The Importance of Good Storytelling From a Marketing Perspective

When I left DC 3 years ago Union Market was a place only a few people would venture. That has changed to say the least. Now you're more likely to run into a stroller than trouble. Recently during a short moment of relaxation I went to Union Market to get a quick bite to eat.

I had a good knish (not NY good yet satisfactory) at Buffalo Bergen. But I was left with the question of what is the restaurant's story? I don't know how it arrived at Union Market or where it came from. I am certain I will walk away from this place and not remember much about it.  Although the food is good it didn't differentiate itself from any other place. If they had incorporated their story somehow the restaurant would have stuck better. All it would have taken was a table tent with a few paragraphs or even just a small space on the menu.  I imagine the only reason I am writing this is because I have my iPhone and am waiting for them to ring my order up.

Marketing is about engaging the customer in your product. People are becoming more and more selective and want to be engaged in their experience. I thought I just wanted a bite to eat but when I didn’t get the story with the food I noticed how much I missed it. So make sure to understand the importance of storytelling!

Food: 6:10
Service:4:10(but it was busy)
Creating a memory: 2:10

P.S. As of posting this Buffalo Bergen's website isn't up yet either.

The Importance of Admitting to the Elephant in the Room

Over the last few weeks in our marketing class we have discussed sales. One of the largest takeaways from those classes was that one should always admit to the elephant in the room.  The idea being if we acknowledge the tension in the room it will make a sales meeting easier. But for me this idea of recognizing the tension and releasing it is important outside of salesmanship as well.

Comedians make a living off of identifying tension in every day life. Most comedians even the “safest” of them have acts that revolve around telling a story, building tension, and then hopefully releasing it to laughter. This is a simple tactic that allows the comedian to test their audience and get a laugh.

Not being a comedian or a salesman at this point in my life I wanted to see how I could utilize of tension recognition and release in the MSBA program. The answer was simple, group projects. We have already done probably 8-12 group projects, I can remember in each group were someone did step up and acknowledge the tension that made the experience better. Unfortunately I can also remember times were someone did not step up and the group deteriorated.

Group projects are all about each person buying into one another or at least understanding each other. Essentially you are selling yourself to the group. I think that we can all be better workers if we communicate better and just recognize tension with one another.

My Internship

Along with the MSBA program we are asked to maintain an internship. I am currently interning in the Business and Economics office at CUA. What is unique about my job is that I have two bosses. One is Stu McHie, the Program Director for the MSBA program and the other is Beatriz Lopez Bonetti the program director for the Integral Development programs. 

These two bosses could not be much different in their management styles. Mr. McHie manages like an archer, he takes aim at a task and wants it completed. Even when giving multiple assignments I still know which one is to be done first. Ms. Lopez Bonetti manages with a shotgun approach, scatter lots of tasks out there and get as many done as possible. I appreciate each style because it allows me to experience different ways of managing and being managed. 

In my internship I also get to attend different job and graduate fairs. These are great experiences for me because I get to work on my personal relationship skills. At these fairs it is my job to try and sell the program to individuals who may just want to walk by our table without stopping. I enjoy the conversations I have had so far with each person as I attempt to lead them to the various programs that the School of Business and Economics have available. 

This is of course the short list of what I do, but so far the internship is a blast.  

My Journey

My journey to the MSBA program is like that of a coastal mountain road, twists and turns, ups and downs. When I was young I wanted to be a speechwriter. I was influenced by The West Wing TV show, as were many of my generation. That is one of the reasons why I choose to attend college in Washington, DC at The Catholic University of America. Quickly I decided that a Politics major was not for me, so instead chose History as my path. Still believing I wanted to be a speechwriter I interned on Capitol Hill. While I enjoyed my experience on the Hill I learned that at that point in my life it was not yet my destination.

I then thought about higher education administration as a future endeavor. So I began filling out applications to graduate schools for degree programs. I never finished the applications. Instead after graduation I did a year of service with Capuchin friars in New York State leading retreats for young people. It was there that I though I found my calling to study political science. I could study political science and then do what I wanted. So I went to Boston College to study political science for two years. 

I am not a political scientist. Instead I came back to Washington, DC and CUA and am now in the Masters of Science in Business Analysis program. This journey has thus far taught me many things, probably most importantly so far not to look to far ahead and let life take you where it wants.