Dear digital economy: More optimism for the digital transformation, please!

Many decision-makers I speak to perceive the digital transformation as a threat. On the one hand, I can understand that, because yes, it is about leaving a traditional business, a more or less safe haven. On the other hand, I have a hard time with this, because how can you develop something new if you are driven by fear of loss?

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Role of the digital economy and consultants

If you look at the role of our industry, it’s unfortunate to say that we often contribute to this. Slogans such as “Master the digital transformation” are used, which is a subtly glorifying message. This is because it places digital transformation in the context of a (negative) challenge or problem. If you follow this approach, it would mean that all you have to do is transform your traditional, non-digitally transformed business model and that’s that. Unfortunately, this is exactly what rarely works. It is much more a case of using existing resources and expertise in new business models.

Acquisition propaganda

On the other hand, many of us never tire of telling our customers how bad things will be for retail, for example. Hundreds of presentations, blog posts and specialist articles point out that it is now 5 to 12. Honestly, I think it’s sunk in by now! What such “propaganda” now brings is pure fear. Fear, which is already latent anyway, of change, investment and generally moving out of the entrepreneurial comfort zone. In other words, exactly the opposite of what we in the digital industry would like to see from our customers.

False, hidden schadenfreude

And here and there, I get the feeling that some colleagues in the industry are also taking a certain amount of schadenfreude. If you’ve been around for a decade like me, you can certainly understand that. We were ridiculed by decision-makers in those early years of the digital economy. Back then, sales was more of a missionary service. We had to convince customers that it was important to have a website, an online store. And we were often told off: “We never need that for our business. Our customers don’t use the Internet. This Internet will never catch on”.

Seeing some of these people hard at work in their entrepreneurial construction site (because this internet network is in the process of dismantling the core business) sometimes creates a sense of justice. However, please don’t indulge in it, and God knows you shouldn’t force it. I find that unfair.

The wake-up call is activated by

On the other hand, the bit of drama that we presented to our customers was ok in the sense of a wake-up call. But almost everyone has heard it by now. So we can confidently stop doing that. Stop, for example, with the pointless comparisons of offline vs. online channels. Or with market observations that pit online against offline. These observations miss the point of reality. And very soon it will no longer be possible to make this cut, for example with e-commerce. If you want to remain credible as a consultant or agency in the medium term, it’s best to stop doing this immediately.

Focus on opportunities

As representatives of the digital economy, we should rather propagate the opportunities of digital transformation. Because that is what is actually relevant about all the changes.

Digital transformation offers every entrepreneur unprecedented opportunities.

The cards are being reshuffled and a new round of the game is about to begin. (Btw: The game is now played over much shorter rounds and the rules are changed during the game. Get used to it.)

These are brilliant times to set up new companies and to move into new areas with existing companies. But that’s exactly what we don’t preach to our customers. In my experience, many customers are very open to it if you show them opportunities and ways forward.

Digital Transformation Hidden Champions

In many cases, it is the smaller companies with younger managers that are taking natural steps towards digital transformation. I have a customer who is currently converting his entire order and billing system with his sales representatives to a digital process. Why is he doing this? Because it simplifies his business and provides the customer with a better service. And because it saves him costs and reduces sources of error. And when he shows me the platform, he says: “It’s cool, isn’t it?” Yes, it is. It’s not so much the digital process itself, but the way he uses the new possibilities. He uses them too. Many SMEs and large companies can take a leaf out of his book.

Opportunism as in the founding days

In order to be successful in the future, you have to have a desire for it.

We are actually back in the days of start-ups. I wish our industry would do more to spread this opportunistic optimism and encourage customers to take new, more radical steps. We all know that digital transformation is just the beginning. The desire, alongside the courage, to break new ground is crucial. Now that we have taken the desire away from our potential customers for a few years, we could help our customers feel like trying something new again. I am convinced that this will be much better business for us in the digital economy.