Chapter 305: Focus on the future

In 2013, the lecture hall of the University of Southern California's School of Business was filled with a lively atmosphere. From 8:00 a.m., there was a long line at the door of the lecture hall.

'Classmate, what's going on here? Why are there so many people queuing up? Is some celebrity going to give a speech?' A passer-by asked curiously.

In response to this question, the USC students all proudly puffed out their chests and replied, "Of course, Mr Kohler is going to give a speech today!'

'Mr Kohler? Are you talking about that Mr Kohler?" The question turned into surprise.

'Yes, that's the Mr Kohler. He's a marketing guru in the United States, a marketing consultant at the biggest car company. He's been to every university in the United States. Do you see those people in suits and glasses? They're the owners of major companies in Los Angeles. They all came here especially to listen to Mr Kohler's lecture today after hearing that he was coming!'

Looking in the direction of the USC student's finger, I could indeed see many middle-aged men in sharp suits in the crowd. Although USC is a very open institution of higher learning, and there are often all kinds of people, or tourists from other countries, their balding heads or weathered faces still made people feel very uncomfortable.

Suddenly the door to the lecture hall opened, and there was a flurry of noise at the door. Then people entered with their respective invitations. Fifteen minutes later, all 2,500 people had taken their seats in the lecture hall.

It was 9:30 a.m. When the host finally took the podium, after a brief introduction, he introduced Mr. Kohler.

Kohler was a white man in his fifties with a distinct Mediterranean hairstyle. He walked up to the stage and gave a brief self-introduction: 'Hello everyone, I'm Kohler. You should all know me. I'm a consultant who sells things. I'm very happy to be here at the University of Southern California today. The University of Southern California is a prestigious institution of higher learning with a long history. I'm proud and proud to be here.'

Then Kohler changed the subject and continued, 'Marketing is just a process of selling products to customers, but there are many methods and means involved. It is the differences in these methods and means that lead to the disparity between companies. Some companies can sell out on the first day a product is launched, while others are always worried about how to sell the products they have in stock. This is the charm of marketing!'

'Actually, I studied history, so in that respect I should be like a cowboy, taking a small hammer around to excavate. But that doesn't seem to be the case.'

Kohler made a half-hearted joke and continued, 'Many people have asked me why I chose marketing, and I always tell them a story, a story I experienced myself.'

'I don't know if you've heard of the dormitory convenience store project, which involves turning your dormitory or renting a dormitory and turning it into a convenience store, and then selling the things you find in convenience stores outside, preferably food and daily necessities. Of course, because it is a dormitory convenience store, the prices here are generally higher than outside.'

Koller looked around the room and said, 'Does everyone find this very simple? Do you think I'm talking nonsense, even giving such a simple example? But what I want to tell you is that even with such a project that anyone can do, the results will be very different.'

'So what would you do? Wait in the dormitory for other students to come buy one by one? Inform them verbally through your classmates and friends? Or distribute flyers directly in each dormitory, or call each dormitory to inform them?' Kohler asked, and finally defined it himself, "These are the most common and normal marketing methods, but also the ones that require the least cost!'

Kohler's words suddenly stopped here, and then he asked, "But do you know how else to market it?'

Everyone else shook their heads instinctively, and Kohler continued, 'Actually, you could also organise a really great party, and at the end of it, launch your convenience store project at the right time, so that everyone remembers it right away.'

Kohler immediately added, 'But please note that at this time, do not be impatient and open the dormitory convenience store, but wait for a while. At this time, many people will definitely ask what is going on with the dormitory convenience store. Then, after the curiosity of the people has been aroused to the maximum, suddenly announce the opening of the convenience store. In this way, customers driven by curiosity will be like avid believers, frantically throwing money into your convenience store.'

Kohler paused again at this point, and then asked, 'I know you must have all sorts of questions, but please don't worry, just ask one at a time.'

Köhler made a gesture of invitation, and someone immediately stood up and asked, 'Mr. Köhler, aren't you just using a form of hunger marketing? This doesn't seem unusual, and I doubt that it is worth it to hold a great party for a dormitory convenience store project. After all, the cost of the party is not small, and I'm afraid it will take a long time for the dormitory convenience store to make a profit.'

