Quit marketing your "stuff," start marketing your values
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Susan Evans
Nov 16, 2010, 2:09:02 PM11/16/10
to cowo...@googlegroups.com
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. :)
Alex Hillman
Nov 16, 2010, 2:25:44 PM11/16/10
to cowo...@googlegroups.com
Awesome, awesome, awesome.
Benefits/values is often a stronger selling mechanism for benefits. The problem is that they're harder to describe, so people most often default to "features" instead of benefits.
-Alex
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Hillary Hartley
Nov 16, 2010, 4:07:43 PM11/16/10
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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
Hillary
Tara Hunt
Nov 16, 2010, 4:11:37 PM11/16/10
to cowo...@googlegroups.com
RE: We also happen to have wifi. :)
...sometimes ;P (lucky we sell culture, because even the wifi had some issues for a while!)
T
--
Tara Hunt
Tara Hunt
CEO & CoFounder
Angel K
Nov 16, 2010, 5:58:20 PM11/16/10
to Coworking
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
> > .
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:
>
> > **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
> > 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.
>
> > 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. *
> > 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.
>
> > 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.
> > 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
> > 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
> > 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
> > 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 cowo...@googlegroups.com.
> > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
> > coworking+...@googlegroups.com.
> > For more options, visit this group at
> >http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en.
>
> > --
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>
> > --
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> > To post to this group, send email to cowo...@googlegroups.com.
> > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
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> > 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
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> > .
RawkSpace
Nov 17, 2010, 8:34:55 PM11/17/10
to Coworking
Susan,
Well Said! That is such a huge concept that alot of people look
over, me included. Majority of people think Gadgets and how the place
looks is the key! But you hit the nail directly on the head. I
really appreciate you posting this. Really makes me think about how i
have been pitching are new cowork space!
Thanks Much!!!
Jarrod
Rawkspace
workrawkspace.com
On Nov 16, 2:09 pm, 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,
Well Said! That is such a huge concept that alot of people look
over, me included. Majority of people think Gadgets and how the place
looks is the key! But you hit the nail directly on the head. I
really appreciate you posting this. Really makes me think about how i
have been pitching are new cowork space!
Thanks Much!!!
Jarrod
Rawkspace
workrawkspace.com
On Nov 16, 2:09 pm, 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:
>
> **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
> 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.
>
> 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. *
> 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.
>
> 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.
> 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
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