Moments of currency change are where fortunes are made and lost. In January 2026, Bulgaria will enter one of those moments. The country will adopt the euro and officially retire the Bulgarian lev, marking a major euro adoption milestone and reshaping how investors, banks, and global firms manage currency risk in the region. The shift represents one of the most significant macroeconomic transitions in Bulgaria’s modern history and is already drawing attention across FX markets.

To understand how dramatically foreign exchange movements can shift value, consider one of the most famous examples in modern financial history. In September 1992, investor George Soros, “the man who broke the British Bank,” bet against the British pound, anticipating that the UK’s exchange rate policy would collapse. The resulting exchange rate crisis, now known as Black Wednesday, became a defining moment in forex trading and demonstrated how quickly policy decisions can trigger massive market dislocations.

By selling roughly $10 billion worth of pounds, his Quantum Fund earned ~$1 billion in profit when the currency was forced to devalue. The trade earned Soros the nickname “the man who broke the Bank of England” and remains a lasting example of how quickly confidence and capital flows can move entire currency systems.

GBP/USD exchange rate from May 1992 to April 1993, highlighting the dramatic plunge during Black Wednesday. When George Soros famously shorted the pound, forcing the UK out of the ERM and triggering one of the most significant currency crises in modern history

To be clear, Bulgaria is not in crisis. The Soros example simply underscores how consequential currency decisions can be. Even when they unfold calmly and by design, currency transitions reshape the texture of daily life. The significance of Bulgaria’s transition becomes more clear when you consider what the lev has long represented. Safety. Families relied on it through political uncertainty and economic swings, saved it for holidays, passed it down during milestones, and trusted it in moments when little else felt predictable. Over time, the lev became a source of stability as Bulgaria navigated decades of change and gradually aligned itself with the European Union..

Its retirement feels both symbolic and historic. But for global markets, currency traders, banks, and companies engaged in cross border business, the transition is not just symbolic. It introduces real operational changes that require early attention. This article explains what is happening, why it matters, and how organizations can prepare.

Some quick facts help frame the scale of this shift.

Map of Bulgaria

Bulgaria has a population of roughly 6.5 million.

The country’s GDP is about 90 billion U.S. dollars (World Bank, 2024)

Its largest trade partners are EU member states, Turkey, and China.

Why Bulgaria Is Adopting the Euro

​​Although the move from the Lev to the Euro is monumental, many Bulgarians also see it as a natural progression. ​​When Bulgaria joined the European Union in 2007, Euro adoption was always part of the long-term plan. Adopting the Euro gives Bulgaria a stronger foundation for investment, more predictable trade relationships, and smoother participation in Europe’s financial systems. It is the natural next step in a journey the country has been moving toward slowly, intentionally, and with growing confidence. That measured approach fostered public and institutional trust, leading European authorities to approve Bulgaria’s entry into the Eurozone on January 1, 2026 (European Commission, 2023; European Central Bank, 2023).

How Euro Adoption Affects Currency Markets

Bulgaria’s economy includes manufacturing, agriculture, energy, and service sectors. Its exports include refined petroleum, machinery, copper products, and apparel. It imports machinery, fuels, vehicles, and pharmaceuticals (OECD, 2024). The Euro supports smoother trade relationships within these sectors and reduces barriers for European partners.

Once Bulgaria switches to the Euro, the Lev will quietly disappear from global currency screens. Traders will no longer see familiar pairs like USD to BGN or GBP to BGN. Anything involving Bulgaria will now flow through euro-based pairs instead. In practical terms, the Lev simply stops being part of the conversation.

For people working on trading desks or in treasury teams, this creates a shift in how risk is measured day to day. Hedging strategies built around the Lev will transition to euro-based approaches. Models that once accounted for Lev-specific volatility will have to be rewritten. Automated trading programs that reference BGN pricing will need to be updated or retired. Even the market data providers that feed information into these systems will phase out Lev pricing entirely.

And while Bulgaria may be a smaller player in the global economy, the retirement of a national currency is never insignificant. It ripples through the internal workings of trading floors, risk management teams, and the systems that support them . It is a reminder that even quiet changes in one part of the world can require thoughtful adjustments across the financial landscape.

Combined with industry standard year-end code-freezes, Perficient has seen and helped clients stop their Lev trading weeks before year-end.

