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Have you watched Schitt’s Creek?
I love it so much.
I constantly find myself bellowing uHHHHHHGGGGGhhhhHHHH like Alexis. Or saying “Ew.” Or “Love that for you.”
I feel like my facial expressions are more “David,” though.
So I’ll use him to illustrate an important point for Technology Jumps, Part
What, exactly, does, “Fold in the cheese mean?”
According to Moira,
Methinks Moira doesn’t know what “Fold in the cheese” means.
Moira needs a translator.
It’s a good thing their cooking project is relatively low-stakes.
“Fold in the cheese” is cooking speak for stir in from the bottom and “fold” the mixture over the cheese.
I googled it.
If you’re doing something you don’t normally do and don’t know much about, you’re going to encounter directions and terms you don’t know anything about. You can google things when the stakes are low.
One time you’re sure to encounter unfamiliar terms: during a technology jump.
A website update, a POS switch, while implementing a new inventory system, changing email marketing providers, when purchasing a new computer, etc.
You know what a technology jump is not?
Low stakes.
You know how technology jumps do not feel?
Cheap.
At least, technology jumps never ever feel low stakes or cheap to me. I make the jumps when I need to move to the next level or when something I’ve been using (product or service) is obsolete. I make jumps when the cost of maintaining my current products and systems is higher (short and/or long-term) than making the jump.
Who can help plan technology jumps?
When we decided to renovate our bathroom, we hired a designer.
When my friends decided to build a house, they hired an architect.
When I decided to configure my CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software that I use for my contracts, I hired someone who specializes in that.
Those were all high stakes jobs that required help from specialists. Translators, if you will. Translators of design speak. Of building speak. Of tech speak.
Technology jumps (even just working with business technology products) often require a translator.
I hear these phrases all the time, in relation to editing websites or working in MailChimp “I just don’t know how to do this.” or “Why don’t I know how to do this?” And the people feel bad they don’t know how to do it.
Don’t feel bad if you’re not a technology whiz.
We all spend a lot of time on the internet, but we spend time on websites that spend hundreds of millions of dollars to make it really super duper easy to not only spend time on them, but enjoy them. In fact, Facebook is designed to actually be addictive to users.
You don’t know how to do a lot of your business tech stuff intuitively, because tech is a speciality and you’re likely not a tech specialist.
Instead of feeling bad, get a:
- Web strategist
- Digital business consultant
- IT professional
- Web developer
- Email marketing specialist
If you’re going to make a technology jump get a tech translator.
But don’t beat yourself up because you need help.
I don’t cut my own hair.
How to find a tech translator to help plan (or guide you through any tech situations you’re in)
These are lots of ways to hire people, but these are the questions I ask and things I pay attention to when hiring someone to help me with tech.
- Call or email them. Their response time to initial contact within 24 hours, A+, within 2 business days, B, within 3 business days C, more than that, don’t work with them.
- Communication style: Do they just spew jargon or do they slow down and explain?
- Do they overexplain to you and are they pushy?
- If you ask a yes or no question do they answer yes or no?
- Do they provide you meeting notes or something in writing?
- Did they follow up with you after your call, in any way?
- Are they trying to sell a single product? (Like, one inventory system?) They’re not a strategist, they’re a sales person.
- Do they ask you a lot of questions about your business? (They should.)
- Are they trying to sell you additional projects or products? Or are they focused on your planning and helping you find the best people to carry out your plan?
- Is there bias? If someone says you should be on one platform or another, ask them why.
- Does the tech translator (or strategist) have a list of service providers to refer you to in order to help you carry out the plan or are they going to give you a plan and dump you? Or are they going to make you hire them to implement the plan?
- Will they help you send out RFPs? (Requests for proposals.)
- Will they walk you through the RFP?
- Do they tell you no? If they say yes to everything you ask, they’re not doing their job. Run away.
- Do they tell you yes without looking into the particulars of your business, or try to encourage you to do something without looking into the particulars of your business, your goals, etc? Run away. There’s rarely a “one size fits all” solution.
I hope that list helps if you don’t know which questions to ask and where to start.
Handy Links
| Photo libraries for horticultural businesses The National Garden Bureau JUST sent out that helpful email. My favorite chips Impress your IT/tech helper (and help them help you) by submitting support details to them when you ask them a question. In the “recipient” box, put their email address. By filling this out using the browser in which you’re having an issue, you will help your developer more easily re-create the problem. Generate legal policies, such as privacy policies Find a great garden speaker for your next event (virtual events included) Need help with something? Email me. I’m gonna go eat some cheese. |
