Innovation Curve

People will say “No!” to your new ideas if they feel the risk is too high for them. But each person you meet has a different setting on their risk “thermostat”. You can try slightly different stories about your project, depending on whether you’re talking to a Pioneer, Mainstream or Traditional audience.

Try this tactic as part of an Audience Profile workshop or to develop Simple Sales Stories.

Innovators: this is you and your team.

• Tell them: stories about team culture (see Drive Stories).

Pioneers: are your first customers. They are adventurous with a high tolerance for risk. They may beta-test your idea with you.

• Hopes: this is new and exciting
• Fears: “innovator tax” i.e., the costs of being first
• Tell them: stories about your process, breakthroughs and prototypes

Early Mainstream: open to new ideas but aware of the pitfalls. They can be great “influencers” on later buyers.

• Hopes: this is new but has been tested
• Fears: reputation damage if l endorse a flop
• Tell them: you can grab a lead in a niche market

Late Mainstream: want to buy a fully developed product, off the shelf

• Hopes: this is ready and recommended by others
• Fears: cost of disruption to business-as-usual
• Tell them: it works in a niche market, now it’s ready for mass market

Traditional: regard all innovation as high risk, they need to see other mainstream adopters to feel safe.

• Hopes: don’t want to miss out
• Fears: there are costs to being left behind
• Tell them: everyone is doing it, we’ve made it easy