Selling in the networked economy @ Cambridge Network

May 13th, 2010

Last night I motorcycled over to Redgate Software on the Cambridge Business Park to speak at the Cambridge Network event, so thank you Matt from Cambridge Network for inviting me along, on Selling in the Networked Economy. Well, the official title was selling in social media – but I do struggle with that term. I was also joined by the lovely Oliver Kern from Cambridge gaming company Jagex.

I think some 60 people turned up, and in evolved into quite a fascinating discussion. My point, that we are on a journey that challenges the fixed orthodoxies of what is business in a networked context, some of the points covered…

[1] What makes you so special as a business – what enabling thing to you bring into this world? [2] What are the assets available inside an organisation – where does sales stop and start – I used the example of Zappos streaming internal meetings – greater insight into an organisation = more trust? [3] Is your audience hyper-local or super-global? [4] How does co-creation, co-innovation, and even co-determination enable a company to be more commercially successful? Indeed – do you have a). consumers, b). customers, c). an audience or d). a passionate community that plays a key role in advocating your business? I used Lego as a case history here [5] Data and open api’s were also discussed – how even from being open with IP – technology and data or harnessing the data flows of others could that bring greater leverage – I used the example of GrowVC and a few others, such as Local Motors (here). [6] Business engineering for speed, reduction of cash burn, reach and attraction of the people with whom you would like to engage is also a part of this paradigm [7] revenue models which incentives’ real engagement, and commitment to deliver the best creativity – such as Threadless.

My point being that this thing, that many like to call social media – is a bigger more important story (here), (here), (here).

In the Q&A – I was asked a question concerning a recent CBI report on the days that are lost by business because so many people have their faces stuck into all that nonsense called social media. My response which ended up being quite impassioned was yes, this report is typical, when in fact for many people they would say modern life is literally killing them. What is the nature of work in the networked society? But the Anglo-Saxon has a cold glinty heart. I made the point that the above 7 points could deliver an entirely different process of enabling Britain to deal with its crushing debt, and build a faster, leaner, smarter, more competitive Britain at the same time.

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