The Infrastructure Work Behind Adopting the Euro

Adopting the Euro is not just a change people feel sentimental about. Behind the scenes, it touches almost every system that moves money. Every financial institution uses internal currency tables to keep track of existing currencies, conversion rules, and payment routing. When a currency is retired, every system that touches money must be updated to reflect the change.

This includes:

• Core banking and treasury platforms
• Trading systems
• Accounting and ERP software
• Payment networks, including SWIFT and ISO 20022
• Internal data warehouses and regulatory reporting systems

Why Global Firms Should Pay Attention

If the Lev remains active anywhere after the transition, payments can fail, transactions can be misrouted, and reconciliation issues can occur. The Bank for International Settlements notes that currency changes require “significant operational coordination,” because risk moves across systems faster than many institutions expect. 

Beyond the technical updates, the disappearance of the Lev also carries strategic implications for multinational firms. Any organization that operates across borders, whether through supply chains, treasury centers, or shared service hubs, relies on consistent currency identifiers to keep financial data aligned. If even one system, vendor, or regional partner continues using the old code, firms can face cascading issues such as misaligned ledgers, failed hedging positions, delayed settlements, and compliance flags triggered by mismatched reporting. In a world where financial operations are deeply interconnected, a seemingly local currency change can ripple outward and affect global liquidity management and operational continuity.

Many firms have already started their transition work well in advance of the official date in order to minimize risk. In practice, this means reviewing currency tables, updating payment logic, testing cross-border workflows, and making sure SWIFT and ISO 20022 messages recognize the new structure. 

Trade Finance Will Feel the Change

For people working in finance, this shift will change the work they do every day. Tools like Letters of Credit and Banker’s Acceptances are the mechanisms that keep international trade moving, and they depend on accurate currency terms. If any of these agreements are written to settle in Lev, they will need to be updated before January 2026.

That means revising contracts, invoices, shipping documents, and long-term payment schedules. Preparing early gives exporters, importers, and the teams supporting them the chance to keep business running smoothly through the transition.

What Euro Adoption Means for Businesses

Switching to the Euro unlocks several practical benefits that go beyond finance departments.

• Lower currency conversion costs
• More consistent pricing for long-term agreements
• Faster cross-border payments within the European Union
• Improved financial reporting and reduced foreign exchange risk
• Increased investor confidence in a more stable currency environment

Because so much of Bulgaria’s trade already occurs with Eurozone countries, using the Euro simplifies business operations and strengthens economic integration.

How Organizations Can Prepare

The most important steps for institutions include:

1. Auditing systems and documents for references to BGN
2. Updating currency tables and payment rules
3. Revising Letters of Credit and other agreements that list the Lev
4. Communicating the transition timeline to partners and clients
5. Testing updated systems well before January 1, 2026

Early preparation ensures a smooth transition when Bulgaria officially adopts the Euro. Ensure that operationally you’re prepared to accept Lev payments through December 31, 2025, but given settlement timeframes, prepared to reconcile and settle Lev transactions into 2026.a

Final Thoughts

The Bulgarian Lev has accompanied the country through a century of profound change. Its retirement marks the end of an era and the beginning of a new chapter in Bulgaria’s economic story. For the global financial community, Bulgaria’s adoption of the Euro is not only symbolic but operationally significant.

Handled thoughtfully, the transition strengthens financial infrastructure, reduces friction in global business, and supports a more unified European economy.

References 

Bank for International Settlements. (2024). Foreign exchange market developments and global liquidity trends. https://www.bis.org

Eichengreen, B. (1993). European monetary unification. Journal of Economic Literature, 31(3), 1321–1357.

European Central Bank. (2023). Convergence report. https://www.ecb.europa.eu

European Commission. (2023). Economic and monetary union: Euro adoption process. https://ec.europa.eu

Henriques, D. B. (2011). The billionaire was not always so bold. The New York Times.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2024). Economic surveys: Bulgaria. https://www.oecd.org

World Bank. (2024). Bulgaria: Country data and economic indicators. https://data.worldbank.org/country/bulgaria

Perficient is proud to be included in the IDC ServiceScape: Worldwide and U.S. Microsoft Power Apps Low-Code/No-Code Custom Application Development Services, 2025 (Doc# US53748825 September 2025) report. We believe this inclusion highlights our commitment to helping enterprises accelerate innovation and streamline development through Microsoft Power Platform.

