‘Prosumerism’ and Your Business – Friend or Foe?

Commentary by Fayette Wester

RISMEDIA, Sept. 11, 2008-In 1980 a new term, “prosumer,” was coined by Alvin Toffler, in his book “The Third Wave.” A combination of the words production and consumption, the word prosumer describes a situation where an interactive community came together to create and share ideas and products to meet their needs. Prosumer is also commonly used to describe the professional consumer.

With the evolution of technology and the Internet bringing virtual information to our fingertips 24/7, does the prosumer of the new millennium have the potential to become an expert at everything? Does interactive consumerism, combined with an increasing lack of trust in professional services and a desire to cut out the middleman, spell doom for some industries…most specifically-mine and yours?

Use yourself as a test for these questions:

- Have you ever used the Internet for:
o Googling a physical symptom before consulting a doctor?
o Planning and booking a trip without the help of a travel agent or airline representative?
o Comparing prices and availability of automobiles and consulting the online blue book for trade-in values?
o Researching the divorce laws in your state? (OK, that one’s a little personal…you don’t have to answer that.)

And yet, when your appendix ruptures, your flight is cancelled, or you want to make sure you are protected from liability….do you still depend upon your own expertise?

In many cases your preliminary search quickly shows you a couple of things:

1.) You are headed in the right direction (yes, you do need to go to the emergency room) OR

2.) You are over your head (maybe you do need a lawyer).

Presumably, the prosumer does have the potential to become an expert in fields where the trained professional does not offer significant or additional value through experience, skill, or knowledge. But there is danger when the prosumer fails to recognize that dependence upon an online network exposes them to potential predators and that eschewing the assistance of a trained professional may put them at risk of being victimized. Prosumerism may be downright hazardous.

As a real estate professional, ask yourself a few more questions:

- Do you offer more to your client than they can easily obtain or secure on their own through the Internet?
- Does your experience or knowledge surpass that of your competitors?
- Do you genuinely care about the complete experience and well being of your client?
- Does your service provide your client a safe haven from predators?

If you cannot answer yes to these questions, it’s quite likely when it comes to prosumerism and your business, it may be your foe.

For more information, visit www.moveadvocate.com.