#AI for Sales Teams

[technologyequality]

Automate Your Sales Pipeline & Watch Revenue Grow: AI’s Secret to Closing More Deals

Automate Your Sales Pipeline & Watch Revenue Grow AI’s Secret to Closing More Deals Let’s be honest—following up with leads can feel like herding cats. You send emails, leave voicemails, drop a friendly “just checking in” message on LinkedIn… and then? Crickets. Meanwhile, potential sales are slipping through the cracks because, let’s face it, manual follow-ups are time-consuming and…

[newpmsales]

AI Lead Enrichment and Intelligent B2B Lead Generation Solutions

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the way businesses approach lead generation and management, offering innovative solutions for improving efficiency and effectiveness. By utilizing AI-powered lead generation and data enrichment solutions, sales teams can focus on high-quality prospects and close deals faster, enhancing overall business performance.

AI Lead Enrichment

AI lead enrichment is a transformative process that enhances raw lead data by supplementing it with relevant, up-to-date information. This process enables businesses to gain deeper insights into potential customers, including their preferences, behaviors, and needs. With enriched data, sales teams can craft personalized strategies to engage prospects and increase conversion rates.

AI-Powered Lead Generation

AI-powered lead generation tools are revolutionizing the way businesses identify and target potential customers. By analyzing vast amounts of data, AI can uncover hidden opportunities and identify high-potential leads. These tools leverage predictive analytics to assess the likelihood of prospects converting into customers, ensuring that sales efforts are focused on the most promising opportunities.

Data Enrichment Solutions

Data enrichment solutions powered by AI play a critical role in maintaining the accuracy and relevance of customer data. These solutions integrate various data sources, including social media profiles, public records, and online behaviors, to provide a comprehensive view of prospects. Accurate and detailed data allows sales teams to make informed decisions and tailor their outreach efforts effectively.

Intelligent Lead Scoring

Intelligent lead scoring is a game-changer for prioritizing leads. AI algorithms evaluate prospects based on a variety of factors, such as engagement levels, demographics, and past interactions. By assigning scores to leads, sales teams can focus their efforts on those with the highest potential for conversion. This targeted approach boosts efficiency and maximizes the return on investment.

AI for Sales Teams

AI offers numerous benefits for sales teams, from automating routine tasks to providing actionable insights. By leveraging AI, sales teams can streamline workflows, improve collaboration, and enhance decision-making. Tools like AI-powered CRM systems and predictive analytics enable teams to focus on building relationships and closing deals, rather than getting bogged down by administrative tasks.

B2B Lead Enrichment with AI

B2B lead enrichment with AI is particularly impactful for businesses operating in the complex world of B2B sales. AI tools can analyze company data, industry trends, and market conditions to identify key decision-makers and their specific needs. This detailed information empowers sales teams to craft customized solutions and establish meaningful connections with potential clients. In conclusion, AI is a powerful tool for enhancing lead generation and management processes. From AI-powered lead generation and data enrichment to intelligent lead scoring and sales team support, these technologies are transforming the sales landscape. By adopting AI-driven strategies, businesses can achieve greater efficiency, improve customer engagement, and drive revenue growth in an increasingly competitive market.

[technologyequality]

How AI Can Book Meetings While You Sleep

How AI Can Book Meetings While You Sleep We need to talk about one of the biggest time-wasters in business; back-and-forth scheduling. You know the drill: “Does Tuesday at 3 work?” “No, what about Thursday at 10?” “Actually, can we do next week instead?” By the time you finally lock in a meeting, you’ve burned 15 emails and at least two brain cells. But what if I told you AI can handle…

[andyridgeley]

know that everytime i see AI written out like that im thinking about this guy

[unitedstatesrei]

Automate, Elevate, and Build a Business That Works for You with Caroline Hobbs

Key Takeaways Automating systems and setting clear expectations are the keys to building a scalable, sustainable business. Agents should start with their personal sphere and consistently ask for the business without fear. Leveraging AI and SOPs empowers agents to save time and focus on income-producing tasks. United States Real Estate Investor The REI Agent with Caroline Hobbs https://youtu.be/rpR6yoX4TIg Follow and subscribe to The REI Agent on social Facebook Instagram Youtube .cls-1fill:#fff; Linkedin X-twitter United States Real Estate Investor It's time to have an investor-friendly agent on your team! It's time to have an investor-friendly agent on your team! United States Real Estate Investor From Open Houses to Ownership: Caroline Hobbs’ Rise to Real Estate Mastery In this eye-opening episode of The REI Agent Podcast, Mattias hosts the extraordinary Caroline Hobbs, a powerhouse in real estate, tech, and team building. While Erica is out for physical therapy, Mattias flies solo to spotlight a woman whose story screams resilience, vision, and innovation. Caroline isn’t just a top-producing agent. She’s the founder of Reward Realty, one of California’s youngest-ever brokers, and the brain behind a revolutionary real estate CRM that’s changing how agents work nationwide. “I graduated college in 2009—arguably the worst time in history to try and get a job in finance.” Her story begins with inherited wisdom. As a third-generation real estate expert, Caroline was practically born to build an empire. What started with open houses during college soon transformed into a thriving brokerage, and eventually, a pioneering tech company designed for agents by an agent. Starting Young, Going Big: The Journey of a 21-Year-Old Broker Caroline doesn’t just talk the talk—she’s lived every part of it. At just 21, she became a licensed broker, stepping into an industry most were fleeing during the housing crash. Her mentor, a Keller Williams legend with over 10,000 contacts in her database, gave Caroline the tactical experience to thrive in chaos. “I was probably the youngest broker in the state for a while… because I graduated early and the experience rule hadn’t kicked in yet.” That early exposure to system-building and data management laid the foundation for something bigger: leading her own team, then creating a platform that helps others do the same, faster, smarter, and more profitably. Real Brokerage, Real Growth, Real Results Fast forward to today, Caroline’s team under Real Brokerage has grown from 4 to 9 agents in just four months. Her secret? Monthly masterminds, relentless expectation setting, and systems that allow every team member to build sustainably. “We teach people how to treat us—but we also set the expectations for our clients, our team, and our business.” She’s not just closing deals. She’s mentoring minds and building leaders. From showings to SOPs, Caroline’s influence runs deep in every aspect of her operation. She reminds us that real leadership is built on communication, follow-through, and vision. The Software That’s Reshaping the Agent's Life Caroline’s CRM isn’t just another shiny object, it’s a full-stack assistant that reads documents, transcribes calls, tracks deadlines, and automates client communication. “We help agents build out their SOPs, automate their transactions, and create time-saving systems that actually serve them.” With integrations into DocuSign, Dropbox, Fellow, and custom pipelines, it’s a plug-and-play system that frees up time for what matters: serving people. The CRM even uses AI to summarize phone calls, schedule follow-ups, and trigger marketing automations. It’s the very definition of working smarter, not harder. Train Like a Pro with Caroline’s AI Roleplay Coach Caroline also created a custom GPT tool for her team that roleplays lead conversations, provides feedback, and trains agents on how to confidently convert calls into clients. “It gives them