This IDC ServiceScape offers a comprehensive guide on the key capabilities of custom application development service providers using the Microsoft Power Apps low-code/no-code development platform, featuring services from companies including Perficient. The status of each service capability is categorized as fully supported, partially supported, partner provided, road map, or not supported, aiding services buyers in quickly identifying which vendors align with their changing requirements.

Powering Innovation with Microsoft Power Platform

As digital transformation accelerates, low-code/no-code platforms are becoming essential tools for agility and innovation. Perficient is proud to be included in this evolving landscape and remains committed to delivering solutions that drive real business outcomes.

“Our approach to Power Platform is rooted in strategy, scale, and speed. We’re not just building apps—we’re enabling transformation. By combining governance frameworks, multi-shore delivery, and AI-powered experiences, we help clients unlock the full potential of low-code development and drive meaningful business outcomes.” – Eric Schmitt, Director of Microsoft Business Applications.

Perficient offers a comprehensive suite of low-code/no-code services designed to accelerate transformation:

• App modernization programs to migrate legacy systems to Power Platform
• Intelligent automation and rapid RPA migration (e.g., UiPath to Power Automate Desktop)
• Custom Copilot envisioning workshops and enterprise app development
• Governance engagements including CoE setup and citizen developer enablement
• Process mining and lifecycle management
• Multi-shore delivery models with agile development pods and managed services

We’re also increasing investment in Copilot Studio Agents, helping clients build custom functionality and deploy agents within Power Platform environments. Our governance frameworks ensure scalable, secure adoption—whether you’re enabling citizen developers or launching enterprise-wide automation programs.

Learn more about our Power Platform capabilities: Power Platform / Perficient

Perficient is a global digital consultancy with over 7,000 colleagues worldwide, operating as one unified team across North America, LATAM, and India. With deep expertise in industries like Healthcare & Life Sciences, Manufacturing, and Automotive, we deliver strategic technology solutions that drive measurable outcomes. Our Microsoft practice is backed by more than 25 years of experience and over 250 certified cloud consultants, with strong capabilities in Azure, M365, Dynamics CRM, and Power Platform.

Perficient differentiates through global delivery, scalability, and robust governance. With 95% of our business coming from repeat clients, we’re proud to be a trusted partner in building AI-first, low-code solutions that deliver real business value.

Ready to move from ambition to impact? Let’s define your low-code strategy and build the foundation to lead what’s next.

As artificial intelligence continues to reshape the digital landscape, organizations are seeking clarity on how to strategically integrate AI into their digital experience platforms (DXPs). In its latest report, The Impact of AI on Digital Experience Platforms, Forrester explores how DXP vendors are embedding AI agents to streamline experience operations and expand toolsets — from copilots to code generators. Perficient was proud to contribute its DXP and AI expertise to this research, joining the group of vendors and service providers interviewed for the report. 

“Generative AI (GenAI) is reshaping digital experience platforms (DXPs) by automating content and campaign creation, powering intelligent copilots for marketers and developers, and boosting customer engagement through predictive insights and personalization.” —Forrester, The Impact of AI on Digital Experience Platforms

Why AI Belongs in the DXP Conversation

Today’s tech leaders face a growing challenge: delivering consistent, personalized experiences across a fragmented landscape of devices, channels, and customer expectations. DXPs are uniquely positioned to address this complexity. As Forrester notes, DXPs are rich in customer interaction data, support high-value business outcomes, and serve a diverse set of practitioners — all of which make them fertile ground for AI innovation. 

“DXP is a trove of trusted customer interaction data… Unleashing AI on this data enables organizations to understand audience intent and respond to that intent with irresistible offers.” — Forrester, The Impact of AI on Digital Experience Platforms

And Perficient’s experts agree that DXPs are a great place to start when integrating AI into experience delivery. 

“Marketing and IT leaders are under pressure to deliver personalized, omnichannel experiences at scale, and that’s exactly where DXPs shine. By embedding AI into the core of these platforms, clients can unlock the full value of their customer data and streamline operations across content, commerce, and campaigns,” said Mark Polly, Perficient Principal, Customer Experience Platforms.  

