Debbie Mayo-Smith: How you sell the benefits of technology

9:30 AM Monday Feb 25, 2013

Sitting with four of the members and one supplier during lunch this past weekend, I knew I was in trouble. It was the day before my first presentation to a franchise group, which was to focus on using technology better to win more sales, improve the customer experience and of course, save them time.

"Show me your phones" I asked the table during lunch. A little pre-conference research on my part. The supplier and one member had an iPhone. The other three were very staunch in their antipathy of smartphones. Simple phone users were they and that was all they needed.

This is something I encounter daily and almost every business faces. The clashing culture of those within the organisation that love and adopt the new mobile technology; and those that won't go near it.

As you know it's often a case of fear, or the feeling the pain of learning and change won't be worth the effort.

So how do you 'sell' the changeover?

What I do and suggest for you is a double-fisted approach. First the benefit in examples relevant to them; then take the fluff walks, money talks approach. Let me give you an example.

People who don't have smartphones haven't experienced the ease they bring in simple communication and directions. Therefore to start off you might take several screenshots on your smart phone. What I do is this:

1. A photo of the signature within an email viewed on the phone. I put a red arrow next to the phone number and explain ' all you do is click the number in blue' and go to the next screen shot

2. A confirmation to enact the phone call.

3. I go back to the email signature again and the arrow is by the address.

4. Next screen shot the map.

5. Next screen shot an arrow pointing to getting directions from current location.

While something like this is common to you and I, remember people with old fashioned phones haven't seen this. While this might win over a few individuals, the next bit fluff walks, money talks where you quantify the benefit is what really shows the power of technology.

My next question is 'how many phone calls do you make a day'. Various responses. Then I go through the pain of tapping each number, having to write a number down from a voice mail and then tap it out, etc.

Then you ask 'How much time does this take you; maybe 15 seconds per phone call to dial'? 'Do you think you would make three phone calls a day'?

The home run is when you then add up the seconds wasted over a year. 15 seconds; three times a day; five days a week; 52 weeks a year. This works out to three hours, twenty five minutes squandered.

Then you can move on to more relevant time saving uses.