Theatres of Excellence

"All that we see or seem; is but a dream within dream." Those are some very famous words.

I have always wondered as to "Why the dream destinations attract people?" Is it some thing inside those people or it is in those destinations or both or something else.

Trust me, I did not have any answer until a friend came back from a trip. She was describing her experiences. While listening to her, it dawned upon me that she was describing the places she visited - the dream destinations - as Theaters of Excellence.

It seems, people she came across, the actors - the players - the participants - the workers - the vendors - the drivers - the cashiers - the managers - the stakeholders; everyone appeared to treat their respective positions as a part of a grand show. They play their respective roles in an orchestrated manner. They create their own dream world with in the larger dream called universe. Being their own dream it always works out. It started fitting in to the void of several years as to why people are attracted to dream destinations; because those are Theaters of Excellence.

So if I could DREAM my work as a Theater of Excellence and act accordingly then I would be able to attract others to me, my purpose, my priorities and at the same time offering them satisfaction of dealing with Excellent Environment.

Isn't it a dream we weave all the time? So why not begin by- "Visualizing My Work Place as a Theater of Excellence"

Finally, take a look at this anecdote about an ancient Theatre of Excellence-

Around 400 BC, Phidia, the greatest sculptor of ancient Greece was commissioned to make that to this day stand on the roof of the Parthenon, in Athens. They are considered among the greatest sculptures of western tradition. When he submitted his bill the accountant said, "These statues stand on the roof of the temple, and on the highest hill in Athens. No body can see any thing but their fronts. Yet you have charged us for sculpting them in the round that is, for doing their back sides, which nobody can see"

"You are wrong", Phidias retorted. "God can see them".

THE STAR OF SELLING - YOU!

Company has started demanding sales volumes, which make a day's work seem like participating in some well-known championship. Accountants inside and outside the boardroom are calling the shots. Your capabilities are being challenged like never before. The general feeling is, "Only STARS will survive! ". You don't know if you are one. You are constantly contemplating the question, "How can I turn the tide?"....Of course by being a STAR OF SELLING.

Good selling is a practised drill and not prerogative of so called BORN SALESMAN. Actually the legend of born salesmen usually thrives on their ability to sell effortlessly. You too can be a STAR OF SELLING....all you need to do is to make a beginning.

Begin by knowing that- you can be one of the best or you can be with the rest! After convincing yourself about it, set out to work on it, on daily basis. Remember, the conditions out side contribute only 1% and your own reaction to those conditions make up for the rest 99% in the results.

Try to recall, what happened when you took up a new job or assignment. You were full of enthusiasm and had a burning desire to go for the moon, right? You had every thing except the operating knowledge of the job, your enthusiasm covered up for it. After a while, when you mastered your offering, learnt your territory, techniques of prospecting and presentation. This way you gained on the job experience. Then what happened to your enthusiasm?

Predictably it dwindled a little, because your offering was not fresh any more. But, for whom! For you only! For a new probable customer, a prospect, it is still fresh. Slowly your dwindling enthusiasm was compensated by the knowledge you gained. These two things had such an impact on your sales that you could show relatively much slower growth.

What else happened? You became aware of the intrinsic negative aspects of your offering and probably had the opportunity to use those to cover any lack of results. Who could have benefited from such an attitude? Obviously, the Competition!

How can you possibly reverse such a trend?

Firstly, restore your enthusiasm to same high level by talking to yourself often about it. Trust me it's easy.

Secondly, do not let the negatives of the proposition come in your way of conducting business. Do this by questioning your self each time you feel like withdrawing from some action. This too is easy.

Thirdly, start using effective selling techniques, some of which are given here. Working on these would lead you to other useful techniques.

You have known for a long time, the mechanics of a routine first time sales call- ensuring preparedness in all respects; opening the call; making a presentation; obtaining a commitment etc. You have known it all, like the back of your hand, so has every STAR OF SELLING thus what is the essential difference? It is in their superior preparations and the perfect handling of the show.

Good selling often begins with the understanding of the buying process and what is being bought. The understanding of the buying process will give you an insight into the buyer's decision-making mechanism. Make sure the people you meet are the ones who take decisions. Find out why and what are they currently using. Do not spend your time with people who want what your proposition can't deliver. Once you will know whose opinions or what factors are likely to influence the purchase decision you will improve chances of achieving a successful sale.