Agentic AI Ushers in a New Era of Experience Operations

The report highlights the rise of agentic AI and how these intelligent agents operate within DXPs to automate tasks, answer questions, and optimize workflows. These agents are transforming how marketers, developers, and content creators interact with their platforms, reducing friction and accelerating time to value. 

Perficient’s experience with orchestration tools and AI agents reinforces this trend. While many vendors offer orchestration capabilities, Perficient often helps clients integrate these tools across their broader tech ecosystem. 

” For marketing and IT leaders, true orchestration moves beyond linear workflows; it’s about integrating platforms like AEM and Optimizely to create a dynamic, responsive system. This integration is the key to driving operational efficiency and gaining the unified insights needed for deeper customer engagement. AI agents play a critical role here, transforming those rigid workflows into the real-time orchestration that a modern customer journey demands. Adoption is still in its early stages, which is where we help clients build a strategic advantage,” said Perficient digital strategy principal Grant Davies. 

Emerging GenAI Use Cases in DXPs

From brand-aware content creation to code generation and experimentation, GenAI is also rapidly expanding its footprint in DXP environments. Vendors like Adobe, Sitecore, and Salesforce are launching copilots and agents that empower users to create, test, and optimize experiences with unprecedented speed and precision. 

Perficient is already helping clients explore these capabilities and align them with business goals. 

Polly said, “We’re seeing real momentum around GenAI use cases in DXP from brand-consistent content creation to intelligent experimentation. These capabilities aren’t just flashy features; they’re solving real business problems like reducing time to market and improving conversion rates. The key is aligning AI with measurable outcomes and ensuring strong governance.” 

Perficient Wins 2025 Artificial Intelligence Excellence Award for GenAI Integrity Accelerator   Learn More

Strategic Adoption Requires Strong Foundations 

Successful AI adoption in DXPs requires more than just technology. Organizations must invest in strong data foundations, human oversight, and change management to ensure responsible and effective use of AI. These are areas where Perficient continues to guide clients with strategic consulting and hands-on implementation. 

We believe our inclusion in the research for Forrester’s report, The Impact of AI on Digital Experience Platforms, reflects our deep expertise in helping enterprise clients implement and optimize DXPs. Whether it’s integrating predictive analytics, deploying cognitive copilots, or improving data governance, our teams are leading the way in enabling AI-powered transformation. 

We’re honored to be interviewed for this research and proud to contribute to the evolving conversation around AI in digital experience. If you’re exploring how to bring AI into your DXP strategy, we invite you to connect with us and keep the conversation going. 

Access the report here (available to Forrester subscribers or for purchase).

Contact us  to learn more. 

The digital world isn’t slowing down, and neither are your customers. They expect fast, around-the-clock support in their language. For global businesses, meeting that demand can be costly. Hiring multilingual agents in every region adds up quickly. That’s why more companies are turning to real-time translation tools. They offer a more scalable, cost-effective way to deliver consistent, high-quality service across languages.

In this blog article, I will guide you through how we, at Perficient, are addressing this challenge by leveraging Twilio’s ConversationRelay and AI translation technology to deliver real-time voice translation for contact centers. The result is a quick, accurate, and natural conversation with an agent who can speak in the customer’s native language. Pretty impressive, isn’t it?

What Is Twilio ConversationRelay?

For real-time voice translation with Twilio ConversationRelay, developers can access live Media Streams between the customer and agent, and improve their conversation in real-time. Think of it as a smart audio bridge that enables you to plug in AI features such as text-to-speech, real-time translation, speech-to-text transcription, or an LLM. As a result, it provides a strong basis for creating dynamic, multilingual voice experiences in modern contact centers.

Now, let’s see how the backend of our real-time voice translation demo is put together.

Twilio ConversationRelay captures live audio when a customer speaks in their native language, for example, Spanish, using Programmable Voice. That stream is then routed through WebSockets to maintain a quick and responsive connection.

The procedure reverses itself when the agent responds in English, recording their voice, transcribing it, translating it back into the customer’s language, and then turning it back into speech.

It’s fascinating how AI makes it possible to have seamless, two-way, real-time conversation between speakers of different languages without the need for a human interpreter.

Why It Matters

Real-time voice translation is revolutionizing the way businesses communicate with customers by enabling support in the customer’s language without needing an agent who speaks it natively.

