Showing posts with label Motivation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Motivation. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Be willing to be a student sometimes!

It has taken me a year to fill my blog with something. A year. I don’t believe it! The car-ride experience from Kodaikanal to Chennai and all the related affairs are still so fresh in my mind. The year has surely passed fast. Good. Very good!

Work has been at top priority, after family and near-dear ones, of course.

I just read a friend’s status quote which says, “Be willing to be a student sometimes!”. Not a perfectly structured line, I would say, “Sometimes, be willing to be a student!”.

But the message is much more important. Sentence structuring and word usage, for most of us, ended in school. Then on, the emphasis has been more on the message/stuff than the words.

In all this, have most of us forgotten how to express?

Have words lost their value?

“Thanks” “Sorry” “I Love You” “Miss You” – these words have long lost their true meaning. The words now no longer seem to carry the expression. They come so much from the tip of the tongue than from the depth of the heart, so much that it has become increasingly difficult to trust that someone really loves us or is thankful to us or is sorry about what happened or misses us.

This makes the world an all the more easy place to live for the men around me. Since these words have no credence, our folks are spared from using them and expressing themselves. Do they still know that the woman inside the lady would still want to hear these words? Nay!

Do we know to use words to appreciate other’s efforts? At home or work? We seem to be more worried about the other person’s ego getting boosted with our appreciation than valuing the human in him/her and adding to their goodness for the day. But then, do we stop ourselves from pointing the not-so-nice? :) hehe!

Some of my friends tease me for using words like amazing, perfect, great, awesome, lovely, fantastic, wow, nice. I am absolutely sure they are just pulling my leg for this is not how many of us express; and for the non-Indian customer base for whom I work and from whom I pick such adjectives. But I like these words. They carry so much positive energy. So much that it adds enthusiasm not only to the receiver and listeners, but to the speaker too. I love these words :)

So to see, words have not died, the good ones have faded with time.

Have actions also died down?

How many of us hug our friends? How many of us shake hands everyday with our colleagues? (In my previous workplace, we were 5 friends – 2 guys and 3 girls and each day all of us shook hands when we met each other for the first time in the day. This act did not seem to bear much importance while we did. There were others who thought it funny and unnecessary. But who cared? Today, now in my current workplace, I miss this contact. A simple hand shake confirmed the relationship and re-established everyday that we are going to work together and solve all problems hand-in-hand. It reduced stress. I miss you, guys! It will be great to work with you all again, any day!).

Do we all hug our family members before we leave for office each day and after we return home? How many of us make eye contact with our partners (whatever be the status of the relationship) to tell them that they add value to our lives?

When was the last time we told our mother about the wonderful pongal-chutney-kesari that she makes? Do we look back at our lives and appreciate our parents for their contribution to our present? Does your little one know that you admire her/him when she/he is fast asleep?

Time of Assumptions!

Today is a time where assumptions rule higher than expression. I of course love you otherwise why would I be doing this? Of course I like what you make, why else do I eat so much? Of course you are good to work with, otherwise I would have shifted team long back.

I wonder, is it only me who thinks – probably the person is clinging on for comfort reasons? Probably eating what I make since it works out cheaper? Works with me only coz others are little more difficult. I hope and really hope I am not the only person under the big Sun who needs words and actions and expressions.

I don’t much understand why expressions are kept a secret. While I understand things like “if everything is said, then nothing remains.” Right. But that’s for those to worry who come even somewhere close to “everything”. Most of us are now at level “nothing”. :)

We are living in a world of men and women; where men understand only action; express only through actions and see through their eyes, whereas women want to say it all, hear it all and see through their minds. Will the balancing happen or is this something that my 3 gen-next will also write about? Or would words, actions and expression be extinct and relate to history and be called historical terminologies?

