3 Questions To Ask Yourself About The Future Of Your Business
Remember sitting in your living room watching Dr Who or Back to the Future thinking that the concepts in those shows were just so foreign that how could anyone ever imagine that one day we would be living in such a technologically advanced society like we recognise as ‘normal’ today?
With 2020 just around the corner, advancements in technology and how they relate to our businesses are a hot topic and one that can leave you wondering how in the world your company is every going to survive without a robot sitting at your reception desk.
There is one part to this story that will never change in a world that feels like it is spinning faster and faster.
Humans.
Human nature.
The one thing that will not change is the base needs of humans and their desire for status, community, and the need to feel unique and important.
The Future of Business Is Human Centred
More than ever before, let us not forget that the entire reason we are in business is because of a humans’ need. Creating a business model that is human-centric will potentially transform how you do business, how you utilise the convenience that technology provides, and how you can differentiate yourself from your competitors.
In fact, if you start to listen to the success stories of all the major companies who have dominated across a variety of industries in the last 10 years, you’ll discover that the common theme across the board is that they all decided to put their customers at the very centre of all that they do, design and deliver.
‘We focus on our customers’, I hear you saying.
Yes, you wouldn’t be in business if you didn’t, but how much of your customers’ needs and desires are at the very core of everything you do? When was the last time you asked them what they actually want, and are you delivering?
Reassess your future-vision in light of the following questions:
1. How does your business offer highly personalised, tailored, unique experiences OR speed and efficiency, OR both?
When building out your product ecosystem, consider how your products and services are focussing on offering highly personalised experiences OR ultra-streamlined services.
This doesn’t mean that you need to have a new product for each client, but what is the process you have developed that ensures each customer feels like they are getting a unique experience from you? Utilising the ever-emerging trend of automation within business process will allow you to automate standard processes, freeing up time and resource to focus on creating magical experiences for your customers in other areas.
Speed and efficiency can be prioritised here too. Gone are the days of taking 24 hours to answer an email, or a week to deliver a product. In the insta-world of ‘now’ you can optimise your services utilising technology and deliver this as a competitive advantage.
2. How does your business bring people together and encourage community?
Loneliness is the said to be the plague of the modern society, despite our deglobalisation through internet technologies (aka social media), and catering for this one base human need will establish rapport quickly with your customers. Building a ‘tribe’ is the new catch phrase here – a community of people who align with your business values and support one another in the search for meaning, while functioning in their own model of the world.
Developing a self-sustaining system around this is the challenge for most businesses.
3. How does your business provide experience minus the excess – minimising the impact on the planet or society, or on the flip side making a positive impact giving them the opportunity to build their own personal status?
Status currency is an important consideration here – in an instant world where social sharing is a highly sort after commodity, how does your business provide experiences that allow your clients to tell the story in conjunction with who they are and what they believe? Taking that to another level – showcasing what good citizens of the world they are by choosing a more sustainable option.
Though it is a ‘want it here and now’ society in a lot of ways, when it comes to building a more sustainable model of living here on the planet, and building out communities, customers understand that this change is a long-term plan, and just want to see that you are heading in the right direction. Being transparent with your future-imagined designs will satisfy this for them, and in fact, bringing them on the journey with you will solidify them into the fabric of your organisation, creating brand ambassadors for you that will affect your sales more than any advertising campaign would (which in turn builds the tribe mentioned in question 2).
Daunting though it all may seem, staying focused on the core element of business – that is humans – will ensure that your future-vision is aligned, effective and sustainable. The tools and materials may change, but the foundation doesn’t.
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