But it’s not just about translating words. This method helps support teams truly understand what customers are saying, including the tone and emotion behind their message. That results in fewer misunderstandings, quicker resolution times, and a smoother overall experience.

More importantly, it helps build trust and empathy in conversations that might otherwise feel distant or disconnected. With that, customer satisfaction isn’t just possible, it’s almost guaranteed.

Challenges And Considerations

Real-time voice translation is a game-changer, but making it work seamlessly in a live contact center is a whole different story.

One of the biggest hurdles is latency. Even a slight delay, just a few hundred milliseconds, can disrupt the natural flow of a conversation and make things feel awkward or disjointed.

Then there’s the issue of accuracy. In industries like healthcare or finance, where precise language and industry-specific terms matter, generic translation tools can easily miss the mark.

And let’s not forget about privacy and compliance. When you’re dealing with live audio and sensitive data, you have to play by the rules, whether it’s GDPR, HIPAA, or PCI DSS.

That’s why building a multilingual contact center solution isn’t just about plugging in a translation tool. It takes careful planning, the right tech stack, and thorough testing to get it right.

At Perficient, our Customer Care practice is actively focused on minimizing latency in real-time voice translation for cloud contact centers. Leveraging Twilio ConversationRelay, we are optimizing low-latency audio streaming and integrating optimal ASR and translation models tailored to a specific industry. We also embed secure, compliant workflows that protect sensitive data while preserving natural conversational flow.

See It in Action

We’ve put together a live demo that walks through the full experience, from capturing the customer’s voice to translating it in real-time and vice versa within a cloud contact center.

Curious to see it in action? Or wondering how something like this could level up your contact center? Let’s connect, and we’d love to show you what’s possible.

Customer experience (CX) continues to be a defining factor in business success. In a digital-first world, even a single poor interaction can drive customers to competitors, contributing to an estimated $1.6 trillion in annual losses in the U.S. alone. On the other hand, exceptional omnichannel experiences build trust, deepen loyalty, and turn customers into lifelong advocates.

Perficient included in IDC Market Glance: Customer Experience Services, 2025

We’re proud to share that Perficient has once again been included in the category of IT Services Providers in the IDC Market Glance: Customer Experience Services, 2Q25 report (doc #US52469525, June 2025).

According to IDC, “Agentic AI and GenAI are working their way into marketing and sales technologies and services, beginning with a pragmatic focus on automating, improving and scaling existing business processes and offerings. New AI-based business models have yet to emerge, but AI is already putting existing CX services under pressure to change.”

Embracing an AI-First Future

As part of our AI-first company mission, Perficient is committed to helping organizations harness the power of artificial intelligence to revolutionize customer experiences. From the use of generative AI in content creation and virtual agents, to intelligent automation and predictive analytics, we’re enabling businesses to unlock new levels of personalization, efficiency, and growth.

Strategy Meets Innovation

Our strategists use Journey Science, a core component of our Envision Framework, to help clients identify opportunities, define a customer-centric vision, and build a prioritized roadmap for transformation. This approach ensures that every touchpoint is optimized to deliver seamless, personalized, and measurable experiences.

Operationalizing CX with Data and AI

The future of CX is rooted in customer obsession—and we help you execute that vision. By combining deep customer insights with AI-powered tools and data-driven strategies, we enable organizations to deliver extraordinary value at every stage of the customer journey.

Ready to elevate your customer experience strategy? Explore how Perficient’s AI-first approach and CX expertise can help you drive measurable results: Customer Experience + Digital Marketing Services | Perficient

As technology continues to advance, patients and care teams expect to seamlessly engage with tools that support better health and accelerate progress. These developments demand the rapid, secure, scalable, and compliant sharing of data. 

By aligning enterprise and business goals with digital technology, healthcare organizations (HCOs) can activate strategies for transformative outcomes and improve experiences and efficiencies across the health journey. 

IDC Market Glance: Healthcare Provider Operational IT Solutions, 1Q25 

Perficient is proud to be included in the categories of IT Services and SI services in the IDC Market Glance: Healthcare Provider Operational IT Solutions, 1Q25 report (doc #US52221325, March 2025). We believe our inclusion in this report’s newly introduced “Services” segmentation underscores our expertise to leverage AI-driven automation and advanced analytics, optimize technology investments, and navigate evolving industry challenges. 

