Web 2.0 is sexy. Social media is hot. In the health care industry, Health Information Technology is on fire. New systems, new technologies are sexy. But are they an easy sell?
The big mistake.
Among techies and creatives, the most common fundamental mistake, I see, is to focus your business/communications/pitch/product on the system or technology itself. However, technology and systems change are sold by selling impact, not by selling the system itself.
The system is NOT the story.
Susan Finkelpearl of Free Range Studios delivered an excellent presentation @ NTC 07′ suggesting, one of the best ways to sell a facebook platform idea, social media plan, youtube campaign, is to tell the story. The story will sell itself. The story is the impact, the change that was made. Whether that change was more $$$ or better quality of life, craft a story that narrates: This is how we used X to make Y happen.
See how Bill Clinton “sells” his foundation’s mission and vision to a crowded room at TED- by telling a story of change in the Rwanda pharmaceutical distribution and sales system. The system was just the enabler of this live saving change:
What’s YOUR story?
If we are selling the system itself, we are just building off of an existing story, a news report on social media, a white paper on electronic medical records. And that’s okay for a while, you need that to build momentum. But sooner or later, we are going to have to tell our own story, present our own ROI.
If we, as creatives, as technology gurus and advocates, truly focus on the impact that our products and our tools are producing, we are more likely to cultivate successful initiatives and sustainable businesses.
Are we selling a Social Media and Bubble 2.0, or are we crafting solutions for impact?
Comments (2)
alejandro reyes added these pithy words on Apr 06 08 at 7:44 pmlooking good homie!
lets connect soon!
