Insights from AGL
Read our latest news, insights and thought leadership from LinkedIn
AGL Communication
Have you watched this yet? If not, add it to your Netflix watchlist.
As the great AI safety debate rages, The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist offers a timely look at what could lie ahead for us all, creatively presented in layman’s terms.
Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Daniel Roher is determined to understand whether this is a good time to bring a child into the world, or whether we are all doomed, as he and his partner prepare for the birth of their first child.
He sets out to understand AI and what it means for the world, interviewing a wide range of voices: those analysing AI risk and urging caution, as well as the industry leaders pushing the tech forward at speed (Dario and Daniela Amodei of Anthropic, Sam Altman of OpenAI and Demis Hassabis of Google DeepMind).
Some are optimists. Others are convinced we are heading towards an apocalypse. Some are enthusiastic and deeply concerned in equal measure. Daniel eventually concludes that he is an “apocaloptimist”.
But one message shines through: although the risks are real, we still have agency in shaping what happens next. Professor Ramesh Srinivasan of UCLA sums it up neatly towards the end of the film:
“Life is about the capacity to act, the capacity to relate, the capacity to feel. We need to double down on the capacities that we have as humans that robotic systems will never have.”
AGL Communication
“All the preparation with AGL clearly paid off. The team were even more confident, polished and fabulous on the night.” Jane Caujolle, co-CEO of Townhouse. Now that’s feedback we love to hear!
Some of the most powerful communication work isn't about teaching people what to say. It's about helping them find the confidence, clarity and conviction to tell a story they already deeply believe in so that they really connect with their audience in a human way.
We were delighted to partner with Townhouse team on a bespoke "Communicating the Townhouse Story" workshop, designed to support preparations for their special Showcase event and strengthen the team's confidence in bringing the Townhouse proposition to life.
From the outset, Townhouse was clear about its ambition: to ensure every team member could represent the brand with confidence, professionalism and authenticity, while building stronger relationships with clients, prospects and partners.
The results were terrific. All participants rated the session as either Excellent or Highly Effective.
Thank you to the entire Townhouse team for your openness, enthusiasm and commitment throughout the process. It has been a pleasure supporting a business so dedicated to excellence, hospitality and client experience.
At AGL, we believe the strongest stories are the ones people can tell with genuine belief. We're proud to have played a small part in helping the Townhouse team do exactly that.
AGL Communication
This brilliant video by Rob Mayhew made us laugh (video link here).
It perfectly illustrates the AI loop of doom that so many people are experiencing. Someone receives a communication that is AI generated, they use AI to craft their response. That response is fed into AI and on it goes…become less and less human every time.
For those actively wanting to sound ‘agentic’, please see a handy recipe for producing AI communication below.
For those wanting to sound authentic and real when communicating – please get it touch.
RECIPE FOR AI SLOP
Serves: No one
Prep time: 4-10 seconds
Ingredients:
Subscription to your favourite LLM
Hastily written, ill-thought-out prompt
Dollop of corporate jargon
Handful of em dashes
Several ‘its not this, it’s that..’ phrases
A few words humans never use ( eg: ‘delve’ and ‘unlock’)
A superfluous rocket emoji 🚀
Method:
Toss vague prompt into the AI
Let it simmer for a few seconds
Do not taste, edit or fact-check
Serve immediately to your entire mailing list
Serve: as a speech, linked in post, email or report
Chef’s Tip: For maximum effect, add: “Make it sound more human” to the prompt
AGL Communication
Horses for courses, as they say.
Our ongoing work with the likes of Howden and Fortnum & Mason, supporting their teams to communicate at their best, is something we’re very proud of.
If you want off-the-shelf solutions, then AGL Communication isn’t the place for you. We don’t do cookie-cutter.
But if you’re champing at the bit to upskill your teams with bespoke coaching and training that is carefully designed to meet the precise needs of your organisation and rooted in the context of your business, then we’d welcome a chat.
