Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?
In the early days of CallTrackingMetrics, I wasn’t just the co-founder and CEO — I was the one writing the initial software code. This hands-on approach continues to this day, as I remain deeply invested in the technical aspects of the company.
Prior to CallTrackingMetrics, I co-founded SimoSoftware, which was later acquired by RevolutionHealth in 2005. This experience and my time at Captico LLC, where we provided online marketing solutions for small businesses, instilled in me the importance of empowering businesses through technology. These ventures proved to be stepping stones on the path to CallTrackingMetrics.
My wife and I were inspired by a clear need we witnessed while consulting with businesses across various industries. No matter the sector, all our clients grappled with the challenge of connecting phone calls to their paid advertising efforts. We saw a gap in the market for a comprehensive call tracking and marketing attribution solution, and CallTrackingMetrics was born out of this identified need.
Our journey began not in a corporate office but in a basement — a passionate project fueled by self-funding. Fast-forward 12 years, and CallTrackingMetrics has blossomed into a thriving enterprise. We now generate over $25 million in annual revenue and provide a supportive work environment for a passionate team of more than 70 individuals.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
We differentiate ourselves by prioritizing exceptional customer service. Our commitment to local, live support ensures customers receive personalized attention and fast resolutions for their questions. This customer-centric approach fosters strong relationships and exceptional satisfaction, setting us apart from the competition.
Furthermore, we maintain complete founder ownership and operate independently. This allows us to prioritize organic growth, focusing on building a high-performing team with top talent. Our focus on quality over quantity guarantees agility and fuels innovation. This streamlined approach allows us to deliver groundbreaking solutions that consistently lead the market.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success?
The three character traits most instrumental to my success have been resilience, vision and decisiveness.
- Resilience: The ability to bounce back from setbacks, adapt to changes and persist in the face of challenges is crucial. Resilience helps maintain focus and motivation, even when facing obstacles.
- Vision: It is essential to have a clear and compelling vision of the business’s future direction. This includes the ability to set long-term goals, foresee market trends and inspire others to work towards that vision.
- Decisiveness: Making timely and effective decisions is key to navigating the complexities of business.
Let’s now move to the main point of our discussion about AI. Can you explain how AI is disrupting your industry? Is this disruption hurting or helping your bottom line?
AI is a huge efficiency provider. It’s like, instead of pulling a rake across the field with your own muscles, you can attach it to a tractor, and look how much easier it is to plow the field! You can plow ten times more fields than you could with your manpower alone, and AI has done that for our industry. It can automate tedious tasks, identify the sentiment and deliver a summary of a call and analyze data to determine the most valuable types of ads for a business. The technology should be implemented thoughtfully and with caution, but the bottom line about bottom lines is that AI is helping. It’s simple: teams are less stressed and more productive when equipped with the right AI tools.
Which specific AI technology has had the most significant impact on your industry?
AI is revolutionizing call tracking by enabling a deeper understanding of customer interactions, setting a new standard for the industry. Companies in the call tracking space are now expected to offer built-in AI tools for conversation transcription and analysis. Basic call tracking metrics like call volume are no longer enough. Analyzing call content with AI is crucial for understanding customer intent and campaign effectiveness, and AI technology has made in-depth call analysis accessible and affordable compared to the expensive, niche services previously available. Customers now expect call tracking solutions to provide rich insights into conversations.
Can you share a pivotal moment when you recognized the profound impact AI would have on your sector?
When I saw the agent efficiency increases that resulted from leveraging AI, I knew it was going to make a huge impact. Before AI, agents would have to score the call and check all sorts of administrative boxes after the call’s completion, but all of that can now be deferred to AI. The agent still needs to check AI’s work, but those wrap-up tasks get completed more quickly and completely, making things much easier for the agent.
How are you preparing your workforce for the integration of AI, and what skills do you believe will be most valuable in an AI-enhanced future?
I don’t really see the skills changing — AI will enable a more productive workforce, allowing them to be more efficient. The skills remain the same for our team, at least, though other companies may find that some skills become obsolete.
What are the biggest challenges in upskilling your workforce for an AI-centric future?
I don’t see this as a challenge, but rather an opportunity for our team.
What ethical considerations does AI introduce into your industry, and how are you tackling these concerns?
When we first introduced AskAI, the only pushback we got was from healthcare customers concerned as to whether or not it was going to be HIPAA compliant and if there was any data sharing that was going on, and I think those security concerns are representative of the concerns in the industry at large. However, OpenAI, ChatGPT’s parent company, updated its policies so that user data could no longer be used as training data, alleviating many security concerns. Keeping private data private should be a top priority of any organization, but especially within our industry since so many sectors, including highly regulated sectors, are represented in our client bases.
What are your “Five Things You Need To Do, If AI Is Disrupting Your Industry”?
1. Implement AI thoughtfully. Before investing in AI, ensure that you have a holistic view of your product’s entire lifecycle so you know exactly where you want to leverage AI for improvements. AI for the sake of AI isn’t going to magically solve all your issues — you need to first identify the issues so you can intentionally use AI.
2. Embrace efficiency. Instead of resisting the inevitable, actively incorporate AI tools like conversation transcription and sentiment analysis into your platforms. This ensures a smooth user experience and positions you as a leader in the space by offering comprehensive call tracking solutions.
3. Invest in data security and privacy. AI relies heavily on call data, so robust security measures are critical. Prioritize user privacy by complying with security regulations to build trust and transparency with customers.
4. Foster an AI-driven innovation culture. Implement idea-sharing programs or innovation challenges that incentivize employees to experiment with AI and develop prototypes or proofs-of-concept. Celebrate successful AI implementations, no matter how small, to inspire others. Consider partnering with organizations that are on the cutting edge of AI development.
5. Refine customer support and training. Invest in training your customer support teams to address inquiries about AI features and ensure a smooth transition for existing customers. Additionally, providing resources and training materials for users to effectively understand and leverage AI functionalities can be a valuable differentiator.
What are the most common misconceptions about AI within your industry, and how do you address them?
I think the most common AI misconception is that implementing an AI tool will solve all of your business problems. There’s a lot of hype around AI, and if you jump on the bandwagon too soon, you risk causing even more issues because you weren’t ready. Organizations need to focus on the fundamentals of their product to identify the problems that need to be solved before investing in AI tools. How is AI supposed to solve all your problems if you don’t even know what the issues are?
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?
My first engineering manager told me, “Perfection is the enemy of good.” Similarly, a foreman in a machine shop said, “KISS, or Keep It Simple, Stupid.” The lesson in both of these quotes is that it is really hard to keep things simple and ship a fully-fledged product that customers will consider “perfect.” So instead, keep it simple, consider your end users’ experience when building and focus on core functionality. Don’t be afraid to lead with an MVP product that you iterate on based on customer feedback.
Off-topic, but I’m curious. As someone steering the ship, what thoughts or concerns often keep you awake at night? How do those thoughts influence your daily decision-making process?
I often think about the individual needs of the teams I’m leading. What leadership style works best for one team may not work for another, and leaders are being critiqued more closely than ever in today’s society. However, in a world where specialization is increasingly essential, it’s crucial to remember the big picture and the importance of the little things. Leaders can create a workplace where everyone thrives by focusing on the sometimes overlooked aspects of a team’s success, such as individual fulfillment, recognition and alignment with customer and partner needs.
How can our readers further follow you online?
Visit www.calltrackingmetrics.com to learn more or connect with me on LinkedIn.
Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!