Last week I focused on the Early Adopters and their importance to you in launching a company or product.
This week, I will focus on the second level of the pyramid — #2 – The Professional Adopter.
Professional Adopters, like the Early Adopters are also capable of understanding your product and seeing where it will fit into the marketplace. This group is looking for a competitive advantage. They’re in touch with the Early Adopters on a regular basis because they know that this is where they will find news and information on the latest thing in their area of interest.
So both the top two tiers of the pyramid are the most likely to pick up your product and use it. First.
As you can see by their place on the pyramid, Professional Adopters represent a wider base of potential users and influencers. Because this group of users is larger, you will need to spend more to reach and convert them from their existing habits and product usage.
If your product is a technology or business product, this is the group that will be likely to adopt it across departments and whole corporations. The same is true for consumer products – a store buyer may place an order to see how the product sells. This means that you’re most likely see your first meaningful profits when you convert this group to your product. It is also the point at which your product or business starts to enter the mainstream and begins to achieve legitimacy.
Chart and content from my book, Lies Startups Tell Themselves to Avoid Marketing
www.holtzmancom.com/thought_book_title.php
Sandra Holtzman teaches CEO 035: Licensing.