A new feature to this blog: a communicator of the week, where we give a shout out to someone we think is persuasive and effective in the art of communication. And sometimes these folks are found in the most unexpected places.
Last week I found a marketing star in Cleveland on the campus of Case Western Reserve University. Mark, a proud member of the campus police force, made the most persuasive case for a prospective student to attend the university. We first met Mark crossing the street where he stood in his bright green vest directing traffic. Instead of just motioning us to cross the street as most police officers do, he invited us to the other side with his big smile and booming voice: “Come on over, my new family. ”
He reappeared later on a Segway-like device, stopping the tour and asking the students what year they were in and telling them that he’d be waiting for them to arrive, even though they had a year or two before college. Then he talked about how safe the campus was, what a great education you could get there and how much he cares about the school and the campus. He talked about how he helped students with their work and how he advocated on behalf of students with professors. Not your typical police officer. But certainly a great communicator. He gave the school a personality. My daughter was ready to apply just based on Mark.
Marketing Lessons Learned from Mark
1) He believed and had passion for his subject.
2) He listened to his audience and worked hard to connect with them and their issues. He made you feel that he cared.
3) He repeated his messages several times throughout the conversation but used different words to convey the same ideas so it didn’t feel repetitous.
4) He used humor.
5) He told stories.
Hats off to you Mark as our vote for communicator of the week.
