT), which is a measure of how well we’re doing. To get the data that indicates the CSAT, we ask customers how satisfied they are at the end of a chat session. They have the option to respond on an emoji scale

• The CSAT is taken into account for the entire team at the end of each week.  We can also take account of our own CSAT, to get a general idea of how happy customers are with the individual service we’re providing. People can leave comments, and we make sure to follow up with both unhappy and happy support cases. Generally speaking, having more hands on deck facilitates shorter response times and better support experience, meaning a higher CSAT. However, within a support context, it’s essential that “what’s everyone’s job doesn’t become nobody’s job” so that someone is always manning the various communication channels.

• Focusing on the short-term

  The long-term is a cumulation of a whole string of decisions and advances made today. It’s vital to look ahead, but not at the expense of neglecting the demands of today. We offer welcome and set up calls as a way to focus on the beginning of the customer journey, ensuring that they have a smooth start. When we ensure a good start with the product, including straightforward installation and setup, that puts us on a good path for a long-term healthy relationship.

  One of the most important short-term goals is to guarantee that the very first streaming experience is great, as this offers the best chance of someone staying engaged over time. To maintain high results at the critical start of the customer journey, we make sure current and new employees are aligned and onboard for calling customers to transmit necessary information.

• Answering questions

  The resources that we use for quickly answering questions include articles from our help center and saved replies. When people reach out to us via email or live chat, we’re able to refer them to relevant articles tailored to their inquiries swiftly. We use saved replies when writing back and forth on Intercom, which is highly efficient when responding to FAQs. These include questions about what devices work with Airtame, what the options are for digital signage, and how Airtame differs from home entertainment products, such as Apple TV.

• Focusing on efficiency

  Our customers are busy and, to appear competent, it’s necessary to assess performance regarding efficiency. Other than satisfaction scores, we also take into account how many customers have reached out to us, and how long it took on average to close each conversation.

  We also look into how many welcome calls, technical calls, Q&A calls, set up calls that we get. On the one hand, more support cases can represent how our community of users is growing. On the other hand, we also need to be critical and consider whether an increase in set-up calls, for example, reflects that fact that we need to improve upon our setup instructions.

• Working Independently

  It’s great to know that your team has your back. At the same time, we also emphasize personal responsibility and growth. When recruits get started, they start helping customers within their first week at Airtame.

  We’ve each found that this is the fastest way to learn about the company and the product. Of course, no one is an island, and we also prioritize supporting and keeping each accountable – by tagging each other in pending conversations, sending reminders, and requesting advice.

• Keeping track of costs

  For purchases made through our website, we offer a 30-day risk-free trial, meaning that customers can return devices and get a full refund (excluding return shipping costs). If we fail to provide exceptional support during the first month that a customer is testing out Airtame, all of the effort made on behalf of our team (and other teams) will have resulted in lost revenue.

  Airtame is not for everyone, and a crucial step to avoiding returns is to be clear when leads reach out over chat and Q&A calls. It cuts down on costs if customers that don’t “fit” our product find out right away, rather than after their Airtame arrives. We keep track of items that are returned or replaced, as well as logistical costs, to keep costs down.

• Sticking to our instinct

  Being rigid can be a good thing when you don’t want to let standards slip. We aim to be soft on people (both customers and coworkers) and tough on problems. This way we’re continuously raising the bar, while simultaneously reducing wasted time and effort.

Transitioning from support to success

Things move from one-on-one support to success as soon as people start collaborating and applying a situation to more than the immediate problem or request. There is a multitude of instances where support converts to success.

For example, if we notice numbers going up a lot for set-up calls, we take into account whether this is to do with selling a significant amount of Airtames within a particular period. We might also consider whether an increase in set up calls is due to unclear instructions within the onboarding email flow. This is done by tracking relevant data on common issues and bugs (a part of support), to collaborating with developers on how to improve the product and user experience (a part of success).

We also receive feedback on each help article, giving users three options to rate whether or not the content answered their question.

These transitions exemplify how assistance and education are meant to feed into nurturing, activation, and upselling further along in customer success initiatives. These will have the more long-term aims such as ensuring optimized email flow tailored to different user profiles and sharing use cases and best practices.

How we do customer success today

Aside from offering ongoing support, the spotlight is now on finding meaningful ways to generate revenue and provide value through customer success management. To achieve this, we engage in a variety of projects and initiatives:

• Staying proactive

  Being proactive often means being the one to start a conversation. A lot of resources go into reaching out to both leads (people who are interested) and users (people who already have Airtame). This is mostly done through email campaigns, as well as through social media.

  We seek out feedback on an ongoing basis, which informs future communications as well as product development. We’re also not shy about asking happy customers to help spread the word with reviews, testimonials, and referrals.

