So Much to Do and So Little Time
Date: December 1, 2011 Posted by: Del Merenda, President & CEO, i-MARK, Inc.
My dad told me long ago, that I would appreciate the enormity of WWII much more than he ever will – and he fought in it! He was speaking of course, about the power of historical perspective. Today, we are living the Internet revolution, which as pegged by Rupert Murdoch as, “the most fundamental change during my lifetime and for hundreds of years”.
So does the same ‘enormity of Internet impact’ ring true for BtoB product manufacturers and sellers, today? Gyro, a top 50 global agency, focused exclusively on BtoB, recently gave a most interesting perspective. They said BtoB has ceased to be. Kaput, they said. Wow dude, that’s heavy!
They claim that communications’ mobility puts control of BtoB commerce squarely in the hands of the market. This scary new level of market control means that marketers and sellers are no longer the hunters. They are the prey. Today, it’s the individual BtoB buyer, a person, who is on the hunt. Buyers’ rules and search outcomes now determine which suppliers and what products they choose.
So, as these highly connected ‘people’ tap keyboards, mouse buttons and touch screens, they fully expect their needs to be self-served by smart and intuitive websites at their whim. For many manufacturers, this hard reality has yet to hit home but when it eventually does, the task of self-service-enabling their businesses will appear to be daunting.
Regardless of how manufacturers may feel about this topic, the market will determine their fate. It is none too soon for sellers to get their Internet business channel into full gear. It takes considerable planning and preparation to launch this life-sustaining medium and time-is-a-wastin. The good news is that a well-planned and managed effort is worth every penny and ounce of sweat. Just check out those who are already there.
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