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Don’t Sell Technology, Sell Magic

November 2, 2011 by Ben Yoskovitz

magician

Tech startups aren’t in the technology business. They’re in the magic business. I’m not talking about sleight of hand tricks, fooling people with funky props, or pretending to saw off someone’s head. I’m talking about providing magical experiences to customers. Startups need to sell magic.

Most customers don’t understand the technology that exists behind the products they use. Most don’t care. They don’t need to. The products they use just need to work. That’s it. In the course of working – and working incredibly well – those products delight and astound. They’re magical. If your product isn’t magical in how it works, how it makes people feel, it’s design, and the results it creates (the ROI to your customers!) … you have a problem. If you’re trying to sell technology for technology’s sake, you may impress a few people, but you’ll confuse and irritate more than you impress.

Customers want results. They’re attracted to products that delight them. They’re impressed by startups that communicate and respond quickly to their issues. They want value, and they want you to fit seamlessly into their lives. They want a lot. Really: they want magic. Sell magic, not technology.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.

Filed Under: Customer Development

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Ben Yoskovitz

Founding Partner at Highline Beta, a hybrid venture studio and VC firm that works with large, ambitious companies to identify new areas of opportunity through internal and external innovation.

Previously I was VP Product at VarageSale and GoInstant (acq. $CRM), and Founding Partner at Year One Labs.

Angel investments include: Breather, Spoiler Alert, SendWithUs and others.

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