The Internet vs. Stone Tablets

So I was updating my LinkedIn profile the other day. While on that fabulous networking site I decided to add to my network by searching out a few folks I figured would also have LinkedIn profiles. Several of the people I sent invitations to were people I know from my Rotary club.

I received a response back from one of them who said "Do you think this Internet thingy is really going to catch on?" I was a little surprised since his business is web based. I figured he was kidding, but felt the need to double check. My response back was "The Internet as whole? Are you kidding me?" The note back from him was priceless. He said "I think we should scrap the whole thing and go back to stone tablets!" I found out later that he had been meeting with another business man who is older and built his businesses in an age long before the Internet.

That got me thinking about businesses and more specifically business owners who had success in the years prior to this world wide web phenomenon that has changed everything from the way business is done to the lingo we all use in business everyday. So knowing this, how do we make the Internet, and more specifically social media marketing, accessible to those who aren't familiar with it and use the argument that they didn't need it before and they were fine?

I realize that some people will never grab hold of this opportunity. It could be stubbornness, it could be fear, it could be, well, lots of things. So what have you found? Have you tried to get a client involved in social media or other forms of Internet marketing and run into a wall?

I think most business owners can agree that they have to have a website. Having a website is as important as having a phone number. I guess I'm wondering if we're are going to have a real dichotomy now in business? Those businesses owned and/or run by a younger generation and those that are not...