My 6-year old son, Joseph, approached me recently with a pretty profound question. This is how it went:
Joseph: Dad, when we go to Heaven, how old will we all be?
Me: (quite surprised at such a thoughtful inquiry) Well, son, I don’t believe we know the answer to that question.
Joseph: (with an absolute straight face and utmost sincerity) Why don’t you just Google it and find out Dad?
Needless to say, this little event gave me quite a bit of reflection on a few different levels. First of all, I was somewhat amazed at the fact a 6 year old boy would be pondering such an authentic and deep question. Secondly, the sales and marketing blogger in me could only giggle at this realization:
My son is already smarter than many of the antiquated and old-fashioned marketers, small biz owners, and CEOs around the world.
I say this because if there is one thing that has surprised me the most in the last 6 months since initiating this blog is the fact that so many so-called ‘intelligent’ business people just don’t get it. And what is it?
IT is the mind of today’s consumer—a mind that turns to the computer, and the ‘source of truth and knowledge’ we call Google, before we turn to literally anything else in this world for answers.
The Way We Think Has Changed
Think about it for a second. 15 years ago, if a child got sick the parent would immediately, at least in most households, call the doctor’s office. And do you know what that same parent does today? Yep, he or she will do an internet search on the problem and potentially do all the diagnosing without even calling or going to the doctor. Crazy, isn’t it?
The mind of today’s consumer is looking for answers, and the idea of ‘Just Not Getting One’ no longer makes sense to most people. As we are all starting to figure it out, just about anything we want to learn about can be found on the internet. With enough search, we can discover information that just a few years ago was privy to only a few persons.
So what’s the deal with so many of these business men and women? Why do they reject social media as juvenile? Why do they view twitter as utter silliness? And why do they dismiss ‘blogging’ as a waste of poorly written words on a screen?
Now, now, please understand that I am well aware that there are many business people that have embraced Web/Marketing 2.0, but notwithstanding there is still a large group of people who resist this new, and much improved I might add, shopping paradigm.
Slow to Embrace
The reality is that the leaders of any previous generation are always slow to embrace the ‘next’ generation. A couple examples that come to mind are Henry Ford, JC Penny, and K-Mart. All were tremendously successful….for a time….but their unwillingness to look ahead due to their previous successes and triumphs were the cause of their ultimate downfall.
This is exactly why so many 1st graders understand marketing better than many of these ‘old school’ leaders. In fact, here are 4 concepts many 1st graders, like my son, understand better than these business people of antiquated thought.
1. Technology is a Good Thing: We need to embrace it, not be fearful of it. Many ‘old-schoolers’ can’t even turn a computer on, much less write a blog. I’ve seen people brag about this. Frankly, they should be embarrassed. I can understand that it might be tougher for some people to learn technology than it is for others (Believe it or not I fall in that category), but in this day and age there is just no excuse not to take advantage of these incredible resources.
2. The Internet is a Shopper’s First Resort: Just as my son ‘knew’ Google would have the answer he was looking for, today’s consumer will almost always begin their process of learning about a product online. This research occurs before they talk with friends, look in phonebooks, or travel to retail locations. Simply put, the order of operations when it comes to making a purchase has completely changed in societies all over the world.
3. Search Engines are Key: Google can be a business’ best friend or its worst enemy. For those businesses like mine that have embraced all facets of Web 2.0, Google is a lead-producing machine that costs me a fraction of what is cost for antiquated, ‘outbound’ marketing techniques like TV, Print, Radio, etc.
4. Long Tail Keyword Searches: OK, now maybe my son doesn’t know what a long-tail keyword is, but he is well aware that if he wants to find something on Google or another search engine, he only need to type in his question. This question is the core behind the long-tail keyword strategy that many businesses and intelligent bloggers are now focusing on to enhance their marketing efforts.
So there are 4 reasons why 1st graders ‘get’ Web 2.0 better than many business owners and CEOs. But the real question is: When will everyone get with the program and embrace this new paradigm?
Although no one can give an exact answer to such a question, I can assuredly say this much—More and more businesses are already paying the price for missing the first information age train to leave the station. And because this tough economy has forced so many of these businesses to look deep within themselves and their business models, it won’t be long before the idea of being aloof to social media, Web 2.0, and content marketing will be a thing of the past as all will be forced to embrace the future.
Questions? Comments? As always, whether you agree or disagree, your comments make a tremendous addition to the content and context of this article, so please feel free to contribute. 
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lol nice story dude.
I love the child’s inquiry. I don’t think it is all technology driven though. Bricks and mortar or whatever still rules. People still want to see a lawyer, CPA, and especially a doctor in person. People still want to touch the clothes on the racks with their greasy fingers. I think business has become more expensive, you still have your lawyer fees and CPA fees, but now you have to have internet and brick and mortars to survive.
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