Early Majority

Marketers of a high-tech product tell this story. In the first year of selling their product, the technology enthusiasts, Innovators, and some visionaries, Early Adopters, quickly jumped on board. During the second year, the company won over more visionaries and a handful of truly major deals. In the third year, the company expanded its sales force, increased its advertising budget, opened new district offices, and strengthened customer support. But the sales ended up being far less than expected and the growth in expenses was larger than the growth in revenue. What the company interpreted as a steadily emerging mainstream market was really an early market. The company failed to recognize that selling an idea to Innovators and Early Adopters is different from selling it to the Early Majority.

To create commitment to the new idea in the organization, you must convince the majority.

You are an Evangelist(144) or Dedicated Champion(129) trying to introduce a new idea into your organization. You have the support of Innovators(170) and Early Adopters(138).

The support of Innovators and Early Adopters will spark the new idea, but you need much more to truly have impact.

You begin to build your grassroots effort with Innovators who are gatekeepers and Early Adopters who are the early opinion leaders. But at some point you must win the support of the majority to allow the idea to thrive. The Early Majority represents about one-third of the population. Once this group is convinced, they are loyal and will often enforce organizational standards to help the innovation succeed.

The Early Majority are much more deliberate in their decision making. Before they commit to a new idea, they want to know how others have succeeded with it. They want the innovation to work properly and integrate well with the way things are done. Risk is viewed as a waste of time and money rather than a chance for opportunity or excitement. Unlike Innovators, the Early Majority adopts too late to take on the role of gatekeeper for the new idea. Unlike Early Adopters, they are followers and generally do not hold positions of opinion leadership. Yet, they provide the link between those that adopt early and those who are relatively late. This link bridges the gap or “chasm” between Early Adopters and the Early Majority. You must cross this chasm to get a new idea into the mainstream.

Therefore:

Expand the group that has adopted the new idea rapidly to include the more deliberate majority that will allow the new idea to establish a strong foothold.

Look for individuals who are practical and want incremental, measurable, predictable progress. Use Personal Touch(198) to show them that the risk is low while the value to their immediate needs is great. Show them the visible improvements that can be obtained with the innovation by applying Tailor Made(234). Demonstrate results with Just Do It(177) and share sources of External Validation(148). Connect them with Early Adopters and others who have already adopted the innovation. Encourage them to attend a Hometown Story(164).

Once they are convinced, encourage them to talk with their peers about the innovation. Since they are the link to the Late Majority, ask them to take on the role of Bridge-Builder(110) to connect with individuals who are more conservative than they are. Remember to Just Say Thanks(183).

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This pattern establishes a grass roots majority for a new idea in the organization. Acceptance by the Early Majority defines the tipping point for the innovation. Gaining their support will accelerate the introduction of the new idea because the chasm has been crossed and the innovation is in the mainstream. In addition, unlike Innovators who usually move from one new idea to the next and Early Adopters who often see themselves on the fast track, the Early Majority can offer stability and long-term commitment.

But you can become frustrated with this group because they can be hard to reach by simply talking with them. Be patient. You must have successes before you can begin to convince them.

A faculty member in a neighboring department stopped by Karen’s office seeking advice on a proposal he submitted for a new undergraduate major. He explained that he had been encouraged by the initial enthusiasm from some members of his department. So he moved forward with the planning and thought that the other members would eventually become convinced that it was a good thing to do. But this did not happen. The majority of the department was not behind him. Karen suggested that these people needed more assurance that his idea was not risky. So he talked with each individual about the advantages the new major would offer the department and provided evidence that it would not take large amounts of resources from other projects. It wasn’t an overnight process, but eventually the majority agreed that he should move forward with the planning.

How do you know when you have built a culture surrounding a new idea? Randy thinks he knew that he had passed a significant point when a high-level manager stopped by his office late one evening. He sat down heavily and began to talk about some problems he was having and then asked, “So, do you think <the new idea> can help me?” This was a manager of a large legacy system. The new idea had never been “pitched” to his department and although anyone could take the training, most of the interest came from the new projects. If this manager was asking to use the new idea, clearly the majority was being won over.