Opinion: Embrace technology but don't forget about the people

Are you embracing technology? Or are you digging in your heels like a headstrong mule?

Yes, you are going to feel awkward learning something new. However, do you really want to be on the sidelines during these exciting times?

Go with change

Why should you bother to learn about the latest techno-gizmos? Here are a few reasons.

• Entertainment to go. Remember dragging around a Sony Walkman? It was nice to have portable music. However, the gadget was too heavy. My son bought me an iPod for Mother’s Day. It has rocked my world – so light, so compact, so easy to use. Apple’s iTunes download offers listening, purchasing and organizing options, with a fraction of the energy you used to create a groovy mix tape in the 1970s.

• Stay in touch. I don’t have to convince you to use a cell phone. You know how handy it is to be able to stay in touch while you are on the go. Consider upgrading your phone to personal digital assistant, or PDA, status. Check out a Treo or a Blackberry. Extra features include a camera, e-mail, Internet access, text messaging and the power to take your calendar and contacts with you wherever you go. Even though the iPhone won’t be available until June, you can check out at www.apple.com. It has me drooling already.

• Connect with the big, beautiful, wonderful world. My husband maintains relationships across the planet on The Wall at www.heatinghelp.com. He gets to mentor people new to the hydronics world, and he has a quiver of experts on whom he can call when he has a question.

I am certain there is a similar site connecting people who share your interests. Search on www.google.com, and find out. My husband is an eBay boy, too. He has sold more than $10,000 worth of “stuff” that I considered landfill fodder until someone else considered it a fantastic find. Yesterday, he bought a Jeep on eBay.

Imagine that – all this connectivity by a guy who types one finger at a time. Make the worldwide Web more accessible with a lightweight, wireless laptop computer. Click around www.dell.com, www.hewlettpackard.com and www.apple.com.

Those are a few of the benefits of getting turned on to high tech. If you are dragging your heels, pick ‘em up and dive right in.

Turn up the techno

If you are already techno-savvy, maybe it’s time you turned up the volume. Technology opens up opportunities for us to reach more people.

At Bare Bones Biz, we have a lofty mission: worldwide business literacy. A person who understands business basics – where the money goes and how to make more of it – is better equipped to survive and thrive.

I can’t achieve Worldwide Business Literacy with the handful of clients I am able to personally serve. I must leverage what I do and make this information available on a broader level. This column is a wonderful example.

Another is my TV show, “Is There a Business in You?” that will begin airing March 1 on Ozarks Public Television.

Could you benefit from developing a terrific Web site, a Pod cast, a teleseminar … or TV program? Sure you could.

The human touch

As cool as technology gets, it will never replace the human touch. Use these tools to leverage and enhance your ability to reach people, not as a way to opt out of the human race.

When we were filming the TV program, one of the producers arranged for a professional makeup artist. She put me in touch with Christine Vaughn, a Mary Kay consultant. Vaughn came to the dress rehearsal to practice a couple different makeup approaches.

She arrived early and cheerily attempted to reduce my puffy eyes and camouflage my sun-damaged skin. Then, she offered to stay on through the day’s filming for touch ups. Christine gave herself to the moment and was of service. And, we had a blast. Guess who has a lifetime customer?

There are endless possibilities presented by maximizing the media and turning on the technology.

But Christine reminded me why these cool tools will never replace the human connection for changing lives and building businesses.

Ellen Rohr is an author and business consultant who offers systems for getting focused and organized, making money and having fun in business. Her latest book is “The Bare Bones Biz Plan.” She can be reached at contact@barebonesbiz.com.[[In-content Ad]]