Daily Inspiration: “With the arrival of the sharing economy, how will you sell things to people who don’t buy things? That’s your new – and perhaps biggest – challenge!”

“With the arrival of the sharing economy, how will you sell things to people who don’t buy things? That’s your new – and perhaps biggest – challenge!” – Futurist Jim Carroll

This morning I’ll be the opening keynote speaker for AutoGlass 2019 – the annual conference of the automotive and transportation windshield repair industry.

My talk will take a look at the future trends reshaping their world in the long run – obviously, autonomous vehicles, smart highways, EV’s and the computerization of cars.

But there is an obvious, more significant trending hanging over the business model of everyone in the room : the declining percentage of actual car ownership.

As the next generation takes to Uber and ZipCar, and an increasing number abandon the concept of car-ownership itself, the biggest challenge in the room might be the fact that the actual number of customers is on an actual and steady decline.

This requires some innovative thinking – accelerating efforts to forge business relationships with the disruptors, working harder to build business relationships with insurers who are now the new customers, and other key strategies that align you to the change.

Many of those in the room will be franchise owners, and this always makes for an interesting dynamic. Franchisors will know what needs to be done to align to a new and different world, and that might not be perceived by the franchisees as a great idea.

Often, with disruptive change, you need to realign your business model to the disruptor – it’s the new ‘keeping up with the Jones’s’. This creates a new and unique tension that needs to be resolved. It’s always been there in franchise based businesses – disruption brings the tension to the surface faster and harder!

It should be a fun keynote!