It's Not Even Who Knows You...

     Last year, I posted a Marketing Matter that stated "It's not who you know, but who knows you."  Sales guru Jeffrey Gitomer has stated this concept in several of his excellent and inspiring books.

     But I've come to believe that successful marketing is all about making the right connections.  Positioning makes the connection between a product and the audience for which it is intended, and branding reinforces the image of that product in the mind of that audience.

     If you know someone, you can make a connection with that person to get to where you desire to go, obtain what you need, or, at the very least, connect with another person who can help you attain one of the first two potential outcomes.

     But that will only take you so far. When additional business (or enrollment) in the case of a school is necessary, your integrity, reputation and manner in which you deal with others will be shown to others by your example.  You become the person (or your school becomes the institution) that people will seek out because of what you are.  The theory of "Who Knows You" draws people to you and your school.  It's the basis of the success of "Word of Mouth" marketing, and why "Word of Mouth" is the most powerful type of marketing you can emphasize.

     But even focusing on "Who Knows You" will only take you so far.  Consider this story:

One night, at 11:30 PM, an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rain storm.  Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride.  Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car.  A young white man stopped to help her, an action generally unheard of in the conflict-filled 1960's.  The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance, and put her into a taxicab.  She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him.  Seven days went by, and a knock came on the man's door.  To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home.  A special note was attached.  It read, "Than you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night.  The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits.  Then you came along.  Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away.  God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others.  Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.

     The real power is integrity ("Doing the right thing when nobody's watching") - not "Who do you know" (acquaintance) or "Who knows you" (reputation).  You never know who you're going to know.  Therefore, the "integrital" power lies in "Who will you know."  Personal experience reinforces my belief in this concept.  My high school graduating class is planning its 30th reunion.  We were just a bunch of kids three decades ago - but now, our 174 graduates include a Tony award-winning Broadway composer, a television show writer, the chairman of the board of one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the country, and the director of east coast operations for a major automobile manufacturer.

     We can take a lesson from our kids today.  They're starting online social networks (like MySpace and Facebook) to keep in contact with their friends.  Thirty years from now, they'll still be connected - an as long as we teach them to do the right thing when nobody's looking, their connectedness will really make things happen in this world.

     As for right now, who will you meet today that will be a great connection for your school?

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