• Focusing on goals

  A key goal of customer success is to concentrate less on fixing bugs and more on improving the overall user experience. This approach requires a lot of skill, as well as plain old trial and error. This thinking applies to product development as well as onboarding customers, employees, and resellers. An overarching goal is to have the right people in place and invest in their training.

• Focusing on customer value

  Value means something different to everyone, and so it’s essential that communication is somewhat personalized.  We send out email flows targeted at different users. An IT administrator will receive information that relates to his role, and a school teacher will have access to the content that’s most relevant to a classroom context.

• Focusing on the long-term

  Having people make the most of Airtame in the long-term requires continuous communication and updates. It’s essential that customers are not “dropped” as soon as a transaction has taken place.

  Getting people to keep using Airtame and keep engaging with us means that onboarding isn’t a one-off exercise. The product has a lot to offer, and new features are continually in the pipeline. Rather than bombarding people with information, we gradually teach people how Airtame can make their everyday lives more comfortable.

• Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) and retention

  To optimize the customer journey, we need to think long-term. It’s a priority to let people know that we offer a 30-day risk-free trial, so that leads don’t feel pressured into a purchase.

  “Day zero” for a customer might involve signing up for the newsletter. In this case, the next steps would be to encourage them to book a demo call, then make an initial purchase, after which they’d receive a confirmation and delivery information.

  A crucial facet of customer success is not just selling the product, but selling it to the right people.

  We pride ourselves on delivering personalized demos and following up on conversations with compatible leads. We aren’t afraid to tell people that Airtame might not be the ideal solution for the needs, especially for those who are looking for something to use for home entertainment. Our sales pitch is transparent; this is the only way to earn trust in the long-term.

  For those who do buy Airtame, we send out the onboarding email flow. This includes ten messages that communicate:

  1. A warm welcome
  2. How to set up Airtame
  3. How to get started
  4. How to optimize streaming
  5. An introduction to Airtame Cloud
  6. How to set up a Cloud account
  7. How to use the features of the Cloud
  8. How to make the most of digital signage
  9. How to get colleagues and guests using Airtame
  10. A request for feedback

• Being human

  We take as much time as is needed to make a connection. Our customers are delighted to know that a real live person is happy to talk to them via chat or over the phone. Machines and programs are there to make our lives easier, not replace what we do.

  Knowing the name and contact details of a company representative is reassuring to a lot of customers, as we aim to have a level of rapport established after each conversation.

• Taking collective action

  In addition to having regular Customer Success meetings to sync up and brainstorm creative ways to meet the needs of our customers, we also work closely with other teams.

  Everyone who joins also needs to have a grasp on how we do sales, marketing, logistics, and product development. We use Slack to share feedback within and between teams, and also connect with one another using Pipedrive, Google Suite, Intercom, Calendly, Basecamp, and Favro.

  We also encourage sessions where Airtamers from outside Customer Success to get hands-on chat experience while sitting side-by-side with someone on the Customer Success team. The objective is twofold: for everyone to understand the needs and challenges of our customers, and for the Customer Success team to get feedback from colleagues who are interacting with a fresh outlook.

• Following the money

  In addition to the social side of communication, it’s essential not to forget the bottom line. We aim for website repurchase to represent 50% of revenue, and compare percentages between different markets (e.g., repurchase in the U.S. vs. Europe). Being devoted to customer success means bringing in more revenue in the long term.

  In addition to helping make sales, streamlining processes and information sharing reduces the cost of acquiring a customer. This ties in with self-service deflection, when answers and explanations are readily available online. Information and step-by-step guides are documented in our online Help Center.

  Many customers access this when checking out our website and reading up on how to best use Airtame. We can also send links to specific articles when sending an email or responding on chat, which saves an impressive amount of time compared to typing out an answer when a common question or issue comes up.

• Staying flexible

  When it comes to how to create value for the businesses and educational institutions, we can only grow if we’re willing to experiment. Airtame is a living product, and we need to improve technology and communication continually. The day we stop exploring is the day that we become obsolete.

Looking to the future

Going forward, we want to boost both support and success. As the Airtame family grows, we want to improve availability regarding time zone coverage and phone support. We have teams based in Copenhagen and New York who provide support to people all around the globe, but in some cases getting to talk to someone directly requires some serious maneuvering.

We also want to grow our team and competences, especially concerning network expertise, as this is a significant need for customers in large bureaucratic institutions.

We want to increase collaboration with our developers, as this will provide a deeper level of intuition when it comes to troubleshooting technical issues. It’s critical that this is a bilateral exchange, as developers also need to gain insights on the end user experiences that they don’t receive directly.  A part of this is to be able to expand and optimize both internal and external testing of any new features.

Collaboration needs to be done wisely, as the aim is to share knowledge while not interrupting workflow.

A work in progress

In addition to enhancing support, our vision for the future involves a continuous assessment and revamping of how we do customer success. Our efforts will continue to include optimizing email campaigns and finding meaningful ways to follow up with new and ongoing customers. The way we report feedback is also changing, with more interviews and case studies.