real-time feedback on what they did well and how they can improve—and it’s trained with Tom Ferry and Phil Jones language.” New agents use it daily to sharpen their skills before ever picking up a phone. She understands that the biggest gaps in success are often confidence and preparation, and she’s built tools to bridge both. Want More Deals? Ask for the Business. When Mattias asked Caroline for one golden nugget for new agents, she didn’t flinch. “Start with your sphere and ask for the business. Don’t be shy to say, ‘Do you know anyone looking to buy or sell?’” Her advice is refreshingly practical—start face-to-face, lean on your community, and build your skills over time. AI and automation are tools, but relationships and reputation are still the foundation. Final Words of Wisdom from a Trailblazer To close out the episode, Caroline recommends the game-changing book Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell. “You should be out making the sales, not buried in paperwork. Automate and delegate everything else.” From strategy to software to soul, Caroline Hobbs embodies what The REI Agent is all about: building wealth while staying aligned with who you are and what matters most. Want to work smarter, lead better, and live bolder? Start by asking better questions. Caroline did, and it changed everything. Stay tuned for more inspiring stories on The REI Agent podcast, your go-to source for insights, inspiration, and strategies from top agents and investors who are living their best lives through real estate. For more content and episodes, visit reiagent.com. United States Real Estate Investor Create healing and connection within yourself, your family, and your community. Create healing and connection within yourself, your family, and your community. United States Real Estate Investor Contact Caroline Hobbs Reward Realty Linktree United States Real Estate Investor Mentioned References Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell Tom Ferry Phil Jones Real Brokerage Google Forms ChatGPT United States Real Estate Investor Transcript Welcome to the REI Agent, a holistic approach to life through real estate. I'm Mattias, an agent and investor. And I'm Erica, a licensed therapist. Join us as we interview guests that also strive to live bold and fulfilled lives through business and real estate investing. Tune in every week for interviews with real estate agents and investors. Ready to level up? Let's do it. Welcome back to the REI Agent. It's your friendly local neighborhood real estate agent podcast host, Mattias, an investor. We are not, we don't have Erica with us today. So unfortunately, she had to go to PT. So we will hopefully have her here on the next one. But we did have a great guest today, Caroline Hobbs. Caroline is a team lead. She's an experienced agent, broker, and now a software owner. She has a CRM that she sells that has a lot of automations and stuff built in. It's pretty cool. So definitely check out the show notes if you are interested in hearing more about that. She can, you can see where, you know, in her link tree what all is available. I think that in this business, there's a lot of shiny objects. There's a lot of people that are trying to kind of get your money and can be distracting. Sometimes we get focused or persuaded into something. It could be changing brokerages. It could be, you know, this new tool that's fun. It could be a new system. I'm certainly guilty of this stuff. But I think at the end of the day, if you are focused on providing your clients with consistent, clear communication and you're setting expectations, you're going to do really well. So if you focus on those as the core tenement, and if you are building out systems and processes that help enhance that, I think that's what's really key in business that you already have. That's not necessarily something that will help you gain more business, other than people might rave about your services because they felt like they were taken care of the whole time.

So no matter what you do in this business, no matter what kind of things that you look into, because I think, you know, systems and processes and software, AI, all that stuff can be incredibly powerful. Just don't lose sight of what's really important when you are interacting with your clients. I think that's the key there. But without further ado, I'm going to keep this one short. We're going to go right into Caroline Hobbs. She, again, is out of the Silicon Valley area. She is an experienced agent. She may have been, and she talks about this, the youngest broker in the whole state of California for a couple months. So without further ado, Caroline Hobbs. Welcome back to the REI Agent. I am here with Caroline Hobbs. Caroline, thanks so much for joining us today. Thanks for having me. Hey, Caroline, you got a couple different hats. You have been an agent for a while. You've now team lead and you own a software company, correct? Correct. Yeah, awesome. To get started, I want to dive into all this different stuff, but let's get started by just kind of hearing how you got into real estate to begin with. Yeah, definitely. So I am third generation in real estate. So you could kind of say that I was born into it. My grandfather used to flip properties. He was a contractor. And after my mom graduated college, he encouraged her to go on and get her real estate license, which she did. She worked for Fieldstone down in Southern California, selling new homes for years and years, and eventually moved over to the lending side of things. While I was in college, I got a part-time job. I had no intention of going into real estate, as I have my degree in finance, but got a job hosting open houses for a realtor in Palo Alto and decided that I liked it. So shortly after graduation, I got my broker's license and a few years after that, started my independent brokerage. Nice. Wow, that's awesome. So you jumped right into starting your own brokerage, not just a new team. You went right into being your own broker. Well, so the realtor that trained me, just to give you a little bit of perspective, I started working for her in 2008, 2007, something around right there, and right at the heat of the crash as the market was crumbling. I graduated college. You needed to get into it. I graduated college in 2009, which is basically the worst time in history to try and get a job in finance. I was still working with the agent that trained me, and honestly, I couldn't have asked for a better mentor. The woman who I got to work with, she was internationally ranked as the top-selling agent in all of Keller Williams. She had a database at the time of over 10,000 people, which this is before people used databases. So I was hosting her open houses. I was organizing all of her clients in her database. I got a lot of really tactical, hands-on experience for how to manage contacts, how to stir the pot and turn that into actual business. So I worked with her for the first five, six years of my career, and then I was teaching a lot of classes at Keller Williams. I went off. I became an independent agent with them, but ultimately, I felt like my time was being pulled in multiple directions with being in the bigger office and having my broker's license. I felt confident that I could do it, and so I started Reward Realty in 2011. And I started that in 2013, and I ran it as an independent for 11 years. Wow. That's awesome. Just real quick before I forget, do you have any fun ways of re-engaging a database of that size that you could share? Honestly, the technologies have changed so much. So the tactics I use today to serve databases like that versus the tactics I used 10 years ago are very different. I am really big on utilizing tags and client types. I'm also pretty big on utilizing pipelines to analyze your business, kind of scoping out a little bit. I think the most important thing is to make sure that your contacts are always properly categorized.