The understanding of "what is being bought" will tell what benefits of your offering will appeal to the prospects. You might be offering the latest and best piece of equipment well known for its modern design and high productivity, but your prospect might want to buy what he had seen when he was learning the ropes of the business or studying in college. The central idea being, the prospect usually looks forward to some emotional experience of his/her choosing with in your proposition. So, you have to make it possible for the prospect to over come his previous emotional ties and experience the use your product.

Whenever you are able to arouse positive emotions in prospects you will lead them to favorable decisions. During a sales call, your perfect performance shall arouse in the prospect, the desired emotional response like nothing else will. So, when you meet your very next prospect, be mindful of delivering a flawless performance. Power of your performance shall not only determine your income but also shall open new selling opportunities for you.

The emotional process that leads to a purchase decision usually begins with a new development in prospect's self image. The prospect secretly starts behaving as a user of your offering and having spotted such a change in his self-image; you should immediately reinforce it and keep the prospect in the same frame of mind throughout.

Develop your interest in the subject of your offering. To learn the details fast, try and visualize the edge you will come to possess after you have mastered even the smallest of the details about the offering. Your buyers are also an important source of learning more about the subject.

Whenever you are face to face with a prospect, shut yourself from past worries and future exigencies. Concentrate fully on the prospect before you, his needs and attitudes. Remember, the prospects have the unusual ability to be completely oblivious to your persuasion. See or hear what they want to see or hear. Do what you have to do in order to make prospects see or hear what is favorable for your deal.

Therefore, when you give a presentation or demonstration, make sure it ultimately develops into a two-way communication. Make use of the words, which will have leading effect on the prospect. You can even be bold and take a few risks by saying striking things which will seize audience attention and if that makes them ask some questions you will know they have been listening. Answer in a manner that will improve involvement of others who are present.

If you know any statements, which have worked well with prospects, half of your job is done. All you have to do is to master the use of all the possible variations of those statements tailoring the variations for various situations usually encountered. This may be time consuming but the results shall justify the effort.

Don't hate prospects' objections, actually a prospect airing objections is inviting you to book his/her order and coming in disguise it should be very stimulating for you. Begin by believing that an objection is an announcement of buying intentions. Learning, observation and drill will show you the way through such situaons, starting point being prospects' own fear of unknown, which is required to be handled with a certain degree of deftness. The key to objection handling being, seeking out all the possible objections in advance and to be well prepared instead of trying to avoid those during a sales call.

Prospects have always demanded more than what their money can ever get them in a fair transaction. Therefore don't get perplexed by their attempts to squeeze more from you. Usually in every deal a compromise is reached between the buyer and the seller, which seals the deal. You will discover the process of arriving at such a compromise is a very healthy exercise, as this will expose you to the prospect's current as well as future frame of mind.

In practice, each sale becomes a unique bond between the buyer and the seller. Common feature of these bonds being that in each the seller has given to the buyer the comfort that his decision has been a correct one and seller will live up to the expectations. Also, the volume of supplies/services so contracted is optimum for his money. This bond is an important source of future orders and referred leads. Pay good attention to leads so received as they are going to improve the looks of your order book. Exercise some caution; ask for such leads only after completing the transaction with the original prospect.

Learn to over come fear of refusal by understanding the refusal in its correct perspective. All salespersons, at some time or the other have been refused/rejected by their prospects. Do not expect prospects to show fairness only by accepting your offering, actually they are being quite fair in giving you a chance to make a presentation, a chance to practice your skills, a chance to develop superior performance. Remember as long as the sales profession exists, refusals will take place and someone has to bear its burden, so bear it with a smile and don't let a previous refusal affect the outcome of the next call. Never take a refusal personally. It's after all a free market.

And finally, pay good attention to the following and reap rich rewards.

• Don't let events take charge of your day; instead you take charge of events and remain highly sensitive towards avoidable delays.
• Believe in the benefits of your proposition and remember your proposition always comes before you.
• Make good use of telephone, it is the second most important selling tool available, first one being your own mouth.
• Create your visit/call in your mind before you approach the customer.
• Every day, be the first person to begin customer contact work.
• After every call analyse your performance and record the prospect's attitude and the mutual commitments.
• Focus on doing the most rewarding thing at any given time.

