Sales and marketing people know the battle plan and the rule book, and when the buzzer sounds, everybody knows exactly what he or she has to do. The heroes in this kind of an organization are the people who fit in, who came up through the ranks. They’re dependable, like the Federal Express driver who delivered the Denver-bound package before 10 a.m., in spite of the snowstorm that forced the plane off the runway and the truck into a drift. For the company, a promise is a promise. For the company’s employees, dedication is paramount.

Thanks to seven-weekend free marketing and sales boot camps, there is now MarkProf Foundation Inc. which has produced not only the “best and the brightest” but also compleat marketing men and women.

Three batches of 75 graduating students opted to acquire higher marketing and sales skills in MarkProf where they were taught to develop ideas and use them in marketing and sales and other decisions-making skills that could better qualify them later as leaders of business, industry and even the government. As a result, they now occupy high and crucial positions in big local companies, which would not have otherwise been ordinarily available to them.

Some of the MarkProf graduates who now occupy good positions in big companies are Michelle Cortes (De La Salle University) who is now brand assistant for Universal Robina Corp; Jay Mendoza (Asia-Pacific College) now a product manager of Globe Telecom; Criselle Bautista (Ateneo de Manila University) now a management trainee of Nestlé Philippines; Bren Guzman (University of the Philippines) sales trainee of Unilever Philippines; Eugen Soriano (New Era University) a product manager of Splash Corp; Seph Osite (Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila) management trainee of JG Summit Holdings; Darlyn Sandra Ty (Ateneo) associate publisher of Entrepreneur Magazine of Summit Media; Hiren Mirchandani (La Salle) head of sales and marketing of Ramesh Trading Corp.; and Jem Perez (UP) now customer marketing development manager of Unilever Philippines.

The new board of MarkProf includes Ty, Mirchandani and Perez who are busy with the preparations for the fourth batch of boot camp beginning October until December.

The fourth batch of free marketing and sales boot camp is now open to enrollees from any graduating college students from any colleges and universities who will be made to undergo three very rigid screenings. In the past boot camps, applicants totaled 1,000, which was trimmed down to 60 and again pared to 25 to 30 participants only.

MarkProf Foundation Inc. was founded three years ago by entrepreneurs Josiah Go of Waters Philippines and Ding Salvador, former Asia-Pacific head of Johnson & Johnson who is now with Lamoiyan Corp. as a pool of leaders for business and politics.

MarkProf develops not just creative marketing and sales skills of graduating students but also their decision-making and leadership potentials. Courses begin this month to December for seven weeks. Classes are held at Asia-Pacific College of the SM Foundation, which is another major sponsor of MarkProf.

As operationally excellent companies create an unmatched value proposition of best total cost, the question comes up: What’s in it for them? There is only one answer: Growth.

Market leaders never forget the basics: More than anything, talented people are the agents of the company’s success, and that, ultimately; and breakthroughs are born of individuals. The highest form of recognition—the award that these talented people most treasure—is selection for the next, even more challenging mission. Star players are always anxious to learn what’s over the horizon.

Sales and marketing people know the battle plan and the rule book, and when the buzzer sounds, everybody knows exactly what he or she has to do. The heroes in this kind of an organization are the people who fit in, who came up through the ranks.

Present-day consumers are continually evolving, changing day by day. These changes are reflected in how they earn a living, in their form of entertainment, of how to keep in touch, and even in their choices of sports and fitness activities.

Bubuwit was tipped of about a simmering feud between a lady top gun and her employees at an events marketing firm. She was a hot item in last week’s Bubuwit, and now she’s at it again! She suddenly and unceremoniously closed her office, which sent some shivers down the spine of her employees who have just returned from an out-of-town event.