Steve Jobs is undoubtedly unparalleled with his contributions, insights and influence in the world of business. As someone who was able to go back and forth between the territories of marketing and design, Jobs was definitely a role model to people who are planning to start their own companies or for those who are studying in school.
Students studying MBA in particular can learn a lot from the Apple founder in terms of presenting a product to the public, which Jobs is known for. Here are some lessons from the great Steve:
Know your product from the inside out
Since you are selling a product, it only follows that you must know everything about it to be able to sell it to a customer. In Steve's case, since he was greatly involved in the design and the production of everything inside the Apple camp, it was expected of him to know all about his product.
Creativity sells
Creativity matters even in business. It's not all about knowing how to deal with suppliers and clients, nor it isn't just about having the skills in balancing finances and costs. It also pays to have a little bit of creativity. After all, creativity is tied up with business, be it through packaging, website design, or even the interior design of your office. Bottom line is, art is everywhere and you should integrate it in your business.
Learn how to impute
The third strategy that Mike Markkula, one of Apple's first investors before it became a household name, was awkwardly called "impute." Markkula said that people do judge a book by its cover. It means that the way to unveil your product to the public should be done in a manner that will make a good lasting impression for your brand and your product. This is the reason why the Apple site only features one product at a time in its homepage. Since Jobs is a big fan of simplicity and integration, the site only shows one product that epitomizes such, which in turn imputes the impression to the person viewing.
Stage a grand event and invite the right people
There are many reasons why events are important. You gain media attention and earn free media values just by inviting media to your product launch. Invite journalists and bloggers for media mileage. It is also your chance to show off your great product so people will talk about it and best of all, purchase it. Make sure to invite movers and shakers in the industry as well as big names to add buzz to your event. Come up with a theme for your launch so that the guests will be wowed even before you reveal your product.
These are just some of the many concepts Steve Jobs applied during his reign at Apple. Apart from what you have learned by experience and all the lessons in business school, his keen sense of detail, passion and persistence are easily some of his best traits that business students and just about anyone who wants to succeed in business should have.
Justin Epley is an independent researcher and freelance writer. He extensively researches online education programs, such as Executive MBA programs. His articles mainly appear on higher education blogs.