It was great to see several AGL clients involved in the phenomenal Cornbury Horse Trials last weekend, with Howden, Fortnum & Mason and The Goodwood Group all prominent sponsors.
Howden is a ‘people first’ business, and this ethos was lived and breathed by David Howden, who judged the inaugural Diddly Squat Dog Show (Best Tractor Dog was a very popular category!), and Fiona Howden, who whizzed around the grounds greeting guests in her golf buggy - with an oversized Fortnum & Mason hamper on the back.
See you at Cornbury 2027! It’s the highlight of our September!
1 / 3
AGL Communication
Want to avoid hitting the ‘so what’ buffer? That invisible hurdle between you and your customer in a sales conversation.
People do things for their reasons, not ours. Emotionally intelligent selling is all about understanding the client’s perspective, without pushing to share our own.
AGL coach Paul Hessey shared some invaluable techniques for selling without clients feeling ‘sold to’ at the AGL Communication ‘Client Journey’ masterclass, held at The Lanesborough last week. He explored how to balance push and pull, find where agreement lies, handle objections, sense-check your approach and adapt in real time.
AGL Associate Joanna Nowakowska then took the group through the fundamentals of Clienteling: the art of turning a client interaction into a lifelong relationship (and the significant value this adds to the bottom line). We learned about waking the ‘Sleepers’ and why it can be costly to overlook the High Potentials, especially when companies only measure sales and not relationships.
It costs between five and seven times more to win a new client than to nurture an existing one, while long-standing clients spend a staggering 67% more than new ones. The trick is knowing how to recognise, nurture and measure the Clienteling process.
Emotional connection lies behind both successful selling and Clienteling. For those who like data, the research* backs this up:
Purchase intention rises from 53% to 73% when the sales advisor establishes a genuine connection with the customer.
78% of customers say a single negative interaction with a sales advisor can cause them to abandon a purchase.
96% of buyers say that a seller focusing on the value they can deliver influences their purchase decision. Yet 64% say sellers aren’t very effective at communicating value.
73% actively avoid suppliers that send irrelevant outreach, and just 19% of B2B buyers say meetings with salespeople are valuable.
AGL’s Emotionally Intelligent Selling & Clienteling workshop is a tailored full day of training that supports sales teams in taking the client from ‘so what?’ to ‘Where do I sign?’, covering:
Building trust
Creating meaningful buying experiences
Influencing with authenticity
Deepening relationships
Inspiring clients to return and spend more
Fostering loyalty and advocacy
If you feel an Emotionally Intelligent Selling & Clienteling workshop, tailored to your organisation, would benefit your team, get in touch for a chat.
Huge thanks to everyone who joined us at The Lanesborough for this taster masterclass!
*Sources: Forrester, RAIN Group, Gartner, CXG and McKinsey.
1 / 5
AGL Communication
AGL Communication
It’s all about people. And it’s not just Simon Sinek that agrees.
As Leena Nair, CEO of Chanel, said in the Observer last weekend: “I feel in a world of A.I., human sense, human experience [and] human relationships are going to matter more than ever….For me, everything we do in A.I. is about enhancing human skills - relentlessly protecting that which is human, and prioritising people in this journey”
Here at AGL it’s been a busy start to September, delivering tailored training to meet the specific people needs of leading organisations across multiple industry sectors:
1 / 10
AGL Communication
In a world where so much communication is nothing more than ‘noise’, the trick is to be real, and to have the confidence to be memorable.
Elsa Schiaparelli was a past master at creating clothes for people who knew who they were and wanted to be noticed.
She collaborated with artists such as Salvador Dalí, who shared her bold vision and created unforgettable pieces like his iconic Lobster Telephone. Quirky, clever, memorable, and so distinctly Dalí.
When it comes to great communication, always be unmistakably yourself, and make people feel something.
Huge thanks to Rupert Elwes, Cuthbert Hopkinson, CFA and Algernon Percy, W1M Wealth & Investment Management, for inviting us to a private view of this spectacular collection at the V&A Group.