Customer support and customer success are more than functions. Without both, we’d be left with a handy piece of technology, and no one would know about it or how to use it. Creating value for people, and getting it out there, has to be at the forefront of our strategy.

Interested in getting to know our Customer Success team better? Give us a call.

The post What’s the difference between Customer Success and Customer Support? appeared first on Airtame.

And the good news – we’re hiring! Right now, we are looking for an NY-based Technical Support Representative to join our expanding, global team. Here are some of the reasons why you should apply to join us.

You’ll be helping people make the most of a great product

Airtame is a device for streaming content wirelessly. Airtame is used as a wireless presentation – and digital signage – solution in businesses and educational settings all around the world. Since getting started, we have sent out more than 100,000 Airtames.

In order for users to make the most of their screens with Airtame, we offer ongoing support via live chat, email, and phone calls.  We help train people in how to get set up and use Airtame the right way, and we assist if any issues come up. In addition, we focus on finding new creative ways to improve every stage of the customer journey – from initial awareness through to collecting feedback and upselling.

You will develop a variety of professional skills

Supporting people on a daily basis, and thinking long-term about how to help them excel in collaborative environments, is at the heart of what we do.

In helping to establish relationships with a wide variety of partners using Airtame – from startups to large enterprises and educational institutions – you’ll learn about the needs and the struggles of people who want to wirelessly use screens in presentation settings (such as meetings and classrooms). Here are the skills that you need, and that you’ll be building on, in a career at Airtame:

• Patience, attentiveness, clear communication, and time management: these will be key to engaging with customers on a day-to-day basis (both in written conversation and over the phone) in a way that is polite, clear, and efficient.
• Product/technical knowledge: understanding and being able to explain how screen mirroring works, how devices are able to wirelessly communicate, and the role that the physical and network setups play.
• Cross-team collaboration: working with colleagues on the Product, Sales, Marketing, and Engineering teams. This multi-level involvement means that you’ll gain a holistic appreciation of the Airtame product, services, and communication strategy.

There are no limitations to growth, and you can decide what areas you’d like to specialize in going forward as a member of the Airtame family.

The Customer Success team covers many different aspects of our customers’ experiences, meaning that there are opportunities for you to grow in the fields of:

• Support
• Technical support (physical hardware, software, and cloud)
• Automation (using software for planning and organizing marketing communications)
• Testing and implementing new projects
• Tracking and analyzing data

Find out more about our approach and the difference between customer success and customer support here.

You will be working in an environment that’s the right combination of friendly and professional

Airtame has two locations – one (our HQ) in the vibrant area of Christianshavn, in Denmark’s capital city Copenhagen, and another in the swanky WeWork office in South Williamsburg in New York City. Both workplaces present a lot of diversity not only in their surroundings but also in people that you’ll be working with.

We come from a variety of backgrounds and continuously collaborate across countries and cultures – both between our US and Denmark-based teams and with our partners and customers around the world. You’ll even get the opportunity to do some traveling for team building trips.

Joining us will mean taking on a steep learning curve and working alongside many different departments and clients. We hire ambitious talent whose enthusiasm is matched with challenging but gratifying work. On our CS team, we have an average response time of under 3 minutes when getting back to customers and an average satisfaction (CSAT) score of 90%. We hold each other up to high standards while being open and supportive.

With everyone from our developers to our CEO sitting in to talk to customers and leads, everyone gets to know about the people we interact with and how they understand our product. In turn, the CS team has a great opportunity to learn from the other departments within our flat working space, from marketing to hardware, sales and development.

You will have flexibility in how you fulfill your responsibilities

While you will consistently catch up with colleagues and our team lead, you won’t be micromanaged. We all trust in each others’ abilities and know that if there is any uncertainty we can always handle a case together.

Depending on which tasks you have, it may make sense to take a morning or day to work from home. Our office spaces are quite open, which makes it much easier to ask questions back and forth throughout the day. When expertise needs to be quickly shared, working in close proximity makes a lot of sense. Sometimes though you may want to get some things done in isolation.

While we do have quiet spaces around the office for that, you can also opt for working remotely.

You will work with people who are generally happy and positive

Some work days will inevitably be more challenging than others. That can be said about pretty much any job. The differentiator though is that at Airtame you’ll be part of a team where people do not let circumstances stress them out – or rather, people who don’t let a stressful situation completely take over their mood and the atmosphere in the office.

Here, you can be busy without being frantic. It helps a lot when that’s the shared attitude. Exercising a calm demeanor, even when assisting someone who’s feeling frantic, is a great disposition to master.

You will work for a company that cares about its employees as much as its customers

Airtame strives to be customer-focused, and the Customer Success team serves a core role in making this a reality. It’s nice to know that, while you’ll be helping many people on a daily basis, you’ll be contributing to a company that takes care of its people. From offering a competitive salary and parental leave to a daily catered lunch, fun events, a yearly workathon, quarterly hackathons and treats on your birthday, you will feel well looked after.

