Interview with Peter Gillett, CEO, Zuant

Tell us about your role and how you got here?

Well, as CEO, I’m pleased to report that Zuant’s normal admin functions and financial governance are both well developed and benefit from the use of some very good and easy to use systems such as Harvest, Xero and Basecamp. This means that I can be fully engaged with Product Development and Sales & Marketing, which are my main interests.

The start of all this was decades ago when we were owned by a large Ad Agency and I created one of the early database marketing companies to track responses from all forms of client marketing communications channels.

How does Zuant fit into a modern CMO’s tech stack?

Very easily! Mobile Lead Capture in a GDPR compliant way at tradeshows and for sales guys on the road is the final frontier to build usable, qualified data at scale in an easy, relaxed and enjoyable way.

How do you differentiate Zuant from the competition?

It’s a premium product, which looks the part and is light and easy to use. It’s not the cheapest but comes with superb Account Management to ensure client satisfaction.

How are Mobile Platforms different from when you first started?

Goodness, we go back to the very earliest PCs such as the Osborne (mobile?!), and really the early Compaq computers. The 1st PDA we worked with was the beautifully made iPaq device. Our first mobile software was then based around Windows Mobile software prior to swapping to Apple when the iPad was launched.

What is the State of Mobile Data Platforms in 2018?

This is a difficult question to answer quickly. We really need to wait to see what emerges once GDPR comes into force, to know who has created the best platforms for the new GDPR world.

How do you build an actionable B2B customer interaction and communication model?

Oddly for a data-driven company, we actually have 2 main communication streams:

• Prospect Development based on Zuant to Eloqua for lead qualification, nurturing and sales support
• Customer Comms based on Intercom running in Zuant Cloud for product updates and news

How do you measure your Sales Fitness?

Good old volume and percentage metrics:

• Web Hits
• Inbound Calls
• Web Meets
• Conversions

What tools would recommend to CEOs and CMOs as a Sales Hack in 2018?

Zuant, Eloqua, Zoom and Intercom

Which startups in the martech and adtech industries are you keenly following?

Zenus Facial Recognition

What marketing and sales automation technologies do you use?

Eloqua

Tell us about the new standards of tech integrations. How do you steer clear of data chaos?

For us, it’s very easy as we have pre-configured field mapping from Zuant Cloud into systems like Salesforce and Eloqua.

How is the European/British Tech industry different from the Americas?

Fascinating question…

I’d split it down further into three:

• The US is dominated by Silicon Valley with its fast pace, easy finance and no shame in failure.
• The UK is highly innovative with consistent lack of energetic global sales and marketing (imagine inventing the jet engine and not being able to get the support to develop it!).
• Europe (Germany) is well engineered, slow and overly bureaucratic in their approach.

Elaborate on your best digital transformation campaign. How did you measure the performance among your audience?

Probably our instant work for Findus Frozen Foods and the horsemeat scandal, where we had to apply a crisis approach when contacted at 4 pm on a Friday and be up and running by 9 pm the same day (to include the sourcing of 100 contact center agents to work through the weekend!).

How do you prepare for an AI-centric ecosystem as a business leader?

Lots of reading and research currently – too early to report!

How do you inspire your people to work with technology?

Constant presentation of new tools and apps (not necessarily just for business).

What apps/software/tools can’t you live without?

Expedia, Booking.com, Flipboard, Zuant!

What’s your smartest work related shortcut or productivity hack?

TSA Fast Track!

What are you currently reading? 

Guy Martin Book 3 (maverick motorbike racer and TV presenter)

Tech Crunch, Wired, Times Newspaper, Autosport & various Podcasts such as Tiffani Bova and Tesla Daily

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

Do what you do really well, and find the best to do the rest!

Tag the one person in the industry whose answers to these questions you would love to read:

Dr Merlin Stone

Thank you, Peter! That was fun and hope to see you back on MarTech Series soon.