And then when we talk about my software, I can kind of talk about ways that we have built our system to help agents keep those things top priority as they're working in their database. So that way, it's easier to identify those low-hanging fruit. Okay. Yeah, we'll have to get into that. I do want to talk a little bit about team building first. So when you got your brokerage, did you already have agents that were going to join you or were you just kind of at that point going to be a solo broker agent? Or did you hire an admin? What was that process like? For most of the time that I ran my brokerage as an independent, I had just an admin TC and a couple agents with me, like two or three for most of the time. So it was never, I was always the top producing agent. I was in some cases feeding other agents that were with me. Being independent was great. It was really lonely at first because I went from a team in an office environment to being on my own. And so having that assistant really helped with bridging the camaraderie gap and the social gap. And then it's honestly just recently that I really started getting involved more with the associations, the boards, things like that locally. At the time, real estate wasn't trendy to get into because the market was crashing. It was the worst time in real estate. So I was much younger than anybody else in my office or really in the industry that I knew at the time. When I got my broker's license, I had just turned 21. I was 21. Wow. There's a good chance I was probably the youngest broker in the state for a while just because you had to either have a degree in finance or economics or have five years sales person's experience at the time. And since I was younger than everybody in school and I graduated and got my broker's license right away, they changed it a few months later to require the five years experience. But at the time, they didn't have that in place. I was wondering. I think here it's three years of experience. I don't know if we have that finance loophole. There's no loophole anymore. But there was. This is in 2009, so a long time ago. So when you were bringing agents on or when you had a couple of agents, were they just selling independently or were they designated to help you in certain ways like having a showing agent or something like that, listing specialist? I did have one showing agent. The others worked independently. Okay. Yeah. And how's your, you said sales team earlier. How's that structured now? So my sales team has grown a lot. So one year ago, I made the switch from operating my business as an independent to coming on with Real Brokerage as a part of their white label program. So under their white label program, I've been able to grow quite a bit. We have an agent locally that is a huge attractor. And but he doesn't quite have the capacity to give training and things like that to agents. So I started doing monthly masterminds for agents with my lending partners where I kind of take a look at all the different ways that agents generate business, whether we're talking about social interactions, you know, their kids, the parents at their kids schools, whether we're talking about online marketing, purchasing leads, converting leads, whether we're talking about social media, being an influencer, direct mailing, farming, all of these different kind of tried and true, so to speak, ways. We kind of rotate and dive into each of those things on a monthly basis. Usually the trainings are about two to three hours long. And it has grown my team from four of us to nine of us in the past four months. Wow. Now, again, is that structured kind of like you were before? Do you have any designated people helping you directly? Are they all just kind of independent agents that are there to help or to be mentored by you, et cetera, and work together as a team? So we work together as a team. So I help not as much on like the paid lead side, but like I go on listing appointments with my agents and secure the transaction for us.

I've been in this business for so long. I understand the ins and outs and how to problem solve on the spot. There's not much that somebody could throw at me that I wouldn't be able to take a second and give them good guidance on. Not to say that I'm perfect. It's just when you've been in the business almost 16 years and you've been on as many inspections and things like that, you retain it. And I honestly, I live by the mindset that there's always something new to learn with every transaction, with every interaction that we have with people. So I kind of utilize that. Yeah. Cool. Yeah, it definitely helps. And things don't phase you quite as much as they may have in the beginning. A hundred percent. When a problem comes up or whatever, like each time. I kind of remember the first year that really my business really took off, skyrocketed. It also came with a lot of problems. And there was one time where I was just like down. I was just like, you know, kind of overwhelmed and just like, oh my gosh. So many problems, so many issues. And, you know, a good friend of mine kind of took me aside and was trying to give me like a pep talk and all that kind of stuff. But another friend was telling me, you know, whenever this kind of stuff happens, like it's just, you know, once you get past it, like you feel unfazed, like you're going to be unflappable. You're not going to be able to be bothered by little things anymore because you just got through this like really tedious time. But on top of that, the next time something like that happens, it's not as big of a deal. And so like looking back at the things that like phase you at the beginning versus now, just it's kind of, it's almost funny. But you can share that with your team as well if they're not quite as experienced as you. You know what, I tell my team this all the time and I can't say it enough is not only do we teach other people how to treat us, but we also set expectations for our clients, for our team members, for any interactions that we have. And so I feel like as an agent, more than anything else, that is our number one role is setting expectations. Because it's when those expectations are not met that people start getting frantic and they start making emotional choices. And so if you can just stay ahead of that and provide communication, then the problems stop popping up. 100%. There is somebody on here, I think he was an investor actually, but he was talking about how kind of everything boils down to setting clear expectations and communicating effectively. And if you can do those two things, even with your kids, with your family, it's just like, you know, you're a little kid and they're in the middle of a TV show or middle of playing in the park and all of a sudden you're like, we're going, we're leaving, bye. And just rip them out of that. They're going to be pissed. They're going to be very mad. But if you set the expectations that A, you're going to be here for this long and then kind of check in with them, communicate that, you know, 15 minutes, 10 minutes, five minutes, one minute, whatever, and we're going to leave, then that whole process goes a lot more smoothly. And that's the same for, you know, clients. Like if you are proactively communicating throughout the process and, you know, setting the expectations that they're going to get that email, that call, that whatever at this time, they're not going to be anxious. They feel that they're covered. And yeah, so I agree. Agents are the same way though. And I think that's one reason why I've been successful in stepping from, because in a lot of ways I run my team and my downline with Real in the same way that I ran the brokerage. Setting expectations with your agents. I think, you know, let's talk about marketing for example. People think that they're going to send one postcard and suddenly the phone is going to start ringing and everyone is going to be offering them their house to sell. Right.

That's just not how it works. It's stacking those good behaviors every single day to get closer and closer to your goal. And so it's about building that consistency. And so part of my job as a team lead is setting that expectation from the beginning. Okay, you want to start a farm. That's amazing. Let's go ahead and determine the farm. But to be clear, you should not expect anything to turn from this farm for at least the next three to six months. Don't start Google marketing and think that all of a sudden your phone is going to ring off the hook. No, you're going to have to build up that SEO credibility. You're looking at at least six months before you're really starting to get things, the algorithms and everything, getting to know who you are. And so I think that's where a lot of miscommunication goes into it. I think a lot of people are afraid of the truth or they're afraid of rejection if they give somebody the whole truth. And so it's kind of just it goes back to setting those expectations from the beginning. Yeah, that consistency too is huge. I have a house under contract that I've been mailing postcards to that community as a farm for two years, I think. And this is the first actual deal to come from two years. Yeah. And now the result of this sale is great for everything that I've been saying that I'm doing. I did in this deal and we got an amazing above asking price offers that I can now market to that community and just hopefully that will continue to snowball the results from that marketing that I've been doing. But that's hard for people. I mean, that's a lot of money. You know, it's hard to see the forest for the trees. Like if you're spending a lot of money on Google ads, you're spending a lot of money on postcards and nothing's actually come from it. You just feel like, you know, what's the point after a couple months you just spent. So in some ways it's easier to sign a contract or to just send the money to an agency that says, I'm going to commit to this for a year and I'm going to put it up front and it's done. And because you're going to just be spending money pointlessly otherwise, probably. Well, and honestly, I think the same thing goes when you're starting a team as well is people think this is going to be great. I am going to start a team. I'm going to check in with my team and they're going to go off and then I'm going to get a piece of the commission and it's going to be great. Right. Well, starting a team is a huge time investment and time is money. And, you know, I feel like so much of this business is kind of like a chess game and understanding where you move your time and money. And oftentimes I use those synonymously because, you know, we need both. Yeah. Succeed. Yeah, totally. Tell us a little bit about the software now. We were talking a little bit beforehand and how the software you're creating is all about automation and kind of freeing up people's time. So then I'm definitely super interested in. So tell us about what your software does. Well, so something that I have learned in mentoring agents and running the brokerage and going to conferences and meeting people from across the country. Realtors are social beings. Yeah. They are great at meeting people. They're great at forming relationships. They're not good at the back end stuff, but not everyone can afford an assistant. And a lot of people don't have the skill set to really articulate what it is that they're how their process goes, how it's laid out. And the reason is, is they don't have a standard operating procedure for how they transact. They kind of do it on the fly. Yeah. And say, well, every transaction is so unique. But is it because we have the same deadlines? You have the same paperwork that's needed. Hopefully you're getting the same level of customer service to each of your clients. So one thing that I really love about our software, like straight out of the gate from the time that we onboard you is there's several different modules that you go through.

