Nov
23

People are replacing products

Author // Ann
Posted in // Creative Thinking, Future Trends, Leadership, Management behaviour

If this is true, we need to start focusing on the people aspects of our business, rather than the sometimes unhealthy, overbearing focus on our products. There are no crap products in the world nowadays just similar ones. Our true competitive advantage is in how we tap the brains of the people around us. Here’s two ideas:

1. Get together some customers and influencers and discuss the future. This new way of doing things. How the mortality rate for lots of business models is rising. What trends will come true what won’t. Have a debate about the implications, the impact, the positives, the negatives.

2. If you’re the boss, get your team together on a monthly basis and initiate an interactive and engaging chat about various topics. Not the usual stuff like “how many new customers can we generate,” or “how do we reduce wastage.” But, stuff like “How can we be more authentic?” “How can we influence customers rather than control them.” “How can we work collaboratively with competitiors.”

The point; use a little imagination. If you are going to take time out of peoples day, make it interesting, make it provocative, take people out of their comfort zones. They will find it challenging, possibly terrifying, perhaps liberating. At least you will have acted as catalyst for thinking and, in today’s knowledge economy, thats really what its about.

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Ann

Ann Holman is the founder of the Ann Holman Company who are social architects and strategists. She is a leading thinker, educator, speaker and consultant in the world of social business, social media, marketing, leadership, strategy and communications. Ann has a passion for understanding how 'social' and 'digital' are changing the landscape we live and work in. Please connect with her on Twitter @annholman
  • http://scottgould.me Scott Gould

    Totally.

    People-to-people organisational models are the fruition of a knowledge economy, where leading the developing of people replaces the management of people like parts in a machine.

    “How can we be more authentic?” “How can we influence customers rather than control them.” “How can we work collaboratively with competitiors.” – those questions get me going! Very good!

  • http://www.clarityprojects.co.uk Ann

    Thanks Scott for your comments, glad it got you thinking!!

  • http://www.twitter.com/robertpickstone Robert Pickstone

    Nice post Ann. I certainly think there is a shift in the direction that your title suggests. The brands that make customers feel wanted and listened to are increasingly to stand out. With so much choice and so much information to take in, product differentiation is not always enough these days. I certainly feel like I am bombarded with choice and don’t have time to research every option available to me. If a process has been thought through, maybe in the ways you have suggested, to make me feel comfortable at the point of purchase then it would probably be successful on a customer like me.

  • http://www.twitter.com/robertpickstone Robert Pickstone

    I forgot to include this in my last post: It is easier to make a customer feel wanted and comfortable using people than any other resource a business may have.

  • http://www.clarityprojects.co.uk Ann

    Hi Robert

    Like your last comment “It is easier to make a customer feel wanted and comfortable using people than any other resource a business may have.”

    Like it a lot. Sums it up nicely!

  • Jed Langdon

    Good post Ann. I particularly like your second idea. By asking your employees questions like these, not only will you improve the creativity of your business and relationship with your customers, but you will benefit from a more empowered and motivated workforce.

  • http://www.annholman.co.uk Ann Holman

    Thanks Jed…..absolutely….pushing creativity and thereby a motivated workforce is crucial!

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