Community halls are cold places at the best of times. The hard, hollow flooring, bordered by dull, white-washed walls. The strip lighting, harsh with the occasional flicker, bathing the room in a sickly yellow hue. These are cold places for cold people, those with problems. Those people with a confession to make.
The refreshment table was laden with extra bitter coffee, like it alone could cleanse the souls of those within its reach. The biscuit tray lay beaten, already pummelled into submission by the gaggle of desperate looking zombies who filed into the room slowly, sullenly. The chairs creaked and squeaked against the hard floor as people took their seats in the circle. It was time. I rose to my feet, hesitant, but expectant as to the relief that would follow my confession.
“My name is Ben” my voice trembled. “And I’m a Vendor”…
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It’s not easy to admit it, but give me a chance and I will sell you something. Whilst I am also an academic researcher, my job first and foremost is in the retail of E-learning products and services.
One of the toughest aspects of my job is working up decent sales leads. I myself loath cold callers. I hate advertising. Networking is painful. Events are boring. But come what may, it’s still got to happen somehow.
Today I’ve seen loads of tweets passing my eyes on the subject of social learning software and how to be weary of vendors selling you snake oil (see Harold Jarche, Jane Hart and Jay Cross). There’s a similar theme elsewhere too.
The bottom line is, vendors talk a lot of shit and generally screw up a good idea.
I can’t disagree, it’s true.
But vendors still need to appeal to consumers in ways that differentiate themselves from the competition. If I tell you that my social learning software is great, but it won’t create a culture of informal learning without a massive behavioural change effort and that, at best, you’ve got maybe a 25% chance of seeing a return, I’m not going to be in business long. So how can I get noticed without the hyperbole, without the empty promises?
We’re in the midst of developing a new piece of software which we are all quite excited about. It’s not going to “formalise informal learning” or anything like that. It certainly won’t transform your workforce into a legion of web 2.0 advocates, blogging their way into profits. But it will look to abandon the old “E-learning Course” structure, encourage users to connect concepts together and add new learning objects to create a unique learning environment. Engage, Connect, Contribute. That’s our tag line for it. Catchy eh!?
But we’re already following down the same path as those vendors which went before us. So how can we do it differently?
• Cold calling doesn’t work for this sort of thing; no one has a clue what you are talking about and the number of “shots on goal” you have to make before you score is absurd.
• Advertising is expensive and poorly targeted.
• Expensive networking events are generally snake oil in and of themselves.
• Exhibitor events are full of vendors shouting about their informal, formal, social wiki, learning enterprise platform.
So what’s left? Where do I submit my software for independent, transparent review which can be trusted? And how could I get the PR required to get my software reviewed without resorting to hyperbole?
The bottom line is this: Given that there is an outside chance that my products could significantly alter your organisation for the better, how should vendors, like me, sell to buyers (or potential buyers), like you?
#1 by Harold Jarche at March 2nd, 2010
Why not let your customers sell it for you? That’s what Moodle did. Of course, the standard software ROI metrics don’t work then. Here’s my free advice, as a learning/technology/business consultant: Give away as much as possible and sell a premium aspect of your product. This way you will grow your market presence faster and if your product is good, your users will sell it for you. Skype has succeeded by giving away the basic service and selling additional services like Skype-Out. The trick is finding that sweet spot between free & fee, which is constantly moving.
#2 by Ben at March 2nd, 2010
Its those pesky Underpants Gnomes again Harold – http://goingconcern.com/_old/2009/09/14/gnomes.png – they are everywhere!!
Cumulative Advantage is certainly one way to enable your premium service to flourish, but for a small company without external funding, is it possible to survive long enough to realise that dream?
#3 by Harold Jarche at March 2nd, 2010
I worked for a small LCMS vendor and we spent all of our cash on marketing & advertising. That too was a waste (went bankrupt). When you’re small, you have to give stuff away to get known and be trusted. That’s why I started my blog and give away all kinds of stuff that’s re-used by many people and I don’t make any money off it. However, I’m better known now and I get more consulting/speaking/writing gigs than I did when I started. of course, I’ve kept costs to a minimum.
If cash-flow is a big issue, maybe you should open source the platform and then sell services.
