As the years go by, in 2012 it is estimated that 50% of sales will be in digital media. Is it possible? For many people like me, we like to buy more and more online. In fact, Aaron Shapiro argues that no business can survive as an offline business.
Just 14 years ago Google started in a garage. A century ago Ford did it in another garage as well. Successes that perhaps happen because companies in their early days think of users before consumers. In fact, many of these users can be influencers, prospects, candidates and partners, understanding their broad possibilities and rich ecosystems.
Shapiro proposes that all interaction between a company and its users should be available through digital channels. That is, whether you are a shoe manufacturer or a technology provider, both are required to deliver avenues for digital contact. Anyone who ignores this is likely to pay a very high price. Do you have a few minutes? Check out what his new book is all about.
In a sentence, if we were to start a company today, no one would think of doing it without an essential piece of digital contact. Likewise, established companies should learn to do it just as if they were starting their businesses from scratch. The idea is not to eliminate personal contact, but to make sure you integrate the digital dimension.
Anything new so far? Not really. Although I really liked his approach to IT, which is usually a kind of impenetrable fortress in large companies, headed by zealous engineers who don’t want to open up any space. For this reason, he raises the need to design technological solutions to repeat many actions, ready to be thrown away in a short time to bring better new solutions later.
Shapiro insists that the best marketing for a company today is the one that helps people to do things. In other words, less talking and more doing. He then brings up a question: Why do people shop more on Amazon today than at the corner store? He guesses it comes down to 4 reasons: trust, convenience, price and fun (TCPF). I think he’s right.
The chatter continues and the guy goes like a machine gun. He fires off words and brings in a quote from a female consumer, “Unless I’m totally confused, I want to solve any problem online and without having to talk to anyone.” And truth be told, I can relate to the idea. For this, companies must deliver great self-service experiences and even better personal service experiences.
Want to learn more about this topic? Drop a few extra bucks on Amazon and buy Aaron’s book.