And really what these modules are aimed to do is to build out those SOPs for your listing and buying process from deadlines to communications, to marketing, to gifting. Even we are one of our things is we're really big on building out integrations for all of the different tools and everything that you're using. If you're using something with an open API, our dev teams will actually build a custom integration with that company. We have a priority list based on request, but that's something that we're doing to constantly make our software work better with the tools and everything that agents are already using. We're not trying to... So many of those. Exactly. There is, there is. So for example, we're just finishing a two-way integration with Fellow, which is a home valuation software. And the reason why we're building out a two-way integration with them is they have some really great data enhancement tools where you can look up phone numbers and email addresses and things like that. And it's no, it's not helpful if you get a data enrichment in another software program and then it doesn't update clients in your database. Right. And so we want to make sure that we're working smarter and not harder. So things like that. So we have the transaction management process that is automated as far as deadlines and communications go. We also have an app with DocuSign and a client portal with Dropbox that kind of organizes all of the paperwork for each client as it's completed. And then as far as like the marketing goes, we have some postcard automations set up. We have from the time that people come into the database and that first call is made to them for like your online marketing leads, that call is actually transcribed and sent through chat GPT to determine what type of client it is. Is it a buyer? Is it a seller? Did you set up an appointment on the call? Because if you did, it's going to set the calendar appointment in your system. Nice. If you collect that email address from them over the phone, it's going to save that email address for them in the system so that when you're driving between appointments or at your kid's soccer game and you're taking a call and you don't have a pen and paper and you're like, oh, could you please text me your contact? Yep. You don't have to do that anymore. Just utilizing the smart number in the system will help you collect all that information and make sure that it's setting things off appropriately. So when different types of appointments are made, different types of communications are going to go out as far as reminders or even email communication, preparing them for an inspection. One of my favorite things is once the inspection is complete, the inspection appointment, it's going to send a text to your client saying the inspection is complete. Use the link below to schedule a review of the inspection documents with your agent. And it sends them the next calendar link. So that way you already have your next appointment being booked with your clients to follow up without you having to sit around and wait for it. Nice. So is this a CRM or a plugin to anybody's CRM? It's a CRM. Okay, cool. Although it can sync with other CRMs, it doesn't make sense. Right, you're doubling up. Yeah, cool. Yeah, I like that. It's, there's a lot that, a lot of time people can spend in that, in those rabbit holes of like automating and stuff. And so it is nice when somebody is already creating those for you and kind of setting up a system that they can follow. So that's really cool. Yeah, we, like throughout the onboarding process, they actually order the communications and everything like that. You can actually change the emails that are going to go out. So you get full privileges over that. You can add emails to sequences. And then our software will automatically build those workflows in there for you. Yeah, that's awesome. So I imagine then you would have kind of like a work phone

number that would be integrated with a CRM that then have those automated texts coming from and that you would have like those phone calls, the recording, et cetera, happening through. Yeah, yeah. And so one of the things that I've found in CRM searches and stuff is there seems to be a lot of separation. Like people like prefer maybe to have their personal stuff and their like work stuff separate. And I've kind of always operated off of like, it's all one for me. You know, like all my contacts are just kind of my sphere. So one of the things that I've had to do with some of the CRMs I've worked with is then kind of sync my contacts. And that has to be like through a Zapier or something like that. But that's been one little thing. But I do like the fact that you can have, you could build out, especially if you're doing, I could imagine if you're doing like online lead generation, which is not something I've done much of, that you might feel bombarded with a bunch of people you don't know well. And so like having that separation could be nice until maybe you get them into like that, you know, they're actually an active client. And then, you know, you might use your own phone as well. But yeah, I could see why there's a lot of people that their CRM wants to be very separate from their personal life. I see that. But honestly, I feel like it's a lot misguided. And the reason for that is like those people, those friends and family members are some of your biggest supporters. Oh, absolutely. And sometimes they need reminding that you're an expert in the field that you're in. You're not just the default because you're family. You're default because you're the smartest person they know about real estate. Yeah. You know what I mean? Yeah. And you want them to be shouting your name from the hilltops anytime they hear anybody breathing about moving. Exactly. So for me, like identifying the client type, and we have a lot of automation set up like this, where it's like when you add a lead source, we add it into the workflow, and we say, okay, leads coming from this lead source. What are they? Are they buyers? Are they sellers? Are they so like, for example, we use Google Forms. And so I know that when somebody fills out the buyer Google Form, that they are a buyer. Yeah. And so I think it's just making sure that you're appropriately labeling your contacts. And so, you know, you asked me the question earlier, like, what do you do to stir the pot? Yeah. Well, again, as a part of the onboarding process, and it's available like in our learning center as well as we talk about how to use tags, we talk about how to use the client type, we talk about how to create new opportunities to keep the end filters to be able to find the people that you've communicated with most recently, the newest leads, the how to put them in groups where you know that this is like a warm nurture, like you know that they're going to transact in the next six to 12 months, and they should be on your like bi weekly call list. Right, right. You know. So those are kind of the things that I specify and we use automation to automatically add certain tags when they hit different milestones, so to speak, or have reached out in a certain way. We can automate removal of tags or addition of tags. So that way, we're making sure that our data is constantly staying up to date as well. Yeah, yeah, that's, it's always embarrassing. If, like I have, I have a lender that sends me a happy birthday message every year on the wrong date. And that's why, like, you know, this stuff is great if you have good data, and that's why it's so important to like you have to really work your data, your sphere to make sure that you're getting, you know, you're not doing something like that. Exactly. Yeah. That's cool. What other ways have you used AI to integrate with this system? To integrate into the system. The phone is probably the most impressive right now. The

other ways that we're using it is going to be in reading the transaction documents that part isn't going to be ready for probably the next six months. But we are working on actually being able to extract fields from like the purchase contract and whatnot to update fields in our different transaction files. That's cool. We also use it for, we do have AI like assistance that can help with texting back and things like that when calls come in. It's a last minute, it's like a last ditch effort kind of thing for us to use the AI agents. I prefer human voice. So most of my smart numbers bring to multiple people on my team. Okay. What other ways are we using? I have a market analysis. So I know the smart number thing that you just said to me really quickly, like, so that would, everybody's phone would ring or would it go to like different people at different times? If somebody doesn't answer, then it goes to the next person. I can set it up either way, actually. So that would be round robin. It was going to go around the circle. Um, usually it just rings to everybody all at the same time. So the first person that picks it up, that's my preference because then you don't have somebody sitting on the phone thinking that nobody's going to pick up the phone. Two minutes. Yeah, that makes sense. That's cool. Yeah, that makes sense. And obviously having somebody answer is the best option. Yeah. That's the number that I use on every single marketing piece. If you look on Google, it's going to be my smart number. If you look on anything, um, being a woman in this industry, I stopped putting my phone number out there a little while ago. Sure. Um, and that's been helpful. Yeah, no, that's, that's great. And that's one of the beauties too, of, of having something, uh, a number in a CRM that's not, you know, your personal number. Um, sorry, then I interrupted you about, you were saying something else. Um, I can't remember what it was now. Um, oh, we also use AI for a market analysis each month. So, um, I used a prompt that uses data from like, what's going on with the fed and news and whatnot to, um, help give insight as to the factors that are affecting our local marketplace currently. Oh, that's cool. Yeah. I think, I think, uh, anybody listening to this, that isn't using AI much. Um, I think it's just really important to start, uh, just, I heard somebody say, put a sticky note on your desk that says, how can I have AI do this? Um, or how can I use AI? And, and it's just really about figuring it out. Like if you haven't, you don't even have to figure it out. Ask, ask chat GPT why you're using it. The point is that you have to actually like use it. Like you have to be, uh, constantly trying to engage it because if you're not, then you may not think, oh, oh, this could be done by a chat GPT. Cause like, once you start, you know, using it for more and more things, it just becomes like obvious, like, oh yeah, that's something I'm definitely going to have chat GPT do. Um, my personal favorite right now, uh, this is really small, but one thing that's been pretty impactful is, you know, I have a Mac and Apple intelligence is kind of built in or whatever. Um, what I did was I, uh, made keyboard shortcuts for a proofreading and for a rewriting so that wherever I'm in, in my Mac, um, if I'm writing something, I can just kind of word vomit and just like get something out there that's not that clear, but it has the key points in it and then boom rewrite. And it's perfect. And that can be in a text message or that can be in an email. My email has built an AI too, but, but yeah, it's, that's been, that's been really nice, uh, to just kind of be more effective of a communicator. Cause I think, you know, often through when you're not on the phone, I mean, the way you communicate is very, very key. Absolutely. I, um, one thing that I did for my team is I built a custom Jack, uh, GPT for role playing with them, which is so easy to do.

