Selling Web 2.0 to the Managing Director
I recently have had to opportunity to place my Enterprise 2.0 business strategy proposal to the Managing Director of a medium sized business. He has a portfolio of static and e-commerce sites, with an overarching strategy on driving the business through search engine optimisation. He is also making money from his e-commerce sites, which were not in existance 2 years ago. How did I convince him to allow me to do an analysis of his company, and provide me with confidential company information
- I asked him what were the issues currently in his business
- I offered a technical solution for a current domain name issue
- I concurred that while email may be an issue in his business, his was not a unique problem – and offered to look at a solution
- When questioned on the future relevance of Web 2.0, I related Twitter and Facebook back to technology such as the web and email, which he also would have had doubts about using initially
- I gave a few examples of how a Wiki could streamline several Human Resource activities (as I previously worked in his industry)
- I was enthusiastic about the future and Web 2.0
- I emphasised the cost (which he liked), that was primarily staff wages for most social media application implementation
- I related to other issues with his business (not Web 2.0 related) and attempted to build a cooperative, mutually beneficial relationship
- I commended him on his online presence, metadata implementation and favourable search ratings (for relatively new businesses)
He has seen the rapid growth of his online business, and the emerging legislative and political restrictions in his bricks and mortar business. Primarily these factors, and the cheaper cost of conducting an online business, assisted my initial meeting in identifying issues which may be resolved by Web 2.0 technologies, many that wont, and the opportunity of proposing some solutions. He is a successful businessman for many reasons, but the one which I initially identified with was the ability to listen, take relevant new information and rapidly identify if it could realise future profits in his business. An enjoyable, challenging meeting, with multiple future paths to take on the Web 2.0 strategy proposal.
5 Comments
Hi Pete,
I think you’ve approached this really well, I particularly like how you’ve tried to make the application of Web 2.0 for the manager more tangible (showing how things can relate to existing systems, realistically improve the capabilities, presenting costing). Also I like how you’ve struck a business oriented approach relating back to the bottom line and the benefits to his business using the facts of what’s happened to him for the past 2 years. Often people just go in with “TECHONOLOGY TECHNOLOGY TECHNOLOGY NEW TOOL NEW TOOL USE IT” we’re often left wondering “Why should I use it?”
I can see faced with this type of approach, it would be hard for him to say no to you. You’ve done well, wish you all the best with it!
Cheers – Sarah
It seems like you know what this business man was looking for. I find it interesting that someone who runs a business in ec-ommerce websites does not see the advantages of Web 2.0 techniques and tools.
The issue was probably going to be selling the change in attitude, rather than new tools, which are just a part of keeping up with the tech movement these days.
Wikis do tend to be very widely applicable, especially for maintaining documents… which every business needs to do.
Nice work.
Mark
thanks for your response. It is a sign of the current rapid change in technology, that someone may have success in an e-commerce area but not necessarily understand Web 2.0 and the potential of this area
cheers Peter
Thanks Sarah
appreciate your feedback – there was some initial banter regarding what I could do for his company, but considering the advice was free initially this definitely helped
cheers Pete
Congratulations on putting your theory into practice. It is always going to be hard to convince individuals to move to Web 2.0 its a huge cultural change or shift which I don’t think is going to change over night.