1. In any discussion, make sure the problem statement is well defined
2. Do not deviate from the topic
3. When you have some experience in a domain, you tend to become very
aggressive because at the back of your mind you think- you CANT BE
WRONG about it.
Wrong attitude.
4. Learn not to get PERSONAL
Lets get one thing straight at the very outset -
No matter what document you make and send to the client - you are always selling.
That document might be the last thing you ever send / say to the client - albeit in the written form.
So, it better be the best thing that you could have possibly said.
And to come up with that 'BEST' thing that will appeal to the client / final reader - you need to be very sure of the context.
1. Why are u sending what you are sending?
i.e. What's the purpose? What's the objective?
What is that one thing that you want to achieve?
2. What message do you want to convey through that doc?
Come to think of it - at the end of the whole thing - if you say -
'I wish I had done this better' - it is totally not worth it.
You wasted an opportunity. You wasted your time.
Now - how will you be able to answer all the above questions?
Only if you know the context really well.
So, whenever you start any work - ask for the context / brief
And context would include (and not be limited to) -
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Only yesterday over lunch, we were discussing the security policies in office-
There were many nay-sayers who said its not worth it
It was then that I commented-
Having security policies is like having a police force- u'll never
appreciate its importance till a screw up. Peace times make you forget
their very existence
But fact is, they make it possible to live peacefully
Yest evening Mumbai was attackd & 15 policemen have been martyred so far
Are you maintaining your contacts well enough?
Are you in regular touch with the people you like?
Make sure you keep a pulse on what's happening with the people you like
Lots of activity sometimes means that you get carried away in the moment...
Think abt it- some weekends there's no time to breath and some
weekends there no one to share stuff with.
Why?
Work it out...
The last weekend was a really hectic one-
Football
Meeting neighbours
Going out with office colleagues (initially SOUL and then Barista)
Night out at Y's place
Guitar class
...
Lots of (sometimes mindless) activity... very little time spent thinking...
its great to live in the moment- but it is advisable to spend some
time everyday strategising about the future-
thinking does throw up some uncomfortable questions- but they are
worth answering.
No matter what you sell- toothpaste or patent services, sales is never
really easy
If you think toothpaste is easier- cos the end customer is easily
reachable, think again- the customer is as easily reachable to u as ur
competition- killing all the supposed advantage
on the other hand- sellin patent services needs contacts, BIG
contacts- such calls are mostly taken by senior mgmt. U need a good
intro which almost always comes with a good reco.
1. Things to do everyday - a live list... something which i should
refer and update regularly
2. make it a point to re-read some of your old posts... they will
surely add value to you... its just like the lesson you learnt from
your JEE prep... its important to learn/think new things everyday...
but its IMPORTANT to revise... or you might realise you have forgotten
some of your OLD fundas
3. Yeh kaisi bheed hai bas yahan tanhaaiyan mile...
Traditional job requirements: show up, sober. Listen to the boss, lift heavy objects.
Here's what I'd want if I were hiring a marketer:
You're relentlessly positive. You can visualize complex projects and imagine alternative possible outcomes. It's one thing to talk about thinking outside the box, it's quite another to have a long history of doing it successfully. You can ride a unicycle, or can read ancient Greek.
Show me that you've taken on and completed audacious projects, and run them as the lead, not as a hanger on. I'm interested in whether you've become the best in the world at something, and completely unimpressed that you are good at following instructions (playing Little League baseball is worth far less than organizing a non-profit organization).
You have charisma in that you easily engage with strangers and actually enjoy selling ideas to others. You are comfortable with ambiguity, and rarely ask for detail or permission. Test, measure, repeat and go work just fine for you.
You like to tell stories and you're good at it. You're good at listening to stories, and using them to change your mind.
I'd prefer to hire someone who is largely self-motivated, who finds satisfaction in reaching self-imposed goals, and is willing to regularly raise the bar on those goals.
You're intellectually restless. You care enough about new ideas to read plenty of blogs and books, and you're curious enough about your own ideas that you blog or publish your thoughts for others to react to. You're an engaging writer and speaker and you can demonstrate how the right visuals can change your story.
