| If you build it and will they come? Well, maybe. | | | | Great idea, but is it time to laugh all the way to |
| In the baseball movie Field of Dreams, the main | | | | the bank? Curiously, neither the Massachusetts |
| character, Ray Kinsella, hears a voice in his | | | | legislature nor the United States Congress was |
| cornfield tell him, "If you build it, he will come." He | | | | interested in the vote-recorder. As Gene Adair |
| becomes convinced that he should build a baseball | | | | recounts in his book Thomas Alva Edison: |
| field in the middle of a remote corn field. Shortly | | | | Inventing the Electric Age: |
| thereafter, the ghosts of Shoeless Joe Jackson | | | | "As Edison learned, it was an accepted practice in |
| and the other seven Chicago White Sox players | | | | such bodies to filibuster, a process in which |
| who were banned from baseball for throwing the | | | | lawmakers who oppose a particular bill use various |
| 1919 World Series appear upon the field. | | | | delaying tactics to block its passage. In one of |
| The phrase from the movie, "Build it and he will | | | | these tactics, opponents of the legislation will |
| come" has been popularized in the business world | | | | demand time-consuming roll-call votes on one |
| as "build it and they (customers) will come." | | | | irrelevant motion after another. Edison's machine, |
| Many a visionary entrepreneur has been inspired | | | | by speeding up the vote-taking process, would |
| by that "light bulb" moment and arrived with the | | | | blunt the effectiveness of this political |
| next million dollar idea that is going to change the | | | | weapon-something most legislators were reluctant |
| world. Driven by sheer inspiration, they proceed to | | | | to do. |
| throw all of their time, energy, and resources | | | | Edison vowed right then that he would only make |
| (read: 'money') at developing their product or | | | | inventions for which there was a ready demand. |
| service. They think that if they build a better | | | | In later years, he counted his experience with the |
| mousetrap, people will flock in droves to buy it. | | | | vote recorder as one of the most important |
| "Build it and they will come." | | | | lessons he ever learned." |
| Well, speaking of "light bulb" moments, let's see | | | | Pre-sell: The antidote to being blinded by the flash |
| what we can learn from one of the world's | | | | of the "light bulb." In my experience, I've seen far |
| greatest inventors, Thomas Alva Edison. Although | | | | too many entrepreneurs and small business |
| the electric light bulb was the invention, which | | | | owners develop and offer a new product or |
| brought him great fame and fortune, Edison was | | | | service, only to find out that no one is particularly |
| a prolific inventor, whose efforts also included the | | | | interested in using it, much less paying for it. |
| invention of the phonograph. Ultimately, Edison | | | | So, the next time you have a brilliant "light bulb" |
| received a record 1,093 patents. Of these, his | | | | idea, think of Thomas Edison. Then go out and |
| very first was for the electrographic | | | | find out from your potential buyers if they'd want |
| vote-recorder. | | | | to buy your next world-changing idea. It's a simple |
| The electrographic what? While working as a | | | | concept called "pre-selling." |
| telegrapher in Boston, Edison transcribed copy | | | | Sell the concept of the product or service before |
| about congressional proceedings. During these | | | | you invest in building it. If no one expresses any |
| proceedings, voting on the passage of bills was | | | | significant interest, refine your offering and/or |
| taken by roll-call; after the name of each senator | | | | your approach to presenting its value. If there is |
| or representative was announced, each would | | | | interest, you'll have seed money to develop your |
| respond with a "yea" or "nay" and the vote was | | | | offering. And you'll know first-hand what to build |
| recorded one by one. | | | | into the product/service because your early |
| Edison noticed how much time was wasted by | | | | buyers have told you. |
| this process and decided to build a device that | | | | "Hell, there are no rules here-we're trying to |
| would automatically tally the votes. Based on the | | | | accomplish something." -Thomas Edison |
| telegraph, his invention was a technological | | | | Well, there is perhaps just one rule Thomas: |
| success and on June 1, 1869, Edison was awarded | | | | Unless you want to be successful in business by |
| U.S. Patent #90646 for the Electrographic | | | | accident, "build it and they will come" works only if |
| Vote-Recorder. | | | | you know they want it in the first place! |