It’s unanimous that “mobile” is a top trend in 2013. But, it really needs to be broken down to examine how greatly it affects business. One aspect that mobile has changed tremendously in the past year is our perception of time.
- How often do we talk with colleagues and immediately have to “look something up” to solve a debate. What did we do without Google at our fingertips?
- When we download a season of our favorite TV show onto a mobile device, or watch via Hulu, we generally have no idea what night of the week it might be on. Gone are the days when we flocked to NBC’s Must See TV Thursday Night Lineup on Thursday night.
- We see and read the news as it happens. No more waiting for a 6:00 pm news broadcast or the morning paper.
But, how does this time shift affect your business? It means that delivering services and information the same way you did in 2008 won’t work in a world where time has new, or no, meaning. It means we all need to adjust how we deliver services to meet the demands of the mobile world.
One example of a company that understands the new shift in how we perceive time is Comcast. They were one of the pioneers of using Twitter as instant customer service. Have an issue with Comcast? Tweet about it. Or better yet, tweet @comcastcares directly and their online twitter team will respond faster than you would ever get off hold on the phone!
In addition to Twitter, Comcast made another change. Remember the 4-hour window of wait time for service? Seems outrageous in an era of mobile technology and real-time communication, especially when drivers can be tracked by GPS. This is why Comcast dropped it to 2-hours with a guarantee to be within the window or you receive a $20 credit.
In commercial real estate, time as we know it is similarly collapsing. With new CRE tools like www.42Floors.com, clients (in certain markets) don’t have to wait to view a building. They can see photographs, street views, and maps from their computer (or tablet). Through www.teneightapp.com, brokers and clients can rate buildings in real time.
There are also productivity tools like www.dropbox.com that make real-time data-sharing easy (and free). My latest find is www.slideshark.com, which allows you to view powerpoint shows on iPads and iPhones. Check out www.cre-apps.com or www.CREvine.com’s tool section for more.
At Sperry Van Ness International Corp., we have cloud-based systems for communication, marketing, CRM and project management so that our Advisors can deliver information to clients quickly and instantaneously.
How are you working in the new “time-less” era? Have you changed how you deliver services to clients? Are there new tools that help you shift time? Chime in below, we’d love to know.
Diane Danielson is the Chief Platform Officer of Sperry Van Ness International Corp.
*All Sperry Van Ness® offices are independently owned and operated.