Courtesy of: World Science & Engineering University Portal
Well, here we are. A new year, and a whole new world of opportunities for all of us.
I think that this year is going to see some very big changes in how we communicate, as the technologies and platforms which we’ve seen arrive in 2009 are seeing more and more mainstream adoption. I think that some of the things that should shape your thinking in 2010 are how you can adopt these tools to give you a competitive advantage.
The reason it’s a case of “how” rather than “if” is because these new tools are going to be an integral part of our lives in the future in much the same way that email is now.
If you consider the huge advantage that your com[any had gained if it had pounced on email, a website, the internet, ecommerce… but it didn’t, did it! Instead, the chances are that your company did the same as almost every other company. Your company said things like “it’ll never take off”, “it’s no better than our tried & tested methods”, “it’ll be a flash in the pan” and other similarly ill-conceived comments.
The truth is that trying not to adopt these things is like trying to hold back a deluge. Every company will have to embrace these platforms over the coming couple of years… or die.
But 2010 IS going to be a good year for business, because all the stars are aligning…
- we’re all a bit smarter and more careful than we were in 2007
- we’re coming out of recession, and organisations are prepared now to try some different ways of doing things.
- massive take-up of new communication platforms mean that is is easier now than ever before to really engage with customers and prospects
- new technologies are enabling better service and products, greater choice and more transparency in the marketplace.
All we need to do is to admit that (as Sam Cooke famously wrote) “a change is gonna come”, and get on with how we can benefit from it.