I just bought a new phone. I used it yesterday to locate a Starbucks as I was driving along Interstate 35 just outside Dallas. In seconds, there it was: photo, map, phone number, exact location and how to get there, LIVE!
I wanted a Vet for a very sick pet at home. I went to Google, searched “mobile vet” and then quickly scanned five veterinarians that appeared on my search. I chose one whose website made me feel warmth and where there was a nice attractive photo of the vet herself. Also included were several testimonials recommending the veterinarian and a button to make it easy to do business. I was well pleased, she was as projected on her site.
I ordered a book the other day, Reality Check by Guy Kawasaki. I opened my Kindle, clicked on “Shop in Kindle Store”, clicked on “Books,” and searched “Kawasaki.” Wham-o, there it was. I clicked “purchase book” and in 15 seconds I had my book.
I connected this week with an old roommate in college, Tim Murphrey who is a very successful business executive in California. He sent me a Facebook invite, I accepted. The last two days we have exchanged memories that go way back to 1984!
I had a few “live chats” today on my computer. I chatted with my business partner who was in South Texas, that led to a chat with a few team members in Austin, and I chatted with a few customers in New York, Dallas, and Virginia. The chats were live, recorded, and each lasted a few minutes, but all were of utmost value to a productive day.
Life today is fast and it is live. I am a consumer just like you. I am annoyed if I have to work hard to find what I want and whom I want. I don’t want to work hard to do business. I want to be entertained and I want to be wowed. I want to find solutions to my problem without having to click on several tabs in a nav bar on a website. I want to do business without having to talk if I prefer not to. I want to do business at 3:00 AM if I want to. I want my order now, not in a few hours.
Sobering isn’t it? Life is live — and so is business! Innovate, automate, move fast, and get out of the way.
I attended your talk at Ball State last night and I just wneatd to thank you again for coming out and sharing your insight. It’s always inspiring and humbling to see where, as students, we need to be when we enter the creative workforce. In addition it was a great opportunity to get a new perspective on some already familiar topics and information on new topics. I hope we’ll see you in Indiana again for another chance to tap into your knowledge.