You Say You Want a Revolution?

If you’re forever hearing great things said about your work, yet not seeing these translate into sales and revenue, it could just be because you’ve fallen into the innovator trap.

This is where we can end up if we confuse educating with marketing and I see it happening all the time.

Going out and telling the world about something completely new and revolutionary certainly stands a good chance of generating interest, but not necessarily any sales — not yet anyway, and maybe not for you.

Sure, innovation can work as a marketing tool, but generally only with an audience who already knows and trusts you — ever wondered why those really amazing devices for chopping onions and dicing carrots only get sold on market stalls or on cable TV at four in the morning? They’re simply not of interest to mainstream marketing.

I’m not suggesting that we only market in the mainstream, but we need to be aware of what works and what doesn’t and if necessary make some changes.

Often the changes involve little more than a slight dilution of our proposition — evolution can sell easier than revolution, at the outset.

Once effective marketing gives us a foot in the door and a level of engagement, we can guide our prospects and customers toward a brave new world.