THE WINNING PERSPECTIVE .

THE USUAL ATTITUDE “Well I guess I have to come up with the next Apple/Big Mac/LuluLemon if I want to do well.” So you have ten minutes, and you get a huge case to read that is essentially asking you to reinvent the wheel. TEN MINUTES, or half an hour, and you’re supposed to come off as the next Steve Jobs. You have to come up with an AMAZING idea, solution, marketing campaign and blow the judges away with it. RIGHT? WRONGO.

“My solution addresses the needs of a business.” THE NEW ATTITUDE “My solution addresses the needs of a business.” Start using ideas that fit the problem, and address the performance indicators, rather than searching for the most amazing incredible fantabulous idea. You still need to be creative and come up with something different, but it is vital that you are giving the judges something to mark you on.

YOUR APPROACH IS Marketable: people will relate to it Sustainable: adaptable, can grow Profitable: makes money and lots of it Unique: stands out in the market Valuable: affordable while surpassing the needs of the customer Well if you were a business looking for a solution to your problem, you would want to see a great plan that had a few key elements to it. This is format in which you want to present your solution...the format in which they want to hear it!

ADDRESS THE INDICATORS “Describe marketing functions and related activities.” “Explain marketing and its importance in a global economy.” “Explain the nature of personnel regulations.” “Describe crucial elements of quality culture.” Each of these performance indicators come from real cases. And though they are broad in terms of their theme, you can use your new approach to incorporate your ideas in to them, while ticking the indicators off your judge’s list. Marketing functions: marketing functions include distribution, pricing, information mgmt, selling, and promotion. Making and maintaining profit via your marketing activities is the ultimate goal. This is why our approach to your marketing problem is a perfect fit: it addresses all of these functions, while resulting in high-profit margins.” Marketing and Global Economy: “Many companies have products with global appeal to them, which is extremely important in the ever expanding global economy. Our product addresses a global need, but also is extremely marketable internationally, in many languages.” Personnel regulations: “Having human resources as a vital part of our company is important while we expand. For regulations from discrimination to payroll to benefits, we need to maintain regulations to continue having inspired staff members. Our staff is our lifeblood for the sustainability of our company, and will truly help us grow and profit in the future.” Quality culture: “A quality culture is not only beneficial for our customers, but also for our employees. If we have a pride of always supplying quality products, it will transcend through our employees work, and become part of our branding. Not only is this an instrumental part of our marketability, but it is valuable and is also unique in a cluttered marketplace.”

MAKE IT MEMORABLE Summarize using your subheadings Use 3-5 points Point out the best parts of your presentation Honestly, your judge is not going to remember every part of your plan, or that one thing you said at the beginning that was REALLY important. They might not have picked up on that. So it’s time to wow them with your finish. I recommend you do this by summarizing your key points. An easy way to do this is use the three to five subheadings you have applied throughout your case. Point out why it is marketable, sustainable, profitable, unique, and valuable, and why that will help the business. This is an extremely impactful way to finish your presentation, and remind them why you did such a great job.

KEYS TO EXAMS Know the lingo of your category and cluster. Think of the “DECA Answer.” Go with your gut and be logical. They aren’t trying to trick you. Knowing the lingo is your best bet to doing better than your opponents. Look at a few exams before hand, and write down the specific terms that come up often that you are confused about. Look them up or have your DECA teachers help you with them. Though there are often two to three answers you may contemplate, having done a few exams and read over the rationale, you can see a pattern which fits with the DECA ideals.

KEY TAKEAWAYS Sell yourself! Be confident in what you are offering. Have fun! Sell yourself...make sure you’re telling them why your idea is great using business applications. Be confident: if you believe it, they will too! Enjoy your experience, there is a lot to take away from it!