The definition of an artifact is any object made – or altered! – by human beings, where the alteration gives it new meaning or purpose.
Followers of this blog and our publishing will be familiar with the concept of an engagement tool. We advocate for having a simple message and simple tool (1-2 pages, ideally).
More than that, it should feature a lot of white space so you can WRITE and DRAW on the tool with a prospect!
Think about the last time you were in a meeting and someone started drawing as a means of communication. One of you probably tried to keep the indecipherable scrawls (because they captured the experience of the idea sharing).
When you are finished, the marked-up engagement tool becomes an ARTIFACT of the conversation. Your drawing… your scribbling… gives the tool new meaning.
(It’s a hallmark of a good visit when a prospect asks, “Can I keep this?”)
(see this example video @ 7:00 mins for an illustration)