TRIPLE WIN ... TRIPLE THREAT
Tom Bagwell, Peterson Power Marketing Manager
Spring 2008
Peterson's Alexandra Munoz and Tom Bagwell hold a check for CalState East Bay - a final WIN
for everyone involved including CSUEB, grad students, Peterson, and Professor Bagwell himself.
This past winter, Tom Bagwell, Peterson Power’s Marketing Manager, decided to give teaching a go. Two weeks later, he was behind a lectern at Cal State East Bay, taking over for a Marketing Professor who was having open-heart surgery. For the next five weeks, Tom spent 3.5 hours on Thursday nights teaching a roomful of grad students the art of negotiation.
“All of life is a negotiation. We do it all the time. I taught them how to prepare for negotiation - how to know what you want and how to implement your strategy. I taught them a lot of practical stuff.” One of his assignments was on persuasion. "We watched a video and then they were to go out and try out the principles in a real-life situation. First, they were to try their own way, and then if that didn't work, to apply one of the new principles and report back to class." Many of the students were astounded by their success. "It's not just some dry textbook theory. These concepts impact our everyday lives." After the last class, students came up to him and asked him what he was teaching the next semester. Obviously, Prof. Bagwell was a big hit.
The next semester, Bagwell was asked to teach the same professor's Promotions class since he was still unable to return. “They had an FBI project they wanted run but they gave me some leeway. So I gave the students a choice. They could participate in an FBI recruiting project, Door No. 1 … or, they could pick the mystery project, Door No. 2.” Out of 40 students, 28 picked the FBI project and 12 chose the mystery assignment, which turned out to be Peterson.
"All of life is a negotiation."
- Tom Bagwell, Marketing Manager, Peterson Power Systems
Bagwell treated it like “The Apprentice”. He brought in subject experts from Peterson so the students could learn about the marketplace from the pros. The Peterson teams got subject experts Eric Martin (PPSI President), Vern Booth (Sales Manager), Roger Wood (Rental Mgr), Jason Hall (Retail Sales Mgr) and Doug Zukowski (President of Ameripumps). For three months, Bagwell had the 12 "Peterson" students working on three different Peterson promotion projects - all for free- and all approved by the college. The projects included:
1. Peterson’s new Industrial compressed air line
2. Relaunching rental (irrigation) pumps
3. Compact CAT generators
The students had to come up with their own messaging and a marketing plan, complete with deliverables like brochures, postcards, mailers and websites. They had access to PPSi marketing staff, and design and print vendors. In the end, the students came up with (nearly) ready-to-go pieces that were fresh, insightful and free. CAT's Western Region Engine Mgr, Bill Giunta, attended the final class presentation and was so impressed that he volunteered to come back and lecture for one night for any future classes Bagwell might teach.
All around, Bagwell’s teaching experience has been a win-win-win for everyone. The students get real life experience and deliverables they can show off in a portfolio. Bagwell gets the fun of teaching and the chance to revisit the basics and sharpen his own skills. Peterson gets fresh new promotional materials on real projects, basically for free, plus an available source of new talent for interns and future employees. And Cal State East Bay gets fabulous teaching for its business school and some really jazzed students.
click here to read one student's experience with the Scarcity Principle
click here to read one student's comments about Professor Bagwell's teaching style |
