while it’s always been sound business to let consumers get to know the people who deliver the promise of the business, it’s more important now than ever before to lower the guard. be hospitable. step out and show your colors. why, do you ask? a little bit of old and something new. people buy from people. not prices. not products. people. web 2.0 introduced a new level of interactivity through social media, blogging and more. in the wake of web 3.0 and economic recovery, shopping is about to surge to new levels. your job? slow the surfer’s roll. provide a refreshing drink with an umbrella before sending him/her back to the waves.
for sharp marketers, the internet is by far the leading marketplace for connecting the savviest consumers to producers. there should be a wealth of information online about you, your product or services and what you do to rock the world. if this isn’t the case, then you’re not working hard enough. your personal profile should be extensive, rich, multi-layered, interesting, and real. drop the formalist distance. the overly-designed language that only keeps us separate. undecided. pull the consumer in close. the internet should be more campfire than icepack. business is already too cold an arena most days. warm things up with a good story about the difference you’re making. be the firestarter.
