One of the most difficult things for me to do is to change! I enjoy my routine. Yet, I have also come to understand that without change there is no growth and without growth there is stagnation. (Not a good word for a successful business!) So, I set out to change, to learn, to grow no matter how hard it seems to be.
However, I don’t want to do all this changing and growing alone, so I have come up with a little experiment that I want others to join with me. The experiment involves changing the face of business as we know it. I am speaking particularly about how business is conducted in the online, social media world.
When the business community invaded the online world and specifically the world of social media, we did so with the same bluster and bravado (and junk mail I might add) as our entrance into all other types of media. Suddenly every email, every website, every blog post, every tweet was an advertisement for some product and/or service that I didn’t know I wanted or needed.
Businesses are being swept into such tactics by the promise of a worldwide audience and the thought that if just .01% of all their posts become sales then they would be rich beyond imagination. So the posts come, the tweets are made and the email offers are non-stop. It is so bad now that I am ready to shut it all off and actually talk to my clients in person again (what a concept!)
Thinking about this makes my head spin! So, I have decided to do an experiment. The goal of this experiment is “changing the face of business.” The way that the experiment works is that I want to establish a business relationship (more about what that means later) with 100 people. This relationship will be one of mutual respect, and one of mutual benefit, driven by the sense of value that such a relationship can bring to all involved. I am not looking for people who necessarily want to sell me something, but want to know who you are, what you do, and how you bring value to your customers/clients. I want to share my value with you as well. Then, if we need something from the other, we would certainly feel comfortable hiring the other and/or recommending each other to our spheres of influence. No pressure, no hype, and no more quotes from dead people just to fill our twitter stream (my pet peeve!)
If this is something that might strike your fancy, you can check out my new twitter account @dwellmanonline. It is a social/business place where I talk business, root for the Cardinals, and talk with my business partners. This experiment will last as long as it has value to all involved. If you get too salesy I will let you know, if I get too salesy please let me know (PM’s please, not news stream flaming.)
In the end, I hope to find that changing the face of business is not only possible but also rewarding personally and professionally!
