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12 Nov 2009
Comments:1
Spending money to save money has been a prerequisite for all business this year. This has opened doors for the more enterprising distributor and started to make it attractive for niche applications if you can pass the ‘spend money to save money’ test.
You need to communicate the concept and understand that customers today will only buy if you can convince them that spending money on a particular technology will fulfil their business needs, make them more efficient and save them money.
Selling niche products is about understanding the day-to-day challenges of particular job functions, teams and departments, as well as organisations.
Niche application developers often create their software specifically to overcome real business challenges, not just capitalise on the latest capabilities.
Rather than trying to shoehorn a mass-market product into a specific organisation’s needs, niche software can provide the right answer.
Mind-mapping software is one of those niche applications that can help businesses with project management, consulting, problem-solving, information management and planning.
Resellers must illustrate how individuals can save time, conquer information overload, and be more creative and effective by using it.
We believe it has time-saving and idea management capabilities that mainstream software does not deliver.
Mind-mapping software is all about action and output. Too many meetings end with lots of great ideas but no accountability or follow through.
Knowledge workers can benefit from business process applications. It is also the reseller’s responsibility to find out how and where the success stories of using niche applications develop.
I think that information overload, desire for personalisation of applications, and ever-tighter integration between applications is driving a need and acceptance of niche products.
Dustin Newport is commercial director at MindGenius
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Do you agree?
Big difference between managing an individuals ideas... and idea management
I agree with the articles main point that IT buyers are looking for unique software applications that are in demand by the business - and save money. I am not as sure about making the leap from there to mind-mapping software, specifically in relating it to Idea Management as a feature set.
There is a huge difference between personal productivity tools, group productivity tools, and enterprise productivity tools. Most mind mapping applications are at their heart single-user applications, deeply personal in their use and application.
In contract, most Idea Managememt tools are enterprise or group-oriented. One manages lots of ideas across a range of activities from many different people. The toolset for Idea Management is therefore quite different from the personal mind-mapping tool.
Now, there will always be grey lines in this area, as Idea Management vendors add personal productivity and creativity plug-ins, and mind-mapping vendors add collaborative tools. But by and large the distinction is noticable and worth making.
Finally, for full disclosure, I am the CEO and co-founder of Imaginatik plc (http://www.imaginatik.com), one of the pioneers in the Idea Management software and services space.
Posted by Mark Turrell | 16 Nov 2009
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