Let the Product Do the Talking

Donors and close friends of Wayne State University were recently invited to the Masonic Temple to hear from Wayne State President M. Roy Wilson about the latest happenings on campus and the status of the Capital Campaign.  It was a lovely evening with food, cocktails and mingling but the real star of the show wasn't President Wilson.

While the President did give a brief update about the University, he spent the bulk of his time at the podium moderating the remarks of four Wayne State undergraduate students.  After introducing each, he allowed them to say a few remarks about their experience on campus as a student.

This is always a gamble.  When I used to plan and host Visit Days at another university, a great deal of prep time was always spent recruiting and rehearsing with college students to allow them to take the microphone and talk to prospective students and parents.  It's not easy to find students who will willingly do this and who can be engaging and conversational while also saying what you want them to say.  The goal is for the students to appear poised and polished, while also coming off as genuine and unscripted.  What often results is that some students appear overly practiced while others seem like they could have used a bit more rehearsal time.

While President Wilson is always an engaging presenter, the audience enjoyed hearing from the students.  We got a little different flavor of the Wayne State experience every time the microphone was passed.  This variety kept our interest and we could see where our donations are going and the impact we are making.  Don't be afraid to let your product take the microphone, be they clients, customers, students or patients.  Just be sure you rehearse with them first.