Now, to be A STAR OF SELLING will be very easy for you. All you need to do- Master the techniques described here, pick the easy ones and try them today and for the rest fix a time bound schedule.

Yes! That's the way STARS work. They set up the timetable of their own success!

Navendu Mahodaya
Motivator-Trainer-Consultant
nsos.ncr@gmail.com

ORGANISED RETAIL IN INDIA

Once upon a time the business of world was war. The focus has since been shifted. Now economies are competing for consumers. Man has decided to enjoy the fruits of the labour of previous generations. Old order is giving way to a new order- 'serve Consumer for a profit'. Of many things that go into making this a reality, Organised Retail surely occupies a very high spot.

 

 

Miracle of Retail is attributable to the ‘pull’ it has on customers. Twenty years back in India, a small group of entrepreneurs were trying to find foot holds in television business. Most of them were carrying VHS tapes in their briefcases to hand them over to prospective sponsors with a request to view at leisure and tagged a request ‘let me know what you think of it?’ One of them, Harish Thawani, went on to establish an office-cum-screening facility where senior executives of large corporations would visit and view the screening of television programmes available for sponsorship. ‘Selections’ were now being done in an environment conducive for business. In other words he created a ‘pull’ situation and consequently his business boomed. The leadership he established this way went on to become the foundation of multimillion Media Empire ‘NIMBUS’.

 

 

In its more than a century old history, Organized Retail has proved that it is the ultimate 'clearing house' of 'demand-n-supply', mother of the concept of ‘marketing’ and more. Take a look at the following snap shots:

 

 

* Tiffany, which has been around for over 160 years, is among the best known of all the great American brands. Tiffany is more than a retailer; it is an American icon that has worked its way into movies and songs. The company's flagship location on Fifth Avenue inNew York City has become a tourist attraction.

 

 

* Ron Jon Surf Shop is known worldwide for its extensive selection of active lifestyles apparel, board sports equipment, and dive apparatus. Their 52000 square-feet CocoBeach - Florida store is open 24 hours a day - 365 days a year - just like the beach itself.

 

 

* Recreation Equipment Incorporated-REI, is one of the largest outdoor specialty retailer operating more than 50 stores. Its flag ship store in Seattle is an exciting shopping experience. It has a huge 65-feet high, free standing climbing rock; mountain bike trails; and 'rain rooms' for customers to test their equipment at the time of purchase.

 

 

* Japanese '7 Eleven' stores scan each customer's basket and data gets transmitted to corporate HQ which in turn makes it available to all the 8200 stores and countless vendors. Orders for fast-food and fresh-food supplies are placed three times each day. Magazines are ordered once a day. Processed food is ordered once in two days while each store receives deliveries ten times a day.

 

 

* In USA, Fred Lazarus Jr., the founder of the Lazarus departmental stores, promoted the idea of fixing Thanksgiving on the fourth weekend of month November. The idea behind this move was to expand the Christmas shopping season. In the year 1941, Congress adopted his proposal.

 

 

* In 1997, Maxine Clark opened doors of 'Build-A-Bear Workshop'. Now children could walk in and make a Teddy of their choice themselves. There are Master Bear Builders present to make it an enjoyable and memorable experience. With in five years the idea grew into a 100 store chain with annual sales of US$200 million.

 

 

These examples show the diversified ways in which this business functions worldwide and these are not all the examples. Let us now examine how close we have reached in creating Indian Retail Miracle that every one hopes is just around the corner. It is considered opinion of this writer that the threats and weaknesses need to be highlighted for in handling of those lie the biggest of the opportunities sought by Organized Retail.

 

 

Before we do that, we must appreciate that Indian Consumer is still learning to deal with Organized Retail and it shows in the fact that as much as 94% (or so) of India’s Retail sales still comes from unorganized sector, what is popularly called mom-n-pop Stores. The pioneers of the industry are doing a fine job of ‘bringing-up the consumers’. Their ratios are significantly higher than that those of their neighbors in the same mall. And this is not just because they are ‘Anchor Tenants’. It is because they are paying attention to a wide spread issues that others have conveniently ignored. This applies to those in Fashion and Lifestyle segments too.