Sunday, August 16, 2009

He sells - your footwear and his sarees :)

Temples …. for that matter any place of worship is always crowded … jammed with human crowd … each one carrying a load on his/her shoulder, is there to see the Lord and tell him/her that its now getting too much to take, help me with some. I have also heard many say, “I don’t deserve this, why are you giving me so much trouble.” I have wondered how one can decide for him/her self that something is deserved and something is not deserved? “Deserve” to me is a very deep word. Very very deep. Anyway, just coz this is my blog, my space, does not mean that every time I have to force you through a journey of my thoughts.
Moreover, God and devotion are very sensitive topics and my view of the whole affair can get offensive. I will have to use the very correct words to make it sound neutral .. and on my vacation, I will prefer milder writing.

Yesterday, we visited a temple. A very famous temple in South India. A female dominated temple, the only place probably where you see the Goddess before you see the God! Big difference! Anyway, that is the rule of the place … a human rule … to me, God would never have laid any rules .. he/she in whatever form! It is such a tempting topic; I want to write more … but give me some years … I am in the process of testing my belief and concepts … let us wait for the test results :)

Again, back to the temple … beautiful place .. I am going there for the second time … my husband for the 3rd or 4th time .. but for both of us … it is the first time with each other. I think this is well-timed too … after 5 years my husband is now ready to take me to a female dominated land without feeling insecured!

Have you read my previous blog entry about how I got lost on my way to work? I am sure now you are not expecting me to remember anything about this temple though I have visited it once earlier. I relied on my husband .. he is a walky-talky map!

Straight, we could see the entrance to the temple! A huge sanctum … base blue and multi-colored forms of Gods and Goddesses .. impressive .. huge … This temple is supposed to have many sanctums and I was wondering if this is the main or if I am yet to see something bigger!

“Leave your slippers here for free” . I turned … FREE? Why would he want to do that … I turned to see the face of the voice … Nice .. must be 30-ish .. South Indian smart, I could say.
Temples are good business areas, for reasons known to all. Then why would this man want to do this for free? I stood … my husband urged me to walk … I stood … something impressed me … I was still not sure what … my husband also stopped now.
The guy looked at Jayaram and said, “You could leave your footwear here for free”. My guy knows the place well, he said, “the temple authorized place is on the first right from here and we could leave it there too. Thanks!”
“It has rained heavily Sir, your branded footwear may get bad. Leave it here”
We looked at eachother and I waited for that nod of the head … he removed his and I followed. We put it where he indicated and were almost leaving the shop, when he said, “When you come to pick them, browse though our saree collection, if you like, pick them too”

So this was it! I couldn’t resist. I turned back, looked at him and smiled! I liked it!
This is marketing, I don’t know what the MBA books teach about marketing .. but to me, the concept is ..
Any action that attracts one to your product and puts him/her into the “potential customer” category, is marketing. The first step though.

Now all that this guy had to do was “convert” these chappal-customers into “saree customers”. I was keen to come back after the temple visit to see how this guy convinces us! :)

I already said that this temple has many sanctums and we didn’t come out through the same gate through which we went in about 2 hours back.Now we had a long way to walk to reach our bare necessity .. our branded chappals :)

I saw this shop to our left .. small place but they had a good collection of sarees … we went in .. I got 3 of them in 5 minutes ... deal done and we continued walking.

We reached our footwear-left-shop .. we had that saree cover in our hand … we went in to take our slippers and I was waiting to be asked about seing the sarees.

A guy spoke, “Would you like to see some sarees?” My husband was clear, he didn’t want me to see more, “No, we are done.” The guy, “how can you leave your slippers here and buy saree elsewhere?”
Now this was funny. I had started smiling already. Jayaram didn’t find it funny though. He smiles only 1/10th quantity of how much I do, average per day!
The argument began and Jayaram spoke the last line, “Is this conditional Free Service?” We walked out. I turned to see the face of this guy who spoke so much. Much older, 50-ish, little upset with life in general and now angry with us.

Episode over. Chapter close. We walked to our room.

