Susan, Thanks for contributing this great content to the global coworking blog. Feel free to post your reactions and comments there too! http://blog.coworking.com/
On Nov 16, 2:11 pm, Tara Hunt <t...@shwowp.com> wrote: > RE: We also happen to have wifi. :) > > ...sometimes ;P (lucky we sell culture, because even the wifi had some > issues for a while!) > > T > > > > > > > > > > On Tue, Nov 16, 2010 at 4:07 PM, Hillary Hartley <hhart...@gmail.com> wrote: > > Spot on, Susan! We've never seen ourselves as in the "services" business. > > Citizen Space is a community resource with a great culture and cool people. > > We also happen to have wifi. :) > > > Thanks for sharing! > > > Hillary > > > On Nov 16, 2010, at 11:09 AM, Susan Evans <su...@officenomads.com> 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 > > <http://officenomads.com>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 cowork...@googlegroups.com. > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > coworking+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > > 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 cowork...@googlegroups.com. > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > coworking+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com<coworking%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups > > .com> > > . > > For more options, visit this group at > >http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en. > > -- > Tara Hunt > CEO & CoFounderhttp://www.shwowp.comhttp://www.twitter.com/missrogue > phone: 514-679-2951 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Coworking" group. To post to this group, send email to cowork...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to coworking+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en.