IDC states, “This expansion reflects the industry’s shift toward outsourced expertise, scalable service models, and strategic partnerships to manage complex operational IT and infrastructure efficiently.” 

IDC defines IT Services as, “managed IT services, ensuring system reliability, cybersecurity, and infrastructure optimization. These solutions support healthcare provider transformation initiatives, helpdesk management, network monitoring, and compliance with healthcare IT regulations.” The SI Services category is defined by IDC as, “system integration services that help deploy technologies and connect disparate systems, including EHRs, RCM platforms, ERP solutions, and third-party applications to enhance interoperability, efficiency, automation, and compliance with industry standards.”  

Advanced Solutions for Data-Driven Success 

We imagine, engineer, and optimize scalable, reliable technologies and data, partnering with healthcare leaders to better understand consumer expectations and strategically align digital investments with business priorities.  

Our end-to-end professional services include: 

• Digital transformation strategy:  The healthcare industry’s rapid evolution requires attention in several areas – adopting new care models, capitalizing on disruptive technologies, and affecting regulatory, operational, financial, and organizational change. We equip HCOs to recognize and speed past potential hurdles in order to maximize ROI by making the most of technology, operational, and financial resources. 

• Cloud-native environments: Cloud technology is the primary enabler of business transformation and outcomes-focused value. Investing in cloud allows HCOs to overcome limitations of legacy systems, improve stability, and reduce costs. It also leads to better solution quality, faster feature delivery, and encourages a culture of innovation. Our expert consultants tailor cloud solutions to unique business needs, empowering teams and fueling growth, intelligence, and long-term profitability. 

• Hyper-scalable data infrastructures: We equip HCOs to maximize the value of information across the care ecosystem by uncovering the most meaningful, trustworthy data and enriching it with critical context so you can use it to answer difficult questions, power meaningful experiences, and automate smart decisions. Trusting data begins with having trust in the people, processes, and systems that source, move, transform, and manage that data. We partner to build data into a powerful, differentiating asset that can accelerate clinical, marketing, and operational excellence as information is exchanged across organizations, systems, devices, and applications. 

• AI ecosystems: HCO’s face mounting competition, financial pressures, and macro uncertainties. Enhance operations with innovative and intelligent AI and automation solutions that help you overcome complex challenges, streamline processes, and unlock new levels of productivity. Holistic business transformation and advanced analytics are front and center in this industry evolution, and generative AI (GenAI) and agentic AI have fundamentally shifted how organizations approach intelligence within digital systems. According to IDC, “GenAI will continue to redefine workflows, while agentic AI shows promise to drive real-time, responsive, and interpretive orchestration across operations.” Position yourself for success now and in the future with enhanced customer interactions, reduced operational costs, and data-driven decision-making powered by our AI expertise. 

• Digital experiences: Digital-first care options are changing the face of healthcare experiences, bringing commerce-like solutions to consumers who search for and choose care that best fits their personal priorities and needs. We build high-impact experience strategies and put them in motion, so your marketing investments drive results that grow lasting relationships and support healthy communities. As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve – with organizational consolidations and new disruptors reshaping the marketplace – we help you proactively and efficiently attract and nurture prospective patients and caregivers as they make health decisions. 

We don’t just implement solutions; we create intelligent strategies that align technology with your key business priorities and organizational capabilities. Our approach goes beyond traditional data services. We create AI-ready intelligent ecosystems that breathe life into your data strategy and accelerate transformation. By combining technical excellence, global reach, and a client-centric approach, we’re able to drive business transformation, boost operational resilience, and enhance health outcomes. 

Success in Action: Illuminating a Clear Path to Care With AI-Enabled Search 

Empower Healthcare Experiences Through Innovative Technology 

Whether you want to redefine workflows, personalize care pathways, or revolutionize proactive health management, Perficient can help you boost efficiencies and a competitive edge.  

We combine strategy, industry best practices, and technology expertise to deliver award-winning results for leading health systems: 

• Business Transformation: Transform strategy into action: improve operations, lower costs, build operational resilience, and optimize care. 

• Modernization: Provide quality, cost-effective tools and platforms that enable exceptional care. 

• Data Analytics: Enable trusted data access and insight to clinical, operational, and financial teams across the healthcare ecosystem. 

• Consumer Experience: Harness data and technology to drive optimal healthcare outcomes and experiences. 