Jimmy has been on the CS team for over two years now, handling the marketing and automation side of the job. Here’s his take:

“Being part of the Customer Success team has been a very gratifying experience for me. I can see the direct impact of my actions on a daily basis. Combine that with a couple more very important aspects. One, the flexibility I’m given to act in my own creative ways. Two, effectively being able to branch out to almost any other team in the company.

All this along with all the fun we have in the process makes for an amazing opportunity for my professional development.”

How to apply

We are looking for a Technical Support Representative to join our Customer Success Team in New York – find out about the position (and how to apply) here.

Airtame is an equal opportunities employer. You can also visit this link to find out about other open positions at Airtame. We hope you’ll join us in making a wireless world possible.

The post Why you should join Airtame’s Customer Success team appeared first on Airtame.

1. What is Airtame?

Airtame is a wireless presentation solution. You can use it for mirroring the screen of your computer or mobile device (using the Airtame app), to a larger display (e.g., TV or projector) that has the Airtame device plugged in.

You can mirror your screen to one or multiple Airtame-equipped displays simultaneously. Here’s how.

2. How much does Airtame cost?

Airtame 2 devices are 499 per unit (charged in Euros or USD, depending on your location, excl. VAT). You can find all of our pricing and shipping options here.

If you use Airtame, you are entitled to the finest customer support, as well as the latest news on future software and firmware updates. We might even ask you help test some of our beta launches.

3. Does Airtame ship to my country?

We currently ship to 58 countries. You can visit www.airtame.com/pricing and check if your country is listed in the “Shipping To” drop-down menu.

If your country is not listed, this is because we do not yet have the certification to ship there. Feel free to contact us at support@airtame.com to see if we have any resellers who ship to your location.

4. How long does shipping take?

On average, shipping your Airtame order will take:

• 3-7 business days (United States)
• 5-8 business days (Canada)
• 2-5 business days (European Union)
• 3-10 business day (Rest of the world)

Please note that delivery time varies depending on your location and how fast your order is processed by the country’s customs department. Find out more here.

5. What is Airtame’s return policy and warranty period?

We offer a 30-day risk-free trial (refund does not include return shipping costs). The warranty period is 2 years within the EU, and 1 year for the rest of the world.

6. How can I get help with my Airtame solution?

At Airtame we guarantee that you will always get help from a real person and not just an automated system. You can get support by:

• Messaging us via the live chat on our website and Airtame app
• Sending an email to support@airtame.com
• Scheduling a call
• Checking the guides available on our Help Center

7. What’s the difference between Airtame and…

Google Chromecast

Airtame works with WPA2 Enterprise networks and in environments using two separate networks. Chromecast lets guests at home stream without connecting to your home WiFi.

Airtame offers a free platform for managing an unlimited number of devices from the Cloud. Chromecast does not offer a device management tool.

Chromecast can only be managed one-to-one on the local network. Airtame can be managed in bulk and via the Cloud, even from a remote location.

Airtame does 2-click screen mirroring from a computer app that works on any device. Chromecast does 6-clicks desktop casting through the Chrome browser.

If you want to easily watch movies and entertainment at home, you should buy a Chromecast.

If you want a streaming solution optimized for your professional needs, Airtame is the Chromecast alternative for businesses and schools.

Barco Clickshare

ClickShare sells for a range of $1,750-$5,000, while Airtame has a scalable price tag at $299 per device that fits the budget of any business or educational institution

ClickShare requires a device plugged into your computer, while Airtame uses an application and only requires a device plugged into the TV or projector.

ClickShare lets multiple users stream to the same TV at once, while Airtame lets a user stream from one computer to multiple TV’s.

AppleTV

If you want a device agnostic option for your school or business that lets you stream wirelessly, Airtame is the Apple TV alternative for your needs.

If you only own Apple devices and want to easily watch movies and entertainment at home, you should consider the Apple TV.

Find more comparison Airtame comparison articles here.

8. What are the requirements for using Airtame?

To use Airtame, you will need a TV, projector, or monitor with either an HDMI port (or a DVI or VGA to HDMI adapter).

You will also need a computer or mobile device (smartphone or tablet) to wirelessly present from. The Airtame app that you use to present is available for Windows, MacOS, Chromebook, Linux, iOS, and Android devices.

Airtame works best when connected to a local network.

Click here for the full list of requirements.

9. What can I have as a background?

When Airtame is not being used for a wireless presentation, it can show versatile content including:

• Custom images
• Websites
• Dashboards
• One of the first four Homescreen apps – Unsplash, Trello, Google Slides and World Clock

This can be done through your Airtame’s setting as well as the Homescreen page in Airtame Cloud.

