Text Outline of the Presentation

[Joseph Chmielewski]

Text Outline and Overview of the Presentation

1. Presentation Component: Introduction

Summary and Focus: What is Strategic Open Source Marketing in our schools?

2. Presentation Component: Summary and Focus: of Open Source Marketing Steps

Summary and Focus: What are the steps to marketing Open Source Solutions in our schools?

3. Presentation Component: Step #1: Who are our Customers/ Clients?

Summary and Focus: We can't build a solution until we identify our Customers/ Clients in intimate detail.

We can't build a working (and workable) solution until we define teachers as our primary customers (and partners).

4. Presentation Component: Step #2: Discover "Wants" First -- Develop Products Second

Summary and Focus: Customers'/ Clients' wants either...

* Provide a personal benefit * Eliminate a pain or major stress

We learn what these wants are by forming a hypothesis and testing

5. Presentation Component: Step #3:What makes our "Offer" Different?

Summary and Focus: We must stand out in a "Sea of Imitators," and summarize what we offer in one sentence (or less).

Our offer must state the key benefits of our product/ service.

6. Presentation Component: Step #4: Testimonials and Case Studies

Summary and Focus: Testimonials and Case Studies must pass the "People like me" test.

The problems addressed must pass the "Just like my problem" test.

The implied message is, "If I only receive part of those results, things would be great."

7. Presentation Component: Step #5:Overcoming Objections

Summary and Focus: We must figure out (ahead of time) what major objections might surface, and we must answer the most serious of these objections in our marketing message.

8. Presentation Component: Step #6: Removing Risk with Guarantees

Summary and Focus:

This a crucial step that is almost always overlooked in Open Source promotion.

We need to provide stellar customer service, backend support, and Service Level Agreements (SLAs).

We need to see the risks through our Customers'/ Clients' eyes.

We need to communicate the full cost of "doing the project right" and refuse to do the project if it fails to obtain full funding.

9. Presentation Component: Step #7: Promotion Strategies

Summary and Focus: Promotion strategies depend on our communicating our Unique Service Proposition/ Unique Sales Proposition (USP).

We must build strong emotion in the minds of our Customers/ Clients because the benefits of our Product/ Service are inviting and because the Customer/ Client is "hungry" for these benefits.

10. Presentation Component: Step #8: Writing a Marketing Plan

Summary and Focus: Steps to writing the Marketing Plan include:

* Getting honest * Doing the "homework"
* Following the template
* Laying out the assumptions, issues, risks and competitors' advantages
* Building the "Offer"
* Following-up with promised benefits, service and support
* Providing stellar customer service

11. Presentation Component: Appendix #1: Methods of Marketing Research

Summary and Focus: Marketing research relies on surveys, focus groups, observations and trial marketing campaigns.

Marketing research is conducted before a product is developed, and before a product offer is crafted.

12. Presentation Component: Appendix #2: Turning Features into Benefits

Summary and Focus: Find high-impact benefits associated with features, and list these benefits as "bullet points" in descending order.

This is difficult for "techie" types who revel in features and specifications. But, features and specifications are almost meaningless in marketing to Customers/ Clients, especially teachers, unless the features are used to support a benefit.

13. Presentation Component: Appendix #3: Telling a Compelling Story

Summary and Focus: Marketing materials must come alive with human interest.

The stories must be about "People like me" and show the benefits of the product/ service in action.

The stories must stress the ease of use of the product/ service.

14. Presentation Component: Appendix #4: Wants First, Needs, Maybe?

Summary and Focus: Never develop a product based upon what Customers/ Clients need.

We do not know what is "best for them," and even if we find out, the Customers/ Clients may not be willing to pay for such a product.

We can also never trust what the Customers/ Clients say that they want. We must test, and retest before creating a product.

15. Presentation Component: Appendix #5: "Never Fall in Love" with your Product

Summary and Focus: The "Offer" is more important than the product, but if the product fails...

* Improve it * Replace it
* Dump it

Price is almost never the issue. The real issues are: * Trust
* Confidence in the Solution Provider
* Relationship with the Solution Provide
* Mutual Respect
* Partnership

These considerations are usually absent in Open Source promotions in our school, and explain the failure of Open Source Solutions to gain the acceptance that they deserve.

16. Presentation Component: Appendix #6: Eliminating Risk

Summary and Focus: The Open Source Project Marketing Track Record for removing risk is extremely poor.

Project sponsors fail to offer "Money Back Guarantees."

Other problems include: Lack of compensation for wasted time, failure to cost the project correctly (allowing for professional development, technical support, infrastructure costs and opportunity cost.

In addition, teachers need to be part of the project planning process, and full partners in the project development and management teams.

17. Presentation Component: Appendix #7: The "Open Source Marketing Problem"

Summary and Focus: There are several Open Source Marketing Problems...

* The product is created before the Custom/ Client is identified

* The Customers'/ Clients' greatest pains are not identified

* The is limited or no testing to determine if the products/ services can resolve the Customers/ Clients problems.

In addition, Open Source zealots have given the software a "Bad Name" by focusing on the cost savings of software licenses, while ignoring the fact that software licensing is a small part of the actual cost of a successful instructional project.

But, the biggest problem has been blaming teachers for the failure of these projects to deliver any measurable student instructional outcomes.

18. Presentation Component: Appendix #8: Beware the "Free and Cheap" Mentality

Summary and Focus: Instead of focusing on no-cost software licensing, Open Source promotes need to focus upon...

* "Best of Breed" products * Quality
* Ease of Use
* Service Level Agreements (SLAs)

Open Source advocates must understand that "quality, service delivery, and service support are never "free."

Open Source promoters must communicate the "real-world costs" to school district decision-makers, e.g., that these projects are extremely expensive, demand lots of teacher time, and take several years before measurable results can be achieved.

Providing "free and cheap" software without "retooling" the way that teachers teach and without retooling the way that teachers deliver instruction is a waste of huge amounts of money, a waste of teacher time, student time. This waste is called, "Opportunity Cost."

19. Presentation Component: Appendix #9: Open Thinking

Summary and Focus: A special kind of thinking is required to plan, design, develop and manage educational projects.

This kind of thinking requires...

* Brainstorming * Keeping an Open Mind
* Eliminating "Preconceived Notions"
* Developing Partnerships, Joint Ventures and Strategic Alliances
* Trust
* Respect for all Stakeholders

20. Presentation Component: Appendix #10: Avoid the "Technology Integration Model"

Summary and Focus: Teachers have been "burned" for years with the burden of "Technology Integration."

Open Source Solutions must distance themselves from the Technology Integration Movement by...

* Demanding that projects be fully funded * Demonstrating trust in teachers
* Focusing only on the delivery and management of instruction
* Measuring all successes in terms of positive student learning outcomes

Open Source advocates must explain the full cost of any project, especially the professional development costs, and refuse to participate in any project that lacks realistic outcome goals and fails to achieve adequate funding.