I never tire of saying the internet is going to turn business on its head! We have hardly begun to see the consequences yet. We live in very exciting times, people. Pay attention - you will have some wonderful stories to tell your grandchildren if you watch what is going on around you.

    Comparison is often made between the internet and the American Wild West. The reference is true but not entirely accurate. A glimpse at the past may help us predict the future.

    Sure, there were some gunfights in the streets back then, but only in some frontier towns and only for a very short period. As soon as any settlement took place - a house here, a barber shop there - troublemakers were hustled out of town on the end of pitchforks or branding irons! Soon, a council was formed to appoint a sheriff and the community laid down rules for the sheriff to enforce.

    If you like to watch western movies, as I do, look at the minor characters. I believe movie-makers try to set an accurate stage, even if the story is doubtful. You will see no-one wearing a wristwatch nor listening to a radio, and very few, except the hero and the villain, carrying a gun. I don't suppose guns were very cheap in those days, and would not have been as prevalent around town as might be imagined. Texas has a 'Right to Carry' law in existence today, and while I don't doubt that many people do carry, Saturday night is not shoot-em up time in downtown Houston or Dallas or even Laredo and El Paso and other towns made famous by the western movies.

    The internet is like the wild west in many respects, but more settler-style than gunslinger-style. There are some trouble- makers, but the vast majority of netizens are like you and me. And, yes, we must get our pitchforks out on occasion. Even if it is just to report spammers to their ISPs.

    I have been asked: The internet selling approach by many is passive, impersonal and non-relationship oriented. What if we don't want to do business this way?

    That style of selling - and buying - has existed long before the internet, and is not a product of the internet. Many ladies doing their grocery shopping do not stop and chat with the teenager at the cash register - no time, meeting with a client in 15 minutes, kids to pick up after that! And when I go to buy a shirt, I do not want to be fawned over by a salesman who wants to sell me a tie to match, despite what Zig Ziglar has to say on the subject!

    The beauty of the internet in this regard is you can serve both types of customer in the one store, which is difficult in the real world. The customer at last has control over how they will be served or serviced.

    The new way of doing business is not going to be limited to one way or the other. Some idealists wants to 'seek first to understand, before they speak to be understood.' Which only serves one type of customer - the type that wants to be understood. The 'passive, impersonal and non-relationship' approach serves the others, who do not wish to be understood. "Stop laying ties on the shirt I want to buy, damn it! You're covering up the collar size!"

    The big picture these 'relationship' individuals are missing is that they can have it both ways. They can take the time to 'properly' sell their products and can ignore those that want to be ignored but be ready to take their money and deliver the goods. And, if the customer has chosen wrong, then be ready to help them when they come back. This applies to services as well as material products. The internet is making it much easer to be all things (or many things) to all people.