i’m peter and i work in business development at magoosh. part of my job is selling magoosh packages to schools, universities, and organizations that need to improve students’ standardized test scores. sales is not typically a field associated with “values,” but we’re working hard to de-ickify our own sales process. let me explain how.
de-ickifying sales
at magoosh, we believe strongly in our core values. core values are a tricky thing — they have the power to dramatically shape the culture of an organization, but they can also just be a load of horse hockey. (it is often pointed out, for example, that one of enron’s core values was actually “integrity.”)
magoosh’s values are designed to be useful in decision making — they take the form of an inequality (great thing > good thing). by writing them this way, they force us to think about the tradeoffs we make whenever we make a difficult decision.
so how does sales strengthen our values? below are three particularly relevant values and how they influence how we sell and who we sell to.
values first, sales second
data > intuition
our test prep experts have designed great products, but we don’t just rest on their genius and assume magoosh will work — we work hard to make sure it does. we go above and beyond to ensure our students are successful using magoosh. because magoosh is an internet company, we are able to collect tons of data on how students use and learn from our products. when we sell to groups and programs, we’re able to look at the data they generate to make sure magoosh is working well. we are constantly evaluating, tweaking, testing, and analyzing, all in the name of making the most effective possible products. knowing these data-driven improvements make the magoosh experience more valuable for our clients makes the entire sales process more valuable in return.
wow > profit
at magoosh, we aim to wow our students with over-the-top service. if, looking at the data, we see that one of our customers is having a hard time succeeding with their students, then we’ll drop everything to help out. we collaborate with group directors to analyze data, brainstorm strategies, and share best practices — all at no additional charge. and it’s not just our biggest customers that get this kind of service — we’re here to help, whether the group is 100 students at a test prep center in india or 10 students in a summer program in indio. ensuring that our customers are successful means ensuring that students learn as much as possible and get the best scores on their exams. and that means opening doors to great educational opportunities.
accessible > exclusive
our goal is to help everyone study for gateway exams like the sat, gre, and gmat — and i do mean everyone. our premium product is very affordable, but we also offer many products completely for free. everyone can read the nearly 1000 posts on our blogs, use our free vocabulary flashcard apps, or watch our great free videos (gmat tuesdays and vocab wednesdays, among others!). as a result of this study smorgasbord, our students come from all walks of life and nearly every country (we’re coming for you, central african republic). and, not to besmirch the competition, but our premium products are priced at just a fraction of the cost of in-person test prep courses. that means people everywhere are getting access to high-quality test prep.
it’s great to come to work at a place with a strong and vibrant culture. it’s even better when that culture helps us promote diversity, inclusion, and equality in education. if you’re interested in learning how magoosh can help your school, group, or non-profit, visit us at partner with us!
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