Let’s Put Back the E-in Business, Shall We?

What is the “E-in Business”?  For the purposes of this rant, the “E-in Business” refers to exposure and the lack of it that exists in larger corporations today.

Remember the old days when you used to know everyone you did business with personally?  You could buy meat from Jim the Butcher and milk would be delivered to your doorstep by Fredrick the Milkman. 

Ok, even I don’t remember the milkman but my point is that we used to know who we did business with and because of this there was an inherent trust between customer and supplier.

Enter technology and exit the “E-in business”.  Cell phones, email, websites, the INTERNET.  These are all great tools and have radically changed and for the most part, improved our lives.  However, far too many companies are using these tools to hide from the people they do business with rather than leveraging them to get to know their customers better and provide a higher level of service.

I’m not going to get into Web 2.0 here but I believe it is the future.  Companies that leverage the technology and empower their employees at all levels to talk with customers and work with them for the best, mutually beneficial solutions possible are the companies that will truly prosper.

Why is it that so many companies are afraid of becoming exposed?  That someone might actually think that they’re not perfect?  It is crazy.  Nothing and nobody is perfect.  People are always going to talk about you and your business.  Why not be a part of this conversation?

I believe that the companies that put back the E-in business, that expose themselves to imperfection and allow their front-line employees to engage with customers will be the winners in the long run. 

A little exposure can go a long way and it isn’t limited only to positive publicity.