Two weeks ago I spent the better part of a 45-minute car ride home from work trying to convince my friend of the power of social media. He didn’t buy it. He’s an up and coming sales executive for a medical instruments company. He doesn’t have the time or inclination to learn about it or get involved. And why should he?
He’s a road warrior-spends a lot of the day networking with the right people, talking to doctors and advising them during surgeries (“Um, yeah, Dr. Smith, you’re gonna want angle that that titanium screw juusssst like this”)
So, I got off my soapbox, and realized , hey, maybe he doesn’t need social media…He doesn’t have TIME to blog, make connections on facebook, get linkedin, twitter, etc. He also has four kids under 7 which probably has a tiny little something to do with it.
My guess is that most of the sales execs on the road are probably like him too. They’ve got a quota to reach, food to put on the table, and don’t necessarily need to hop on twitter and tell everyone that Manny just signed with LA.
Buuuuut, I’m dying to see if he (and other people like him) changes his tune in the next year or so. What if he started blogging about his company and their effectiveness of their newest instrument in XYZ surgery? What if he Linkedin with a few doctors and was able to connect them to a great resource or idea? Has he heard about Sermo yet? I love their business model.
It seems like this little part of the world (medical instruments) isn’t ready for social media yet. But could it be? What’s holding it back?
The GOOD (ridge) LIFE 
I’ve had this exact same thought – does EVERYONE need this? Like, you, I think that perhaps not everyone does, or at least not everyone needs all of it.
In the example you give, I think LinkedIn would be an awesome place for sales execs. Social media doesn’t have to be all or nothing, that’s what too many of us get sucked into believing. I think of my friend’s father-in-law who is a plumber. I really don’t think that this man, who is perfectly happy doing what he’s doing, truly NEEDS social media. Perhaps there is some spot in his life that it would fit into, but as far as trying to convince him of it? Nope, not necessary.
I’m so happy to see your blog in its infancy, thanks for emailing me about it!
By: Kate Olson on August 4, 2008
at 6:21 pm