Don’t Forget Your Alma Mater

 
Some of the most compelling marketing and sales techniques are now being developed in what was once the sleepy backwaters of the not-for-profit world, and leading that revolution are college and university alumni associations.
 
You have probably noticed an uptick in the frequency and quality of information you have received from your Alma Mater. You can thank technology for that dynamic as the universities deploy ever more sophisticated search and communications methods to keep track of and stimulate their alumni.
 
So here is a question for you as salespeople.
 
If you attended college, and your alumni association is busily communicating with thousands of people you have something in common with, why aren’t you taking an almost free marketing and sales ride on their coat tails?
 
The answer is that you should be, and a number of salespeople I know are, in all sorts of ingenious ways.
 
For example, I know of a graduate of the University of Georgia who started a Bulldog Club in the San Francisco Bay Area. Alumni gather together to tailgate and watch the football games together. And when a graduate moves into town, my friend is notified and he rolls out the welcome wagon. The networking and relationship building dynamic is incredibly powerful.
 
Every salesperson has the opportunity to tap into their alumni network.
 
But the real key is to find a niche and volunteer for an event or project, get to know the professional staff, then leverage the organization in ways which help everyone involved. It’s great fun, it’s good for the community and it can be wonderful for your career over the long run.
 
I think that pretty much fits the definition of the proverbial “no brainer.”