Internet evangerealists don’t talk at you about what’s possible, they talk with you about what’s needed. They don’t work with products, they work with people. They don’t have wireless headsets, they have conversations.
Evangerealists believe that there’s nothing wrong with technology that people can’t fix, not the other way around. They want you to learn to drive better, not put the engine in the driver’s seat and ask it to get you home. They don’t think the long tail should wag the old dog.
An evangerealist believes that your mission and the way you can operate best are more important than their PowerPoint presentation and their game-changing new models.
Technologies change quickly, people change at a moderate pace and institutions are slowest of all—like, glacially slow. Evangerealists r doing it right when they remind people about both new tools and age-old challenges.
There are lots of reasons to forget realism and breathlessly evangelize about the possibilities of the Internet revolution. Innovation is sexy. Organizations detest looking inward. People like to be told they’re doing something wrong. Everyone loves a savior. Most of all, we are at the dawn of a new age and it is important that the whole world wakes up and smells the java.
But here are two reasons for Internet change-makers to enlist partners instead of converting customers: First, you’ll double your chance of success, which sells better than any sales pitch. Second, you’ll be providing help that will outlast your involvement. Don’t you want to do that?