tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208109486968332441.post2501950312975992585..comments2023-10-23T03:09:06.237-07:00Comments on Edu Tech Stories: Sales Matters in EdTech: PD Vs Intuitive Tech William Jenkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16712533304067260030noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208109486968332441.post-82482601502362678792014-05-06T06:31:11.671-07:002014-05-06T06:31:11.671-07:00Hi Steve,
Thanks for your your comments regarding...Hi Steve,<br /><br />Thanks for your your comments regarding the Apple model... How uncanny! It will be the subject of the post that I will be publishing on Wednesday. One of the reasons that Apple has a draw is because of a concept called "Social Proof," which I believe can be factored into the adoption of technology in Education.<br /><br />I hope that these "Sales Matters" posts helps to highlight that any poor sales practices are as much about the attitudes and culture across the entire organisation as opposed to any lone, mavericks going "off script" and saying whatever they need to in order to "Close that deal."<br /><br />Regardless of the reasons this happens, I'm delighted that you have established the EdTechBridge community which is playing a role in challenging these perceptions and encourages greater collaboration.William Jenkinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16712533304067260030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208109486968332441.post-21510938844841137782014-05-06T06:07:05.540-07:002014-05-06T06:07:05.540-07:00William,
I really like the example of the Apple St...William,<br />I really like the example of the Apple Store. The apple store is obviously in the business of sales, but people gravitate to the story for many reasons, Many come in to play with the technology, others to ask questions of the 'genius' staff, others to take courses, others to make purchases (whether conscious or unconscious!). Whatever the case, there is something about the Apple Store that draws us in. I have found myself walking toward the story by some magnetic pull and having to pull myself back to stay on my original mission whatever that may be. <br /><br />What does this have to do with PD and #EdTechBridge? Well, it makes me wonder how we can recreate this idea. Should developers provide demos with some incentive for the educators? Maybe educators that are willing / interested in finding out more and learning about the product could receive a free license based on taking their time to learn about the software. Granted, this is different from the model of purchasing it and then hoping to receive training or 'the whole package' but from an edtechbridge standpoint this builds relationships and if the product is found valuable by the educator that participated in this learning opportunity additional benefits emerge for both the educator and the developer. <br /><br />Sales obviously matters although we often see sales as a bad word when speaking of these relationships. We would be remiss to acknowledge that at the end of the day relationships that developers for with educators should be mutually beneficial. If you have ever met someone that uses brainpop you will see how this bottom up model can work. Teachers LOVE brainpop's product and will often lobby for their district to purchase it. This model is far better than the salesperson pitching to the top and then having a district pay and pray as they purchase a product before knowing if their educators will use it. <br /><br />Just a little food for thought as we work together to figure out how to best develop mutually beneficial relationships and provide opportunities to best utilize the EdTech.<br /><br />Thanks for the thought provoking post, William!Games and Learninghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10525760825218991948noreply@blogger.com