The one-sentence summary
It is the end of business as usual because online conversations have changed forever the way companies need to interact with their customers, so one-way rhetoric from head office simply doesn’t wash.
WHAT THE BOOK SAYS
- The “cluetrain” is simply following a chain of conversations on the web
- It is the end of business as usual because these conversations have changed forever the way companies need to interact with their customers
- In fact, markets (customers) are now usually more intelligent than companies because they can exchange information faster
- Customers and employees are openly communicating so there are no secrets any more – one-way rhetoric from head office simply doesn’t wash
- Companies that choose to ignore this are missing a massive opportunity
- There are 95 theses designed to ignite a debate
WHAT’S GOOD ABOUT IT
- It is interesting to consider that the appeal of the internet is not the technology but peoples’ desire to tell stories and communicate generally
- It must be true that an employee who tells the internal truth about a company can cause havoc, so companies need to know how to deal with it. There is an example of someone in Canada being overcharged for a car service – the chain ends when an employee of the dealership explains how they load prices
- Communications never should be one-way, and this is a poignant reminder
- The 95 theses can be read in 5 minutes and are a good source of controversial quotes
WHAT YOU HAVE TO WATCH
- It is a series of essays and as such lacks coherence
- It is “magnificently overstated”, according to one critic – “brilliant and impossible at the same time”
- Most companies won’t enjoy hearing the contents so care is needed in how to raise this whole area with clients, and what can realistically be done