1 / 3
AGL Communication
Have you watched this yet? If not, add it to your Netflix watchlist.
As the great AI safety debate rages, The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist offers a timely look at what could lie ahead for us all, creatively presented in layman’s terms.
Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Daniel Roher is determined to understand whether this is a good time to bring a child into the world, or whether we are all doomed, as he and his partner prepare for the birth of their first child.
He sets out to understand AI and what it means for the world, interviewing a wide range of voices: those analysing AI risk and urging caution, as well as the industry leaders pushing the tech forward at speed (Dario and Daniela Amodei of Anthropic, Sam Altman of OpenAI and Demis Hassabis of Google DeepMind).
Some are optimists. Others are convinced we are heading towards an apocalypse. Some are enthusiastic and deeply concerned in equal measure. Daniel eventually concludes that he is an “apocaloptimist”.
But one message shines through: although the risks are real, we still have agency in shaping what happens next. Professor Ramesh Srinivasan of UCLA sums it up neatly towards the end of the film:
“Life is about the capacity to act, the capacity to relate, the capacity to feel. We need to double down on the capacities that we have as humans that robotic systems will never have.”
AGL Communication
Want to avoid hitting the ‘so what’ buffer? That invisible hurdle between you and your customer in a sales conversation.
People do things for their reasons, not ours. Emotionally intelligent selling is all about understanding the client’s perspective, without pushing to share our own.
AGL coach Paul Hessey shared some invaluable techniques for selling without clients feeling ‘sold to’ at the AGL Communication ‘Client Journey’ masterclass, held at The Lanesborough last week. He explored how to balance push and pull, find where agreement lies, handle objections, sense-check your approach and adapt in real time.
AGL Associate Joanna Nowakowska then took the group through the fundamentals of Clienteling: the art of turning a client interaction into a lifelong relationship (and the significant value this adds to the bottom line). We learned about waking the ‘Sleepers’ and why it can be costly to overlook the High Potentials, especially when companies only measure sales and not relationships.
It costs between five and seven times more to win a new client than to nurture an existing one, while long-standing clients spend a staggering 67% more than new ones. The trick is knowing how to recognise, nurture and measure the Clienteling process.
Emotional connection lies behind both successful selling and Clienteling. For those who like data, the research* backs this up:
Purchase intention rises from 53% to 73% when the sales advisor establishes a genuine connection with the customer.
78% of customers say a single negative interaction with a sales advisor can cause them to abandon a purchase.
96% of buyers say that a seller focusing on the value they can deliver influences their purchase decision. Yet 64% say sellers aren’t very effective at communicating value.
73% actively avoid suppliers that send irrelevant outreach, and just 19% of B2B buyers say meetings with salespeople are valuable.
AGL’s Emotionally Intelligent Selling & Clienteling workshop is a tailored full day of training that supports sales teams in taking the client from ‘so what?’ to ‘Where do I sign?’, covering:
Building trust
Creating meaningful buying experiences
Influencing with authenticity
Deepening relationships
Inspiring clients to return and spend more
Fostering loyalty and advocacy
If you feel an Emotionally Intelligent Selling & Clienteling workshop, tailored to your organisation, would benefit your team, get in touch for a chat.
Huge thanks to everyone who joined us at The Lanesborough for this taster masterclass!
*Sources: Forrester, RAIN Group, Gartner, CXG and McKinsey.
1 / 5
AGL Communication
“All the preparation with AGL clearly paid off. The team were even more confident, polished and fabulous on the night.” Jane Caujolle, co-CEO of Townhouse. Now that’s feedback we love to hear!
Some of the most powerful communication work isn't about teaching people what to say. It's about helping them find the confidence, clarity and conviction to tell a story they already deeply believe in so that they really connect with their audience in a human way.
We were delighted to partner with Townhouse team on a bespoke "Communicating the Townhouse Story" workshop, designed to support preparations for their special Showcase event and strengthen the team's confidence in bringing the Townhouse proposition to life.