 

 

On one side where Indian consumers are still learning to deal with Organised Retail, the work force too is yet to learn the ropes of this wonder. And that shows in the kind of shopping experience available in the stores. Not very long ago I had the privilege of visiting a store at least three times in a span of two weeks. Among other things their merchandise assortment includes green groceries i.e. fresh vegetables as well as fruits. On all occasions, my experience reminds me of a legal expression 'caveat emptor'- let the buyer beware!

 

 

If they have 20 trays for fresh fruits & vegetables, in at least 9 to 10 the trays old stuff has been smartly mixed with the fresh arrivals. The result is if you try to pick up a lemon, three times out of five you either pick up a rotten lemon or your hand touches the wet parts of a rotten lemon. If there are two trays filled with beetroot. You have tough time getting 8 good hard pieces of it as most of them have gone soft. If you try to pick nice shining brinjal for making 'baingan bhurta' what you get are softened pieces and you begin to wonder if those have been already roasted and kept there.

 

 

On one occasion, there were three important looking people present just out side the door. Upon enquiry I learn they are the company officers. I tell them about the problem faced, they listen for some time and then one of them asks, ‘Where in this town can you get vegetables past 9 pm?’ I congratulate him for coming up with an argument, which only makes an attempt to hide the unethical tactics practiced behind flashy store design and name of a reputed retail brand.

 

 

Around the same time I had visited a stationery store, a mom-n-pop store, not very far from this outlet. I saw a one rupee coin on the counter. As I thought of lifting it and giving it to the cashier; I realized that it was not above the counter it was actually taped under the glass sheet of the counter. I asked the boy who was attending me as to what might be the purpose of having the coin fixed in this manner. He told me, ‘Many people who come to this store are fooled by this trick and we enjoy the expression on their faces when they realize that they can’t get the rupee coin’. I thought the boy is creative but his energies are misdirected due to lack of guidance. There are many such boys and girls who think of having fun at customers’ expanse. And such ideas are present among the pool of workforce that comes over for interviews to join the Organized Retail.

 

 

If you carefully examine these two episodes you will find some similarity in the attitude displayed by employees of the two types of retail enterprises. How such attitudes are surfacing in the Organized Retail is attributable to the practice of ‘brinkmanship’ while hiring new recruits when a store is about to be launched. It is well known that there is a shortage of trained manpower at all levels of Organized Retail. Therefore the recruiters, who usually wait till last minute, bring the candidates and managements to a ‘brink’ where what the recruiter does is acceptable to all parties. Enter ‘placement brokers’ who ‘fix’ the employment by questionable means and still be in ‘good books’ of all; as they have ‘bailed out’ the store management as well as the candidates at the ‘right time’.

 

 

 

Employees who get selected have been briefed by these brokers about what might be asked during the interviews and how to face those questions before a panel of recruiters. After having paid a ‘broker’ to get an undeserved job, the employee focuses on maintaining it. His strategy is ‘do not make waves’. He does not question or report the ‘soft beetroots’ and ‘rotten lemons’ on the shelves. Even if the stores value system speaks of the policy of ‘open dissent’, employees turn a blind eye to the malpractices. And the shopping experience promised by the brand goes for a toss. One can have those ‘mission’ and ‘vision’ statements that illuminate the corporate walls, yet at the end of the day those need to get translated into desired behavior on the floors visited by customers. And such all round questionable practices cast shadows over the deliverable benefits that are sought by consumers visiting floors of Organized Retail.

 

 

Observers have come across long queues on the floors of many departmental stores. Queues might please a few retail executives. But they need to check the tendency to enjoy those situations and look at it as a technology and productivity issue for crowds are like shifting sands in a desert, today here tomorrow elsewhere.

 

 

That brings us to- ‘What can be done’?

 

 

Retailers must use every opportunity to counsel the youth to take up a job in Retail which may well become their entry point of their corporate career. Youth that enters Organized Retail even with a short term view can gain long term benefits from the attitude learnt and experience obtained while ‘serving consumer for a Profit’ for this has become the motto of almost all kinds of economic activities happening around the world. I know of an Electrical Engineer, who in his days of unemployment, immediately after the graduation, worked for several months at a chemist shop in an obscure town of Madhya Pradesh. The attitude and perspectives he gained during that period helped him master every job and occupation he subsequently took up; initially as an Electrical Engineer, then as a retail executive in theMiddle East, and finally as a very successful consultant related to construction trade.