And you understand that the system is intertwined, that your actions have side effects and you not only care about them but work to make those side effects good ones.
The cool thing about this list is that it's not dependent on what you were born with or who you know. Or how much you can lift.
November 10-
1. I was spending quite some time trying to figure out new clients.
When i realised, that maybe spending even more time trying to get just
that ONE big client would be worth it! This insight made my day..
2. Dhiren bhai's bday. Had called London. Spoke to Bhabhi and Dhrumi.
Felt great.
Some actionable items-
1. In every action, when in doubt, ask yourself a question?
What do i gain or lose by doing this?
2. What is my final objective in doing this?
3. Stop yourself before you utter any NEGATIVE comment. See if the
negative comment is required- and if it can be framed in a better way
4. You are always selling. Learn to be DIPLOMATIC
It was then that I commented-
Having security policies is like having a police force- u'll never
appreciate its importance till a screw up. Peace times make you forget
their very existence
But fact is, they make it possible to live peacefully
Yest evening Mumbai was attackd & 15 policemen have been martyred so far
Are you in regular touch with the people you like?
Make sure you keep a pulse on what's happening with the people you like
Lots of activity sometimes means that you get carried away in the moment...
Think abt it- some weekends there's no time to breath and some
weekends there no one to share stuff with.
Why?
Work it out...
Lots of (sometimes mindless) activity... very little time spent thinking...
its great to live in the moment- but it is advisable to spend some
time everyday strategising about the future-
thinking does throw up some uncomfortable questions- but they are
worth answering.
If you think toothpaste is easier- cos the end customer is easily
reachable, think again- the customer is as easily reachable to u as ur
competition- killing all the supposed advantage
on the other hand- sellin patent services needs contacts, BIG
contacts- such calls are mostly taken by senior mgmt. U need a good
intro which almost always comes with a good reco.
2. make it a point to re-read some of your old posts... they will
surely add value to you... its just like the lesson you learnt from
your JEE prep... its important to learn/think new things everyday...
but its IMPORTANT to revise... or you might realise you have forgotten
some of your OLD fundas
3. Yeh kaisi bheed hai bas yahan tanhaaiyan mile...
Traditional job requirements: show up, sober. Listen to the boss, lift heavy objects.
Here's what I'd want if I were hiring a marketer:
You're relentlessly positive. You can visualize complex projects and imagine alternative possible outcomes. It's one thing to talk about thinking outside the box, it's quite another to have a long history of doing it successfully. You can ride a unicycle, or can read ancient Greek.
Show me that you've taken on and completed audacious projects, and run them as the lead, not as a hanger on. I'm interested in whether you've become the best in the world at something, and completely unimpressed that you are good at following instructions (playing Little League baseball is worth far less than organizing a non-profit organization).
You have charisma in that you easily engage with strangers and actually enjoy selling ideas to others. You are comfortable with ambiguity, and rarely ask for detail or permission. Test, measure, repeat and go work just fine for you.
You like to tell stories and you're good at it. You're good at listening to stories, and using them to change your mind.
I'd prefer to hire someone who is largely self-motivated, who finds satisfaction in reaching self-imposed goals, and is willing to regularly raise the bar on those goals.
You're intellectually restless. You care enough about new ideas to read plenty of blogs and books, and you're curious enough about your own ideas that you blog or publish your thoughts for others to react to. You're an engaging writer and speaker and you can demonstrate how the right visuals can change your story.
And you understand that the system is intertwined, that your actions have side effects and you not only care about them but work to make those side effects good ones.
The cool thing about this list is that it's not dependent on what you were born with or who you know. Or how much you can lift.
1. I was spending quite some time trying to figure out new clients.
When i realised, that maybe spending even more time trying to get just
that ONE big client would be worth it! This insight made my day..
2. Dhiren bhai's bday. Had called London. Spoke to Bhabhi and Dhrumi.
Felt great.
1. In every action, when in doubt, ask yourself a question?
What do i gain or lose by doing this?
2. What is my final objective in doing this?
3. Stop yourself before you utter any NEGATIVE comment. See if the
negative comment is required- and if it can be framed in a better way
4. You are always selling. Learn to be DIPLOMATIC
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