Honestly, it's not rocket science, but, um, the thing I like about it is I built in like randomized questions for it. Um, and the reason why I love utilizing this tool. And so like on my agent's weekly check-in sheet, one of the questions is how many times did you use the chat GPT module this week? And the point is, is they'll come up with a scenario, they present it and you need to respond. And then it's going to give you advice on like what you did well, where you can improve and what the perfect answer would be. That's cool. And, um, I pro I trained it using Tom Ferry and Phil Jones language. Okay. Um, yeah, that's awesome. And it goes really, really nice. And so, and I really, you could do like the voice to text for it, or even just do the voice role play with it. But honestly, I prefer people doing the written version because I find that when you sit down and write and you're really thinking about it, your brain makes deeper lasting changes than if you're just to talk, you start thinking about the cadence and how you want to put these different words together, um, in a more thoughtful way that I feel like can stick and become more of a script. Yeah. Yeah. I love that. That's awesome. Um, I do have some, I have some questions about like, uh, if you have any golden nuggets for real estate agents, uh, that maybe are getting started or, um, have been at it for a while. I mean, is there anything that comes to mind that you'd want to share? Ask for the business, start with your sphere and ask for the business. Don't be shy to say, do you know anyone that's thinking of buying or selling this year? Okay. I love it. And is that, would you recommend going by calling, uh, emails? What, what's the best route for, for doing that? Um, I think for newer agents also honestly being like face to face with people, like throughout your day to day life, that's going to be your best bet. Um, I don't think newer agents have the skills on the phone to fully convert. I think that's a skill that's acquired over time, which is absolutely something you should work on, but do a month of my chat GPT bot first and then go and talk on the phone. Um, cool. Ask for it, like get involved with the community and ask for it. Yeah, no, that's great. I love it. Um, what about any books that you'd recommend? Do you have any favorite books that are fundamental for everybody to read or ones that you're currently enjoying? Yeah, I, I am a serial reader, so I am constantly picking up new tips and tricks. I think pertaining to this conversation, um, Dan Martell's book, buy back your time. Um, that really focuses on making sure that the activities that you're putting the most time into activities that only you can do. So in real estate, that's making the sales. You should be in phase showing homes. You should not be organizing your paperwork and spending hours on doing that when you could be out going and finding your next transaction. Yeah, no, that's awesome. Um, and, and like you were saying, like, you know, with your CRM, um, there's some of those automations, like if, if you're doing it yourself, it takes a lot of time. And that might be, again, where you can buy back your time by having somebody else do it by using your software. Um, but yeah, what a great way to free up, um, bandwidth too, is to automate a lot of the things that are just kind of repetitive. Yeah, absolutely. I'll, um, I'll send you my link tree to put in the description that has information on both my software, but it also has, um, access to our chat GPT module. So if anybody wants to give it a shot and try and sharpen their skills, um, it's there for you to use. Oh, that's awesome. Thank you. And that was going to be my next question is, is what's the best way to reach out to you or find more information about this stuff? Yeah, absolutely. Um, use that link. It's got all of my contact information, my social handles, um, and information on our, on our software.

Cool. Awesome. Well, I really appreciate your time. This has been a fun conversation. Yeah, absolutely. Thanks so much for having me.

[sirishapandey]

Boost Your Business with Sales and Lead CRM Management Software Quick Demo - Rocket Singh Software

In today’s competitive business landscape, managing sales leads efficiently is crucial for success. Rocket Singh Software offers one of the best Sales Lead CRM Management software, designed to streamline lead tracking, enhance customer interactions, and boost sales conversions. If you're looking for a quick demo of this powerful CRM software, this blog will walk you through its key features and benefits.

What is Lead Management?

Lead management software is the process of capturing, tracking, and nurturing potential customers until they convert into paying clients. A well-structured lead management system ensures that no opportunity slips through the cracks and helps sales teams maximize their efficiency.

Key Features of Rocket Singh CRM Software for Lead Management:

Automated Lead Capture: Seamlessly collect leads from multiple sources, including websites, social media, and emails.

Lead Scoring & Qualification: Prioritize high-quality leads based on predefined criteria.

Lead Assignment & Tracking: Distribute leads among sales representatives for efficient follow-ups.

Lead Nurturing & Engagement: Automated follow-up emails and reminders to keep prospects engaged.

Analytics & Reporting: Gain insights into lead conversion rates and optimize sales strategies.

What is Sales Management?

Sales management software involves overseeing and guiding the sales process to improve revenue generation and customer relationships. A comprehensive CRM system like Rocket Singh helps streamline sales operations, making them more effective and data-driven.

Key Features of Rocket Singh CRM Software for Sales Management:

Sales Pipeline Management: Visualize the sales funnel and track progress at every stage.

Automated Workflow: Reduce manual tasks with automated follow-ups, notifications, and approvals.

Customer Interaction History: Maintain detailed records of interactions with prospects and customers.

Task & Appointment Scheduling: Organize meetings, calls, and follow-ups efficiently.

Performance Analytics: Monitor team performance and sales trends with real-time reports.

Why Choose Rocket Singh Software for Sales Lead Management?

1. Seamless Lead Capture & Tracking

Automatically capture leads from multiple sources, including websites, emails, and social media.

Assign leads to the right sales representatives for efficient follow-ups.

Monitor lead progress in real time with a centralized dashboard.

2. Automated Sales Workflow

Set up automated follow-ups, reminders, and task assignments.

Reduce manual data entry and let automation take care of repetitive tasks.

Customize sales workflows to match your business needs.

3. Powerful Analytics & Reporting

Gain valuable insights with data-driven reports on sales performance and lead conversion.

Track KPIs to optimize sales strategies.

Generate real-time analytics for data-backed decision-making.