10. What can I stream from mobile devices?

Please note that you when using a smartphone or tablet you can stream to one Airtame-equipped screen at a time. Streaming to multiples screens simultaneously is only possible from a computer.

iOS devices:

You can use the Airtame app for iOS to display specific content (e.g., photos), or you can fully mirror your iPhone or iPad’s screen using the built-in AirPlay functionality of your iOS device.

Simply select the Screen Mirroring option from the control center panel on your iOS device and click on the name of the Airtame device you would like to mirror to.

Please check this article for detailed steps.

Android devices:

Using the Airtame app for Android, you can stream supported files that are locally stored on your device, as well as cloud-based content. You can show:

• Images: JPEG, PNG
• Documents*: Word, PDF, Pages, Excel, Numbers, PowerPoint (animations, unfortunately, won’t work), Keynote.

*Must be converted to PDF for streaming.

11. What latency (delay) can I expect when using Airtame?

• When presenting without audio: 0,4-08, seconds
• When presenting with audio: 1 second

Learn more here.

12. How do I set up an Airtame Cloud account?

To create an Airtame Cloud account:

1. Navigate to airtame.cloud
2. Fill out Organization name and press “Next”
3. Fill out your email address and password
4. Press “Create account”
5. Add devices to the Cloud account

13. How do I become a reseller?

While we sell directly via our website, we also like to partner with trusted resellers around the world, who have close ties to the local community, and are able to advise local workplaces on using Airtame as a wireless AV solution.

For now, our main focus is on the United States and Europe. If you want to become a reseller or if you consult other companies in selecting and setting up AV or IT equipment, please fill out the relevant form for your region here:

• European reseller request form
• US and Canada reseller request form (currently not actively looking to take on more resellers; applications will be added to a ‘waiting list’)

Alternatively, you can contact us directly at sales@airtame.com.

If you are looking to purchase Airtame for your organization, but would rather do so through a recommended reseller that you’d like to introduce us to, then please do not hesitate to let us know.

14. Why use an Ethernet adapter?

Using an Ethernet adapter can help by:

• Providing extra stability
• Increasing the transfer speed
• Offering extra setup possibilities
• Minimizing interference
• Increasing security

Airtame sells Ethernet adapters via our website.

Find out more here.

15. How do I set up my Airtame on the local WiFi?

Connect the Airtame to your display’s HDMI port, and power the device via the display’s USB port or using the power adapter provided in the box.
Get the Airtame app on your computer (it’s not possible to set up Airtame from a mobile device).
Open the Airtame app, wait until you see a green banner showing your new Airtame’s name, and click “Set Up”.

See the full guide here or click here to see how to set up using an Ethernet adapter.

Still have a question? Check out our Help Center, or reach out to us directly. We’re happy to talk.

The post Airtame – the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) appeared first on Airtame.

Already set up and ready to go wireless? Download the Airtame app directly from your computer.

1) Setting up and powering Airtame

Plug Airtame into the HDMI port on your TV or projector. Use an adaptor if there’s no HDMI input. Use the included AC adaptor to ensure Airtame has power or alternatively power Airtame through the TV via the micro-USB to USB cable. You will only be able to set up Airtame through a computer, as you need access to the Device Management Panel.

2) Placement for best stability and performance

If your WiFi signal is blocked, your streaming performance may be inhibited. Make sure that the AIrtame is placed as close to the edge of the TV as possible and preferably pointed towards the nearest access point. The distance from the access point to Airtame should be no more than 10 meters/32 feet, and with no WiFi blockers in between.

3) WiFi or Ethernet connection

Airtame relies on a good connection to stream without interruptions. We recommend using an Ethernet connection between Airtame and the network for optimal performance and minimal delay.

Many of the obstacles found with WiFi are not adherent with Ethernet. If you’re using a WiFi connection, however, make sure to limit the number of obstacles in between Airtame and the network, as described above. Remember that walls, other access points and physical objects will impair the connection.

Before setting up Airtame, we suggest to map out where your access points are and how your Airtame will be set up in relation to them. If you’re unsure whether your WiFi signal is strong enough to carry a good connection with Airtame, use a signal strength app or go to Airtame Cloud to check it.

4) Access and installation

We’ve made installing your Airtame as easy possible. Once you have plugged in the device via the HDMI port, select the correct HDMI input on your TV or projector. You’ll be presented with a welcome screen, and asked to visit airtame.com/setup to download the Airtame app to your laptop or computer.

Once the app is installed and launched, just follow the simple set-up instructions: name your Airtame, and connecting it to your preferred network.

5) Get the most out of Airtame Cloud

Go to https://airtame.cloud/ and set up a fee Airtame Cloud account. Add the Airtames in your organization It’s your cloud management tool where you can manage and monitor all of your devices.

In addition, you’ll be able to select the content shown on screens when no one is streaming to Airtame. Create groups of devices and set permissions in the Cloud, perform reboots or update chosen devices. In the cloud, you’ll see Homescreen. That’s your screens when Airtame is idle.

