What do the post office, sales people and PR professionals share in common?
They’re rooted in the past, many times cost more than they’re worth and most importantly - become an extra link in the establishment of a direct connection between the source and its audience. Intermediaries were introduced in the past to help the distribution of messages, products and knowledge. The internet - now comprised of a high speed connection where ever you are forces us to reconsider the costs and inefficiencies of legacy thinking.
I’m currently reading Naked Conversations by Robert Scoble and Shel Israel and their discussion of the PR profession hits hard…”PR people are accused of speaking in an oxymoronic mix of risk-avoidant and hyperbolic language that most people don’t trust. In addition, PR folks are considered flak-catchers who stand in front of the press to take heat and deflect it from clients. The result is that a large number of people see the PR practitioner intentionally blocking the path to the truth, someone who guides company spokespeople to manipulate the message around the actual facts to the advantage of the company and at the expense of the publics right to know.” Ouch. While later he does state that some PR folks are starting to get it, the vast majority are still practicing as if being in the middle actually “adds value”.
PR of the future - leading and coaching their clients to connect directly with their various audiences in an authentic, personal and open way.
Salespeople run the same risk - prior to the web, companies paid legions of corporate persuaders to search thru many prospects to find the few that would understand the companies value and purchase. Problem is, most didn’t want to work with them once they were educated and also the company didn’t get a consistent message to communicate. They relied on human “interpretation” (remember the telephone game?) and brochures (which no one read or passed along).
Sales of the future - learning & research and a prospect’s decision to meet will occur on-line. Sales teams will be reduced to a fraction of previous numbers and will now become consultants and negotiators.
US Postal Service - they’re intermediaries by their very nature. They were “efficient” stops along the way in getting a message to its intended receiver. Challenge is, as less use the postal service, fixed costs don’t vanish therefore prices go up which drives even more communication on-line. Saving time and trees.
Postal Service of the future - FedEx, DHL and UPS will be our “post office”, while digital (e-mail, texting, IM, social communities and the web) will handle all correspondence that is not a package or physical good.
Revolutions create opportunities - things won’t be the same ever again. Ubiquitous broadband + advanced web applications create the most revolutionary communication platform since the Gutenberg press. It’s happening all around you. The net result - effectiveness, speed, engagement, cost reduction and faster transactions.