Innovation is in the hands of everyone now. While CIOs, CMOs and other leaders dream up all sorts of ideas, programs, training, and infrastructure enhancements to unleash new potential in their organizations, sometimes people simply take matters into their own hands.
Twitter is free, easy and fast becoming ubiquitous in many environments. Savvy folks are taking notice – and taking action. Here are two examples, one from each coast of the United States, of two people taking initiative to innovate on the platform.
Clothing in Burlington, MA
Dave Angiulo is the Assistant Men’s Sportswear Manager at Nordstrom Burlington. He goes the extra mile to help his customers – and invites them to connect on Twitter (@NordstromDave), if that’s convenient for them. Once you’ve made a connection to Dave, he can send you direct messages with timely information about the products you like and even photos as new items arrive. If you’re a customer of Dave’s, you can essentially shop on Twitter.
He’s done this for many people in the Boston area, and a couple have written blog posts about the experience. So, he’s not only got happy customers, he has created stories for them. Stories that they like to spread, which helps Dave gain more customers.
Here are some links, if you’re interested to see the stories for yourself:
Awesome example of how one Nordstrom employee is delivering superior service
Beer in Seattle, WA
Selling beer at a baseball game looks like a lot of work. Carrying heavy coolers up and down the aisles, being attentive to requests near and far, and keeping well-stocked, that job requires some hustle to be successful.
Kevin Zelko has hustle. And also ingenuity. He’s using Twitter (@msbeervendor) to be more efficient, and also to provide superior service. He’ll take your beer order at Safeco field this season (provided you’re sitting in one of the sections he serves – 105 to 129) via Twitter. This allows him to collect a few orders and plan an efficient path. It also saves the fan any worry about looking away from the action on the field to track down and get the attention of a beer vendor. And, they get more personalized service. Kevin can establish a relationship with regulars, build his personal brand, and his move adds some excitement to the whole transaction just because it’s so novel.
No committee needed
It’s interesting what people come up with when technology is set free, and people innovate on their own. Both Dave and Kevin have a lot to gain personally – more sales. But they can also serve as great examples to others in their organizations and beyond.
Photo credit: Stepan Mazurov
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