During my career I have traveled to many US cities. I have always found when first meeting business associates the easiest way to creat a “connection” with them is to chat about their local NFL or college football team. Whether in season or not , man or woman, football discussions are typically a prelude to a sound business meeting.
When people ask what my company does, I simply say we solve the “Great Disconnect”. While football may be the great connector, their is a one that has become more effective as the demographics continue to dramatically shift. Many businesses today have a disconnect with the diverse population they wish to serve. Their sales force, customer service, sales collateral, website and total customer approach interacts with ethnic customers as if they are mainstream…. And they are not. This is the “great Disconnect” . While it is not as easy to solve as talking about football, there are specific steps that position companies to successfully penetrate one third of our country that is ethnically diverse. This huge market segment will choose to do business with organizations that have created a plan to “connect.”