Discover why we have been trusted by the 10 largest health systems and the 10 largest health insurers in the U.S. Explore our healthcare expertise and contact us to learn more.

How to Make Every Presentation Unforgettable

Ever sat through a presentation that felt like watching paint dry? Or maybe you’ve delivered one and noticed people checking their phones instead of hanging onto your every word? The secret to captivating any audience isn’t just great slides or polished data—it’s storytelling.

Storytelling transforms dull facts into memorable moments, making your ideas stick and your message resonate. Whether you’re giving a sales pitch, leading a team, or selling yourself in an interview, your ability to tell a compelling story can set you apart. Let’s dive into how storytelling makes you a more engaging, influential, and confident speaker!

Why Storytelling Matters in Presentations & Speeches

Stories evoke emotions, and emotions drive decisions. When you tell a good story:

• People remember you – Facts are forgettable, emotions aren’t!
• You hold attention longer – No one zones out during a great story.
• Your message sticks – A well-told story makes complex ideas easy to grasp
• You build stronger connections – People relate to personal and real-life experiences.

Imagine two people pitching the same product:

• One lists all the features and numbers
• The other tells a story about how the product changed a customer’s life

Which one would you remember? Exactly.

Becoming the Most Charismatic Version of Yourself

Charisma isn’t something you’re born with—it’s something you develop through practice. Storytelling helps you:

• Speak with purpose – Every word should serve a goal.
  
• Use body language effectively – Gestures, expressions, and voice variations bring your story to life.
  
• Master the pause – Silence isn’t awkward; it builds suspense.
  
• Engage your audience – Ask questions, invite participation, and make it a two-way experience.

The best speakers aren’t just knowledgeable—they’re magnetic. That’s what storytelling does for you.

How to Make Virtual Sales Presentations Engaging

In the digital world, keeping attention is harder than ever (hello, multitasking!). Here’s how to make sure your virtual sales presentations don’t get lost in the sea of emails and notifications:

• Start with a compelling hook – A shocking stat, a personal anecdote, or a powerful question.
  
• Use visual storytelling – Slides should support your story, not distract from it.
  
• Keep it interactive – Polls, questions, and discussions make it engaging.
• Speak with energy – Your enthusiasm must compensate for the digital barrier.
  
• Use the power of silence – Pause before key points to create anticipation.

Remember: People might forget what you say, but they’ll always remember how you made them feel—even through a screen!

How to Be a Purpose-Driven Leader Through Storytelling

The best leaders aren’t just great decision-makers; they inspire action. Storytelling is your tool to:

• Define your mission: Explain WHY you do what you do.
  
• Motivate your team: Share real-life stories that reinforce company values.
  
• Make change feel personal: People follow stories, not orders.
  
• Humanize leadership: Vulnerability in storytelling builds trust.

Think about it—Martin Luther King Jr. didn’t say, “I have a plan.” He said, “I have a dream.” And that’s why people followed him.

How to Pitch Yourself (And Win Every Time!)

Whether you’re in an interview, networking, or selling an idea, you need a powerful personal pitch. Here’s how to craft one:

1. Start with a hook – A personal story or a surprising fact.
2. Highlight what makes you unique – What’s your “superpower”?
3. Use a success story – Share a real example of how you made an impact.
4. End with a strong call to action – Make it clear what you want next.

Example: Instead of saying, “I’m a sales professional with 5 years of experience,” try:
“A few years ago, I closed a deal that no one thought was possible. It taught me that persistence and creativity are my strongest assets—and I bring that same mindset to every client I work with.”

Which one sounds more memorable?

How to Influence Audiences Like a Pro

Great speakers don’t just inform—they influence. Here’s how you can do it too:

• Use emotional appeal – Logic makes people think, but emotions make them act.
  
• Frame your message as a story – Even data is more powerful when wrapped in a narrative.
• Create relatability – “I’ve been in your shoes before…” instantly builds connection.
  
• Master the art of contrast – Show “before vs. after” transformations.
  
• Close with impact – End on a strong, inspiring note that sticks.

The Secret to Confidence: Believe in Your Own Story

Confidence isn’t just about what you say—it’s about how you feel when you say it. If you believe in your story, others will, too.

• Prepare, but don’t over-script – Natural storytelling beats robotic speeches.
  
