Techno tools help you get ahead in a fast-paced world

BY TERRY L. BROCK
Technology/marketing specialist

In today’s environment, overnight is too slow. You are out to lunch -- or will be someone else’s lunch -- if you are too slow. Computers and technology have driven this new way of living and thinking, and we have to adjust.

Most wholesalers recognize that things are different than they were before. The old days of using a paper and pad to run sales calls is over. Running the business today requires knowledge of not only plumbing, heating and air conditioning, but also of technology. And we have to be able to build in speed for our learning.

Of course, speed alone won’t do anything. Being there first with the wrong stuff -- or not enough of the right stuff -- will make you end up looking like Wily Coyote about to get slammed with another anvil falling from the sky. You have to be the “firstest with the mostest,” as Nathan Bedford Forrest practiced during the Civil War. He was known for his saying, “Git thar first with the most.” That is the way we have to view ourselves in business. Be the first to provide what your clients want with the most of what they want.

Here are some key principles that can help you as you do business today and as we look to the next few years:

• Think speed. Find ways to serve your customers and prospective customers faster. Use the internet. If customers ask for product literature, be able to send it snail mail, but suggest that they can see full-color pictures and detailed descriptions on your website. If your products are better viewed with video or better described with audio, put these up on your website. (See an example of how video and text can combine to communicate later in this article.) These videos are being used for product demos and training now. Great stuff!

• Get a fast internet connection. Get the fastest connection you can. Bandwidth is critical today. With more and more video coming (think YouTube.com and Google as they are merging), it has big ramifications for your business.

• Return phone calls fast. When someone calls you willing to exchange their money for your service or product, you have to be willing to jump a little higher and faster. A smart phone like the Treo 700 (w or p), smart phones with the Windows Mobile Operating System are also very good. I use the hp6515 for making phone calls and carrying my complete Outlook database of contacts. Also, having Word and Excel available doesn’t hurt. I use that smart phone so I can be reached very quickly by my office staff when an emergency arises. We define emergency as when someone is willing to give us money for our services!

• Use an Air Card. I use the Verizon Air Card on my laptop to get fast access to the internet from just about anywhere in the U.S. This way, I can see the websites I need, upload website changes for clients, upload new audio and video and do a lot. Not doing those things yet? Think of the power you’ll have when you can use those tools before the competition. Remember what it was like before you had e-mail? Now just try getting by without it when your competitor is using it.

• Be your own rapid deployment force. The military has trained the Delta Team, Navy Seals, 101st Airborne division and the Rangers to land quickly into a given area and be in control immediately. Think like this in your business. Bring your laptop and equip it with the tools you need to get the job done wherever you are. For most of us, that means a strong contact management program, solid word processing and connection to the internet. With these tools alone, you can do a lot from almost anywhere.

• Learn software for a strategic advantage. In today’s world, knowledge is more power than ever. When Francis Bacon first coined the phrase “Knowledge is power,” he didn’t have access to the internet. He would be ecstatic today with the proliferation of information. I’ll bet he would also be dismayed at how many people choose to get information from watching junk on television versus reading good quality information from books, magazines and newspapers. Learn the software that your competitors aren’t bothering with, which can give you a competitive advantage. You’ll be able to leap-frog over them time after time.

To see an example of how I’m using video and text to communicate -- and to get a good message about some key technologies you’ll want to use today for a competitive advantage -- go to the website at snipurl.com/TerrysTech4U (remember to type it in exactly -- upper and lower case are important!). Send me an e-mail if you have any problems at terry@terrybrock.com. Think about how you could use a similar format for your company in training, introducing new products and more.

Business today is moving rapidly and you need to think speed to stay up to date. Wholesalers today are being pressed to do more with less. Technology can help leverage your ability. You’ve got to think fast and be fast. Focus on ways to serve your customers through faster means. Lean heavily on the technology for that to happen.

 

Terry Brock is a regular columnist for The Wholesaler and a marketing coach who helps business owners market more effectively leveraging technology. He shows busy professionals how to squeeze more out of their busy days using the right rules and tools. Brock can be reached at 407/363-0505, by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.