It’s 2011
That’s right folks, 2,011 years since 0. Over the course of that time, mankind has created incredible things, from the printing press and steam engine, to touch screen smart phones with GPS functionality. Incredible! Enlightened! And yet, there are still those among us who walk in the footsteps of the past. They look at the calendar in awe and think “why doesn’t anyone have a landline anymore?”
Coffee shops and cabs
Taxi-cabs
Every time that I take a taxi to a business meeting, I pay with a credit card so that I can track my expenses more easily. Every time I say “I’d like to pay with a credit card please,” I hear the heavy sigh and groaning from the driver. Often they ask “you don’t have cash?” My answer is, “no, this is a business expense,” and then I promptly knock $1 off of the tip if I sense an attitude in their voice.
The credit card option is there as a convenience to the customer, not the driver. This is important to recognize. The customer is what is important. Making it easy for them and giving them more options should increase sales. If I had to pay for cabs with cash, I would likely take far less cabs.
The Local Coffee Shop
I went to a small, local coffee shop this morning for a meeting about a speaking engagement. I asked for a macchiato, I then asked if they accept credit cards. The barista replied, “no, cash-only.” I didn’t have any cash, so I didn’t get a coffee. After my meeting, I walked across the street and got a coffee and breakfast from Starbucks; I paid with my iPhone.
Starbucks – 1
Local Coffee Shop – 0
I don’t even need my wallet to buy something at Starbucks. At the local coffee shop, I’d have to leave the premises, find a cash machine, which will inevitably be owned and operated by a different bank than I use. So I will then pay a $1-$3 service charge for the privilege of accessing my money. So now my $2.40 macchiato is $3.40-$5.40…and people say Starbucks is expensive!
It’s 2011
I felt that I should repeat that; it is 2011. In 2011, people pay with credit cards because it’s much easier to track and also easier to carry around. One shouldn’t need to have a wad of paper and 6 lbs of metal coins in their pockets in order to function in modern society.
Progress is inevitable
Perhaps it’s my Myers-Briggs profile talking here (ENFP) but I embrace change. I embrace it for many reasons. First of all, I like change, it’s exciting. Second, and more importantly, change is INEVITABLE. It is an immutable law that governs everything from our behavior to our physiology, and even our universe; we are constantly in a state of change.
So if this is fundamentally true, why do so many businesses fight against the winds of change?
Are you willing to forego profit in business?
Because if you are, stop reading right now. Go back to cash-only. Keep feeling that your original business concept and practices are entitled to thrive.
Do you want to grow and thrive in business?
Because if you do here’s my advice:
“Be hungry, embrace change and be customer-focused “
If you are a coffee shop, understand that your competitor, RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET, takes credit cards and has a pay-by-iphone application. Should you consider adding another payment option?
If you are a taxi driver, understand that some of your customers really want to use that credit card machine because it makes THEIR lives easier. Is it worth huffing and puffing?
If you are a business, of any kind, you probably have customers online. Some are tweeting, others are on Facebook and some are on LinkedIn. Some of them blog, some make videos and some take pictures. Should you occupy those same spaces?
In the old model, it was enough to be available by phone and email: [email protected]
Times have changed.
Proactive or Reactive?
No one told Starbucks to make the iPhone app, there was no customer petition, they just thought it was a good idea.
None of your customers or prospects are going to tell you they want you to follow them on Twitter and actually care about what they are up to. None of your customers are going to encourage you to make a valuable connection for them on LinkedIn. And none of your customers are going to call up out of the blue and ask that you start a blog.
If you want to thrive today, don’t wait for your customers to walk across the street. Put yourself in their shoes and see how your business decisions affect them, both good and bad. Social media might not be right for your business, but unless you know that for sure, you might want to look into it.