As a lifelong sales rep, trainer, and manager, I have found the single most useful technique for articulating value to be the parable, case study, or narrative. I call them PSRs (problem, solution, result). In short, tell a story.
For example, a new member joined Uptime who writes mobile apps for the iPhone. Another company incubating here needed someone to do that for a project they were trying to solve. Now they're collaborating together on an entirely new opportunity, which is involving some of the other members in various capacities, as well. These folks would never have met, much less started up a new line of business, if they hadn't been sharing an open-plan workspace with an ad hoc culture. Can't really do that at Regus.... --Ax On Dec 12, 8:29 am, Charlie <[email protected]> wrote: > Hey there, > I am Charlie. I've been lurking on this list for awhile since I blog for and > at Office Nomads in Seattle. When I explain Office Nomads to folks, I rarely > have this issue so I thought I'd finally say something on this list. > > I don't know if it's who I talk to or that I am in Seattle so the idea of > community is a bit easier for people to digest but when asked if I work at > home (I am a writer for a magazine based in the Bay Area as well as a > blogger) I generally say, "I work out of Office Nomads. It's a coworking > space." > Then they say, "oh.... yeeeeeah" as if they may have heard the term > coworking but I know they haven't, so I explain. > "Yeah, it's great. I have an office to go to where I get work done instead > of trying to work at home where I always get distracted by laundry, the cat > or what have you. But the best part is that I have an office life again > which also helps me get work done. You know, after working at home for > awhile, I realized how much I missed that social interaction you only get > with your office mates. I get that again at Office Nomads. We're all > coworkers even though we don't actually do the same things." > Invariably, the person I am talking to gets it then and they drop the word > "community" into the conversation on their own, somehow. > Personally, while I think the concept of community being a part of coworking > is extremely important, I think the term is a bit too nebulous for most > people unless they are tuned into thinking about it on a regular basis > anyway. And let's face it, most people today don't. So I try to leave it out > until I've got someone on the hook already by using concrete terms I know > they'll get: "office life," "social interaction you only get with office > mates," and that sort of thing. Like I say, when folks can releate to the > concept (and who in this culture, can't releate to the concept of office > life?) they can and will get that the important aspect is the community. > Then I can tell them that coworking made me feel like a productive member of > society again and they don't look at me like I'm nuts. Until I tell them > I've been to over 40 Phish shows, spent a summer at the South Pole or rode > every inch of the New York City subway system on one token when I was 17 for > a school project. Then they look at me like I'm nuts again and then everyone > feels more comfortable! > > hope this helps you come up with a description that deliniates for folks the > difference between coworking and virtual offices. > c > > On Fri, Dec 12, 2008 at 8:01 AM, LaurenB <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Tony, > > > Thank you so much for information!! I am open to all the help I can > > get! I was trying to explain the atmosphere to a commercial > > realtor...I need to come up with my elevator speech that is creative > > and accurate!! > > > P.S. I love your home page! > > > Lauren --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Coworking" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
