Is It Time for Technology?
Ten years ago high technology was mostly hype, with promises of lofty future achievements fueled by high investment levels.
While this did achieve a transfer of wealth from fat cats and pension funds to a few resourceful techies, most of these schemes did not do much to improve business in their targeted industries.
Now, after a healthy injection of time, the technology companies that survived are bringing tools to market that can improve productivity in many industries. What most of these tools target is the relatively slow process of doing business via phone, fax and paper. The aim is to replace these methods with Internet-based activities.
The traditional responses to electronic sales methods are that they are impersonal, that many types of products require the customer to see and feel them, and that an electronic image does not represent a true visual product representation. Many salespeople will tell you that you have to deal with customers on a personal, face-to-face level. And all of these responses are true.
But, how has your prospecting been over the past year or so? Have many of your customers and potential customers cut back on staff? Are they overworked to the point that customers might like to streamline the ordering process? Are you having trouble getting in the door to see prospects?
Perhaps it is time to investigate Web techniques as means to improve workflow and as prospecting tools to help get your foot in the door.
This issue features two articles that offer the perspectives of several distributors who are using electronic media to enhance their business. Take a look and see what your peers are doing.
Bill Drennan
Editorial Director
bdrennan@napco.com