They Ask, You Answer, 2nd Edition

4 The Discovery of They Ask, You Answer

There we were, on the brink of financial ruin.

If we were going to save the company, we needed a miracle, and it had better occur fast. Unless we found a way to garner more leads and sales than we’d ever had—even though there were fewer potential buyers (because of the economy) than ever before—we were going to go out of business within a matter of months.

Despite this crushing weight, I found myself having moments of reflection about the state of business and economics in general. I believed that times were changing. The way people were buying, shopping, and consuming was dramatically different than it had been just a few years before. All I had to do was look in the mirror to see this change.

I was now turning to the internet for everything. If I had a question, I went to Google and asked. No longer did I need to be an uninformed consumer for anything. Now I had all the knowledge I needed at my fingertips to become an expert at anything I wanted to master.

If I wanted to find a product or company reviews, tips, tricks, or anything else—it was all there. It was almost as if every consumer was becoming his or her own salesperson or subject matter expert.

They were fascinating times indeed—for me personally, as well. Despite all the stress I was under, I could not stop thinking about the digital opportunities that seemed to be available to any and every business that was willing to notice.

It was clear as day to me that the internet was ...