The Next Big Thing

While I was in Denver, I had a chance to chat with the national sales manager of a company that interviewed me for a position about seven years ago. I declined the position for a variety of reasons (money was not one) and we have remained cordial ever since. I see him every year at the convention that I attended. He always picks my brain when I see him and this year greeted me by asking, "So, John, what's the next big thing?"

I then explained blogs to him and how I believed they could be used to streamline and improve his company's tech support. In addition, he could probably cut survey costs because the blogs would be providing instantaneous feedback. "So what's the catch," he asked. You have to be willing to listen and accept criticism. Everything you'll hear won't be warm and fuzzy, but if you listen you'll be able to make your product better and more valuable to your customers.

That is admittedly a big attitude shift for some in management, but a necessary one, IMHO. I then explained podcasting to him with the admission that I really can't think of a real commercial app to it all just yet. Then I read this article this evening. If the advertisers are getting hip to it, it'll be the next big thing. Just as the way blogs impacted the MSM, it'll be interesting to see what podcasting does to its counterparts.