Introducing Synchronous Technology in Your Organization
By Chuck Kater

Perhaps we're approaching the limit of change--the point at which people throw up their hands and say, "Enough already! Can't I just do my job without learning something new again?" Every day we sift through emails about new technologies and new breakthroughs. How much new technology can we absorb and still be effective?

Synchronous technology is the newest buzz, but for good reason: It holds great promise to change the way we work and deliver training. But, you need a marketing strategy to encourage people to accept and use such tools. Resistance factors hamper acceptance of the technology, and this is how they sound:

• I like to travel; this may eliminate it.
• This means more work; I don't need more work.
• It's new, and I don't like technology.
• It's not the same as being there in person.
• I'll lose control if I'm not physically in front of the group.
• I like to "wing it"--and technology requires preparation.
• I'm afraid I won't look good in front of the group with this technology.
• People will get distracted in their offices and won't pay attention to me.
• There are no free lunches involved.
• There's no socialization after the meeting.
• Technologies are unreliable.

Overcoming these and other resistance factors is the key to marketing synchronous technology successfully within your organization. There are many theories on change and overcoming resistance to it. The key to winning the change battle is to identify the most probable causes of resistance and select marketing strategies that will address them directly.

People who are convinced of the business benefits of synchronous technologies may have trouble identifying with people who don't, or they may have problems executing a marketing plan designed to convince people of the benefits. One of the keys to getting people to accept synchronous tools is to put them in the driver's seat. In other words, they need to try it out. I often tell people that it's okay to believe that synchronous technology won't be as effective as other strategies to solve a communication or training issue. But I'll only accept that answer if the person has already taken synchronous technology for a test drive.

Beware of the big-bang "roll it out across the company all at once" strategy. Too often you get just what you designed: lots of initial interest but no sustained use of the technology. Marketing synchronous technology is all about getting people hooked on its ease of use. We want people to use it because they see the value of it, not just because someone said they have to. It's amazing how people who fall in love with a technology or a tool will innovate and find alternative uses for it.

So, how do we get people to embrace synchronous technology in our organizations? What marketing ideas have worked for others? Here are some ideas.

• Require people to use the technology (not recommended).
• Reward people for using it.
• Market the technology as an extension of what people are already doing--not a replacement.
• Use testimonials from respected individuals.
• Do a "tech check" in advance of the event to send the message that the technology works.
• Use the technology for your own team meetings and invite others to sit in. Invite one person at a time to use the technology with another person.
• Leave an article on an executive's desk from a trade journal that cites cost advantages of synchronous technology. On a note, provide details about what your company is currently spending annually on training-related travel.
• Walk the talk. Anyone working on a project that involves a geographically dispersed project team should use synchronous technology for some meetings.
• Publish a newsletter announcement that answers the question, Synchronous technology: What's in it for me?
• Ease the transition by hooking a PC to a projector and allowing an entire group to view a presentation. This lessens individual interactivity but increases confidence in the technology and its reliability.
• At a company meeting, use the technology instead of a talking-head video. This is one way for a senior executive who can't make the meeting to show his or her presentation.
• Close each event with a slide that depicts the cost savings of using the technology during the event.
• Promote the technology with voicemails and emails.
• Make a video depicting the perils of traveling, and show how synchronous technology avoids such perils.
• Have advocates of the technology recommend synchronous options when budget constraints rule out other meeting options.
• Build custom demonstrations to help prospective clients see practical examples of how their organization could benefit from using the technology.
• Challenge the status quo about the need for offsite meetings at conference centers. Keep your synchronous events brief.
• Build synchronous events that are as much like an in-person meeting as possible.
• Thank people who advocate the technology by citing their experiences to others.
• Publicize synchronous technology upgrades to send the message that synchronous technology is here to stay.
• Publicize your organization's innovative uses of synchronous technology.
• Have your organizational leaders present Webcasts on business topics relevant to employees.
• Hold a group meeting and pass out instant cash awards (such as $10 bills) to those who make a commitment to use the technology.
• Make a CD-ROM with screen cams to demonstrate the technology's 24/7 potential to clients.

Send me strategies you've used that you don't see here. In the meantime, be strong, resolute, and patient. Imagine the change people endured as we moved from the horse to the automobile as our chief form of transportation. If you market synchronous technology effectively, you'll accelerate its acceptance within your organization, making it as prevalent as word-processing, spreadsheet, and email applications.

Chuck Kater is the director of educational technology for Hills Pet Nutrition, a wholly owned subsidiary of Colgate-Palmolive. He is based in Topeka, Kansas.