4. Quick Demo: Experience Rocket Singh CRM in Action

If you want to see how Rocket Singh Software can transform your best Sales Lead CRM Management software process, request a quick demo today. The demo will showcase:

A user-friendly interface with easy navigation.

Step-by-step lead management workflows.

Integration with marketing and customer service tools.

Conclusion

Effective best Sales Lead CRM Management software is crucial for business growth, and Rocket Singh CRM software provides a comprehensive solution to streamline these processes. By leveraging its powerful features, businesses can enhance productivity, improve customer engagement, and boost sales conversions.

If you're looking to transform your sales strategy, consider adopting Rocket Singh CRM and take your business to new heights!

More Information:

📞 Contact us at 7600863111

Visit: myrocketsingh.com

Follow us: @Rocketsingh

[withuitservice]

Why Dubai Businesses Need To Partner With a Professional Website Development Company

In the digitally-first world of today, a good website is something that a business can't afford not to have any more. The city of Dubai is known as one of the global innovation hubs and is the home of thousands of businesses competing to receive attention in such a busy market. So, to stand out from the crowd and maintain an effective online presence, there is a need to collaborate with a professional Website Development Company in Dubai. Here are several reasons why the businesses of Dubai should do this.

1. Expertise and Innovation at one's Fingertips

The skilled teams of designers, developers, and digital strategists man the professional website development companies in Dubai. Keeping themselves updated with the latest technologies and best practices prevalent within the industry are all their pursuits. The accessibility of such expertise means having a website which is visually attractive yet functionally adequate, user-friendly as well as technologically state-of-the-art. While digitalizing your presence, one would find all that brought into play by deploying AI-driven chatbots and responsive designs.

2. Custom Websites for Local and International Readers

Dubai companies service diverse audiences, both locally and in other parts of the globe. A professional website development service will therefore understand the characteristics of the Dubai market-place, including cultural sensitiveness, consumer preferences, among others. They can always come up with customized websites responding to your target audience effectively, ensuring a seamless flow of user experience that causes engagement and conversion.

3. UX or better User Experience

User experience determines the success of a website. A website which is not designed well will lead to frustration from visitors, who then leave, causing a higher bounce rate and missed opportunities for sales. Professional developers emphasize intuitive navigation, fast loading pages, and mobile-friendliness of the designs. These together make for a great user journey which keeps visitors engaging and likely to take the desired action such as purchasing or contacting your business.

4. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

However beautiful your website might look, it is worthless if nobody can find it. Web Development Company in Dubai  always factor in SEO best practice when developing, such as optimization of page speeds and meta tags, ensuring that your website is mobile-friendly and also clean coding. They are constantly improving your search engine ranking. More visibility brings more organic traffic or leads and sales.

5. Cost-Effective in the Long Run

A well-developed website minimizes the risk of technical issues, reduces maintenance costs, and ensures scalability as your business grows. Additionally, a professional website helps generate higher returns by attracting and retaining customers more effectively.

6. Focus on Core Business Activities

When outsourcing Web Development Company in UAE needs, you have more time to focus on core business activities. Professional companies handle everything from the initial design and development stages of a website through maintenance and updates, thus providing one with more time and resources to devote to important matters like customer service, marketing, and business expansion.

7. Support and Maintenance

Websites need to update and maintain themselves regularly. Otherwise, they get outdated and insecure. A professional website development company keeps providing support to solve problems, implement updates, and keep your website running perfectly. This proactive approach may avoid downtime and keep running your website smoothly, with a seamless experience for the users.

8. Competitive Advantage

Competition in the market is at its peak here in Dubai, and therefore, designing a professional website for yourself will keep you miles ahead of the competition. Well-performance of the website lends an impression of your business and brand with respectability and professionalism to your customer who tends to associate them. With this, your position further gets stabilized by strengthening their trust on your self.

Conclusion

In terms of succeeding in the currently trending digital world, a company of Dubai would need to enter partnership with a professional website development agency. Starting from providing solutions tailor-suited according to the client's business needs to improving the customer's experience and providing post-launch support so that you lead the market, these professional website development agencies are quite the backbone of your thriving business. This investment in professional website development will help you have a good standing online but also in generating long-term growth and profits.

[brownrice03]

Mastering Sales Force Management: Strategies for Efficient Team Performance

This blog explains the advanced strategies for managing a sales force, emphasizing data-driven insights, sophisticated management techniques, and technology integration to elevate performance.

[ourjobagency]

Unveiling Salesforce's Latest Breakthrough: Transforming Customer Engagement and Empowering Sales Teams

In the ever-evolving world of customer relationship management (CRM) solutions, Salesforce has been a trailblazer, consistently setting new standards for innovation and efficiency. As businesses face increasing competition and customer expectations, Salesforce's latest breakthrough promises to revolutionize customer engagement and empower sales teams like never before. 

Let's delve into the exciting features and capabilities that make this advancement a game-changer.

1. Enhanced AI-driven Personalization: Salesforce's latest release takes personalization to a whole new level with advanced artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. Leveraging AI algorithms, the CRM can now analyze vast amounts of customer data, enabling businesses to tailor their interactions based on individual preferences, past behaviors, and real-time context. This level of personalization fosters deeper connections with customers and boosts overall customer satisfaction.

2. Unified Customer Data: A key challenge for sales teams has always been accessing and managing customer data scattered across various platforms. Salesforce's breakthrough addresses this pain point by providing a unified view of customer data. With all relevant information consolidated in one place, sales representatives can better understand their customers, anticipate their needs, and deliver more personalized solutions.

3. Seamless Multi-Channel Communication: Modern customers expect seamless communication across multiple channels, be it email, social media, live chat, or phone calls. Salesforce's latest offering integrates these channels within the CRM, allowing sales teams to engage with customers effortlessly and respond promptly to their inquiries. This cohesive approach streamlines customer interactions and ensures consistency in messaging.

4. Intelligent Sales Forecasting: Accurate sales forecasting is critical for businesses to make informed decisions and plan for the future. The new Salesforce release incorporates advanced analytics and predictive modeling to provide sales teams with intelligent sales forecasts. Armed with this data, sales managers can allocate resources effectively, identify potential roadblocks, and devise winning strategies to achieve their targets.

5. Mobile-First Experience: Recognizing the importance of mobility in today's fast-paced business landscape, Salesforce's latest release prioritizes a mobile-first experience. The CRM's user interface is now optimized for various mobile devices, empowering sales teams to access critical data, collaborate with colleagues, and engage with customers on the go.

6. Automated Workflows and Task Management: Time-consuming administrative tasks can impede sales representatives' productivity. Salesforce's breakthrough tackles this challenge by automating routine workflows and task management. By automating repetitive processes, sales teams can focus more on building relationships and closing deals.

7. Enhanced Sales Analytics: Data-driven decision-making is crucial for driving sales success. Salesforce's latest capabilities include enhanced sales analytics, enabling sales teams to gain valuable insights into their performance, identify areas for improvement, and refine their sales strategies for optimal results.