With the newest firmware update, you’re also able to customize Homescreen to show images, websites, custom backgrounds or app integrations. Currently, we offer these four app integrations for Homescreen: Trello, Unsplash, World Clock and Google Slides. They’re perfect for digital signage purposes, something we believe every business can benefit from exploring and utilizing.

Invite other users by clicking on “Invite user” in the upper right corner of the Cloud and entering their email. In the overview of users, your coworkers will now show up.

You can set-up your colleagues as any of the three user roles: Administrator, Manager and User, each featuring different levels of maturity and access to the Cloud. If you need to remove a user, you can do so by going to the “Team” tab and removing the person.

6) Set up more than one Airtame

Mass deployment to more than one computer is also possible. For Windows users, download a mass deployment installer here to pre-configure and install on many PCs.

For Mac OS, use a third party deployment service along with the existing .dmg file along with Soundflower for audio capturing. The Soundflower driver is included in the .dmg package, but for mass deployment you need to install it separately.

Here’s some more general points about mass Airtame installation and deployment in business environments, and here for schools.

7) Calibrate your display ?

Pre-set image settings on most TVs and projectors work best with watching satellite TV. To improve image quality when streaming, you can calibrate your screen to best fit Airtame. Adjust screen settings by opening a blank spreadsheet document for color reference.

Find standard mode or reset adjustments on your screen and reduce contrast (often around 70-80% of max value) until all lines in the spreadsheet are visible. Reduce sharpen until the text is easy to read (often 0-20% of max value). See more tips on how to adjust display settings here.

8) Troubleshooting

If a problem should occur either with the connection, updates or other, we recommend first checking the source of the problem. If you have no connection, check your WiFi signal. With update issues, you should look at your firewall restrictions.

We also have a help center with many useful articles on troubleshooting and getting the most out of Airtame. If you aren’t able to fix the issue yourself, we’re always ready to assist you. Go to our website and chat directly with one of our competent Customer Success team members by clicking the chat icon in the bottom right corner.

9) Customize your Airtame settings

There are many ways you can personalizing Airtame for your workplace. Beyond the digital signage options outlined above, you can find the many settings for your device(s) in the Airtame app, such as framerate (Frames Per Second) and buffer time. You can even download your log files if you need to troubleshoot, and contact us directly via the chat functionality.

 

10) Audio and video streaming

Click the sound button in the Airtame app to enable audio. Audio is disabled by default to minimize latency, but with a stable connection, you can stream both audio and video with sound.

11) Setting up guest networks

Creating guest networks within your internal networks is not only smart for security purposes, it’s great for organizations with a steady flow of guests too. We also offer a Windows Guest app for one-time users so they don’t have to install the regular app.

We’ve created a list of network configurations and requirements to accommodate internal and guest users. See more recommendations for Airtame and guests here.

Enjoy your wireless working experience! Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions.

The post 11 important steps to consider for your first Airtame installation appeared first on Airtame.

For companies selling online, it has become almost compulsory to have a clear and fair return policy. At the same time, many brick-and-mortar retailers still insist that electronic products be returned unopened, which seems counterintuitive from a customer success point of view.

But there’s a different way. Here’s how we do it.

Our trial policy

Airtame offers a 30-day risk-free trial. This means that you can return the product for any reason within the 30-day period after you have received the order on your doorstep. We either provide a full cash refund or offer free replacements in the case of damaged or faulty items. You’ll find us proudly promoting this policy throughout our site and marketing communications – we’re proud of it.

Returned devices do need to be sent back in their original packaging, including all accessories. That said, the trial phase is for thoroughly testing all the given features so that customers can make an informed decision on whether or not to proceed with Airtame. We definitely want you to open the box!

We work very hard to make sure that each lead gets all necessary information prior to a purchase through clear and concise product demos. This initial conversation helps to guarantee that a given institution has the needs and conditions that match what Airtame has to offer so that grievances don’t come up later.

Why you won’t need it

While the 30-day trial is available, our goal is that people won’t actually need it. Due to our customer success efforts, plus easy deployment and use of the product, buyers rarely return their Airtame.

An account manager sets up a welcome call with a new customer towards the beginning of the trial phase, to double check that they’re on the right track and aware of all of the features available. Our email flow also encourages thorough testing by guiding new users in how to:

• Set up Airtame: either through a quick start guide or enterprise deployment guide
• Start streaming: from both computers and mobile devices
• Start using the Airtame Cloud
• Set up Airtame Homescreen

Why does a trial period matter?

• Trust

  No company wants to hear “I’d like my money back.” But customers need to know that they have the right to a refund within a reasonable time frame.

  Our policy represents the confidence we have in Airtame as a strong competitor for wireless screen sharing and (increasingly) digital signage for education and business. It’s essential to be transparent, which is why we have the 30-day policy clearly shown on our website’s purchasing page so that customers get the message before they buy the product.