From the outset, Townhouse was clear about its ambition: to ensure every team member could represent the brand with confidence, professionalism and authenticity, while building stronger relationships with clients, prospects and partners.
The results were terrific. All participants rated the session as either Excellent or Highly Effective.
Thank you to the entire Townhouse team for your openness, enthusiasm and commitment throughout the process. It has been a pleasure supporting a business so dedicated to excellence, hospitality and client experience.
At AGL, we believe the strongest stories are the ones people can tell with genuine belief. We're proud to have played a small part in helping the Townhouse team do exactly that.
AGL Communication
AGL Communication
This brilliant video by Rob Mayhew made us laugh (video link here).
It perfectly illustrates the AI loop of doom that so many people are experiencing. Someone receives a communication that is AI generated, they use AI to craft their response. That response is fed into AI and on it goes…become less and less human every time.
For those actively wanting to sound ‘agentic’, please see a handy recipe for producing AI communication below.
For those wanting to sound authentic and real when communicating – please get it touch.
RECIPE FOR AI SLOP
Serves: No one
Prep time: 4-10 seconds
Ingredients:
Subscription to your favourite LLM
Hastily written, ill-thought-out prompt
Dollop of corporate jargon
Handful of em dashes
Several ‘its not this, it’s that..’ phrases
A few words humans never use ( eg: ‘delve’ and ‘unlock’)
A superfluous rocket emoji 🚀
Method:
Toss vague prompt into the AI
Let it simmer for a few seconds
Do not taste, edit or fact-check
Serve immediately to your entire mailing list
Serve: as a speech, linked in post, email or report
Chef’s Tip: For maximum effect, add: “Make it sound more human” to the prompt
AGL Communication
It’s all about people. And it’s not just Simon Sinek that agrees.
As Leena Nair, CEO of Chanel, said in the Observer last weekend: “I feel in a world of A.I., human sense, human experience [and] human relationships are going to matter more than ever….For me, everything we do in A.I. is about enhancing human skills - relentlessly protecting that which is human, and prioritising people in this journey”
Here at AGL it’s been a busy start to September, delivering tailored training to meet the specific people needs of leading organisations across multiple industry sectors:
1 / 10
AGL Communication
Horses for courses, as they say.
Our ongoing work with the likes of Howden and Fortnum & Mason, supporting their teams to communicate at their best, is something we’re very proud of.
If you want off-the-shelf solutions, then AGL Communication isn’t the place for you. We don’t do cookie-cutter.
But if you’re champing at the bit to upskill your teams with bespoke coaching and training that is carefully designed to meet the precise needs of your organisation and rooted in the context of your business, then we’d welcome a chat.
It was great to see several AGL clients involved in the phenomenal Cornbury Horse Trials last weekend, with Howden, Fortnum & Mason and The Goodwood Group all prominent sponsors.
Howden is a ‘people first’ business, and this ethos was lived and breathed by David Howden, who judged the inaugural Diddly Squat Dog Show (Best Tractor Dog was a very popular category!), and Fiona Howden, who whizzed around the grounds greeting guests in her golf buggy - with an oversized Fortnum & Mason hamper on the back.
See you at Cornbury 2027! It’s the highlight of our September!
1 / 3
AGL Communication
In a world where so much communication is nothing more than ‘noise’, the trick is to be real, and to have the confidence to be memorable.
Elsa Schiaparelli was a past master at creating clothes for people who knew who they were and wanted to be noticed.
She collaborated with artists such as Salvador Dalí, who shared her bold vision and created unforgettable pieces like his iconic Lobster Telephone. Quirky, clever, memorable, and so distinctly Dalí.
When it comes to great communication, always be unmistakably yourself, and make people feel something.
Huge thanks to Rupert Elwes, Cuthbert Hopkinson, CFA and Algernon Percy, W1M Wealth & Investment Management, for inviting us to a private view of this spectacular collection at the V&A Group.
1 / 3