Conclusion:

 Salesforce's latest breakthrough is a true game-changer, transforming customer engagement and empowering sales teams with cutting-edge features and capabilities. By harnessing AI-driven personalization, unified customer data, multi-channel communication, and intelligent sales forecasting, businesses can elevate their sales processes to new heights. The mobile-first experience, automated workflows, and enhanced sales analytics further solidify Salesforce's position as the go-to CRM solution for businesses seeking to thrive in today's competitive landscape. As the CRM platform continues to evolve, organizations can expect even more groundbreaking innovations that will shape the future of customer engagement and sales excellence. Embrace the power of Salesforce's latest breakthrough, and unlock unprecedented possibilities for your business.

[xiaq]

I work in technical sales.

Last week, one of our execs used ChatGPT to create a business value assessment for a prospect (basically, why should this prospective customer choose our tech for their business needs). The data was good—but the language was impersonal, mechanical, and didn’t include the kind of terminology that would resonate with these business folks. The exec’s boss noted these concerns while we were reviewing our two part preso+demo plan (I’m the demo-er) and said “hey, Erica is a writer, get her to look it over and get it adjusted to be more relatable.”

It was quick work for us to retool the language. The director was pleased with the new version, and the presentation was incredibly well-received by the customer. They even asked to get a copy of the BVA to share internally. We’re now in contract negotiations with that prospect.

Our director spent ten minutes reviewing that document on our team meeting this afternoon emphasizing the importance of writing and editing skills and warning the team not to rely entirely on AI because it doesn’t understand customers the same way a human can.

Writing skills are important. Editing skills are important. If you are young, please hear me when I tell you that putting in the work to develop solid communication skills will benefit you in nearly ANY career path.

[avicinda]

I have seen a few "but I want to support the devs!" about the boycott and I think we need to have some perspective here.

Paper Games is not a small indie company where your money goes directly to the devs. This is a company that not only also runs Love Nikki and Shining Nikki, but also Love and Deepspace.

And in 2024.... (archive link of Forbes article "AI Boyfriends Make Chinese Gaming Entrepreneur Yao Runhao A Billionaire")

Established in 2013, Paper Games clocked sales of around $850 million worldwide, according to data providers.

The privately held studio, of which Yao is chairman and CEO, is valued at over $2 billion, according to Forbes’ estimates, based on discussions with analysts and information from four data providers.

Paper Games is a company with 2000 employees and a billionaire CEO.

The conversation around Infinity Nikki's monetization is not about "punishing devs", it's about pushing back against a company that has cornered the market of female gacha players and are now up to their old tactics of testing those players to see how much money they can milk out of them.

They're not just some devs throwing things at the wall to see what works so they can keep the lights on, they've probably got an entire team dedicated to figuring out exactly how to get Infinity Nikki to make more money off of us.

[d-criss-news]

‘Maybe Happy Ending’: Darren Criss’ New Musical Shows the Lovesick Side of AI

Whether he’s standing  under the glare of a spotlight on a Broadway stage, or perched in front of an open window at a bustling Nolita coffeeshop, one fact stays the same: Darren Criss practically vibrates with energy. And that observation isn’t just because Criss currently stars in the new Broadway musical Maybe Happy Ending, where in a world filled with robots, energy is everything.

Criss plays Oliver, a life-like “Helper-Bot” living out his lifespan in a small apartment in Seoul, Korea. For all his robotic tendencies, stiff limbs, and jointed movements, Oliver is clear from his very first song that he cherishes his simple, unwavering routine: chatting with his potted plant Hwaboon, listening to old jazz records, and waiting for mail from his owner James. But when Claire (Helen J. Shen), the Helper-Bot across the hall, crashes into his life because of her broken charger, the two’s budding friendship and matching dream to visit South Korea’s famed JeJu island catapults them onto a journey about the importance of memories and the complex nature of love. 

Written by Hue Park and composed by Will Aronson, Maybe Happy Ending is a charming addition to a Broadway scene usually dominated by revivals and shows based on established intellectual property — with Criss’ performance giving Oliver passion and heartbreaking depth that feels like it should be impossible for a battery-powered assistant. But what shows the musical’s strength and staying power is its extremely dedicated online fandom, also known as Fireflies, who have used word of mouth posts on TikTok, Reddit, and Tumblr to drive up ticket sales and take the musical from scrappy newcomer to a Tony contender. And whether it’s kismet or something more magical, there’s something incredibly significant about a musical thriving from its online fandom being led by an actor whose career is defined by them. Criss tells Rolling Stone he doesn’t take lightly how much fans feel attached to the Broadway musical. After all, he was a fan first. 

“You don’t go to school for this,” Criss says, black-painted fingernails curled in front of a shot of espresso. “Nothing can prepare you for the oddness and the beauty of [fandom]. It’s a mutating organism. I get it. And whenever anyone wants to be a part, I’m very grateful, because I know what is driving that engine.”

When Criss exits the stage door left of the Belasco theater after a performance of Maybe Happy Ending, it’s always unclear which version of the 38-year-old people are cheering for. The average person might recognize the actor for his time on the Ryan Murphy teen-comedy Glee, where he played a cappella group leader Blaine Anderson, love interest of Kurt Hummel (Chris Colfer). There’s also Murphy’s 2018 FX limited series The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, for which Criss took home a Primetime Emmy for his portrayal of killer Andrew Cunanan. He’s also been on Broadway for How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Chess, Hedwig and The Angry Inch, and American Buffalo. But what the layman might not be aware of is Criss’ digital start via the now-famous YouTube musical theater group Team Starkid. He played boy wonder Harry Potter in Starkid’s theater parody A Very Potter Musical, which was filmed during he and his friends’ final semester at the University of Michigan. The show went viral on YouTube in 2009 — kickstarting Team Starkid’s presence online as a generation-defining digital theater company. 

Before A Very Potter Musical was quintessential YouTube history, it was the school’s annual basement musical theater show for “shits and giggles.” His senior year, Criss played Potter and wrote several songs two days before the show. Because they performed in a classroom that was set up with performance cameras and mics, the group convinced lead writers Nick and Matt Lang to cut the footage together, which ended up on a DVD the group gathered to watch together. After graduation, the friends decamped to different cities, but people kept asking to be sent the DVD. So Criss uploaded it to YouTube to save money on postage. “It was literally just a means to share with our friends, unaware that anybody outside of our dumb group of friends would be interested in this very niche thing,” he says. “But I just remember waking up and getting a notification that we were the number one subscribed channel in 50 countries.” 

While Criss describes the experience of going viral during such an early stage of the internet as  “uniquely terrifying,” he also notes that his jumpstart into the online world with Starkid has made him realize just how rare it is that collaborations with friends not only succeed but are well received. Maybe Happy Ending’s director Michael Arden is married to Criss’ college classmate, Andy Mientus, who was an associate director of the show’s first run in Atlanta. Criss’ co-star Shen is also a recent graduate of the University of Michigan and Criss describes her as both an actress with “supernova potential,” and a dear friend. 

“The thing that scared us about [Starkid] at first was the thing that ended up being a huge asset to us, which was this sort of scrappy, me and my friends quality to it,’” Criss says. “It’s a moment of great pride and joy for me, because it was what you dream about, which is like, ‘Oh, if I could just make stuff with my friends.’ With a lifetime of creating stuff, I know the feeling of being into [a project] when other people aren’t, or vice versa. But I’ve loved this show since we started making it, and the fact that other people responded to it is really validating.”

