Vending machines

I recently wrote a piece about having the chance to go out and prove yourself. The opportunity to build trust, and meaningful relationships.

Imagine a business opportunity where you could establish a big footprint and ultimately a valuable network, in a relatively short space of time, with a low cost of sale. And then it hit me - vending machines!

Think about it - big companies today very often have vending machines. They don't pay for these machines, and they are great time savers. A company typically gets a vending machine tucked away in a corner where it sells drinks and chocolates, and sometimes even sandwiches and pastries, and the vending machine company collects the revenues. Their responsibility is to look after the machine and keep it stocked up.

The model is quite simple - a vending machine company will install a machine where there is a lot of foot traffic. The company utilizing the machine typically does not pay for it, and they don't really have to look after it either. The vending machine company looks after their "shop" and everyone benefits in this win/win/win scenario.

About two weeks ago I arrived at a meeting and I was so thirsty, and voila, there was a vending machine in the lobby of the company I was visiting. I whipped out some coins and got an ice cold drink, and it felt good.

When I was very active at IS on the sales side, over a decade ago, I used to go and sell trust. Yes, the bandwidth we through in for free. Like the vending machine model, it is about trust, reliability and service. Now, on our LifeFundi journey we are offering corporates a virtual vending machine - we install it for no money, and our job is to keep it well stocked, well oiled, and exciting. Yes, we get a chance to prove ourselves and ultimately, we get the opportunity to build trust.

Looking after people is all about building trust, and at IS I was given an opportunity to do this, and today I enjoy many relationships because of my Internet journey. And now, with LifeFundi, and with Randgo, we are on another journey, and that is to look after people, and to build trust.

I vend therefore I am!

Posted by Ronnie Apteker