• Retention

  It’s important to focus on bringing in new customers. But at the same time, we keep the business going by retaining the right customers. And the people who’ll get the most out of Airtame and have the highest satisfaction in the long term are also the ones who take full advantage of the test phase.

  It’s crucial that customers know that they’ll have access to lifelong product support even when the 30 days are up. If they’re happy by the end of the trial, chances are they’ll keep using Airtame and even come back to buy more.

• Loyalty

  A customer who’s had the time, and support, to successfully deploy Airtame in their environment will not only be more likely to buy more devices, they’ll also be far more likely to recommend us to a friend or colleague.

  Loyalty leads to exposure through word-of-mouth, which can make or break any start-up. What helps to foster loyalty is remaining consistent about our returns policy, while also being human. For example, we exercise flexibility in cases where the 30-day overlaps with a long public holiday.

  When customers reach out asking about the possibility of an extension, we have the opportunity to gain their confidence by showing that we are focused on their needs and success.

• Motivation

  Our policy helps to motivate our customer success and sales teams to go the extra mile. This can be through offering great online product demos or through technical support, such as a setup call.

  The bottom line is that a sale isn’t made when someone buys. It’s made when Airtame is up and running in a given setting and making people’s lives easier. Successful testing has the domino effect of generating more sales. When a partner sees how much easier meetings and classes can be, the initial purchase is multiplied.

• Feedback

  When contacting us about a return, customers can write a brief statement about why they want to send back the product (e.g., they’ve changed their mind, experienced technical issues, etc.). These reasons are a useful source of feedback that can influence how we can develop our communications, product, and services going forward.

  In cases where someone was not originally aware of the absence of a given feature, we can assess how we need to improve upon our marketing communication in regards to what Airtame can and cannot do. If someone gave up during the setup phase, then we might see how we can tweak our onboarding guides.

  We look at feedback and fix what we can. It’s a continuous cycle that the trial period helps us facilitate.

How we process returns

If someone wants to return their Airtame, they send an email to us at shipping@airtame.com with their original order number, their reason for returning (or replacing) the device, and the firmware version of their Airtame(s).

The firmware version indicates whether or not any issues could be due to users not having updated the device for a while. In some cases when customers realize this, they decide to start using it again once it’s been updated.

If a customer proceeds with a return or replacement, then we send them instructions for how to send Airtame back. Once your return is received at our location in the USA, Australia, or Denmark and inspected to make sure that there are no damages or missing parts, we notify you if the item met the conditions for the full refund. The return shipping cost is not included in the refund.

If a given return is approved, the refund will be processed within the following two weeks, and credit will be applied to the credit card or original method of payment within 2-7 days.

If any defect is found when using Airtame, this should be reported within 30 days. All that’s needed is to reach out to support@airtame.com with a description of the particular issue. Our Customer Success team will happily help resolve it over email, chat, or phone.

What’s your take? What’s a fair return policy to you? Let us know!

The post How a 30-day risk free returns policy can make for happier customers appeared first on Airtame.

A quality demo is something that engages the person you’re talking to. For us, it’s a lot about experimentation, as what grabs the attention of a potential lead may not work the next time around.

To start off with, it’s crucial that we highlight exactly what Airtame is, in the simplest terms possible; we explain that Airtame is a wireless streaming solution that has been designed for both business and educational environments.  Normally, the kind of people buying Airtame would include everyone from IT administrators working for multinational corporations, to primary school teachers and university directors.

Winning over such a diverse audience requires team members to be technically well-versed while also coming across as charming, flexible, and helpful.

On the one hand we need to standardize our demos so that they exhibit Airtame’s purpose in a way that is universally understandable.

At the same time we also need to be able to customize each demo, so that we can convey how Airtame will improve the specific situation of the person we’re talking to and the institution that they represent. Achieving these goals simultaneously isn’t easy, which is why we’ve developed guidelines to help us navigate each demo call.

Training for demo calls

Our sales team is primarily responsible for demo calls, and members of our customer success team assist. These teams work together closely, and each person is trained in a way so that they feel confident in delivering a slam-dunk demo. We maintain consistent high quality by listening in on each other’s calls, both for training new recruits and as a way to offer constructive feedback.

Aside from making an initial sale, the aim of the demos isn’t to only get one-off customers. It’s about planting the seed that will allow us to garner a long-term relationship. Regardless of how big or small the deal is, Airtame offers lifetime customer support. In many cases, the team member who originally conducted the call will keep in regular contact with the customer during and after the onboarding process, as a relationship will already be established. We really drill it into the minds of new recruits that they to always keep the long-term perspective in mind, rather than only looking at their role in terms of the money they help bring in.

We use Calendly so that anyone can book a demo with us through our website. Once booked, the team member with whom the call has been scheduled receives a Slack notification and an event pops us in their Google Calendar. This is all integrated with our CRM tool Pipedrive, giving us an overview of past calls, email threads, customer details, and purchases. A key part of getting new hires on board is teaching them to use and stay on top of their respective accounts.

