Frame Concepts Reports that Infographics in Tough Economy are Enabling Sales for Technology Companies

As the Founder and CEO of Frame Concepts noted – “Its especially in this tough economic climate that technology companies or any company with a complex offering simply cannot afford to not be understood.” Frame Concepts has reported also that this need is not determined by the size or tenure of the company. Mr. Gambles reports, “We are seeing this need not just in emerging startups but Fortune 500 technology companies, banks, consulting firms, industrial goods and telecommunications offerings. With new products and acquisitions, larger firms find themselves in the same predicament as startups – how to show the value of their particular innovation to a non-technical business buyer.”

Sample of Final Visual Explanation

Before Stephen Gamble started up Frame Concepts in 2010, he had his share of high and low points in taking tech offerings to market while working for large tech giants like IBM and early-stage startups. “There were definitely offerings that were pure logical extensions of known commodities that took little effort to bring into marketplace adoption. In those cases, it felt wrong to take praise for hitting the numbers with innovative marketing when the buying decision was such a no-brainer. And then there were offerings that apples-to-apples were superior solutions – but were so innovative that they required a bit of a conceptual leap to appreciate the inherent value of the offering.

And when things were not going right”, Mr. Gamble continues, “you could see it in the sales team faces. They were pounding the phones, conducting demo’s and performing free ROI analysis and sending in scores of proposals but there were no takers.

“And when things were not going right”, Mr. Gamble continues, “you could see it in the sales team faces. They were pounding the phones, conducting demo’s and performing free ROI analysis and sending in scores of proposals but there were no takers.” And the saga continued into the board rooms. “I had the blessing or curse with a VP title to be part of VC-backed board meetings who wanted an accounting for why with all the millions in software investment in the product, there were no measurable results on the sales fronts. And then the typical defense pattern started – letting some of the sales people go, then the sales leadership, then even the CEO – all of this happened with this terrible undercurrent that there was something deeper going on here.”

“I have to admit” that I smile quite a bit now when I think of those times and now I am pouring over the solution to these kinds of predicaments – pencil sketches!” Mr. Gamble is referring to the sketches that Frame Conceptstypically produces as they work towards producing the ideal visual explanation for their client. “Its a little bit ironic that it’s hard to explain how with the Frame Concepts offering I do what I do. It’s a subtle thing. But starting out as an engineer first, then moving into marketing and technical communication and then as business person accountable for revenue targets and then finally, the sheer exposure to three decades of innovation makes you good at explaining things and engaging your audience.”

But the final key ingredient for Frame Concepts success is the integration of information design, infographics and animation into the actual communications solutions. The science is certainly there – reinforcing messages across visual, auditory and textual mediums simply increases understanding and retention. “We are still miles away from it”, Mr. Gamble states, “but I predict there will be a day when it will be simply embarrassing for anyone responsible for the product marketing efforts to display a PowerPoint filled with bullet points and stock photos of executive shaking hands or jumping out of a crowd to suggest they have nailed the explanation of their company’s offering.”

“I suppose its because of my experiences that I enjoy meeting my clients for the first time, learn about their offering and where they are struggling to get their marketplace to appreciate the point of their offering. Or when a startup reaches out and they want to put their best foot forward before they do damage in early stages in creating the wrong perception”, explains Mr. Gamble. “And of course the proof is in the pudding – when the actual business development and marketing teams report back to me that they have transitioned from pure education to actually offering and selling solutions – then I know I have hit the mark.”

And perhaps a relevant quote is from Jakob Nielsen, the Usability Czar, who stated – “If you can frame how people think about their problems, you’re half way to selling them.”

“And at the end of the day – that’s really what Frame Concepts is doing – enabling clients to frame the dialogue between themselves and their marketplace so they not only “get it” but they are engaged to action. And that’s how pencil sketches find themselves into the balance spreadsheets.”