The first person's words resonated with the others, and someone immediately chimed in, 'Exactly, it's just a small dormitory convenience store project, just casually handing out flyers will be just as effective. After all, the dormitory is such a small place, and when there's nothing to sell at night, you have to go there, so why bother with any promotional parties or marketing? Isn't that a waste of energy?'

Facing the audience's doubts, Kohler did not rush to speak, but waited until everyone had voiced their questions before he slowly spoke: 'At one time, I had the same thoughts as you, but then I realised that this idea was absurdly stupid.'

Kohler's assertion caused an uproar in the audience, and everyone looked at each other, not knowing how to react to Kohler's assertion.

Kohler waited on stage for the commotion to gradually die down before continuing: 'Why do you have such thoughts? It's just that you think a dormitory convenience store project is not a project at all, because it can only make very limited money, so it's not worth investing too much in, right?'

When Kohler finished asking on the stage, many people in the audience nodded in silence, obviously agreeing with Kohler's view. However, Kohler then continued, 'If you look at it from the perspective of income alone, this is true, but if you really regard this as a trial of entrepreneurship, you will feel that it is very necessary, because this is a complete marketing campaign.'

'First, the project is established, which is the convenience store in the dormitory; then the legal procedures are handled, which is to find a way to get authorization from the dormitory teacher in charge; then there will be promotion, and finally the first day of the market for the dormitory convenience store will be opened using the method of starvation marketing.'

Köhler spread his hands and continued, 'I can see that there are many friends from enterprises in the audience, and I think you are very familiar with this process, because this is basically the normal way you usually start a business.'

'And after the market is opened? You can have a special price promotion for one product every day, or you can let the students in the dormitory vote for certain products to be on sale on specific days. These are all very effective ways to get customers moving and protect your market,' said Kohler.

'The next thing I want to say is for the students here to hear,' said Kohler. 'Before today's class, I also did some surveys at USC. During the process, many students complained to me that companies now hope to recruit people with very strong marketing experience, but how could they have any marketing experience when they have just graduated from school? So I can now say very clearly that it is not that there is no such experience, but that you are just unwilling to do it!'

'Not to mention anything else, just take this dormitory convenience store project, at least among the people I've met, almost no one has done it. It's not that they can't think of it, but they don't want to do it. Even among those who have done this project, I can hardly find one who is really doing it seriously.' Kohler added, 'Since none of you are willing to use your brains and think about those things, how can you blame the companies and complain that you don't have marketing experience?'

'Opportunity is a very wonderful thing. Countless people have complained about not having opportunity, but in fact opportunity always appears in the most subtle places. Many people hastily miss it, or simply don't want to do certain things, so how can there be opportunity?'

Having said this, Kohler sighed and continued, 'In the past, I was just such a person. I always thought that I came from a bad background and that I didn't have much opportunity, but it wasn't until I saw the project of this dormitory convenience store that I realised that it was my own horizons that were too narrow.'

'Since then, I have been working hard to change myself. Although it had been several years since I graduated from Harvard, I still humbly followed the owner of the dormitory convenience store, just like a student. Then, more than 20 years passed, and now I am standing on the stage giving a speech to you, Kohler,' Kohler said. "If I can do it, why can't you?'

Kohler's words gave a lot of students below confidence. At this time, someone also asked, "Mr. Kohler, if you say so, did you come up with the dormitory convenience store project?'

Facing this question, Kohler smiled embarrassedly and said, 'In fact, I also hope that I came up with this project, but unfortunately, I don't have such foresight, or I don't have the foresight to look to the future from a small thing. Like all of you, I also thought it was unnecessary at the time. The person who could think of and do this small thing must have great achievements.'

'So what exactly were you, Mr. Kohler?' the audience below asked, not giving up.

'It seems you really care about this,' Kohler said, 'so I might as well tell you. I'm sorry to say that at the time, I was just the warden of the dormitory, so I witnessed the whole process, including the first day of sales under the influence of the hunger marketing, which exploded. You would never have imagined that a dormitory convenience store could have a turnover of more than 50,000 US dollars a day.'

Finally, this news was like a red-hot iron, causing the scene to boil over.