Brad: Uninterrupted
The future of IRL
In this day and age of COVID-19 we have seen many changes. One of those has been the acceptance of not having face to face meetings. For a long time, face to face meetings have been the way to prove your credibility, honesty and create a connection with your customer, client or supplier.
Face to face meant sitting across the desk, breaking bread and sharing those moments — building trust, talking about your family, sport or other common interests. Many businesses and industries are longing for the face to face to return, but how long will that take, if it ever really even comes back in the same way?
Relying on the skills of a person physically sitting in the same room or in the store you’re in are fast becoming a thing of the past. When that availability is removed what is left? What determines the outcome? There are many industries now where video or online is available and can perform the same role. What does that leave for the industries where it’s all about the personal interaction?
Consider how professional communication has evolved.
Given that texting has become the norm, it’s no longer considered rude. In the same way as we used to hear, ‘can’t they just pick up the phone?’, now it’s a case of ‘can’t they just text?’ And you’re thinking, why? What happened to an IRL? A term which I must admit I didn’t know of until recently, which was a little embarrassing.
The ‘term’ IRL as some probably know, is In Real Life. It sits in the paradigm between acronymic text speak and a natural evolution of language to suit the times. The fact that IRL has entered our general vocab is a sign in itself that we’re now living more of our lives virtually than in the physical location of what we’re doing.
So what does IRL (or the lack thereof) mean for people and business?
When we understand how much the world has changed and that people don’t always want to travel to a physical location to shop or receive a service, we know that retail — and the bricks-and-mortar economy — must evolve. We have an opportunity now to tailor a hybrid model or even to simply cut out the IRL and give an amazing experience in the virtual world.
All of those industries, such as automotive, retail in shopping centres, even takeaway food should understand that, while some people still want to talk to someone, the vast majority are now so empowered with information, that they don’t need that extra step of an IRL salesperson.
The world of sales has come to an end. The hard sell is not something that has to be done anymore. People instead want to be sold information, they want to feel they have quite rightly made the best decision without fear or favour of their decision.
Sales and that process was and is from an age where the salesperson had all the power, all the knowledge and could do a deal on the spot, which was exciting — we all love a deal.
The internet has killed the sales-star.
Yay.
Democracy has arrived.
People want information and they want valuable experiences.
Think about this, what happens when electric vehicles are the norm? Your choice comes down to the interior, features, range — all things that are easily looked at online, just as you would when buying a computer.
Why would you go near a car dealership?
Look at Tesla. They sell their product totally online. Imagine booking your test drive, the car turns up and you just test drive it! No blah, blah from the salesperson. The car speaks to you and lets you know all about themselves and that IRL relationship begins. Your privacy and pressure of the deal are both protected.
A positive virtual experience can be achieved without any interference from a real life human. All you want and want to know, will come directly through a relationship with the brand. You’ll seek out that information by yourself and possibly with your partner, without judgment from another party.
What will happen when industries like real estate go down this road? Direct relationships with vendors, no ‘extra charges’ from the estate agent. While some of this is possible now, the real estate agents still facilitate this process and make it happen. AirBnB has turned the accommodation industry on its head with trust and building that virtual relationship experience.
Why can’t that happen with buying or selling a house beyond a website where you find the listing? Where it all happens and all parties come together, the buyer and seller, plus conveyancer, cleaners, gardeners and mortgage brokers.
One space with an open and transparent process, an online shop where no sales people are involved — a space without influence, just a clear understanding.
Shopping centres, just like sales people, will disappear in the same way as traditional media — where the television program dictated when, what and why we needed to consume.
We love streaming and bingeing and making our own choices.
So, getting back to original statements.
We can now work from home without judgement, we no longer need a ‘landline’ (remember those?) and we can work the hours we want and where we want. We can shop when and where we want, we can consume and contribute so many things on our own terms.
No longer do we need the IRL to do what we do, whether that’s our professional life or business.
The COVID-19 era has shown us the next stage, a movement which had to happen but seemed would take another 5–10 years, even with the speed of change. It has forced all of us into a way of being which a lot of us didn’t want, though some of us longed for this smoother way of communicating, doing business and shopping.
If you could take away the need for IRL, what would you change? What industries would you like to be different? because no longer do we need that IRL interaction to form that relationship, do that deal or create a community. It’s all about what you do and how you do it.
And how amazing is it that? Now the meek will actually inherit the earth.
