Marketing to Small Businesses
If you want to understand the mindset of entrepreneurs, you should read this post from Scott Berkun (thanks, LifeHacker) on two kinds of people …
… people that make things complex and people that simplify.
Complexifiers are averse to reduction. Their instincts are to turn simple assignments into quagmires, and to reject simple ideas until they’re buried (or asphyxiated) in layers of abstraction. These are the people who write 25 page specifications when a picture will do and send long e-mails to the entire team when one phone call would suffice. When they see x=y, they want to play with it and show their talents, taking pleasure in creating the unneccesary (23x*z = 23y*z). They take pride in consuming more bandwith, time, and paitence than needed, and expect rewards for it.
Simplifiers thrive on concision. They look for the 6x=6y in the world, and happily turn it into x=y. They never let their ego get in the way of the short path. When you give them seemingly complicated tasks they simplify, consolidate and re-interpret on instinct, naturally seeking the simplest way to achieve what needs to be done. They find ways to communicate complex ideas in simple terms without losing the idea’s essense or power.
Entrepreneurs and business people want their lawyers to be Simplifiers. What do you do to simplify things for your clients? Do they know it?
UPDATE: I posted this without reading all the comments. There are some great nuggets in there. One is Scott’s response to a comment asking for a way to figure out which camp a prospective hire/consultant/etc. is in. Here is one of Scott’s ideas:
2) I’d give them a complex, but solvable problem. After they’ve solved it (even with help) I’d ask them to find a simpler solution to the same problem. If they’re a simplifier they’ll be into this - even if they don’t suceed they’ll be self motivated about seeking out a simpler way. If they’re complexifiers, they’ll balk at the suggestion that a simpler way exists and that it’s even worth their time to find it.