Month: September 2013

Last night, I attended our city-wide college fair.  Approximately 75 schools were represented — all lined up in neat little rows behind the standard issue 8 foot tables.  Rules prohibit most elements of personalization, so everyone had similar looking brochures, inquiry cards and pens, a listing of majors and smiling representatives to tell the families wonderful things about their institution. 

I went as a stealth shopper and by eavesdropping heard the same things from many institutions — “We offer athletic scholarships” (said as if they were the only campus there who did).  “We are small, friendly and caring.”  “We have lots of student organizations and ways to be involved on campus.”  

It makes me wonder how a student ever can distinguish among all the choices and make a decision.

It also reminded me of the paper bag exercise I wrote about last October* in which participants secretly put something in a lunch bag that is a symbolic representation of themselves without being blatantly obvious.  Other participants then try to guess whose bag it is and then the owner shares the story of why those particular objects were chosen.

This college fair was like rows of paper bags.  Most were small, private colleges and at this level, they all appeared to be the same lunch bag.  The state schools were there, and aside from distinguishing themselves by being a bigger bag, they too were bragging about scholarships and “friendly”.  There were a few different color bags that stood out: the National Guard, cosmetology schools or a bible college, but for the most part everyone looked the same.

If you are the shopper — whether for colleges or another service — I think it helps to recognize that at some level there is little distinction.  Anyone can make a paper bag look great on the outside; it’s what is inside that matters.  You need to take the time to open up a few bags and hear the stories that go with them.  Hopefully one will resonate with you and call you to write your own story there.  

And if you are the organization, reconsider your participation in events where all the paper bags are lined up in rows.  If you can’t highlight your distinctions there, maybe your time is better spent elsewhere.

*Blog #138, October 17, 2012

My sister sent me an interesting link regarding a Business Insider poll that was conducted with 1600 Survey Monkey users.  They asked participants to answer opinion questions about states other than their own.  Results are then shown in a series of interesting maps:
http://www.businessinsider.com/poll-how-americans-feel-about-the-states-2013-8

Examples include:
> Which state is the nicest?  [The survey says: Georgia and Minnesota]

> Which state is your favorite?  [California and Colorado]

>  Which state has the ugliest residents?  [Alabama]

> Which state is the rudest?  [New York]

You can follow the link for more results.  What strikes me is how people have formed opinions about these things and are willing to choose one state out of the Union to make their judgment.  It is doubtful that the voters have even been to all the states they chose, let alone know enough information to make a reasoned choice, but they cast their answers anyway.

And so it goes with your organization.  People who may have never interacted with you are forming perceptions — not only about you, but how you stack up against your peers.  The U.S. News and World Report college rankings [something I loathe] gives campuses a peer assessment score that figures into where colleges rate.  The peer voters may have never heard of your school or be ignorant of any changes you have made, but they rate you anyway.

You need to acknowledge the reality that people are forming perceptions of you.  Do what you can to provide those who do know you with factual information and stories to share, and don’t lose sleep over the judgments people are making without merit.  They’re probably all just from that rude state anyway, right?