Are We Having Fun Yet?

I wanted to talk a little more about the topic of customer engagement.  I’ve been giving this a lot of thought, in light of the changes that business is facing.  Social media, web 2.0 and a shrinking world are putting tremendous pressure on businesses to adapt to the new expectations of their clients.

Traditional companies, especially those who are looking for their customers among Generations X and Y, have a new challenge to rise to.  That challenge can be summed up in one question: Is it fun to do business with you?

There’s no denying it.  Baby Boomers have for years decried the fact that “kids these days” need to be constantly entertained.  And they’re right, of course.  Just look at phones: modern phones are not made for placing calls, they’re made for entertaining.  So if you’re selling a product or service to this group who need to be entertained, what are you doing to entertain them? Again, are you making doing business with you fun?  If you’re not, there’s a pretty good chance you’re not going to survive.

Tomorrow’s customer isn’t going to base their buying decisions primarily on things like features and benefits or price.  Their expectation is that every company will offer great features, benefits and prices.  After all, this is a generation of buyers who knows how to research, and if you’re not in line with the market, you don’t stand a chance.  No, tomorrow’s net-savvy consumer is going to decide whether or not to buy from you based on the entertainment value you provide.

A lot of traditional businesses are having a hard time figuring this out, as evidenced by the way they are using social media and the web.  They put up static web pages and use social media as a mode of free advertising to promote their own agenda.  Folks, that just doesn’t work any more (if it ever really did).  Have a look around: look at the Zappos’ and Chipotles and 37Signals of the world and you see companies who not only are excellent at what they do, but that are fun to do business with.  They get it, and they are thinking, not of their own agendas, but the agendas of the ones who really count: the customers.

So have a look at your own business and ask yourself: am I (or is my company) fun to do business with?  Is there entertainment value in my/our offering?  If not, how can I add it in and be more fun?  Beacuse even if you’re not targeting Gen’s X & Y now, it won’t be long before you will be.

Oh, and their younger siblings and kids?  Let’s just leave it at this: you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!