Episode 1: A Lifetime Opportunity!
By Adebare Egunjobi
OUTLINE
Introduction
Invitation
(A lifetime opportunity!)
Presentation
(WWH vs WWP)
Realization
(Three levels behind!)
Conclusion
(Tomorrow is another day)
THE INVITATION:
A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY
Mr Okonta and three other school owners in the country were invited to an Elite Parents Fair to come and market their schools to highly placed individuals in the country: captains of industries, top bankers, diplomats, political office holders, topmost professionals in the corporate world and very high net worth pillars in the country.
It was a lifetime opportunity for Mr Okonta to showcase his school to the creme-de-la-creme of the society and he was not going to allow this golden opportunity to pass him by.
Armed with a most impressive PowerPoint Presentation about his school, Mr Okonta was convinced that no parent in that hall will be able to resist his strong marketing appeal and they won’t have any choice than to consider his school for patronage. To him, this is the height of marketing!
THE PRESENTATIONS
(WWH vs WWP)
Each of them was given 5 minutes to convince the audience on what makes their schools to be the best choice for their prospective customers.
Mr Okonta was the first in line, and he didn’t disappoint himself
MR OKONTA’S PRESENTATION
With very convincing slides, real life images and catchy captions, Mr Okonta held the audience spell bound as he reeled out the state of art facilities that adorn his school: the well equipped laboratories, the newly renovated studios, the well decorated and well ventilated classrooms, the beautiful sports ground, the interactive boards in the classrooms, the lush green landscape with adorable flowers and
a set of competent members of staff. By the time, he was done, loud ovation rented the air.
Mr Okonta was grinning from ear and ear as he went back to take his seat. He could hear a chatty woman who sat behind him telling her husband, “with these facilities, I think this is the school we are going for”
The husband did not respond, he was only making notes in his jotter.
Mr Okonta was super excited!
THE SECOND PRESENTATION
Then came the second school owner.
He started off by appreciating Mr Okonta for having such beautiful facilities in his school. He then turned to the audience and made an announcement that would change the tone of discussion for the day, and that would change the world of Mr Okonta forever.
“In our school, we have moved from the level of WHAT WE HAVE (WWH) to the level of WHAT WE PRODUCE (WWP). Since your desire is about what becomes of your children if they attend our school, I will show you what we have made out of our students so far”
The whole hall was silent as he clicked on the screen. A list of students attending different universities of repute in Nigeria and abroad popped up.
With their pictures and their full names beautifully and conspicuously displayed, he spent the next five minutes rolling out the names of different universities, the courses, the levels and other information about his school alumni.
“If passing with the best grade and eventually gaining admission to study the best courses in the best universities in Nigeria and beyond is your dream for your child, then WHAT WE HAVE PRODUCED so far is our proof. Your child cannot get less!” He concluded as he left for his seat.
The audience roared with thunderous clapping.
Mr Okonta could hear the chatty woman behind telling her husband again, “This makes a lot of sense, I think we should switch to this second school honey, I can’t wait to see Junior also enter into one of those universities”
The husband didn’t respond, rather he continued with his note making…
Mr Okonta was getting uncomfortable
THE THIRD PRESENTATION
The third school owner came up and built on the foundation laid by the second Presenter. “Like my previous colleague, our strength lies on WHAT WE ARE CAPABLE TO PRODUCE out of our students” he said proudly. And with this, he rolled out his Presentation: list of their students who have won scholarships into many elite American and European universities with full tuition-free concessions. Mouths were opened in awe as the audience saw and heard how much scholarship the students from this school won ranging from $15,000 per session to $22,000 per session, some even included flight ticket concessions as well!
“There is no session in our school when we have less than 30 students on these amazing scholarships in the last 5 years! We save our parents an average of N100m in tuition to send their children to the best universities around the world. Your own child will not be an exception if you give us a chance” he concluded as he left the podium.
The ovation was so loud that the moderator had a tough time calming the crowd down. The chatty woman behind Mr Okonta would not keep quiet “honey, 30 full scholarships running to N100m every year! Whatever we pay as school fees will be worth the investment in this school, Junior just found a school!” she said excitedly like a young child at the sight of chocolates.
The husband continued his writing..
Mr Okonta became uneasy.
