Leading up to the elections, some political pundits were talking about the President’s reelection efforts in the context of his legacy. They were concerned that if he did not have a second term, all of his efforts from the first four years would have been undone at worst, marginalized at best.

Their argument, therefore, was that voters should rally around him to preserve his legacy and ensure his proper place in political history.

This position embraces a fairly shallow argument. Elections are not about preserving something from the past, but making choices about what our future might be. If you pay attention to the exit polls, you will not find anyone talking about how the election will be viewed in a historical context, but from the perspective of what lies ahead for the country.

Sometimes, technology providers can sound like out-of-touch commentators, telling the crowd what to do. We can fixate on the details of SEO, AdWords or web marketing, and lose perspective of how those disciplines fit in the context of the whole. The organizations we seek to serve are not so much interested in technological gimmick; they are thinking about business needs and being positioned for the months and years to come.

When we explain how technology integrates with their business plans, marketing objectives and client engagement, that is when we provide true value. When we are transparent about what technology can and cannot do for them, we move beyond political positioning. When we become less concerned with our “standing” and more focused on their needs, we become true business partners…

 

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