Selling to the Net Generation – Part 2 of 2
In yesterday’s post I talked about what Don Tapscott revealed about communicating with the Net Generation.
He went on to talk about how selling to the Net Generation is also very different. The Net Generation do not want trials or products – they want experiences! He used the iPod as an example. The iPod is really just an MP3 player, but Apple has turned it into much more than that, they have transformed ownership into an experience. With an IPod you get the whole iTunes infrastructure. Apple understands the “product versus experience” concept very well as they also created an experience with the iPhone and its App Store! What about its computers? To find out just ask someone that owns a mac how they like it. If you dare! 😉 Other companies are trying to do this, but for it to work the approach has to be sincere and not seen as merely copying someone else.
Does Starbucks sell Coffee? I don’t think so. I know that when I am on the road things seem to be a little better when I locate a familiar and friendly Starbucks.
If you want to sell to the Net Generation: create an experience, build a relationship! As we all know business is all about relationships. With social networking we are now able to build relationships and maintain them much more easily than ever before. Social networking enables people to share with you and with others the joy of learning and succeeding. Technology is so much more fun when you get to discover, brainstorm, create, and collaborate with others! In short when you get to experience.
Don Tapscott then made the point that if you want to really find out what people think about you or your products then check out Rypple! What is Rypple about? It’s about providing a platform for feedback so that you can get better! Also check out what Best Buy is doing to get more input from its community (bestbuyideax.com). Or how about Frito-Lay that invites its customers to create Doritos Super Bowl Ads! Check out one here! What marketing department would have made this? Wow!
One final thing – good luck trying to fool the Net Generation! Since they have grown up on the internet, they know that a lot on the internet is not what it seems and can easily detect any trickery. If your organization does not have integrity at its core, you are in trouble as the Net Generation will see right through it and you.
What This Means to Safe
At Safe we have witnessed many of the activities that Don Tapscott referred to in his talk. I can definitely say that the Net Generation that we have at Safe is changing the way that we do things at Safe. They are a positive force that is amazing and exciting. For example, the whole Twitter phenomenon has grown very fast and now without it we would feel totally disconnected from the FME community without it. Which generation at Safe would you guess is driving Social Networking? Credit goes to Roger, Michael and other Net Generationers!
Not convinced about the Net Generation? Check out TakingItGlobal. Mr Tapscott made the point that the Net Generation is a generation that volunteers its time to make a difference, to make the world a better place.
If you are interested, Don Tapscott’s humourous video is definitely worth viewing and his website is also worth checking out. Oh yeah, after seeing the talk I am definitely going to buy his book and read it.
