Seven Lessons Santa Can Teach The World And Its Wannapreneurs

So you thought this grand old man in his flashy red robe, outdated sleigh and with his typical “Ho ho ho” laugh would soon go out of business? After all, who believes in all those grandiose tales about him and his snow-capped home in the North Pole? Today’s kids are just too smart. And who cares for childish things like gifts and toys in an age ruled by success, money and mindless fun?

You could not have been more wrong. Over the centuries, Santa Inc has created a tradition that fits with the core objectives of any age – the rites of honouring consistency, creating values, ensuring innovation and finally, guaranteeing end-user’s satisfaction. Take a close look at his strategies and operations, and you’ll find that Santa and his team offer all these and more. Here are seven (tongue-in-cheek) reasons why millennial businesses should follow him.

He has a story to tell.
Oops! Not just one, but many and they have gone viral over the centuries. Who can resist a Santa tale, his goodness and the hard work he does to bring forth millions of smiles? Well, some businesses have already picked up this trail, it seems. Only recently, we came across this inspirational story of a Japanese firm who used to produce hand-made luxury bedding and was losing out to mass market competition. So it decided to go online and tell the tales of its long struggle, its efforts to bring in the very best for its buyers and its newly introduced easy-to-purchase schemes. The company is out of the red but then, that’s the kind of magic Santa has taught us all along.

His products have an ‘emotion’ tag.
Santa turns out to be a genius when it comes to the market he chose. Toys and gifts. Could there be a better segment where products come with an ‘emotion’ tag? But the same can happen with each and every product – if the promoter can feel the market pulse and cater the right thing. That’s how people fall in love with companies. Apple is one great example in this case. It develops great products, of course, but not all of them are outstanding. So how do we explain the kind of frenzy we see when Apple fans queue up outside the stores? It’s because the company has gained an iconic status and the products hold some kind of emotional value for the buyers. The same thing Santa has been doing through the ages.

He innovates, for all you know.
Well, he has to, if he wants to stay in business. Kids all over the world are the most difficult to please and the quickest to throw away all things old. So his business had to evolve, keeping track of all the wish lists of the world and making them deliverable – within a specific timeframe. In the process, Santa had also shed his orthodox image and become acceptable to a global audience. They say consumerism is a great leveller and the wild popularity of Santa across markets proves that point once again. Won’t companies love to innovate and grow their global markets just like Santa has done?

He delivers, without fail.
And he has never been shoddy about it. Everything is neatly packed and securely kept… in the stockings and under the Christmas tree. Plus the quality doesn’t suffer although he is travelling all the way from the North Pole. There had never been a product recall as far as we remember. Now, how many companies can operate like that and keep their reputation intact year after year?

He is vigilant… always.
Just like any other real-life entrepreneur, Santa keeps a tab on people (his customers) and how they are behaving – good, bad or ugly. That kind of vigilant market watch keeps him ahead of competition and helps him make a good guess at what’s on the buyers’ mind. And you know what? Santa has done what most FIs are doing – thrown out the bad customers with a chunk of coal flying after them while good customers are listed and served with alacrity.

He has a great team and a great office, too.
Working with a team of magical elves and flying reindeer is something all bosses would love to do. The ‘power of magic’ is the power that lies within everyone – the talent and willingness to work in the face of all odds. Dear old Santa was pretty clever in choosing the location, too. Unless one is scared of freezing, who wouldn’t want to visit those headquarters off and on?

He stays hungry… for more.
Santa is in love with what he does and that ‘sticky’ factor happens to be the driving force behind his success. It’s a bit difficult to imagine the whole crew selling or outsourcing the business of happiness to some vendor just because he has managed to pay the right sum. It’s not only Santa’s brain child but the core of his existence. The way it had been for Bill Gates or Steve Jobs or thousand others who take immense pride in their ventures and want to continue with what they are doing. Great valuations and great offers are cool. But some extraordinary people don’t mind staying hungry and staying foolish – because they want to touch the sky.