I often mention this great article I read in the New York Times called The Tyranny of Convenience...
I’m sure you remember. It talks about how convenience is one of the most underestimated forces of the universe... because it’s the driver of everything we do.
That’s one of the reasons behind Amazon’s success. And if you look around, you can clearly see how everything is gravitating towards becoming more Amazon-like. People want stuff at the best possible price, delivered as quickly as possible, right to their door steps. And that’s becoming a threat for other businesses.
Look what happened to Barnes & Noble…
How many people, you think, still buy books at Barnes & Noble? Yes, you might still go to there and look through the shelves, browsing and finding books. However, unless it's something you really want for your collection, you probably buy that book on your Kindle. I know I do it.
But here’s the good news: There’s another aspect to convenience. And it's something an Amazon-like business will always be lacking…
It’s the real relationship you have with your client.
You see, even if Amazon starts delivering, say, cars to your door steps... those cars still need to be serviced at some point. The tires need to be replaced. And there’s any manner of things that can go wrong (and will go wrong) with the vehicle.
But guess what? All these are things consumed on a local basis…
It won’t help you getting a better price for that Toyota Camry from a dealer 500 miles away, and shipped to your door step through Amazon… when you don’t have a trusted somebody to go to when things go wrong.
See, people like convenience. But above all, people want to have an “insider guy.” Somebody that takes care of things for them.
And that’s what’s really going to be the driver of everything in the era of Amazon: Offering a concierge like service for everything revolving around the thing that you sell or do. The whole experience. Not just that moment in time where you're making the transaction…
Because the convenience of having a relationship with somebody who can take care of my needs... trumps cheap prices and fast delivery any day.