Introducing the Big Joe

Big Joe Dorm Chair Review

Measurements: 33″ x 32″ x 25″

Disclosure: I have a material connection because I received a gift or sample of a product for consideration in preparing to write this content. I was/am not expected to return this item or gift after my review period.

This is a step above a circular bean bag chair. It is a bean bag with good support. It takes the shape of an actual chair, which is great. It puts some class to the bean bag furniture world. The best way to sit in the chair is to slouch and rest your head on top of the headrest. I can see this being a great addition for a dorm room or use as a chair while playing video games. I recommend this chair to anyone living in college dorm rooms.

http://www.comfortresearch.com/products/big-joe/big-joe-dorm-chair.asp

Hey Gen X’er: Sell Me!

From my Campus Commandos Blog

I recently watched an episode of Men of a Certain Age on TNT. In one scene, a Gen Y’er was walking into a dealership to look at a Chevy Camero. He had his cell phone out before the salesperson even walked up to him. He knew what he should be paying, the pros and cons from reading reviews and even facts about the individual dealership. This got me thinking….

For a salesperson, Gen Y’ers will be harder to sell than older consumers. They’ve already looked at reviews online and think they know everything they need to know, so it’s hard to sell them a leather seat upgrade. It could, however, be a much faster sale since they know what they want and exactly how much they’re willing to pay.

As a salesperson, Boomers were great customers. They were receptive to help, and recognized the expertise and product knowledge a salesperson could offer. On top of that, they were more interested than Gen Y in accessories and leather seat upgrades.

The availability of information has changed the sales process, especially for high ticket items like cars.

Sales execs, how have you adapted your own sales process to work with Gen Y as well as older generations?
To start ask a Gen Y’er, how much research do you do before making a purchase? What makes you purchase an item at one store over another? It is important to keep asking these questions. Don’t simply build your plan from 1 market research study you saw online. Especially those that are over a year old. You need to understand it by asking questions.

New Business Card

If you are in the marketing/advertising industry doesn’t it make sense to brand yourself so potential clients can see your ability before they have you brand them? At Campus Commandos we use a military theme.

Three ways to connect with campus organizations

1. HELP THEM FUNDRAISE

Student organizations often partner with companies or brands for fundraising purposes. The best time to reach out to these groups is often at the start of the fall semester, when new leadership begins settling into their positions and clubs start developing fundraising goals for the year. You will likely work with one or two members of the group’s executive board, who will try to motivate their fellow members to participate but may end up shouldering the bulk of the work themselves.

Include incentives for superior performance into your program to encourage participation. Every organization is different, for some participation is voluntary and for others it’s mandatory. Be sure to ask how the executive board motivates the general membership.

2. HELP THEM GET A JOB

Or build their resume, or land an internship, or offer some other useful advice. Some student organizations have hundreds of members. Attending a meeting as a guest speaker can be a smart way to reach large groups of students in a short amount of time. Contact the executive board and express interest in becoming a guest speaker at an upcoming meeting. To secure face time, focus your presentation on topics relevant to their membership such as “how to land a job” or “how to network”. Tie in your services or product at the end of your presentation. Always bring hand outs to distribute during your speech. 

It’s also best to target campus organizations that share missions similar to your business. Our friends over at Campus Buzz gave us a great example…For instance, if you own a pet store you should reach out to the pre-veterinarian or humane society organizations on campus. Create meaningful, sustaining relationships with these organizations. A list of student organizations can usually be found online through student life, activities board, programming board department websites. The organizations often list their contact information on their website. 

3. FEED THEM

If you want a student organization to really pump up the attendance for a particular meeting, buy a bunch of pizzas to serve before your presentation. Events advertising free food are almost always better attended than those that don’t. Providing the e-board with flyers about your talk will help get the word out.

After the meeting stay awhile to talk with the students and encourage them to contact you. The ones that stay in touch can be great resources for additional information about the campus or even leads for future interns. 

If you would like to learn more about promoting your products or services on college campuses, please contact Adam Grant at adam@campuscommandos.com.

Tip for College Marketers

Quick Tip: Follow universities on Twitter. There are many departments tweeting for their university. Departments like University Activities Board, Student Life, Career Services and The Union. Campus Commandos follows the universities they are doing business on and reposts activities happening on campuses so their clients can see what is happening.