Business-Building Action from Terry Brock
[Note: Be sure to listen to the podcast of this article (bottom of posting) and hear even more! Â Download as MP3 or listen to it streaming — your choice!]
The news is a-buzz about Apple’s new iPad. This is heralded by many to be something that will “change everything.†Well, that might be a tad grandiose — after all, computing isn’t “everyrhing,†just 99% of life for many of us! However, the impact of the iPad will be profound not only for sales of that unit but how other devices will be developed and how it will affect your customers.
The iPad is designed to fit “in the middle†between a SmartPhone on the low side (specific, limited functions centered around a mobile phone) and a full computer on the high side (capable of doing many tasks with greater power). The iPad is designed to serve a niche of tasks specifically consuming information on a highly portable, yet usable slate, er, I mean pad, that addresses real-world issues.
One of the key targets will be mobile professionals like you and me. I look forward to getting an iPad and using it to read a lot more books. If you know me, you know I love reading and read a lot. I’ve used the Kindle for iPhone from Amazon for a while to purchase and download books on my iPhone. I prefer to read books in a printed format but when I’m traveling, the iPhone provides the ability to carry a lot of books without the bulk of the physical book. Plus I always have the ready-reference available with me for those scrap moments of time when I’m early for an appointment, the plane is a bit late or I want to just catch up on some of the books I have stored on my iPhone.
This past week I downloaded and installed the new Kindle for Mac (a Windows version is also available). I Immediately downloaded this one when I heard it was available and am pleased with it. I purchased one book to test it. For you serious book lovers, I’d suggest you experiment with it and after a while, you’ll be pleasantly surprised what a pleasant experience it is. The prime advantage I see is being able to have a library of books with me anywhere as I travel. This will make many of those long evenings much more enjoyable in distant solitary hotel rooms and those “our flight is delayed for 1 hour†kind of waits at airport gates.
But back to the iPad. It is going to change your business even if you don’t have one. People are shifting their thinking. The iPad has several features that will change the way people buy and what they expect:
- Portability. Consumers want to take what they need with them wherever they go. Portable music really took off with the iPod. The Sony Walkman years before gave the possibility but the iPod made it real for many people. Think about how you can help customers and prospects “take you with them†in the form of small doses of what you offer. Video and audio educational messages will help people learn about you and the benefits they can get from you anywhere they happen to be.
- Rich Media. The iPad makes it dramatically more available than ever to have text, audio, video and live web connections almost anywhere. The 3G version of the iPad will give more power to this (not just Wi-Fi alone). This will replace laptop computers for many. Think of a traveling salesperson who can now take her presentation on a slim, lightweight iPad to clients. Watch for accessories that extend the battery life even more and provide powerful dramatic presentation capability for those smaller boardroom meetings.
- “I Want It Now!†Mentality. This will be the biggest shift. Instead of waiting, your prospects will want what they want immediately. Once we’ve downloaded music instantly we don’t want to wait for the store to order it. Once I’ve been able to read the top 10 magazines that I like instantly through subscription or one-time purchase, I don’t want to travel to a newsstand just to purchase the information. Video? I want my videos instantly through download and/or streaming. As people get used to this with many close vendor relationships, they will want this from more and more products. Later on I could imagine a webcam on the iPad (not available on this version) so we can have instant visual communication. Think how that can change price shopping and meetings.Â
Yes, the iPad is going to change much of how we view the world. Even if you don’t buy one, you will be affected if only because your prospects and customers will use this type of technology for many purposes. Now is the time to have that conference room discussion with your top respected advisors and ask about how you can implement iPad-like features into your service. Think fast delivery of relevant, compelling content to buyers.
Yes, this changes (almost) everything — and the possibilities for your success are enormous!
Fujitsu ScanSnap 1300
Recently Fujitsu sent me their new scanner, the ScanSnap 1300. I have to admit that I’m a huge fan of their S1500 and S300M. These scanners have become must-have tools in my work both in the office and when on the road.
So, I was really curious as to how this one would perform. Well, it is very nice. I love the fact that it can work on both Windows and Mac. This will save you money in a multi-use office setting. It also has the same form factor as the small S300M. That means it is easily carried on the road and I’ve done it many times around the country. The ability to scan 8 pages a minute, both sides of a page in full color is outstanding. It is even more amazing considering you can pack it into your carry-on luggage. You can also scan to editable Word or Excel files. Nice!
The scanning ability for cards is from CardIris and is fair. I found better OCR ability with my CardScan for business cards. However, with the right alterations it is still faster using CardIris than typing business card information.
Prices ranged from $248 to $284 on a recent Nextag search.
I’m more organized now with paper than ever and it helps not only in productivity but frees up time for selling. This would be a wise investment for a mobile professional or home-based business.
(Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300, $299.99 (retail), http://tinyurl.com/ScanSnap1300 for more information)
Copyright (c) 2010, Terry Brock and Achievement Systems, Inc. Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and professional speaker who helps businesses generate profitable results. He can be reached by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com. Join the Twitter adventure with Terry through his Twitter address: TerryBrock. Join Terry’s Facebook Fan Page at: http://www.facebook.com/SpeakerTerryBrock
