A simple way to tell where your customers are on the
technology adoption curve is to assess the degree of proof they require prior
to making a purchase.
For example, very early in the development of a market, when
you are presenting to Innovators and Early Adopters, they will buy after seeing
brief Vision Generation demos: “Oooooo,
this looks really good – I gotta get me some of that…!”
Early Majority prospects will require a deeper demo – a Technical
Proof demo – to make sure that the capabilities they feel they need are present
and work correctly.
You’ll know that you are moving into the middle of the Majority
group when you begin to get consistent requests for POC’s and similar trials of
your tools in their hands.
And you’ve hit the Late Majority, in many cases, when you
begin to receive piles of RFP’s (oh the horror…!). Let’s not even talk about the Laggards, who
will want all of the above plus written guarantees – and then delay purchase
until it is absolutely necessary for them...
Note that each vertical that you sell into may reflect its own
technology adoption curve and timeline.
Also note that as you proceed from left to right on the curve (Innovators
to Early Adopters to Early Majority to Late Majority to Laggards), the degree
of proof (and accompanying vendor resources) required increases rather
dramatically!
[Note also that if you are unfamiliar with the above terms,
it is high time to read a copy of Geoffrey Moore’s seminal work “Crossing the
Chasm”!]
[Amusing sub-note:
the last time I visited Buck’s Café in Woodside California I happened to
note that he is/was still using a DOS-based cash register – full-on Laggard
material! And Buck’s Café is, of course,
the heart of connecting, company formation and deal-making in Silicon Valley –
the irony is delightful! I asked Jamis, Buck’s
proprietor, why he is still using a DOS-based system in the center of innovation? He said, “because it works…!”]
