Since the iPad launched I’ve bought 4 of them. First I bought the cheapest version, just to see how it would work. Then I bought my girlfriend one because I didn’t want to share mine. Then I bought my mother one and after that I sold my first iPad and bought the most expensive one. Guess you could safely assume that I like the iPad.
I also persuaded a bunch of people to buy one too. Not because I’m making money of off it but because I like pitching stuff, and the iPad is so damn easy to pitch. You could argue that the iPad doesn’t need me as an evangelist. Just yesterday I found out that it seems to be turning into one of the fastest selling products ever:
Bernstein Research analyst Colin McGranahan told the CNBC yesterday that the iPad has the fastest adoption rate ever, even faster than the DVD player in 1997.
Still, I enjoy giving people reasons to buy one. Here is how I persuade people of different ages and with different interests to get an iPad:
The Older Guy (late adopter)
My downstairs neighbor is your classical late adopter. He is almost 60, buys the cheapest version of everything and never throws away anything. One week after I got my first iPad he walked in and asked me for a demo. I opened up iBooks (he loves to read books) and wanted to hand him the iPad. he reached for his reading glasses and I quickly said ‘You won’t need those! here, let me enlarge the font size’. I did, he took one look at the iPad, then at me and said ‘I need one of those. Sold!
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The Dude
Not long ago I was having dinner in a trendy restaurant when I had to look up something online for one of my business partners. I grabbed the iPad from my bag, looked it up, and handed the iPad to him. At that point younger guy at the table next to me turned to me and asked me ‘Is it cool or should I wait? Why not just use my laptop?’. He was sitting at a table next to what seemed to be supermodels so I said “ILaying in bed next to your girlfriend with a laptop on your lap is just NOT sexy. On the other hand, holding an iPad CAN be sexy.” He produced a large and knowing smile and winked at me. Sold!
My Mother
I didn’t even have to persuade her. She loved it at first sight. Chances are your mother will love it too. Why not give it a try? I can almost guarantee it will be… Sold!
My daughters (or any kid really)
Know someone with kids? Want to annoy some parents? Bring your iPad and hand it over to their kids. Within minutes the kids will start begging for one and you will start receiving evil looks. The truth is that kids love the iPad. They love the games and movies and shininess of the gadget. Use those kids to get to the parents and… Sold!
The person waiting for ‘the next version’
A lot of people have learned from buying the first PowerPC equipped Mac or the first MacBook Air: riddled with problems that were solved in the next version. That led to a strategy best described as the “I’ll wait for the next version, thank you” strategy. Nothing wrong with that really except that the iPad is such a game changing gadget that keeping yourself from being assimilated joining our happy crowd of iPad users would just be a shame. You would miss out on months and months of delight! My answer to them: buy it now, enjoy it for a year or so and then make someone else happy with it, like your mother. Sold!
The person who can name all the reasons why the iPad sucks
Sure, the iPad doesn’t have a camera, and no, it doesn’t do Flash and no, it currently doesn’t do multi-tasking. To some people the glass is always half empty and the gadget always under-equiped. To those people I say ‘Yes, you are right. The iPad is still in its infancy. It is like the first car was just a horse carriage with an engine strapped to it. But, despite all its shortcomings, it does give you a glimpse at the future. Don’t you want to at least experience that firsthand”. Sold!
Did you ever try to persuade someone to buy an iPad? What lines did you use? Share them in the comments here!
UPDATE: here is a list of reasons NOT to buy the iPad.
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