BTW, I think I saw your underpants, and if you hire me as a consultant, I’ll get them back to you
#4 by Talia from Sparkeo at March 2nd, 2010
I understand exactly what you’re talking about. We are one of those companies, and I have contacted you and several others about our website and product.
We have the same problem: While we don’t specifically brand ourselves as e-learning (you won’t find that written on our site), clearly we are a tool that is meant to help.
Yes, behavioral change is the key to success, and online learning is a fairly new and undeveloped field (not for lack of trying).
Unfortunately, I cannot answer your question – it is my exact one. I try so hard not to seem spammy and not to seem like I am sending form letters, but in essence, that’s what happens.
I don’t know the answer. When I started in community management quite a few years ago, my job was a lot easier. People would answer your emails (or at least at a higher rate than now), and they were less suspicious. As a blogger (not related to online learning in any way), I receive many such emails on a weekly basis, and discard almost all of them.
So here’s MY question: How do you want to be approached by someone who has genuine interest in you and YOUR site, and honestly believes their product can help you or your readers? I follow you (and other commenters here) on Twitter and I read your blogs. I have even commented on them more than once (real comments, not “My company solves this problem” type of comments). Yet I get virtually no reply.
How are we supposed to get in touch with people now? How do you find out about new products that can be helpful to you or people you know? Someone needs to try it out so you can hear about it. How can we make that person YOU?
Talia Klein
Director of Community and Social Media, Sparkeo.com
#5 by Ben at March 2nd, 2010
Thanks for your comments Talia – its good to know someone in the same position!
Developing trust and rapport with a community is at the heart of this issue, but when you are painted with the “vendor” brush, it can somehow seem a bit false.
For instance a competitor of ours today posted their free guide to stakeholder management – see: http://www.kineo.com/documents/Kineo_Insight_Guide_Stakeholders.pdf – a well written, free resource for the community. I wonder if it gets less attention than it might if it had been posted by someone “unassociated” with a vendor (no good reason either, as Kineo are in a better place to pass comment!).
I’m thinking that a single website, edited by independant experts, where reviews of e-learning related products could be created, might be a start.
And Harold – can you offer me a cast-iron guarentee that, as my consultant, you can get me my pants back?!
#6 by Michael Werner at March 2nd, 2010
Very, very interesting and timely topic for me/us… another vendor here.
Of course, we’ve tried about everything under the sun to engage our customers… then, we kinda/sorta stumbled on something.
By doing free (which we’ve long been believers in), we created a contest to give away a new product — a video capture/presentation thingamabob. BUT, to enter the contest (and everyone wanted one of these little jewels) you had to tell us how you’d use it.
Before we knew what hit us, we have over a 100 entrants for the product giveway. But, more importantly we had customers telling other customers how great this product was and how they could use it.
We had prospects writing poems about it, doing videos about it… one even did a haiku. Another wrote a list of 72 applications he saw for the product!
Now, whenever we have a prospect asking us about this? We simply point ‘em to the list of customer/prospect comments and let our CUSTOMERS TALK TO OUR PROSPECTS.
See this for details:
http://blog.simplek12.com/social-media/freebie-man-win-a-4000-lecture-capturepresentation-system-for-your-school/
Hope this is helpful.
#7 by jane bozarth at March 2nd, 2010
I suggest vendors take a look at what Element K’s Tom Stone is doing (he’s on Twitter at @ThomasStone and has a blog at blog.elementk.com). He engages with the Twitter community as a peer, rarely mentioning anything he’s selling; he understands our work (not just our ‘business’); and he offers real solutions, which may or may not include a product from ElementK. I imagine some people in the online community really haven’t even made the connection that he’s with ElementK (although the doesn’t hide that). But the next time someone has a need, he will be a go-to resource for them.
#8 by Ben at March 2nd, 2010
nice example Jane and I’m now following Tom in order to see the work he’s doing for Element K. But on the flip side, I can’t help but notice they have 700 employees – thats going to put his company in the top 1% of E-learning companies worldwide and so perhaps he has a little more time to engage with teh community than a smaller business, which needs lead generation.
And thanks Michael too, another great idea.
