“The lesson is, we all need to expose ourselves to the winds of change. We need to expose ourselves to our customers, both the ones who are staying with us as well as those that we may lose by sticking to the past.” -Andrew Grove, co-founder of Intel
I have a question for you… What is one of the largest public relations and customer communication problems facing companies?
I can help you out… it is ignorance and the decision to simply not listen. This concept can stem from every corner of a corporation or a small business. The CEO chooses not to listen because they simple do not know or a small business owner decides to ignore the ever changing world of customer communication.
We are experiencing a shift in how customers relate to brands. You can no longer hide behind a massive white paper, public relations firm, or marketing campaign.
The time is now. Expose yourself. Take the dive into the world of online communication. Start a corporate blog. Start a twitter campaign for a product. Get your customer service department trained in the ways of social media.
Can you feel the winds of change blowing through your window? Or did you decide to yank it close…?
Only to experience it being shattered.
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I agree Kyle. Nice post. Its not an age issue. Its a mindset. Is it smugness? fear of the unknown? Fear of the inability to control the conversation? All of the above and more? It reminds me of ostriches in a way. Hiding their heads in the sand and thinking that since they can't see you – that you cant see them.
Revolutionaries are companies and people who dare to be different. To live in a brave world. And lets face it the risks arent even that great anymore!
It comes down to this…do you adjust or do you die? You can do either or, it's really a zero sum game at this point.
Kyle,
Two things ring truest about business and social media. 1) Build relationships by being yourself and 2) Cultivate that relationship by reaching our to and getting to know your friends/future clients. Who buys a shoe they've never seen, never tried on, or know will give them a blister?
We have an opportunity to expose ourselves online which in my opinion is less "strip to the birthday suit" and more "show our est feature." My advice is to always (the English teacher in me) is to ALWAYS keep your audience in mind. And bravely…be you.
Leigh C.
Kyle,
Great post. Your blogs always hit the mark. For the record I meant to say, "show our BEST feature." Thanks!
Leigh C
I like this post, and you're totally right. Companies, big and small, need to take the leap and start using social media. The opportunity to engage in conversation is one that should not be passed up. I'm in charge of my company's social media marketing, and it's pretty amazing to witness the changes that are going on.