Do as Greeks do, even far from Athens
Published on 11/20/2000 under Potpourri
Having recently returned from an exhausting tour of early Christian churches in ancient Greece, I’ve developed a profound respect for the challenges faced by the people who established those churches as well as an admiration for Greek people in general.
I even noted some valuable lessons for those of us who practice business-to-business marketing communications. Here’s what I mean:
History and tradition are important. Probably more than any other country, the Greeks are proud of their history and traditions. They know them and celebrate them, and they tell anyone who’ll listen about their many accomplishments. It’s called merchandising, and it reminds me that we should never assume others are aware of things we’ve done; they’re too busy trying to remember the things they’ve done themselves.
Sell with passion. The Greeks are a passionate people-they wave their arms and raise their voices. I thought we were going to lose our bus driver several times when he left the bus to argue with other drivers at hopelessly gridlocked intersections.
But passion is something we should all have. Believing passionately in the value of what we do is important, and we should always sell our ideas passionately. You can’t expect to do great work until you learn how to sell the need for great work.
Use your resources wisely. More than 75% of Greece is mountains and rocky terrain, and yet the Greeks are well able to provide for their needs. They grow wonderful fruits and vegetables, and build houses that cling to rocky bluffs in ways that seem to defy gravity. No material or space is wasted.
We should be equally concerned about marshalling our resources for the good of the cause. If top management sees we’re striving to get $2 worth of value for every dollar expended, they’ll be that much more willing to grant us special dispensations for unbudgeted, but vitally important programs and projects.
Exercise your options. Most of us live in countries that have never been conquered by foreign powers, so it’s hard for us to fully appreciate the value of freedom and the many choices we have. Greeks, on the other hand, have been ruled by other empires as often as they have been in control of their own land. They know suffering and defeat, and they know the meaning of having options.
We need to start exercising the freedoms that have been given to us. Too many marcom people box themselves in unnecessarily, shying away from controversial subjects because they don’t want to rock the boat or be perceived as anything but a team player. The problem with that attitude is it gets you relegated to the “B” team. You’re not asked to participate in strategic decisions, because management perceives that you have nothing to offer.
Use the power of networking. I was impressed with the Greeks’ sense of community, even in major cities like Athens (population 4 million) and Thessaloniki (1 million). The streets are our alive with people at all hours of the day and night. Unlike Americans, who scurry back to our fortress homes, lock the doors and plop down in front of our TVs, these people interact.
We can benefit from interacting, too. Sharing ideas with others in the profession is important, and developing a network of suppliers you can call on in any situation or need is essential. In fact, many people would say that who you know is much more important than what you know. (So the next time you receive a notice for an AMA chapter meeting, put it on your calendar immediately and make every effort to attend.)
“How” is just as important as “what.” Not everything I saw in Greece was positive, of course. Many buildings, walls and public places are marred with graffiti. It’s ugly and distracting, and it takes away from the picturesque structures and landscape. In the United States, this would indicate a gang presence, marking territory and warning other gangs to keep away. But in Greece, it’s an accepted vehicle for political commentary.
I have a hard time accepting that such destructiveness is an expression of how one feels about issues. It reminds me that in business, as in politics, the manner in which your message is displayed can sometimes communicate things you never intended. With Athens set to host the Olympic Games in four years, I think the Greeks are going to have to quickly find other forms of expression in a order to put the best face forward for the world to see.
Finish what you start. Seeing so many unfinished houses and commercial buildings in Greece is also disconcerting. They’re not actively under construction, either, because in most cases, no workers or construction materials were within view. I’m told the problem is financing, that it’s hard to get money from banks to build things. People save as much as they can, build a little, then save some more. Sometimes, it takes a lifetime (or more) to build a house.
To me, that’s noble, but sad. If you have a dream and you’re willing to work hard and put all your assets on the line, you ought to be able to see your ideas turn to action. The lesson for businesspeople is that starting things is relatively easy; finishing them, unfortunately, isn’t.
Perception is everything. Greeks have understood this for thousands of years. If your enemy thinks you’re stronger, you are. If your statue is taller and more magnificent, you must be a better ruler. And, more importantly, if your customer thinks your product is a better deal, it must be.
That’s the essential challenge for communicators—to make customers want our products and services more than they want ones offered by competitors. We need to enhance and reinforce the satisfaction they feel when they use our products and services, and keep them sold on our brand despite the fact that we just changed sales reps again or had to increase prices.
If you spend 10 days with a few zealous Greek tour guides, you’ll come away with the feeling that their country is second to none. We can learn a lot from the Greeks about advertising.