You should all check Jane Hart’s facebook page for another on-going conversation on this topic – more to be had – http://www.facebook.com/C4LPT?ref=mf
#9 by Harold Jarche at March 3rd, 2010
Ben, until we got into this discussion, I never thought of you as a vendor, and that’s a good thing! Keep up the good work.
#10 by Talia from Sparkeo at March 3rd, 2010
Ben-
I don’t know if you’re following the discussion on all the other blogs, but it seems that, in essence, what I see people are saying is not to email them, period.
You’re lucky to already be a part of this particular community, so you will be viewed differently than those who are new to it.
I agree with you about the Element K example – I work at a company whose employees can be counted on one hand. I love it, and I love that we each get to do so much (I also manage our QA efforts, for example), but the downside is that I don’t have as much time to invest in becoming part of the different communities as I would like.
I am, therefore, still at a loss as to what to do. Sorry I can’t help, but I will at least continue to lurk a bit to find out what you are told, if that’s OK with you.
#11 by Ben at March 3rd, 2010
Of course Talia!
I’ve always tried to follow the rule of 3 when it comes to getting your product noticed – that is to say that, typically, you need to catch someones’s attention 3 times, in 3 different places before they will actively seek out your product or service.
Its the “i’ve seen this somewhere before…” sort of phenomenon that seems to peak people’s interest. So if you’ve got a blog, you’ve got a marketing campaign and you are visible on twitter as a ‘net’ contributor (talking more about industry relevant material than your own products) to the community, then you are going to attract some attention.
Of course it depends on who your target market is – if you are going for tech savvy people with a certain level of market awareness, this could work. But if you are aimed at a level below this in terms of knowledge, this tactic probably isn’t going to pay off – twitter is great, but its still only talking to a fraction of a percent of your marketplace…
Oh and Harold, thanks, be sure to wait by your phone for my sales call!
#12 by Talia from Sparkeo at March 3rd, 2010
Thanks, Ben.
I definitely DON’T only use Twitter. In fact, I am using it a bit less (on a professional level) than I was before. I still follow what’s going on around me, and read blog posts that seem interesting, and often comment on them (case and point!), but I find that the time investment is not always worth the outcome, and I am actively trying to seek out different ways of reaching my goals. (Re: Twitter, this is ONLY on the professional level, because my personal Twitter account is extremely active and has a very different purpose.)
One thing I can honestly say is that I have been putting off starting our company blog so that I have the time to invest in becoming part of the different communities, but I am beginning to think my efforts will produce better results if we do, indeed, start the blog as soon as possible.
Which, of course, begs the question: What exact angle should we choose for our corporate blog (beyond our product updates, which, to me, is not the important part of the blog at all)?
#13 by Ben at March 3rd, 2010
Great question Talia and not an easy one to answer!
I’d be thinking that for a product like yours, I’d be all about tips and tricks for making better productions, better pieces of teaching and perhaps highlighting some really great videos that your user base have made already.
It’s all related to what you do, but not an explicit sales push and its relevant to people who don’t use your product.
Personally I started this blog so that I could try out my theories and ramblings in public before they undergo academic scrutiny! Every now and again I do talk about my companies products, but its rare. And when I do its probably because it relates to my research. Having said this, I’m trying to blog more this year and so a few more company focussed blogs will appear, now that the blog has been up for a year and has built a little trust.
#14 by Talia from Sparkeo at March 3rd, 2010
Thanks, Ben. The blog posts that I have already written are, actually, mostly production tips. Less teaching tips right now because, even though I was a teacher for 3 years (my boss didn’t actually know that when he interviewed me), I have a very extensive background in production, both online (I used to work at Metacafe.com) and offline (I worked in the TV industry for 6 or 7 years). This is, of course, not taking into consideration my formal education.
Featuring users is also something I had planned on, but what do you think about guest bloggers? Having other people who know the field and can contribute?
Anyway, you have actually given me a few great ideas unintentionally (i.e. highlight different products that can be used for screencasting, etc.)
Thanks for your help
#15 by Nancy Rubin at March 5th, 2010
I just got a book that I would recommend to everyone in the social media/learning field. Social Media 101 by Chris Brogan. There is actually a chapter on Snake Oil in Social Media (which I am guessing had something to do with the conversation getting started in the first place.)