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ans Serif">If you're forever hearing great things said about your work, yet not seeing these translate into sales and revenue, it could just be because you've fallen into the innovator trap. Huh? I'll explain.

ans Serif">The innovator trap is where we can end up if we confuse educating with marketing. Going out and telling the world about something completely new and revolutionary certainly stands a good chance of generating interest, but not necessarily any sales - not yet anyway and maybe not for you.

ans Serif">Sure innovation can work as a marketing tool, but generally only with an audience who already know and trust you - ever wondered why those really

amazing devices for chopping onions and dicing carrots only get sold on market stalls or on cable TV at four in the morning? They're simply not of interest to mainstream marketing. And look at the brand names. Where did they come from? More importantly, where did they go?

ans Serif">I'm not suggesting that we only market in the mainstream, but we need to be aware of what works and what doesn't and if necessary make some changes.

ans Serif">Often the changes involve little more than a slight dilution of our proposition - evolution can sell easier than revolution, at the outset. Once effective marketing gives us a foot in the door, we can guide our prospects and customers toward a brave new world.

ans Serif">Let's look at an example.
In fact it's a real one from a conversation I had recently:

ans Serif">David has developed a product that revolutionises the way corporations store and access electronic information. In other countries similar systems are slowly being embraced and put to extremely good use. In his home market, however, things are trailing a little behind.

ans Serif">David is being invited to talk at numerous conferences and expositions, there is much interest. The joint is jumping. Well, it undoubtedly felt like that for a while, but now it's getting a bit tiring.

ans Serif">Sure there's a lot of interest, but not enough sales. David is educating and he's doing a great job. His family meanwhile are getting fed up with beans on toast.

ans Serif">So what would you do? Keep bashing away? Go into greater debt maybe? Put the house on the line?

ans Serif">After speaking for a while, David came up with this solution:

ans Serif" color="#008000">1. Look much more closely at what you've learned

• ans Serif">Take time to do some research - have you been educating or marketing?
• ans Serif">Ask the tough questions and be ready for straight answers.
• ans Serif">Talk to some of the people who invented the wheel in those other more advanced markets - What lessons have you perhaps missed?

ans Serif" color="#008000">2. Get clear on the options

• ans Serif">How long could/should you give to your current path?
• ans Serif">If you made a shift, what would or could that be?
• ans Serif">Are there any real signs that the market is changing?