The other day I handed someone a business card and they commented “how modern, no phone number, just email”.
Not sure quite how “cutting edge” it was to have the idea of leaving off a phone number when you are :
- Permanently connected to a blackberry so get your email all the time, and
- Have clients in multiple time zones so not so sure having the phone ring at odd hours is a good idea.
Still, at least leaving off your phone number from a business card is something everyone can understand and can make sense of.
Now, “bleeding edge” could be if your business card simply consisted of this :
I’ve seen people with these QR codes on their business card, and yes “there’s an app for that” to read these on handheld devices…. but would the majority of the people you are trying to reach as your audience a) understand, and b) think positively of you for using a QRCode to talk to them ?
Remember when Palm Pilots were the rage (yes, there was a moment for that) and people thought it was cool that you could “beam” your contact info across a meeting table at each other instead of exchanging business cards ? Yeah, thought it was a distant memory.
It’s great to be an early adopter, but don’t run TOO far ahead of the market.
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Very important! I think a lot of visionary businesses fail because they’re too far ahead of the market.
It’s definitely a fine balance between leading innovation and going over everyone’s head.
Cutting edge is good. “Bleeding edge” may be harmful.
There is a fine line between the two.
when it doesn’t cost anything (extra) to be ahead of the curve – do it….. especially of it has anything to do with mobile market/platforms – As Bill Gates once said “….one day in the future, we will see a computer on every desk”.
Steve, it almost always costs something to be ahead of the curve….even if it is just management and decision making time, or loss of focus as you go for the next “cool” thing.
Having said that, trailing too far behind the curve is also dangerous, the tough part is working out where on the curve to be.
One thought is that those who are even considering these issues will typically be such early adopters that their idea of “ahead of the curve” may well mean that they are a lot closer to bleeding edge than they think (ie their customers may be much further behind than they recognise).