Awesome, awesome, awesome. FYI, this works in businesses other than Coworking, too.
Benefits/values is often a stronger selling mechanism for benefits. The problem is that they're harder to describe, so people most often default to "features" instead of benefits. -Alex /ah indyhall.org coworking in philadelphia On Tue, Nov 16, 2010 at 2:09 PM, Susan Evans <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi all, > > It's been a great couple of weeks over here in Seattle watching Jacob put > together his presentation for the Coworking Europe conference. While > watching his practice run-through last night (he's so much more organized > than I could hope to be!), I was struck with the reminder that the best way > to market our coworking space is not by telling folks about all our great > shared resources, but to tell folks about our great values. > > Let me extrapolate a bit: > > *No one's business has been improved by our shared printer. * > **While shared resources (internet, printer, desks, coffee, etc.) are > great, they don't make anyone's business or work better. While it may be a > contributing factor to why people step through our doors, it is certainly > not the reason that they stay. Our members enjoy these things, but they STAY > here and enjoy their experience coworking because they get relief from the > isolation they felt working solo and they're able to be productive again. > > *If you're trying to get people into your space by telling them about all > of your "stuff," you're likely wasting your time (and attracting the wrong > folks)*. > If there is one thing that we've learned over the last three years, it is > that we are not in the "stuff" business. We are in the coworking business. > If we try to sell ourselves otherwise to potential new members, we wind up > disappointing people. Our true selling point is our culture and our values: > we believe that choosing to work along side one another makes our work AND > our lives better overall. We believe this, and if we can get that message > across, we wind up attracting folks who stick around and are happy. > > *Members are not impressed with the stuff. * > Alexandra, our rockstar Community Cultivator, told us during Jacob's > run-through that she rarely has people commenting on how great it is that we > have an internet connection or a fax machine. Instead, they comment on how > cool they think it is that we have rotating artwork in our space, or that we > have yoga on Wednesdays. The culture of our space is what impresses people > and encourages them to become a member - that's because they see *value* > there. > They see their work life being enhanced. If you felt your work/life balance > could be improved by a fax machine, well, you'd just buy one and get on with > your life. What coworking spaces have to offer is SO much more exciting than > the stuff. > > Them's just the thoughts here on Tuesday morning in blustery Seattle. Hope > this is helpful to those of you currently hemming and hawing about how to > get some new members in the door. I implore you: don't waste your time > telling them that you have a badass internet connection. Spend your time > telling them that they don't have to be alone anymore. :) > > Susan > __ > Office Nomads > officenomads.com > 206-484-5859 > > -- > 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]<coworking%[email protected]> > . > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en. > -- 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.
