malcom_gladwell.03Malcolm Gladwell has contributed many great books and ideas to the business stream over the years with Tipping Point, Blink and Outliers.

But  Tipping Point has changed the way that Charlie Gilkey, Michele Woodward and I do our work with job seekers and entrepreneurs.

In Chapter Two of Tipping Point, Gladwell describes three special types of people:

Connectors: “These people who link us up with the world, who bridge Omaha and Sharon, who introduce us to our social circles – these people on whom we rely on more heavily than we realize – are Connectors, people with a very special gift of bringing people together.”

Mavens: “A Maven is a person who has information on a lot of different products or prices or places. This person likes to initiate discussions with consumers and respond to requests … they like to be helpers in the marketplace. They distribute coupons. They take you shopping. They go shopping for you … This is the person who connects people to the marketplace and has the inside scoop on the marketplace.”

 

 

Salespeople: “Mavens are data banks. They provide the message. Connectors are social glue: they spread it. But there is also a select group of people – Salesmen – with the skills to persuade us when we are unconvinced of what we are hearing, and they are as critical to the tipping of word-of-mouth epidemics as the other two groups.”

 

When you identify your primary “Tipping Point archetype,” you know how to leverage your strengths, and most importantly, you identify the archetypes you lack in spreading your message.

 

How do you recognize these types in the real world?

Connectors are fantastic at expanding your network. They will say things like:

 

“Oh you should talk to …”
“Have you heard about…”
“Let me introduce you to ..”

They think in nodes, not individuals, and like nothing more than to help you.  They see people first, then money.

Salesmen will take the idea that you have been working on for years and help you package it, price it and sell it.  They say things like:

“But if you do that, you won’t make any money!”
“Here is how you should position it, and here is the upsell…”
“You have to have an offer. Traffic means nothing if it doesn’t lead to a sale.”
“What is your pricing structure?”
“What specific value will this have to your market? How much is that worth?”

Mavens will dig deeply into your product and give very specific, detailed and relevant information on how it can fit within the marketplace.

 


“I was researching that last month, and I noticed a slight discrepancy in ….”
“Your work fits right in the xxx part of yyy’s essay on the zzz topic.”
“You could add videos to this to bring the lessons alive! And you could expand on the content in Chapter 3, Section 2, by listing …”

How to use these ideas in the real world

Michele Woodward, in her executive coaching work, created the “Connector Strategy Tool” where she helps clients conducting a job search identify the Connectors in their life. One client reported that after having lunch with a Connector, by the time she got back to her office, he had sent eight messages of introduction to hiring managers.

Charlie and I used this model in our Lift Off Retreat, and it was exceptionally eye-opening for the participants, who realized: A) They should celebrate who they really are, and ignore advice to change into something they are not. B) By surrounding themselves with other archetypes, their business will grow to a whole other level.

Tipping Point archetypes in the wild

 

 

Jonathan Fields is a Connector .He starts each day on Twitter with the question “How can I help you?” Enough said. (He is a wickedly strong Salesman too)

Crystal Williams is a Maven.  She is given one  task, like researching an online shopping cart, and does it to a depth that would make a retired librarian blush.

Naomi Dunford is a Salesman. She has the ability to craft an email or blog post about a product that is so funny and compelling that you cannot help but reach for your wallet. Even if you are not sure you need it.

Daniel Pink is a Maven. With a healthy dose of Salesperson and good sprinkling of Connector. He knows how to find a great specific idea (Whole New Mind, Drive), research it deeply, and sell it to a broad market. If we could all be so well-balanced!

 

When you recognize your primary archetype, you can look for people who compliment you. I need salespeople around me, since I have been known to connect my entire network, and forget that I actually have a mortgage to pay and a child still in diapers.

 


So here is your task:

 

  1. Identify yourself. Are you a Connector, a Maven or a Salesman?
  2. Evaluate your current business model through this lens. Are you setting yourself up for success or failure? Connectors build bridges, Mavens dig deep and research, and Salesmen influence and sell. Is that what you are doing?
  3. Identify your missing archetype. Do you really need a Salesperson, Connector or Maven? Go find them.
  4. Share and trade your superpower with theirs, and watch your business explode. Profitably.