Johannesburg, 03 Jun 2022
What does it mean to be part of a hybrid workplace? At the highest level, we define hybrid as splitting our time between our homes and offices. But there is more to it.
Hybrid is also about flexibility and mobility, such as going to a coffee shop or deciding to do some of your work in your garden. Hybrid speaks to collaboration and all the tools that enhance collaborative experiences. And hybrid is more concerned about people's roles and how to best support them to be productive as their responsibilities shift during the day, week and month.
Anyone selling devices to the market should think about such changes. It may not seem like much has changed in the laptop and notebook markets. But these devices are taking a central role in hybrid conversations, which changes how they are designed, marketed and sold.
The COVID era created enormous demand for laptops and PCs. That demand has started to soften, but only in terms of volumes. Hybrid motivates a more discerning buyer who wants a device that solves specific challenges. I want to highlight several of these trends, hopefully helping resellers, retailers and other device suppliers deliver what their customers really need.
Become the device consultant
Laptops and notebooks will continue to enjoy a lot of attention because they fit so well into the hybrid world. Consequently, the types of laptops you sold in the past and how you sold them have changed. You might still sell large batches of entry-level notebooks, but increasingly customers will look at specific devices for specific roles. If you can act as a device consultant, using your knowledge and experience to match devices to roles, your customers will respond positively.
Collaboration features are key
What creates a positive collaborative experience? Both built-in features and peripherals are much more important for today's device consumer. Cameras, headsets and microphones are crucial for WebEx, Teams or Zoom meetings. Storage and memory are also important if employees need to run more applications. Some employees benefit from noise-cancelling headsets to manage ambient sounds when sitting in coffee shops, cars or open offices. But many still don't actively think about these choices, which presents an upsell opportunity.
User profiles matter
Pity the poor soul who has to do month-end on an underpowered device. They needed a laptop, but nobody looked closely at all their requirements, so they ended up with a lesser laptop. Companies overcome this problem by buying higher-end devices, one reason why we see far fewer entry-level/student notebooks in the market. Hybrid adds more nuance to the process, emphasising user profiles to ensure they get the best device from the start. Understanding these profiles and their roles will help motivate more lucrative sales. Budget still matters, but people are willing to pay extra for devices that can demonstrably adapt to different work demands.
Specialised features stand out
If I can summarise the current notebook market, one-size-fits-all no longer applies. Buyers care even more about specific features, such as the quality of the camera or the components under the hood. Some will look at the device's ports – can they attach a second screen, an external microphone or a high-speed hard drive? Others might need good speakers or touch screens. More OEMs are expanding specialised features to distinguish products, such as the security-hardened HP Wolf laptops. Several years ago, we might call such innovations gimmicks or ideas looking for customers. But hybrid is making today's laptop users more discerning and interested in specialised features.
The laptop and notebook market is in a very exciting space right now. Hybrid offices help people make more practical choices around what their devices need to deliver. But since hybrid models and cultures are still being designed and tested, buyers are still discovering those needs. If you are in the business of selling devices, the new device market provides more opportunities to build a closer rapport with your customers – with lucrative results.
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