Even if there was a good way to spoil the magic of the show — there isn’t — it would be a disservice to try here. But Criss, a father of two, calls Maybe Happy Ending “the greatest possible thing that could be happening to me and my family creatively, spiritually, emotionally and mentally,” because the schedule allows him to have time with his wife and kids. “These are very valuable years I will not get back,” he says. “And I’m keenly aware of that, so I get very emo about this very beautiful moment in my life.” But it’s not just a return to Broadway for the actor, it’s a return to the very theater where he starred in Hedwig and the Angry Inch in 2016, but with a friend making her Broadway debut. 

“The fact that Helen and I are now just sharing this moment, and that marquee, there’s a real poetry to it,” he says. “I get to behold this staggering Broadway debut. I think this is gonna be one of those moments that we talk about many years from now. ‘Oh, I saw Sutton [Foster] in this,’ or ‘I saw Audra [McDonald] in this.’ I saw Helen in this eight times a week. And I had the best seat in the house.”

Fandom aside, Maybe Happy Ending also has a clear draw with the prescient questions it raises about artificial intelligence and the idea of planned obsolescence in an actively growing tech field. Yes, that doesn’t sound particularly conducive to a no-intermission musical helmed by a talented predominantly Asian-American cast and a jazzy, romantic score. But that’s the sheer surprise of Maybe Happy Ending, which manages to tackle giant thoughts of romance, trash, and a human devotion to tech, all within an hour and 40 minutes. 

“I got asked a question today, like, ‘How soon do you think [robot helpers] are gonna happen?’ And I was like ‘It happens now,’ We have emotional relationships with our technology,” Criss says. “You lose your phone in a fucking cab, you go insane. Your phone is an extension of yourself, for better or for worse. I always tell people like when they’re trying to get their head around the pitch for the show, ‘Well, how many old iPhones do you have in a drawer?’ How many old pieces of technology do you keep for reasons beyond rational belief systems? We ascribe parts of ourselves into these things that are part of our story, and we can’t let them go.” 

Broadway fandoms aren’t something that can simply be manufactured to help with a show’s appeal. Theater is a notoriously inaccessible medium, with filmed versions either expensive or entirely unavailable. It’s an art that is experienced best in person. But that proximity can also bring a bit of a taboo about digital fans, where their fervor and intensity can put off actors or creatives. Criss notes that while this can seem weird to some, he always encourages people to double down on the love for their interests. After all, he says his intense love of musicians and movies is what got him to this stage in the first place.

“People say ‘Don’t chase your heroes.’ No,” Criss says . “Wait outside of buses for them. Go to a store and get your sneakers signed by them. Keep track of what they’re doing. And then cultivate your mind and your skill set to get to a level where your abilities put [you] in a room with them. That’s the way the inspiration wheel works.” 

[rassicas]

You at some point said that you wanted to change some of the backstory of Verna regarding his relations with Grizzco, to better reflect his position and purpose at the company with the new rotm and potential Splat3 dlc lore. Now that we have everything, have there been some finalized thoughts on the subject?

currently with my OCs I'm a bit stuck. I have this whole huge plot I've been trying to work out with how Cress and Verna reunite and get into some... Wacky Misadventures (they are going to have a bad time. together), and come out of it more understanding of each other....all this takes place prior to the start of Splatoon 3, and Grizzco is involved in that story so i cant really work out what happens to Verna during Splatoon 3 until all that is worked out...augh.

oh god i accidentally wrote too much about how grizzco works in my splatoon OCs setting. under the cut

How I've basically worked it out in my setting is that it's as if Mr. Grizz doesn't even exist. Well, he does, but...you can NOT convince me this literal mammalian bear is micromanaging an egg collection operation a few hours away from an underground cavern, all while building a spaceship, repairing alterna, and doing god knows what with fuzzy ooze? his voice from the radio is pre-recorded. He's just in the background trying to get his golden eggs for his stupid mammal revival plan. Grizz is pretty paws-off with the actual operations of the company. In order for Grizzco to operate like an actual company in the Inkling world, Mr. Grizz needs connections within the Inkling world. He needed to hire people, and lots. contractors to pilot the boats. the helicopters. people to repair them when there's issues. contractors to set up the grizzco building. people to maintain it. Supplying and maintaining weapons. Who put the statue there? Remember when grizzco would actually close its gates? someone had to be doing that. Advertisers? Sales of eggs? Do you really think Mr. "Does your species even have bones" Grizz is doing all that? No. So how would Grizz get these connections? I think ORCA could've helped out in some way with scouting some people online or with Grizz's business knowledge being an all-knowing AI. ROTM sure does a great job explaining or even implying anything about the relationship between those two. /s. But ORCA still is just a virtual entity, and you'd need a physical representative for some things, right? Anyway this is where the Judds come in. I think the idea that Lil' Judd being Grizz's initial way into the Inkling world...sucks. That's probably what the Splatoon team is going for and I do not care, the timeline on that does not make sense. Grizzco was introduced to us, the players, in April 2017. At this point the egg baskets are all installed, and there are Inklings in-universe partaking in egg collection....Lil Judd was born only a few months prior. I'm sure it would've taken a while for grizz to get everything together to establish this company. To me it makes more sense for Judd to have involvement. He's the only other mammal, and the one with all the power. (not only do i think the implied canon timeline sucks, in my OCs canon, i've had it established that grizzco has existed in some form several years before s1 so...) I wouldn't think Judd would know about the mammal revival plan. but like, Judd lets Grizz set up because he's looking out for his fellow mammal, and saw the kind of energy benefits this would have….also more salmon meat, yum. Judd canonically has numerous connections in the Inkling world, even to world leaders. He could use these connections to allow for Grizzco to set up business and give that permission to operate in the restricted areas where Salmonids live. Beyond this I have a hard time imagining Judd getting too heavily involved. Like once some other people are hired to do some more micromanaging of the company Judd kinda dips. Lil judd doesn't get involved until some years later and takes more direct interest in the company. With permissions granted and Grizzco operating as a defense against the Salmonid army while also providing power eggs, then grizz could do whatever he wanted so as long as an amount of money and eggs went into the Inkling world. And eggs are the primary source of income for Grizzco, so this part is very important. I think very early on Grizz would've had to personally deal with the sales of eggs to get the money to get the company started...maybe selling to octarians even? But for some real business dealings in inkopolis, youre gonna need some representatives in-person. anyways remember when this post was about my OCs. So I'm making a Grizzco board of directors, and they're the ones who actually maintain the company and the things in it while Grizz is busy in Alterna. Even the directors don't really know about Grizz's mammal revival plan, they just supply him with golden eggs and turn a profit for the company, by whatever means necessary.

After spending quite some time at Grizzco and becoming more trusted as an employee, Verna gets to know some of these directors. Some become his allies, and some are a bit more unsavory... He starts spending more time with some of them especially after his salmonid encounter, and they'll have a role in Cress and Verna's story. I've had some of these guys bouncing around in my head for years. some of them have art that im sitting on. i wish i could share more but I am Not done cooking </3 so to answer your ask in short. yes I have finalized much of the things with how i have grizzco functions in my OC's setting, and im basically ignoring the existence of grizz himself, in the same way that grizzco as a company runs completely normally even after grizz basically dies in ROTM. but at the moment, i do not have all the details finalized with other people at the company and how verna interacts with them