Stuart Jones comment to a post about ‘clueless websites‘ is terrific. He’s on Step 4/5 when he says:
Recently, I started up a conversation with a business owner, who seemed to be an excellent prospect. Stupidly, I referred them to my website. Only to discover that their existing accountant has an identical website. The only differences are the colour and the staff profiles.
Good one, Stuart!
Take heart Stuart – this is the stuff of being on the Damascus road. You’re not alone – you’re in great company. Only yesterday I received a call from Guy Letts of Sage (yes – THOSE ones). He called to thank me personally for talking about wiki as a community learning tool for communities of interest. And how wiki will benefit Sage customers. Excuse me? Are the Living Dead coming back to life here? If so then I say great. Do they care that I have a crack at them from time to time? Of course not. Do they read this stuff? Of course they do. Why?
Because they can see the power this stuff has and how the discussions around different topics deliver a rich win-win-win. Sage knows it is the Microsoft of the UK and that if it is to maintain its position it needs to be equipped to deal with numerous service issues. The fact I give them the occasional hard time doesn’t matter because they’re prepared to see that sometimes, maybe, the germ of an idea that comes out of those posts has a value to them. You can be sure they don’t drool on everything I say. All of which means that from a practice perspective, this stuff’s about taking what you need and leaving the rest behind. And then building on what you need.
The only reason I know that wiki works is because I use it in a number of scenarios. To me, it is the pivotal technology for those serious about client relationships and community. It is not about the database of users or clients but the activity of those who are passionate about your service. Anything that’s connected to the database argument is about administration – i.e. – non-value add. Anything connected to the wiki argument is about communities being self sustaining, self learning and figuring out best value for all. I’d go so far as to say that next generation wiki will blow away many of the expensive, rules-based document and knowledge management systems that currently exist. It’s one of the reasons I’m engaged with StartMEup.
PS – StartMEup goes into a new and exciting phase very soon. Hence the radio silence over the last couple of weeks.
Technorati Tags: accounting, client relationships, client_marketing, innovation, StartMEup, wiki
