Athletic Director's Update

[Vespidae]

I was the senior partner responsible for business development in ourpipeline engineering company.

I changed out the sales method by eliminating the salesmen.

We had divided the company into divisions headed by senior v p and they ruled there group.

We were all 100% billable.

I hired a cajon sales man.

The salesman was given no office and told to take the mangers to lunch w thier clients. No reports . Just an invoice and expense statement with list who went to lunch . I kept master list and made sure the managers took one of their engineers to meet the same client and his engineer. Rinse wash repeat.
WE GOT ALL THE WORK THROUGH THE "ENGINEERS RELATIONSHIPS " Several of the better engineers became partners.

Gt recruiting
Of course use data to guide it
Imo
We need more g a 's talking to h s coaches and hs position coaches to set up our coaches/ recruiter meetings.
and families.
If there isnt a limit on number of g a , I would use them to the max. They are young, eager, and cheap. Never let them recruit, but make them as a visible extension of our position coach/ chief recruiters.
Working w the guys under the H s head coach is important. Andy made 2 trips to pensacola high for ol p 5 recruits. H S coaches asked if we are really INTERESTED. Note sewak never came.

A bunch of GA touches would be remembered ,BUILD RELATIONSHIPS, and some GA could become head coaches.

Trivia question - what was the head coach of Tennesse doing 10 years ago - GA at Alabama.

OH WELL end of business development rant.
Engineers believe they will get what they deserve in the end. They usually do get it in the end.

Great post. People buy from people.

Dodd had remarked that he knew every HS kid and every player in Atlanta. That's what he wanted ... the hometown team. Good relationships would bring the kids, and those kids would bring their families and friends to watch him play. And he'd play harder ... because he was playing for them.

Dodd cared about attendance. That was back when the coach got paid a cut of the gate.

 

[Milwaukee]

I was the senior partner responsible for business development in ourpipeline engineering company.

I changed out the sales method by eliminating the salesmen.

We had divided the company into divisions headed by senior v p and they ruled there group.

We were all 100% billable.

I hired a cajon sales man.

The salesman was given no office and told to take the mangers to lunch w thier clients. No reports . Just an invoice and expense statement with list who went to lunch . I kept master list and made sure the managers took one of their engineers to meet the same client and his engineer. Rinse wash repeat.
WE GOT ALL THE WORK THROUGH THE "ENGINEERS RELATIONSHIPS " Several of the better engineers became partners.

Thanks for sharing this, I enjoyed it. I want to ask how long ago this approach was used though, as in my current market most potential customers would see right through this. I've heard some of the old-timers in my industry tell similar stories. I'm always fascinated by sales stories and experiences so please continue to share.

 

[katlong]

the last "pretty" loss I can remember was the 2014 ACCCG against FSU. I felt that we probably played our absolute best against a CFP team and went toe to toe with them for the most part. That's the last time I felt "good" after a GT loss.

Probably one of my favorite GT game experiences - and I was there for the 90 season when we won as champs. There was something special about that game...and the energy in the stadium when they finally believed they could win.

 

[iceeater1969]

Great post. People buy from people.

Dodd had remarked that he knew every HS kid and every player in Atlanta. That's what he wanted ... the hometown team. Good relationships would bring the kids, and those kids would bring their families and friends to watch him play. And he'd play harder ... because he was playing for them.

Dodd cared about attendance. That was back when the coach got paid a cut of the gate.

At ND the old farts that put on thier green blazers do a great job as in game ambassadors.

I moved up seats up from behind the bench to row 26. We were with young folks and coaches families and now we are with old gt farts.

We have a huge pool of potential ambassadors.

We have a great football history.

Gtaa could announce a plan to do this and seek volunteers and input. I believe it could be self funding.

 

[awbuzz]

It's how we've lost that matters, and better recruits aren't going to fix that. We can't stop putting the ball on the ground, we couldn't kick worth a crap last year and the beginning of this year. Our special teams were generally a joke. Collapsing at the end of halfs and at the end of games when we have a lead. It goes on and on.

We can raise a billion dollars and we are always going to be at a disadvantage somehow because we aren't a normal school. Don't make things harder than they have to be. Take good angles, wrap up, don't fumble, get the snap off cleanly, stop getting dumb penalties and kicked out of games, and learn to cover kickoffs. I just want to see smart and sound football again.

... yes, better recruits (not knocking our current players) would make a difference. If we took our starters and then added UGA's or Alabama's 2nd string, I truly believe we'd be 6-1 right now. (Some of those 2nd stringers would become starters at GT.)

 

[RonJohn]

... yes, better recruits (not knocking our current players) would make a difference. If we took our starters and then added UGA's or Alabama's 2nd string, I truly believe we'd be 6-1 right now. (Some of those 2nd stingers would become starters at GT.)

That is probably the biggest thing. For a while, the second team defensive players for Alabama could have started at pretty much any other school.(Including the other SEC schools) Even some of their third string defensive players could have started for other teams. When you have an injury on the line, or LB, or DB, and the next guy is just as good it doesn't hurt the team.

 

[awbuzz]

That is probably the biggest thing. For a while, the second team defensive players for Alabama could have started at pretty much any other school.(Including the other SEC schools) Even some of their third string defensive players could have started for other teams. When you have an injury on the line, or LB, or DB, and the next guy is just as good it doesn't hurt the team.

