If I told you I could change and revolutionize the way your company collaborates internally and builds relationships with its customers via new tools and technologies, would you be interested?
What if I told you that I could improve the way your company collaborates internally and builds relationships with its customers through new technologies and tools?
If you were an executive at a large or mid-sized company, which would you prefer (or would want to hear)?
The first option means that you are going to have make drastic changes to your organization while abandoning methodologies and processes in exchange for new ones. The second option means that your company does not need to make drastic changes while abandoning the way it operates. Instead, the company is going to use new tools, technologies, and strategies to fit in with its current processes and methodologies. Do you see what I’m getting at here?
The goal of enterprise 2.0 or social media isn’t to change and revamp the way companies operate. The goal should be to improve how companies operate. Here’s a basic example. If you take a look at your company sales process, for example it might look something like this:
Are Twitter or Jive going to revamp this process? There might be some changes along the way but for the most part, the process will remain the same. What changes are some of the tactics. For example, you might use Twitter or LinkedIn to establish a relationship and identify a need, but that process is still in place. Part of a successful strategy is really understanding how the company processes and operations work and then plugging in new tools and strategies to help improve those processes and operations.
I’m in the process of reviewing how a client trains and works with its account executives through a selling framework to drive business. The processes that the client has in place are solid, however there is no integration with new social technologies that can help drastically improve the way the client operates and trains its new account executives.
You won’t find a single executive whose pain point is “I need a whole new way to do X.” Pain points revolve around improving and making things better. It’s a lot easier to improve than it is to revolutionize.
Now imagine you’re that executive again. Do you want something revolutionary or something that can improve and make your company more efficient?
The first option sounded more exciting though =)
But yes, in the end, if your main goal is to dig a trench, might as well let the big machines do it rather than settling with shovels, or, as an example of possible change and revolution, just flying over the whole thing.
I don't know you, but It's really difficult for me to imagine myself as that executive! I work trying to make them understand the uses and beneffits of social media. Some are more open to this kind of tools and ideas but some of them… is just imposible! it's a hard work to evangelize! Don't you think?
I think it depends on HOW you engage them. If you find the right hook, a total reinvention can be a lot more motivating than timid tinkering.
I think it depends on HOW you engage them. If you find the right hook, a total reinvention can be a lot more motivating than timid tinkering.