Those of you who really want to know how much the current world in which we live and work has shifted on its axis should read, Groundswell by Li and Bernoff. The subtitle of the book is “Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies”. What all need to understand better in business is the fact that the “Groundswell” is about so much more than new technology. The technology is only the tool that is ushering in a whole new era of how we work and how business is built. Among the gems of truth drving this social revolution are the fact that:

• Any business can develop strategies for dealing with the groundswell
• The level of client polling and feedback can be utilized like never before
• People trust people more than they do advertising or companies and the groundswell can allow you to take opportunistic advantage of  that fact
• You can energize your consumers to a level previously unattainable
• You can collaborate in new and innovative ways

Groundswell isn’t some “pie in the sky” philosophical discussion. It is backed up with powerful consumer research. Whether you are a salesperson, an entrepreneur, a marketer, a business manager or a company owner, this information will help you make sense of what is really going on and how you and your business can benefit from it.

Charlene Li & Josh Bernoff are vice-presidents and principal analysts at Forrester Research. They originated Forrester’s Ongoing Technographics Surveys and Web 2.0 Research