The role of marketing and sales in academia is more prevalent than many realize.
When I was (among other roles) a researcher and lecturer in academia (way back in 2008-2010 – time flies when you’re having fun!), I was considered a bit of an “odd bird” among my colleagues and other professors.
I taught a course at the University of Haifa called “The Art of Persuasion,” gave lectures at academic conferences in Israel and abroad on my research topic, participated in conference panels, and spoke to young doctoral students.
I constantly talked about terms like “marketing,” “sales,” “branding,” “leveraging research,” and especially the forbidden word in academia, the one you’re not supposed to mention (just like “Voldemort” in the Harry Potter books): “money.”
I distinctly remember times when I would speak in academic discussions with colleagues or in front of audiences of professors and doctoral students about how one could earn money from their unique expertise. I could sense the unease in the audience and hear murmurs of discontent with my approach.
The reaction from colleagues stemmed from the prevalent attitude in academia that “in the ivory tower” you don’t market or sell, that research is done not for monetary gain but for the joy and mission of it, that earning a lot in academia is unnecessary, that academic research should not be “commercialized,” and so on.
My approach was different, sometimes even the opposite.
Firstly, there’s no contradiction between doing what you love, acting out of a mission to improve the world and your field, and earning money from it.
Secondly, anyone who has invested years in research and paid – directly or indirectly – a great deal of time, money, energy, and opportunity cost (forfeiting amounts and things they could have achieved in that time) absolutely deserves to be paid well for their unique knowledge.
Thirdly, if I’ve “spent” 5, 6, or 7 years of my life researching a single research question (each research project, academic paper, and doctoral dissertation centers on a specific question), I am the number one expert in the world on that topic. Not just in Israel – worldwide!
No one – anywhere in the world – has spent more time than me researching that specific question.
Back then, and still today, I believed that academia is hypocritical in looking down on the business sector and the marketing efforts of individuals, businesses, and companies – because academia does the exact same thing, only under different names.
For example, what’s a “Master’s degree”? It’s simply an upsell! Finished a Bachelor’s in law? They offer you a Master’s in law – that’s upselling! You bought something, and they offer you more of it. Continuing to a Master’s means paying the university for two more years of studies (plus, the university also receives funding from the government for each student).
What about a “combined program” (studying two degrees simultaneously, like when I studied law and economics in my Bachelor’s)?
That’s cross-selling!
Offering you a complementary product to what you’ve already bought, just like they offer you dessert after you’ve ordered a main course at a restaurant or travel insurance when you buy a flight ticket. You signed up for a Bachelor’s in law (meaning you paid the university for a year of studies and committed to three more)? Now they suggest doing an additional degree in parallel, giving you complementary knowledge (and costing you more during this period, while the university receives double funding for you).
What’s a “Call for Proposals” (an invitation in academia to submit research proposals for a particular grant, present at international conferences, or publish a scientific paper in an academic journal)? It’s basically a tender!
You’re competing with others under defined conditions, and if selected, you receive money – grants, research funding, travel abroad on the university’s expense, and more.
And what’s a “scholarship” in academia? Brace yourselves – it’s a… discount!
Yes, the “list price” of the degree is a certain amount, but because of good grades in school or a previous degree/because you’re a minority/from a peripheral area/a combat soldier/fill in the blank – you pay significantly less for the degree.
Scholarships are entirely legitimate, don’t get me wrong, and they’re an essential tool in academia for “opening doors” and making knowledge and degrees accessible to all. I also benefited from merit-based scholarships in my Master’s and PhD (though I wasn’t financially in need – I already had a profitable business then. But I’ll always accept gifts from the government, especially given how rare they are and how I earned them through honest hard work – and considering the enormous taxes I pay).
There’s nothing wrong with giving scholarships, but let’s call it what it is – it’s a discount and an “excuse” for why many students don’t actually pay the full price for their degree (universities receive subsidies and funding for each student, so no need to worry about them…).
I mention this because I distinctly remember a heated debate I had with a colleague, who insisted that a “scholarship” isn’t a “discount,” and the comparison was offensive.
I could go on, but the point is clear.
Just as in the business sector, funding and revenue come from clients and investors, so money, time, and energy are invested in marketing, sales, networking, presentations, and more to attract new clients and retain existing ones.
Likewise, in academia, the funding for lecturers, institutions, and researchers comes from research grants, donors, and the government – and here too, a significant amount of money, time, and energy is invested in marketing (yes!), sales (yes, indeed!), networking (absolutely! I’ve attended enough academic conferences to know that they’re run just like any business conference), presentations (presenting before academic committees and grant providers), and more – all to secure funding for research and institutions and sustain academic life during the research years.
Understanding the importance of marketing and sales in academia can transform how academic professionals approach their work.
So let’s stop the hypocrisy.
Let’s end the “facade.”
Let’s stop the false modesty and the public attempts to downplay achievements.
Let’s end the shame in talking about money, income, and profit!
Each of us is an expert in our field, every business deserves to earn money – and lots of it – and any good knowledge can be leveraged commercially and financially.
Want to know how to do it?
Want to make money from your knowledge?
Click here now, and let’s move things forward.
Yours,
Dr. Yaniv Zaid
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