A lesson in marketing

This morning I attended a tour of my childrens' school by an admissions officer. Whilst we are happy with the school, we learned that should we wish to change to another school for their secondary education, we had to decide soon. (pretty alarming given that they are 5 and 6 years old!). So my wife and I decided to check out both their current school and arguably its biggest competitor.

In both cases we were shown around by an admissions officer. Our first visit was to the competitor school. We left distinctly unimpressed. Sure it has plenty of facilities and the education sounded excellent, but there was no soul. It all felt very mechanical and process driven. Today we went to the secondary section of their current school.

The difference was alarming, but not because of fabric nor because of difference in approach to education. It really came down to the person taking us on the tour and explaining their approach. This lady was clearly passionate about the school. Her own children had been educated there but the key was the enthusiasm with which she presented the school and its approach.

If I could have recorded both experiences, I would be using them when counseling entrepreneurs or business people. This has to be the holy grail. Having employees who genuinely believe in the product (or service) they are selling and are proud to be carrying the business card and doing their job. I saw this in my father and I saw this today.

I am frankly rather jealous of people in this position. It has been sometime since I've had such belief but it is something I am seeking and something that I want to encourage. There are certainly some organisations that succeed in this. I have read articles about people who have the Nike swoosh tatoo'd on their ankle. However, my fear is that this is rare and becoming rarer.

Ever since I left the world of banking, I've striven to understand how to motivate people in ways other than money. Dont get me wrong, money is important as it should be, but as this lady showed this morning, it is possible to become an evangelist for one's employer without having to be motivated by money or position but simply because you genuinely believe in the quality of the product.