Knowing When NOT to Be the Expert
I attended a conference this past weekend and had the unique opportunity to have podcasting explained to me a few times by fellow attendees. Since having sold the GigaVox production platform to Podango last fall, and now that our third child has arrived I am on the hunt for what I will do next. As part of my investigation I ponied up $3,000 to spend 3 days immersed at an industry conference in one of the businesses I’m researching. I did not know a single person at this conference nor did they know me or have any idea of my background, connection to, or involvement with podcasting.
As is usual with conferences, you learn a lot, but the real action is in the halls and cocktail lounges. I joined a group of about 10 in one of the lounges and the subject of podcasting came up. Two of the folks present were hot on the topic and went on to explain it to the entire group. Where they felt podcasting worked, where the opportunities for marketing and monetization were and how to best use the medium. It was absolutely fascinating! Even better, it happened a few more times throughout the conference.
I learned a lot about how people who are new to the podcasting medium view it as opposed to those of us who have shepherded it along since the late summer of 2004. While intellectually I have always understood some of these ideas, I have never had them explained to me as “fact.†If you think about it, most of the conferences I go to, people are talking to me after I’ve given a presentation or been on a panel, etc., their comments and questions are shaped by the dynamic established by the conference: “presenter – attendee.â€
I have never been in the position to have anyone be the “expert†and explain podcasting to me. As a result of what I learned this past weekend I have modified some of my presentations. Clearly people new to the podcasting game have a very different approach to podcasting, and while I was definitely on the right track for connecting with them in my presentations, it is now crystal clear to me where I can better refine my presentations. My goal when speaking/presenting is always to connect with the largest segment of the audience possible and give them the take away value they deserve. Whether or not I pursue the business I was researching at the conference, the information I gathered and how it can improve my own presentations on podcasting and new media was well worth the price of admission.
So the lesson for podcasting experts and consultants: when given the opportunity to discuss podcasting among folks that don’t know your background, hold your tongue! Everyone will be duly impressed by your expertise and credentials, etc., by the end of the conversation, but you get the real take away value by waiting and quietly listening at first.
So what did I learn? Well, that cost me $3,000, so I’m going to hold on to it for now. I can tell you that it reaffirms the things I’ve been thinking about regarding where this is all going and it has definitely helped to crystalize how I can best communicate it to people who have little or no experience with podcasting and new media.
Wow Michael this is a great idea. It must have been VERY hard to sit there and be lectured to about podcasting, but I am sure glad you did it. It is an excellent idea. To anyone who has been a teacher of any kind, it’s good to remember once in a while what it is/was to be a student.
As hard as it may be to pull off, I’m going to try this myself. Thanks for a great idea.
I totally understand the experience you went through Michael because I went through something similar about 6 months ago. Last fall right before the New Media Expo, I MC’ed a 3 day non-tech seminar in front of a non-tech crowd.
It was absolutely refreshing! This audience of non-techy people told me their challenges when it comes to using social media. In the 3 days I was with this audience, I listened and then quickly changed alot of my marketing material to match the language this audience understands.
What an eye opener. There’s no better way to understand the needs of your target market than to hang with them and just listen. While we as podcasting and social media types use the language of “collaboration” or “conversation” amongst each other when speaking about social media, a sales person only wants to know how he can decrease his acquisition costs or decrease cold calling using these tools. If I can’t answer that in a language he understands, I might as well go home.
Running a production companies for the last 15 years I was really keen on watching the podcasting community grow from the get go. putting the power in the content creators hands was scary for me because I make a living producing content with events, meetings, and video. I was listening to Reel Reviews, slusher, leo, adam curry while I worked in my yard, was at the gym or commuting.Waiting for the next guest on podcast411 for always a grea way to find new podcasts. I was excitied about bringing this new technology to my clients for there events and to give content legs. I can remember calling you in the beginning of all of this trying to figure out how we could turn this to dollars. All this listening has worked for me not for the podcasting itself but the conversations it starts, which inevitably turn to other forms of content delivery which we can make money and help our clients. This post of listening to others is really the secret to sales. If your talking your not listening. When will you unleash your new podcasting superpowers you have learned at this expensive conference? Thanks for the post.
tazj tvzr snbu vgtdf
ruhw