It seems I was being a bit narrow-minded when I assumed that the accounting profession has a monopoly on nerds. Maybe we accountants have earned our public reputation for nerdiness because the people we deal with are usually so very different from us, and visit us only when they have to as a result of some government rule or regulation.
After a very interesting day spent at the Napa Valley Wine & Grape Expo , I suddenly realized that there are many professions that require practitioners to gain specialized knowledge that involves unique terminology, techniques, regulations, chemicals, or tools. And often, when these experts attempt to communicate with the unwashed masses, there is a huge disconnect. So their audience labels them a nerd. I don’t think “Nerd” is really meant as a derogatory term, rather it indicates amazement at that person's in-depth knowledge of a topic that most people don’t understand.
I was shocked to realize that there are nerds even in wineries and they have difficulty communicating too.
My first example happened a couple of weeks ago when I had the pleasure of attending a harvest party put on by the wonderful folks at Halleck Vineyard . A group of excited but untrained pickers gathered to assist in the harvest of 50 rows of Pinot and then we all had the thrill of following our grapes to the crush facility. Once there, Ross Halleck had arranged an informative tasting opportunity which allowed us to taste various stages of the fermentation process. All of this was wonderfully done and every step of the process had been beautifully explained by Ross or Jennifer Halleck, who both have a marketing and sales orientation. The interesting part of the tasting for me (since I am constantly studying presentations and presenters) happened when Ross handed the floor to his winemaker. The winemaker proceeded to tell us about malolactic acids and processes and various technical details of the wine process. He used buzz words like “MOG” (matter other than grapes) and “Must” (the juice pressed from grapes or other fruit before it has fermented) which are well-known to the wine industry but less known to the general public. While extremely knowledgeable, our presenter was having a tough time connecting with his audience. Ross handled it beautifully by taking on the role of the translator. He converted the winemaker’s technical terms to terms more easily understood by those of us who were more knowledgeable about consuming, rather than creating, wine. The two made a great pair and each was able to use his strengths to best advantage.
I was very surprised to note that like accountants, winemakers are very detail- oriented and must be extremely precise and analytical in their measurements and observations. So while accountants can often be found retreating to the back office or cubicle, some winemakers may be most comfortable in their caves.
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Geni Whitehouse CPA, CITP, CSPM Author, speaker, trainer > 50% Countess of Communication, Brotemarkle,Davis Co. > 50% Writin', speakin', consultin' Co-founder of SolveServices.com a remote bookkeeping service for wineries. How to hire me. Author How to Make a Boring Subject Interesting : 52 ways even a nerd can be heard I have a ton of other websites including my newest for Twitter newbies www.evenatwit.com Originally from Greenville, SC, I now live in Napa, California. Contact Geni
I am an accountant on a mission. I want to permanently remove the blight of BORING that has attached itself to members of my profession.
But the boring blight doesn't stop there. It's everywhere. I've found it in wineries (although it's a tad more palatable when served with alcohol), in science labs, even in Art museums. And technology people carry the "B" gene too. But the condition need not be fatal. I lecture around the country to accountants and technology audiences and I have a ball. I was a partner in an Atlanta CPA firm when I realized technology was my true passion and I have been fighting the nerd versus geek battle ever since. Through some stroke of absolutely amazing luck, I now find myself in Napa -- the most gorgeous, hospitable place imaginable. Are you on Twitter? You can follow my nerdy life there : evenanerd Contact me [email protected] I am a graduate of the Jeff Justice Comedy Workshoppe and the Persuasive Speaker course taught by Speechworks. I highly recommend both of these organizations. I have also taken training from the amazing Lynda Spillane. I am not unbiased, nor do I wish to be. I have done work for anyone and everyone in the software industry or the accounting profession. If I am not impressed by what you do or can't find an angle that is interesting or unique, I won't work for or with you. And if you are stodgy or boring, there are not enough dollars or even euros to make me help you. See samples of my writing here: www.salestaxradar.com www.mybizcounts.com Archives
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