Written by Christina Min Shyan Tan on Digilah (Tech Thought Leadership)
Just like any tools, they can be a double-edged sword.
During this Covid period, businesses are affected, ranging from sales, operations, finance to cybersecurity, as most businesses now have to rely more heavily on digital technology.
In my business of sales coaching, training and consultancy, Digital and Tech have the following :
The Pros, The Positiveness
Borderless outreach
Now I can work across borders seamlessly, reaching out to global participants and customers via virtual meetings and webinars, compared to my original plans of only focusing the local market for a start.
Through digital networking and connections, I have managed to reach out to more than 10,000 contact points across multiple countries and new industries within months, which would definitely be impossible with traditional approaches.
High productivity
With virtual meetings, travelling time is virtually eliminated. This allows back-to-back meetings for optimal time efficiency in a forever time-scarce fast paced business environment. I have managed to save a few hours of travelling time a day and double my meeting output weekly.
I am also able to attend live and recorded business webinars and e-networking sessions off business hours.
With productivity applications being easily accessible, my virtual work productivity has also increased with tech adoption from my customers’ end too.
Increased marketing avenues
My business has not been spared from the impact of the pandemic. I have been working on improving on my resourcefulness and creativity to use multiple lead generation streams.
I capitalise on eCommerce in my business operations and eMarketing in my business development. These include optimising LinkedIn and other platforms for business growth and collaboration, building strong branding and digital presence, turning eConnections to physical connections for business wins.
Sales cycles have also been largely shortened due to more effective communication, information sharing and social proofs in the digital space.
The Cons, The Challenges
Reduction in social interactions
Digital and tech allow multimedia communication via text, email, phone calls and virtual meetings. The constraints of regulations have also pushed us into increased virtual interactions inevitably, reducing (if not replacing) face-to-face socialising which is critical for business networking.
The human touch and connection have weakened with also increased skill sets required to harness strong customer engagements and relationships.
Fatigue on eyes, mind and body
While the digital and tech space drive higher productivity, it also results in screen fatigue.
In my case, I meet customers, hold webinars and conduct coaching and training sessions virtually. I hold 2-full-day intensive workshops consecutively. These inevitably strain my eyes and cause body aches with limited physical movement and prolonged sitting.
Having to focus on multiple participants and engaging them virtually needs extra effort, although if done well, will still not hamper business outcome.
Distractions
The avalanche of digital information across media and platforms can cause information overload. News, social media, professional articles, virtual events and webinars come streaming in and popping up on screen, thanks to the power of data analytics and artificial intelligence.
With the push of relevant information online, they can also be my source of distractions, enticing me to read them. If I am not disciplined and practise discernment and prioritisation, this may result in time-consuming distractions despite their relevance.
Nevertheless, overall “DIGITAL AND TECH JOURNEY” has enabled me to work better despite some downsides.
Ensure that Digital and Tech is our powerful servant instead of a bad master. Control them instead of letting them run our lives.
May we capitalise on Digital and Tech to grow both our people and business.