Making use of mavens
If you are not familiar with the book “The Tipping Point” by Malcolm Gladwell, I highly recommend it for anyone interested in appealing to a new or different customer. The fundamental message of the book is that by identifying certain individuals and how they relate and interact with your product or service, you can cause the number of new customers to tip favorably in your direction. There are a couple of types of customers that you want to consider. Most likely, you already know the type, but may not have a name for them or know exactly how to encourage or find them.
The first person you are looking for, according to Gladwell, is the connector. These are people who seemingly know everyone and can help to introduce you and your product to new audiences. There are lots of opportunities when you identify connectors, but to be connected by them you must speak to them. The challenge is that connectors are not necessarily wearing a T-shirt that says “connector”. They may be very outgoing or they may be more reserved. In a reception or cocktail party, they tend to switch “audiences” a lot or work the room. Becoming a connector is the best way to meet them.
The second is where I want to focus my time. This person is known in “Tipping Point” speak as the Maven. These folks are known by their peers to be valuable sources of information. They have often heard of the latest products or are early adopters. Most are very good at plugging the right product or service into the right hole. To be successful with these folks is pretty easy, recognize their existence and help them to become experts in your product.
The reason I say recognize their existence is that I see companies spend a lot of time trying to promote a product when they could do it much easier and more effectively through mavens. I am a Maven and a connector. The best way to get my attention and others like me is to offer to put on a dog and pony show at a trade show or through a web presentation that contains the information we need to imagine the uses for your product. You don’t have to sell us on it. All you have to do is show us how the thing works. Odds are most Mavens will be one step ahead of you because they tend to be problem solvers and given a little understanding, may come up with ways to use your product that you have not considered. You may have to lend a few out for use. Most tool companies already know how effective that can be. Now, the downside is that if a Maven does not like your product, they will not recommend it because their reputation as a Maven could be damaged. It is important that you follow up and find out what they think of your product so that you can redirect a misunderstanding or a shortcoming. This, in my experience, is where many companies fail. The product shows up at your door and lacks directions, has missing parts from its last destination or the company just never calls back even to have the tool returned. I have a scan tool that has been sitting at my shop for over a year. I made a couple of attempts to return it but got no response. I suppose you can guess that the manufacturer never followed up on what I thought of it, either.
If properly nurtured, the relationship with Mavens can save a huge amount of money in focus groups and marketing. Finding them is not so tough either. The SearchAutoParts.com AutoPro Workshop, iATN and others are filled with people that have specialties where you can both benefit from knowing each other. You just have to do a little grassroots effort to find them. Happy hunting!