+1

 

[smathis30]

The last numbers I think were 32% out of state 12% international. 56% in state. Try that at uga and see what happens.

it might be that now when i was a tour guide thats what i was told

 

[iceeater1969]

Thanks for sharing this, I enjoyed it. I want to ask how long ago this approach was used though, as in my current market most potential customers would see right through this. I've heard some of the old-timers in my industry tell similar stories. I'm always fascinated by sales stories and experiences so please continue to share.

Hired Big O in 2001. The oil business is boom or bust and as a service company that survived we had long term relationships. Our pipiline engineering , project management segment was a small niche but we hit big w the fracking.

The secret was getting our current clients to socialise with prospective clients. (Think our satisfied senior players visit with key incoming recruits) . I would tell the prospect we will do everything we can to have u be a good reference. Regardless I will have your name in our references. That commitment was my ticket to come see them as a project sponsor.

Lots of fun and lots of struggle.
We were the first to use GPS in pipeline. I put on golf tournament and awarded prizes for the longest put on 18th hole. We shot the golf balls , labeled the clients name, recorded if made. During the post golf party we post processed and printed out the green with all the made puts. In auto cad we measured the distance to com level. Can u say land office business in surveying.


We also lucked out that Enron was a bunch of jerks. We were working for 4 of their subs. Enron came and changed the contracts to be direct w subs. But Enron would pay- always 90 days past due. Then they got in trouble and told us tough crap we are doing bad so wont pay. 4mill receivables went to 5. Then they went bankrupt = first order judge made was have the pipeline subs that were making money pay us so we could keep working.

When we sold company(1200 engineers, drafts, surveyors inspectors), new guys added sales staff and locked the engineers in building = disaster. Hired me back in 12-14 to rehire good managers and get relations repaired. Old company is doing several projects thru ga.

I owe one thing to ga tech. She taught me how to compete against the best.

I bet there are many stories on this board.

Wish gtaa could tap in on the potential of our grads.

 

[Vespidae]

At ND the old farts that put on thier green blazers do a great job as in game ambassadors.

I moved up seats up from behind the bench to row 26. We were with young folks and coaches families and now we are with old gt farts.

We have a huge pool of potential ambassadors.

We have a great football history.

Gtaa could announce a plan to do this and seek volunteers and input. I believe it could be self funding.

This is a great idea. A Rambling Reck Club for the Alumni. Wear a gold blazer and work the West Stands. Why are we paying others to fake hospitality when we could do it ourselves?

 

[COJacket]

I agree. We ain't Harvard. What we are is a medium-sized STEM school that specializes in engineering. And, in that, we are way better than Harvard

While not perfect, here are the latest US News Rankings for each of Georgia Tech's engineering majors:

#1 Industrial/Manufacturing

#2 Aerospace

#2 Chemical

#2 Civil

#2 Mechanical

#3 Biomedical

#3 Materials

#4 Environmental

#4 Electrical

#5 Computer Engineering

Top 4 overall undergraduate engineering, tied with Cal Tech.
https://coe.gatech.edu/news/all-programs-crack-top-5-us-news-undergrad-rankings

And that is not elitist that is just a fact

 

[iceeater1969]

And that is not elitist that is just a fact

Could u please list the number UPPER CLASS MEN ( non kickers) players we have in these stem classes. ?

It seems like Almost ALL the team is NOT STEM and hasn't been for a long long time.

I would like some additional quality (not clemson) degrees and I am fine w players taking business admin.

STEM STEM STEM, why is that relevant to the players?

 

[augustabuzz]

Could u please list the number UPPER CLASS MEN ( non kickers) players we have in these stem classes. ?

It seems like Almost ALL the team is NOT STEM and hasn't been for a long long time.

I would like some additional quality (not clemson) degrees and I am fine w players taking business admin.

STEM STEM STEM, why is that relevant to the players?

All degree paths at Tech are Bachelor of Science.

 

[MikeJackets1967]

Could u please list the number UPPER CLASS MEN ( non kickers) players we have in these stem classes. ?

It seems like Almost ALL the team is NOT STEM and hasn't been for a long long time.

I would like some additional quality (not clemson) degrees and I am fine w players taking business admin.

STEM STEM STEM, why is that relevant to the players?

GT could get UT,Florida,FSU,Clemson,UGAG and South Carolina type players if they added a Custodial Engineering Major

 

[iceeater1969]

This is a great idea. A Rambling Reck Club for the Alumni. Wear a gold blazer and work the West Stands. Why are we paying others to fake hospitality when we could do it ourselves?

We got to the stadium really early and saw those old guys getting their blazers from a special trailer. They went around the campus welcoming the gt fans. They showed us where the band would play, where the guys in the kilts would perform, where some music was being performed. These guys weren't ticket takers. Best example I can make is the Jewish tour guide in Isreal. These folks knew the history of ND football. I asked one guy about a the significance of something presented on a bronze plaque. Blah, blah, blah and u realized he loved talking about ND . They sell their program.
Can u imagine our gt ambassadors escorting some of the recruits families around the stadium. ?

Wife says she wants to go back to nd next time we play. I highly recommend it to all.

Wish we had about 10 gtaa tailgate spots. Oh that would be marketing.

 

[gtg970g]

Just received AD Update v2.0; check your promotions and spam folders if you don't see it. AT Fund million raised $30 million which is $12 million more than prior year. Hope we can keep up this momentum.