THE FOURTH PRESENTATION
“Good day Ladies and Gentlemen” The fourth school owner said as he collected the microphone from the Moderator.
“I want to build on the foundation laid by our second presenter, we have also moved from WHAT WE HAVE, our emphasis now is on WHAT WE PRODUCE”
Mr Okonta frowned.
“But what exactly do we produce?” The fourth Presenter continued as he pointed his clicker to the screen revealing several young men and women in suits and corporate wears,
“We produce the fulfilment of your dreams and aspirations for your child!” He paused.
The silence was palpable in the hall. The attention was rapt. Everywhere became so quiet. Satisfied with the suspense which he has created, he continued:
“We know your dream for your child ultimately and that is exactly what we are giving you: 5 of our former students are currently working with Starbucks, 7 are working with Walmart, 10 are with ExxonMobil. We have 15 students working with Hewlett Packard, Apple and Amazon. 3 of our students are currently working with Huawei while 5 are with Berkshire Hathaway!” As he mentions the companies, he kept backing them up with the images of the students, their years of graduation and their disciplines. Not done yet, he continued
“We have our students working with Nestle, Reckit Beckister, Samsung, KPMG and other leading multinationals around the world”
There was pin drop silence in the hall.
“In our school, we know what employers are looking for in the 21st Century and that is what we packaged in our curriculum. No child can pass through our school, I repeat, no child, can pass through our school and be stranded in the elite labour market. It has NEVER (with deliberate emphasis on the word ‘never’) happened with any of our students before, and it will not and cannot start with your own child”
There was a momentary silence for like 30 seconds and as if choreographed by one invisible force, the whole audience broke the silence almost simultaneously and there was a loud eruption! It was a rapturous ovation. The roof almost caved in. The moderator did not try to control the audience this time around. “What else are waiting for?” The chatty woman asked her quiet husband enthusiastically, albeit rhetorically.
Mr Okonta became downcast
Electronic poll was taken real time, the result was displayed on the large LED screen in the hall: 95% of the elite parents favoured the fourth school. 3% favoured the third school. 2% favoured the second school. Nobody clicked on the green side of Mr Okonta’s school.
Mr Okonta was devastated. He could feel beads of sweat forming on his brow in spite of the chilling air conditioner in the hall.
THE REALIZATION:
THREE LEVELS BEHIND!
He looked at all his flyers with pictures of school buildings and school buses, ICT labs and Science Labs, Studios and classrooms, etc
He shook his head in self pity, tucked his flyers inside his suitcase and muttered to himself “School Marketing has moved three levels ahead of me, and I did not even know when”
CONCLUSION:
TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY
The chatty woman and her husband walked over to Mr Okonta as he drifted towards his car.
“Mr Okonta, well done” she said in her characteristic chatty manner “Why dont you get in touch with the fourth Presenter? He might show you some modern trends in school marketing that you need to know” genuine concern slightly garnished with pity was crystal clear in her tone.
Before Mr Okonta could respond however, her husband cut in,
“Don’t talk to a fellow school owner on this, it might not work that way, talk to his consultant and trainer instead. Whatever soup the parents are looking for, he will give you the recipe”
The man tore a sheet of paper from his neat diary and scribbled a phone number there
“Here is his number:+2347030702497
He will put you through. He has put many people through including that fourth Presenter and yours will not be an exception. In case he doesn’t pick your call however, (he hardly picks calls anyway), then call his Communications Manager on +2348039547006. She will arrange a meeting with him for you. I wish you a better presentation next time”
The man left in company of his wife.
Mr Okonta entered his car and closed the door gently. He heaved a sigh relief as he brought out paper which the man gave him. He looked at the two phone numbers on the paper and talked to himself with a renewed hope: “Okonta, you have always been a fighter and a survivor. Today is just not your day. Tomorrow is another day”
He turned on the ignition as he meandered his car skillfully and resolutely out of the parking lot, in his rear mirror, he could still see the fourth Presenter being surrounded by people swarming around him like bees, sharing flyers, exchanging cards, and grinning from ear.
“Today is your day. Enjoy it while it lasts. Tomorrow is another day”
Okonta drove out of the venue…
INTROSPECTION AND DIGESTION
Who is like Mr Okonta in today’s class? What was running through your mind as you read today’s article? Share your thoughts and lessons