B2B: Let's Get To Work
Looking at B2B today, I am also reminded of the scene at the beginning of Monty Python's Search for the Holy Grail, writes Mike Hogan
12 December 2001
Today as we remember the three-month anniversary of the violence that impacted all of our lives around the globe, I started to reflect on violent upheaval B2B has experienced over the past couple of years.
In many ways the ride has been similar to Disney's "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride", which happens to be a favorite of mine. At every turn there is
either a wall or a train coming at you, and then you end up in Hell.
Sounds familiar?
Looking at B2B today, I am also reminded of the scene at the beginning of Monty Python's Search for the Holy Grail. In it a man is pulling a cart full of bodies through a plague ravaged town calling:
"Bring out your dead". A young man carries out an older man who is protesting "I don't want to go in the cart." The cart puller exclaims that the older man is not dead yet. The younger man explains "No, but he will be soon and he's just taking up room in the house."
In many ways this reminds me of the current state of B2B eCommerce.
People are so eager to write off B2B as dead, to make room for the next wave.
Writing about B2B is passé. The new thing is .Net, or some
other building technology wave. But the reality is that B2B is not dead yet, and frankly never will be. As long as there is a global network and there are distinct businesses that work with each other (read always), there will be some form of B2B.
What has died is the glamour. Now it is no longer about instant millions, and I'm referring to the millions in sales, stock options, cost savings, insert your favorite over-hyped claim. Now it is about rolling up your sleeves and making stuff work. B2B has about as much glamour and sex appeal these days as a garbage collector after a long route.
But without garbage collection where would we be?
I can imagine a scene where people gather for ex-B2B Employees Anonymous.
My name is Mike and in 2000, I was an Internet millionaire, now I'm asking patrons
"Would you like fries with that?" Yes it has been a roller coaster ride for all of us. But what is my point, other than to throw salt in the wounds of the faithful?
My point is that with B2B losing all of its glamour and sex appeal, we are now left with people who really want to make stuff work. The freshly minted MBAs are no longer interested in B2B. This is a great sign. The quick buck mentality is gone. Only the dedicated few are left, and we are building solutions upon a solid foundation in real economics and real ROI. It's going to take a long time, but the pendulum will swing back in favor of B2B as the success stories continue to grow.
Mike Hogan Is VP Business Poet Software
www.poet.com
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Magnoliacom
Newsvine
Furl
Google
Yahoo
Technorati
Comments
Post new comment