What’s your current theme song? Soundgarden’s “Outshined”, and the line “I’ve kept the movie rolling” has been a kind of motto for me through these crazy times. Makes me think back to the first Lollapalooza concert tour – summer of 1991… 29 years ago! Sadly, that was Jane’s Addiction’s farewell tour. Since I’ve recently shared their song, here is Soundgarden, another Lollapalooza headliner (1992), to get your day going!

Here is what the experts are saying, and some takeaways from the past week:

Who’s Ready to Return to the Office?

Our friends at the Bridge Group highlight that sales reps and leaders are much more likely to want to return to the office than non-selling office workers. Check out their blog post here, and their ‘decision tree for returning’. What’s the mood at your organization? Are you ready to return? Have your sales teams already returned? It’s easy to be rather mystified during all the upheaval.

Five Pandemic-Induced Trends Changing Business

According to Forrester, changes in customers’ expectations, digital experiences, work, technology, and business resiliency will alter business permanently as a result of COVID-19.

Below are the five macro shifts identified:

  1. Safety and convenience influencing future customer expectations
  2. Businesses riding the digital engagement wave to create hybrid experiences
  3. Firms and governments investing in what was once impossible to drive the future of work
  4. Smart firms retiring technical debt fast and then riding the tech disruption wave
  5. Business resiliency becoming a competitive advantage

So if we don’t want to be outshined by the competition, we need to adapt and embrace new ways to engage with customers for long-term success.

Are Concerts the Harbinger of All Live Events?

No live concerts before 2022! Marc Geiger, co-founder of Lollapalooza, expects further delay in concerts reopening in this interview with Bob Lefsetz. Sorry, folks. Geiger predicts we won’t see concerts until we’re past the ‘germaphobia economy’ and into the ‘claustrophobia economy’.

Do you think this is going to be the same for B2B events? It’s amazing how things have changed. Chris Cornell’s line, “I’m looking California and feeling Minnesota”, has a whole different meaning now.

I hope you found some ideas here to help you along the way. Keep shining!

As always, don’t hesitate to call me to brainstorm or ask how I can help.

Looking forward,
Rick

Rick Endrulat | President | Virtual Causeway | 519.866.1600 x622