I am thinking: It all started off well … I liked the way this guy started off … he said we could leave slippers there, he used the key word and attracted a customer … he was anyway not doing service, he was only collecting data-base for saree sales; I understood that when he said that: on our return we could look into his collection. Alls well.

What went wrong? The attitude of the 50-ish old member of the shop. His words.

Now let me guess this scenario: He was one of the oldest employees of the shop … this guy who initially spoke to us is a new-comer or may be the owner’s son who is now trying new sales strategies to improve revenue. First, the old-horse surely doesn’t like this new-entry and his ideas; worse if the idea has eventually increased revenue too. Second, has the marketing idea been conveyed effectively to the 50-ish old man? The older man seemed to understand that anyone and everyone who leaves slippers with them have signed an agreement to make purchases there!

Ha!

What would have been the conversation if the same 30-ish guy had attended to us if he was there when we returned:
“Sir, Madam, would you look at the collection?”
“No, thanks. We already shopped”
“Oh, that’s great. Padma stores?” he says looking at the cover in my hand. I nod with a shy smile and slight guilt deep down.
“Nice shop. Very old shop ma’am. Good buy. Would you still want to look at something that I have? I have this cotton collection that both young and old could wear, you usually don’t get such cotton everywhere. Also, I offer 5% discount since you allowed me to safe-guard your footwear.”
“Hmm … what range?”
“Any range that you are ready to spend. Did you have a good darshan? Allow me to help you with the bags”

I am now 50% potential customer. Now he needs to be really smart, considering that I have already spent some money on sarees. He should not show me anything too costly and nothing too normal. He has to be picky!

The rest I am not sure how it would have gone. If Jayaram had a calm face, I may have picked up one. If not, no. Also, how I liked what he showed in the first 2 minutes would decide it all.

I really liked this guy’s idea and I am sure the above follow-up would have happened if he were there. My intuitions say so.
Good Marketing, for what I see.

The only one thing that they need to do is … make sure we or anyone who leaves footwear with him dont buy elsewhere, considering the many entrances and the shops in between. In addition to the key word “FREE” he could have also used “DISCOUNT” or given me his card … he could have a sales member near each entrance … he could run an auto to his store from all entrances … I am being wild with my thoughts, I am little upset that he lost a potential customer despite all efforts; because 1. Members making the strategy and members executing the strategy do not belong to the same school of thought 2. Follow-up was weak

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Forever Struggle


When you need to cry for your basic rights,
When everything has to come with a fight,
How pathetic life becomes for some!
More than sad, its so fearsome -



When you are not the priority,
When words of concern are rarity,
When life carries no clarity,
When you doubt the very chastity ...



then, life is no more a burden,
but every breath itself is ...
Tears no more have their effect,
The pain is lost with everything bereft -


But there is still hope,
If you wish to cope ...
Chances there are still many,
Though may be worth not a penny!



Make a fresh start, give all that you have saved,
Disappointing this may be again, the road still unpaved!
Lose not your temper, drop not a tear.
Count the years, for easier they may be -
than to count your days, for waiting may forever be!

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Hold on, please!

Its so much fun to win, much more to win again and a lot more to win always.
This poem is dedicated to my friends who have struggled all their way to what they are today.
This poem is in appreciation of their patience.
This poem is to motivate them to keep trying.
This poem is for me and all my dear and near friends!

Hold on, please!
Patience, stamina, endurance ...
They all sound like condolence!
I will advocate the same ...
If life was little more sane!

If life was little more sane,
If the heart felt lesser pain,
Happier i will be today ...
Laughing and giggling with gay!

The seasons took them all in share,
Too much for me to bear!
The wind blew my falling hair ...
I believed fate would be fair!

I believed fate would be fair,
I was hoping i could dare.
Patience, stamina, endurance - passed with age ...
Today, I stand alone on this stage!

I dont know where to go ...
I dont know where i want to go ...
But i know i want to sail ...
I dont want to turn more pale!

I dont want to turn more pale ...
I want to try, even if i fail!
I have put everything on the bait ...
I will trust myself, not just my fate!