Neuroscience
We got a Ronco Turkey Oven for Christmas. A librarian friend pointed me to the 2000 New Yorker profile of Ron Popeil, Mr. Ronco and inventor of the Ronco Turkey Oven, among other things.
The article is fascinating, but what struck me was Malcom Gladwell’s description of the pitch:
“You have to explain the invention to customers-not once or twice but three or four times, with a different twist each time. You have to show them exactly how it works and why it works, and make them follow your hands as you chop liver with it, and then tell them precisely how it fits into their routine, and, finally, sell them on the paradoxical fact that, revolutionary as the gadget is, it's not at all hard to use.”
Gladwell then talks about a handy invention called a video cassette recorder which was supposed to help us watch TV on our schedule, not the networks’. However, Gladwell argues that the VCR never was widely used for that purpose. Why?
“That's because the VCR was never pitched: no one ever explained the gadget to American consumers-not once or twice but three or four times-and no one showed them exactly how it worked or how it would fit into their routine, and no pair of hands guided them through every step of the process.”
Which makes me think about library databases: do we pitch them to our patrons? Do we explain not once or twice but three or four times, slightly differently each time, how to use InfoTrac / LexisNexis / Academic Search Premier? Do we demonstrate how these databases fit into patron’s (search) routines, and, despite their great power, how easy they are to use?
Should we think of ourselves as database pitchmen?
–
“THE PITCHMAN; Ron Popeil and the conquest of the American kitchen”
The New Yorker, October 30, 2000, ANNALS OF ENTERPRISE
by Malcom Gladwell
Pg. 64, 8162 words. Available in LexisNexis, and in the 2002 edition of “The Best Business Stories of the Year”
Also available on Gladwell’s site gladwell dot com (pdf available, too).
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Neuroscience
Reference Librarians as Pitchmen?
We got a Ronco Turkey Oven for Christmas. A librarian friend pointed me to the 2000 New Yorker profile of Ron Popeil, Mr. Ronco and inventor of the Ronco Turkey Oven, among other things.
The article is fascinating, but what struck me was Malcom Gladwell’s description of the pitch:
“You have to explain the invention to customers-not once or twice but three or four times, with a different twist each time. You have to show them exactly how it works and why it works, and make them follow your hands as you chop liver with it, and then tell them precisely how it fits into their routine, and, finally, sell them on the paradoxical fact that, revolutionary as the gadget is, it's not at all hard to use.”
Gladwell then talks about a handy invention called a video cassette recorder which was supposed to help us watch TV on our schedule, not the networks’. However, Gladwell argues that the VCR never was widely used for that purpose. Why?
“That's because the VCR was never pitched: no one ever explained the gadget to American consumers-not once or twice but three or four times-and no one showed them exactly how it worked or how it would fit into their routine, and no pair of hands guided them through every step of the process.”
Which makes me think about library databases: do we pitch them to our patrons? Do we explain not once or twice but three or four times, slightly differently each time, how to use InfoTrac / LexisNexis / Academic Search Premier? Do we demonstrate how these databases fit into patron’s (search) routines, and, despite their great power, how easy they are to use?
Should we think of ourselves as database pitchmen?
–
“THE PITCHMAN; Ron Popeil and the conquest of the American kitchen”
The New Yorker, October 30, 2000, ANNALS OF ENTERPRISE
by Malcom Gladwell
Pg. 64, 8162 words. Available in LexisNexis, and in the 2002 edition of “The Best Business Stories of the Year”
Also available on Gladwell’s site gladwell dot com (pdf available, too).
- Spotting Malcolm Gladwell
You'd probably have more luck avoiding media coverage of the financial crisis than you would Malcolm Gladwell, so busy has the man been promoting his new book Outliers. To save you drowning in all the reviews and interviews, the Digest lays out links...
- Upcoming Online Event: Malcolm Gladwell (14th October, 1430 Hrs Et)
From The New Yorker: Author Malcolm Gladwell has a live chat about brain injuries and sports tomorrow at 1430 hrs ET. The chat can be found at the link found below. If you wish to submit a question for the essayist and author, go to that link and you...
- Blink!
Malcolm Gladwell's new book, Blink, is now available. Today's New York Times Book Review features a review of the book, written by David Brooks. The review is available here (free registration required). Previous discussion of Blink and...
- A New Kind Of Concept Map?
A few weeks ago, I blogged about Using Math to Predict Musical Hits. Turns out that before Mike McCready was on ScienceFriday, he was interviewed by Malcolm Gladwell at the 2007 New Yorker Conference. He was a bit more technical with Gladwell than he...
- Stereo Sue And Me
My eye doctor was interviewed by Oliver Sacks last year! He wrote about her in the New Yorker! (that's about as close as I'll come to being published in the New Yorker, so I'm rather excited). Here's the deal: Dr. Theresa Ruggiero prescribed...