Marketing Failure #3 - Poor Sales Force Training

The last post brings us to our current failure of NKT’s marketing strategy. The sales force is not well trained. When a new product or service enters the market place the person who is “doing the pitch” is equated with the product – whether that is right or wrong. For instance, if a car salesperson is selling a Jaguar we might all assume the product is good. Dharma, of course, is better than that. However, the person selling the Jaguar represents the product itself. Maybe the buyer who knows a little about cars can overlook the flaws of the salesperson, just as the experienced Dharma practitioner can overlook the flaws of the NKT teacher. Unfortunately the target market – the new buyer – does not know enough to overlook the flaws of the salesperson and then dismisses the product itself because the presentation of the product was flawed.

NKT has purposefully cut itself off from the lineage of Tsongkhapa. The students believe that the “lineage” is Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, and the Dharma is his writings. The resulting myopic view is not the fault of the student but it leads to a very shallow understanding of the actual tradition. These students do not learn of Dignaga or Vasubandhu, Dharmakirti or Asanga. They have never tried to tackle Nāgārjuna or Aryadeva. Also, the NKT students not only do not read the original texts, they are dissuaded from such interests. Therefore, the do not develop the skills of unraveling The Madhyamakāvatāra or the Mūlamadhyamaka-kārikā. Not being exposed to the lineage or the thinkers who shaped modern Buddhism they are not receiving a full education.

As noted earlier, the NKT program does not involve traditional debate nor does it involve open dialogue in classes (see earlier post). Therefore, when the student develops a misconception or flawed reasoning they never have the error corrected. The error takes root in their minds, as they convince themselves their view is correct – and never challenged – and that view then filters and corrupts all of their future learning about Dharma, making all the new learning flawed. For instance, in attending an NKT teaching a few years ago, we were told by the teacher that “selflessness” means to be willing to give to others without any reservation. In his mind that was what “lack of self” or "selflessness" meant, and it was evident that he had not have any understanding of selflessness as described in the literature.

As a result of these training flaws, when NKT sends a teacher out into the community to spread Dharma, the teacher is not prepared. They did not receive a full education, and cannot “hold their own” with any moderately well trained practitioner. They do not know the lineage or the philosophers, they do not know any Tibetan, they do not know debate, and they have never been in a quality discussion group. Their philosophical conclusions are untested and their reasoning may be fundamentally flawed yet very deeply rooted (they are a teacher, after all). Therefore, when they are promoted to teacher and sent out to represent the product, they can make the product itself look flawed or illogical.

Just as we would be reluctant to buy the Jaguar from a salesperson who could not answer any questions, so it is with Dharma. The inferior teacher can turn off the potential student through a flawed presentation of Dharma. Also, the true lineage, the lineage of the holy masters, will die. This is a grave result and leads to powerful bad mojo for NKT. This arises from poor Sales Force Training.


Next: Product Differentiation a.k.a. “taking over where others have failed”

Followed by: Defensive Marketing Strategies as a way of life.