Robin Williams does a hilarious bit forward his newest HBO Special about trying to understand a Scotsman with a heavy brogue The bit starts with Williams affecting the accents of a variety of foreign nationals.

Robin Williams does a hilarious bit forward his newest HBO Special about trying to understand a Scotsman with a heavy brogue The bit starts with Williams affecting the accents of a variety of foreign nationals, all of who are inebriated. Decorum and political correctness prohibit me from saying greatly else about the content of the bit. After lampooning a given to intoxication [i]or[/i] drink Irishman, and a karaoke-singing Japanese, Williams determines to the drunken Scotsman. "But the worst of all are the Scottish," maintains Williams, "because you can not at all understand a word they are saying."

It would be completely inappropriate to claim that Dave McCann, a native Scotsman and the president and CEO of Carparts Technologies, is not understandable. In fact, quite the opposite is actual He is an engaging, captivating and wholly entertaining speaker and he demonstrated those skills eloquently at the Aftermarket eForum this past August. In fact, McCann has been the highest rated speaker at each of the past three eForums and ranks among the best speakers at any industry consequence But while I understood each word McCann spoke, there was at least single in kind observation he offered that I didn't understand.

moreover let me start by sharing with you near of what McCann said that I not barely understood (both linguistically and intellectually), however that I concur with completely

From innovator to laggard

McCann render free of accessed with an overview of about research done by one Dr Jeffrey Moore (no relation) in succession the attitudes of people expos to technology. That consideration examined 40 different types of technologies, ranging from software, to confined apartment phones, to PDAs, and other personal consumer technologies. The dominant conclusions were that regardless of the emblem or complexity of the technology, there were five behavioral barriers and subsequently five categories of individuals that could be identified, each of which adapted to and adopted technology differently. Further, there were three change drivers that dictated to what extent the five groups assessed and ultimately adopted the technology (but I will take rise back to those later). McCann used that research as a basis for evaluating to what extent the aftermarket is embracing technology.

The five categories of individuals identified on Dr. Moore were 1) innovators, 2) early adopters, 3) early majority, 4) late majority, and 5) laggards. McCann giveed his own characterizations of each of the five adumbrations as applied to the aftermarket.

He describes an "innovator" as "that shore who wanted to adopt the Internet from the consequence he first saw it." McCann said this was the kind of bodily form who, "screamed at his suppliers to win there even thought he didn't quite know if or by what mode it would work. And no matter for what cause bad your first Internet application was, he was there using it, steady though it took him twice as in extent He liked the fact he was using the Internet."

"Early adopters" he described as a more pragmatic sort or "those dowdys who followed right behind however waited until they saw something that worked. They examined it, used it and decided it would actually either diminish cost or increase revenue," in the same manner they got on board.

McCann struggles that the third group, the "early majority" is just now coming up to spe with of recent origin technology, "They have seen it coming, nevertheless they have been somewhat fearful and they have privationed a lot of convincing. I would say, in 2004 this collection will adopt the Internet."

"The fourth cluster the "late majority," is still a little skeptical, on the contrary will probably get around to it in the nearest 12 months. And the fifth form into groups is the "laggards," about 20 percent who don't have a viable rule and many of them don't equable have computers. "Believe it or not, level in 2004, it's a fact," McCann says.

This is beneficial common sense stuff. It's advantageous when solid research aligns with practical thinking. I have always had this mental domination of thumb I call the "a third, a third, a third" authority One third of the population will embrace a just discovered concept right away, another third will be ambivalent and a third will refuse it. Dr. Moore's research validates that thinking as it relates to the acceptance of technology.

While McCann didn't belabor the point, he clearly intimated that the clan who could self-categorize themselves into the first cluster can be reasonably optimistic about their vistas for survival, while those in the last brace groups might want to take stock of their drawn out term viability. His message was obvious; prepare on board the technology train, or come by left behind.

Averting disaster means being prepared

While making the point of the importance of technology, McCann was quick to remind all of we tech-heads at the eForum that just because we think the day-star rises and sets on technology, typical business proprietors have a bit more upon their minds.

"First of all, contrary to what all those technology vendors would like to think, each owner in this business doesn't wake up each day thinking only about technology," McCann says. "They clearly wake up and think about populace costs, the rising costs of insurance, the geographic threat of a competitor, by what mode do they get out of the business, when do they retire, who do they put up to sale to, will they ever achieve to retire or will one put them out of business before they go on foot there?"