Something Big is Afoot

I’ve noticed interesting words coming out of my mouth lately. Mostly the words are something like:

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“I think the world of business communication is changing right now.”

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“I can feel a big wave coming.”

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“Something is happening right now that is really going to change the business landscape.”

Often, this type of talk is prompted by “What do you do Lee?” or “What’s up with all the blog stuff I’m hearing?”

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I’ve been trying to figure out what makes me feel so strongly right now. The first time I read the ClueTrain, I was filled with these feelings, but I felt like the only one—that the ideas they outlined were in the distant future and we had a long way to go. It was crazy-talk for some back then (all the way back to 1999!).

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I think what makes me feel so strongly right now is that the ClueTrain stuff is really happening—finally, the business world is waking up. It took new tools, lots of talk and some early successes, but the world is changing. I see the basic change like this:

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Businesses are finding that the most effective way to communicate to the market is by giving employees and customers the opportunity to interact informally on the web.

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I know, breathtaking, eh? Not really, but it is the most basic point in my mind—businesses are learning to communicate like people instead of businesses. There is certainly a long way to go, but I do think it’s finally happening and I’m excited.