• Rehearse with feedback – Record yourself, practice with friends, and tweak your delivery.
  
• Visualize success – Imagine the audience hanging onto every word.
  
• Embrace nervous energy – It’s just excitement in disguise!

When you step onto that stage—or that Zoom call—own your story. Speak like the expert you are, and watch how you captivate your audience effortlessly.

Final Thoughts: Your Story is Your Superpower

Every great speech, every unforgettable pitch, and every inspiring leader has one thing in common—storytelling. When you learn to craft compelling stories, you don’t just speak—you leave a lasting impression.

So, the next time you step up to present, don’t just share information. Tell a story. Engage, influence, and, most importantly, make it unforgettable.

Migrating to a cloud-delivered Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) solution can revolutionize how your organization delivers customer service. However, this transition requires careful planning and execution to avoid disruptions. Assuming you have selected a CCaaS platform that aligns with your organizational needs, the following best practices outline key considerations for a seamless migration.

A successful migration to CCaaS not only enhances operational efficiency and scalability but also ensures a significant improvement in service delivery, directly impacting customer satisfaction and retention. Organizations should consider the risks of not embracing modern cloud-based customer care solutions, which can

include diminished customer service capabilities and potential costs due to outdated or inflexible systems. Moreover, organizations that delay this shift risk falling behind competitors who can adapt more quickly to market demands and customer needs. Thus, embarking on a well-planned migration journey is imperative for companies aiming to optimize their customer care operations and secure a competitive advantage in their respective markets.

1. Physical Infrastructure Migration

Understanding your current environment is critical for a successful transition. Start with a thorough site review to document the infrastructure and identify unique user requirements. Engage with call center managers, team leaders, and power users to uncover specific needs and configured features such as whisper settings, omnichannel components, call management, etc.

Factors such as bandwidth and latency are paramount for seamless operations. Evaluate your facility’s connectivity for both on-site and remote users, ensuring it aligns with the CCaaS product requirements. Fortunately, modern CCaaS solutions such as Amazon Connect, Twilio Flex and Five9 supply agent connectivity tools to verify that workers have sufficient resources to provide good customer service over various channels.

Additionally, document call treatments and station-specific configurations like call coverage paths. Legacy components requiring continued functionality should be cataloged to prepare for integration.

2. Change Management Planning

Change management is essential to mitigate risks and maximize adoption. A staged cutover strategy is recommended over a single-event migration, allowing for gradual testing and adjustments.

Develop a robust testing strategy to validate the platform’s performance under real-world conditions. Complement this with an organizational enablement strategy to train users and ensure they are comfortable with the new system. Adoption by your business units and users is one of the most critical factors which will determine the success of your CCaaS migration.

3. Operational Considerations

Operational continuity is vital during migration. Start by understanding the reporting requirements for business managers to ensure no loss of visibility into critical metrics. Additionally, review monitoring processes to maintain visibility into system performance post-migration.

4. Integration Planning

Integrating legacy infrastructure with the new CCaaS platform can present significant challenges. Document existing components, including FXO/FXS interfaces, Workforce Management solutions, FAX systems, wallboards, and specialty dialers. Verify that integrations comply with any regulatory requirements, such as HIPAA or FINRA.

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems often require specific integrations with local data sources or enterprise middleware. Assess these integrations to ensure call flows function as intended. For specialized applications, verify that they meet operational needs within the new environment.

5. Fault Tolerance and Disaster Recovery

Testing fault tolerance and disaster recovery capabilities are critical steps in any CCaaS migration. Develop and execute a failsafe testing plan to ensure resilience against both premise-level and carrier-level failures. It is important to align to your IT organization’s standards for recovery time objective (RTO) and business up-time expectations. Disaster recovery plans must reflect these measures and be tested to protect against potential downtime.

6. Scalability and Compliance

CCaaS solutions must scale with your business. Validate scalability by conducting load tests and documenting performance metrics. Compliance is equally important—ensure your migration adheres to industry standards like HIPAA, FedRAMP, or FINRA through thorough compliance testing and documentation.

Conclusion

A successful CCaaS migration hinges on meticulous planning, comprehensive testing, and strong change management. By following these best practices, you can minimize risks, ensure operational continuity, and set your organization up for long-term success with its new contact center platform. The result? An enhanced customer experience and a contact center infrastructure that grows with your business.