Brent Hoskins
There are three significantly interconnected trends that all office technology dealers should contemplate in 2013 as they look to the future direction of their dealerships. Certainly, each of these trends has captured the attention of dealers to some degree, but not all dealers are embracing the related opportunities, or otherwise making plans to address what lies in store for our industry down the road.
Social media’s meteoric rise is the first of these major trends. We are all fully aware of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, and we have varying opinions as to their role in our world today. Nevertheless, the daily usage statistics are staggering. All dealers should be actively using these social media tools to engage in dialog with their current and prospective customers, focused on the ultimate goal of promoting their dealerships.
The second major trend is the changing workforce. This, of course, has given rise to the use of social media. Specifically, we are seeing a new generation entering the workforce that has a key characteristic that is unlike previous generations — these workers have grown up using social media as a preferred means of communication. Dealers should be adjusting their business models and sales focus in anticipation of the changing workforce.
Mobile computing’s rapid ascent is the third major trend. Walk through any public place and you see lots of people texting. Add to that the rise of iPads, etc., and ever-smaller notebook PCs and you start to get a picture of what we can expect in the coming months and years within the office technology industry. We are rapidly approaching the day when every worker will expect and prefer the ability to access and share digital documents instantly from anyplace at anytime.
In 2013, the Business Technology Association (BTA) will further enhance its efforts to help dealers embrace the opportunities that are being presented by these trends. We will do so, in part, through the educational sessions at BTA’s five district dealer events and through the editorial content of our monthly magazine, Office Technology. More than ever before, dealers should be giving thought to the phrase: “The future is now.” Dealers should not be waiting for some point in the future to address these three monumental trends that are redefining certain aspects of society, given their substantial impact on the office technology industry.