Preparing for demo calls

A demo call is like a first date. If it goes well, there’s a world of potential ahead. If it goes badly, it’s unlikely that the other person will give us another shot at winning them over.

The first step is to understand what value means to the person on the other side of the call. We always do our research to find out about the organization’s mission, what they do, and who they work with on a regular basis. Taking ten minutes to read up on this allows us to contextualize our value.

We ask leads to describe the nature of their project in as much detail as possible when they initially book. The “project” could be anything from a traveling salesman looking to use Airtame as a portable presentation solution, to a school district looking to permanently equip 500 classrooms with Airtame.

With this in mind, the focus of the demo will be influenced by the working style of the user, pain points, future growth potential, network setup, size of the institution, and many other possible factors. We come up with a tailor-made checklist of what to highlight and what questions to ask. The goal is to focus only on the features that are most relevant to solving the prospect’s challenges at work.

Your big opener …

First impressions aren’t everything, but they do pack quite a punch. When starting a call, we avoid sounding like a robot at all costs. I try to speak to everyone as though I was meeting them in person. I ask them how they’re doing and often tell them something personal about how I joined Airtame, or about how the company got started. In just acting natural (i.e., not jumping straight into a script), it’s possible to establish rapport.

The tough part – delivering

We talk with people, not at them. No one likes a person who doesn’t let anyone else get a word in. It’s important to continuously ask questions to gain a deeper understanding of the lead’s needs and preferences. We concentrate on the “why,” both when it comes to learning about our partners, and explaining the Airtame solution. We want to convey that Airtame exists to make your professional life easier.

We take pride in not only being able to share clear and concise product knowledge, but also in our ability to communicate this to people with varying degrees of technical experience. We strive to come across as capable and helpful, providing insights tailored to each lead’s scenario. While each of us wants to have all of the knowledge bases covered, part of being human is also about not being afraid to let customers know that we don’t always have the answers.

If I’m unsure of how to best answer a question, I pause the call to ask a colleague to help confirm. No lead has ever been upset over this. Probably because they’re human too.

We are also not afraid to be clear on what Airtame can’t do, in addition to what it can, or perhaps might do in the future. We’d rather say less, making sure that all information we provide is accurate than try to oversell, overpromise or spout falsehoods in the hope of generating a sale. We avoid criticizing competitors and instead focus on how we are different.

Airtame is a living product; we stand out by constantly working on new ways to improve our product and the services we offer. The objective is long-term trust, which is ultimately the healthiest way to improve the bottom line.

Online demos are hosted through GoToMeeting, which is great for making the most of visual aids. With the screen sharing feature participants can view our presentation slides, experience how the Airtame App works, and take a tour through the Airtame Cloud platform. We use the Airtame App and Cloud platform exactly as any customer would, to demonstrate the simple user interface, and how easy it is to use Airtame.

We let these tools complement our conversation, which is the spirit of Airtame. Airtame isn’t meant to replace human communication, but rather to make it more collaborative.

We emphasize the fact that we provide free lifetime customer support, and we’re not afraid to give out individual work emails rather than a generic one. The message is that there are real people behind the product, who care enough to take the time to individually solve problems and come up with helpful suggestions.

Closing a demo call

When it comes to closing a call, we try to guide leads to make a sale, while not being pushy. People know that we, of course, need to sell the product, but they appreciate that we’re not afraid to poke fun at the overbearing salesperson stereotype. Our approach is to ask if they have any remaining questions or concerns.

We take on feedback from every inquiry and feed this into our communication strategy. Sometimes feature requests are added to our product development roadmap. The blind spots that potential customers have – related to what Airtame can or cannot do – are instrumental in generating clearer and more concise communication.

If they confirm that they’re interested in giving Airtame a go then we suggest that they start with ordering a few devices to test out. We never push anyone to proceed with a large purchase without first having had the chance to see if Airtame works in their environment.

Plus, we have a 30-day risk-free trial system, meaning that any customer has nothing to lose in seeing how Airtame works for their workplace. Once we know a customer is on-board, we try our hardest to make sure that they have a successful deployment and education of their staff on how to use Airtame effectively.

The results

For those who would like a condensed version of an Airtame demo before booking a live one, my colleague Phillip and I created shorter, pre-recorded demos for our two target sectors – business and education. Hopefully it’s useful for potential customers, and likeminded companies that want to get some demo inspiration. We won’t say they are perfect, and never should be – hopefully we are upping our game all the time! Check them out and let us know what you think.

You can also find out more about our process for establishing our demo style here in this video with our co-founder, Brian Kyed.

Business demo

Education demo

Have a question? You can reach out to us directly on our website. Or head to our pricing page if you’re ready to take the plunge and get your first Airtames.

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