 

 

Retailers could use Focus Groups to understand the problems faced by potential recruits and devise recruitment strategy that produces long term stream well trained employees at their stores. Such a strategy may also include sharing useful information with training institutes who are attempting to develop solutions for an industry faced with manpower shortage. Retailers should facilitate post employment interaction between the institutes and the employees so that the process of active and constructive feed back can set in.

 

 

The Retail managers need to look upon themselves as in the business of serving the Associates to help them develop their personality and potential. They need to function like Retail Gurus who help Associates plan their respective career and help them at different stages of execution of that plan. It calls for deeper involvement and frequent introspection on the part of Retail managers. At the end of every calendar year a Retail manager must be able to come up with number of employees mentored by him and what has been the impact of that mentoring on the person as well as the firm and the family of the employee.

 

 

Towards the end, here is a case of Community Pride Food Stores that demonstrates the depth of involvement needed to make solutions effective:

 

 

When Jonathan Johnson was growing up in Richmond, Virginia, his neighbors took great pride in their homes and community. A few years later, the neighbourhood showed the scars of economic hardship, crime, and drugs. Johnson started Community Pride Food Stores in 1992 with the objective of developing a new spirit of community in Richmond's inner city.

 

 

Community Pride has six clean, well-managed stores in urban Richmond that offer affordable, quality products. Eighty percent of its employees live within three miles of the store where they work. Each store has two vans providing rides to customers who aren't mobile. Customers can also cash cheques, pay utility bills, and buy bus tickets, postage stamps, and money orders at stores.

 

 

Johnson stresses the importance of education. Employees are encouraged to enroll in many structured training programmes. Also, $5000 scholarships are awarded to employees who pursue college education. Families of high school students who earn all As and Bs and don't miss more than one day of classes per month get 10 percent discount on food.

 

 

After struggling over a stolen bottle of wine that cost Johnson four teeth, he gained a new perspective on shoplifters. "If they steal steaks, I'll arrest them," he says. "If they steal bread I'll give them $50 and a job application." He claims that since 1992 he's hired hundreds of shoplifters and at least 60 have stayed with the company for more than three years.

 

Turnover is low at Community Pride; only 2 of 47 core managers have left. Johnson actively hires from the city welfare rolls - 300 employee since 1997, out of a total staff of 1030. He has cosigned more than 100 car loans and handed out his credit card to cash strapped employees for emergencies (for which service Johnson deducts up to 5 percent from the next weekly pay cheque). He once posted bail for the son of a manager.

 

 

Finally, in the recent past Indians have shown once they take up some thing they become best in it. There are hundreds of examples present that would vouch this claim and that is why Indian Products and People conquer every market they reach-out. I am sure in a few years from now, even by 2011, India could lead the world in the field of Organized retail. For that once again GLOCAL would be the best operating word. While we can import the understanding of the 'task' from Global examples and our solutions will have to be painfully and patiently local.

 

 

 

Author: 

Navendu Mahodaya
Director
NSOS Retail Academy
nmahodaya@hotmail.com 
+91-98930-09099
[Article first published in a fashion magazine in 2008] 

Random Snapshots Of Gandhi

(Including inputs & liberal quotations from Anu Bandhopadhyay's 1994 book- 'M. K. Gandhi- Author, Journalist, Printer, Publisher')

Gandhi's Memory does not seem to fade away after prayers were offered on Shahid Divas, January 30th. I found his images haunting;thankfully for Sonia, Rahul and Priyanka, many more Indians have come distinguish them from our Mohandas Karamchand and to that extent the trio can take a sigh of relief that peoples' expectations from them are presumably lowered. Mahatma Gandhi refuses to fade away into oblivion; therefore I gathered a few more random snap shots in the following text. 

A memory recall of his encounter with Bhim Rao Ambedkar during the Round Table Conference has aroused images of Gandhi indulging in proverbial 'Vishpan' by Bhagwan Shankar during the 'Sagar Manthan'. Today as the Indian Devs and Asurs are once again engaged in a Sagar Manthan of sorts, a role model exists for every Indian to indulge in his own fair share of 'swallowing poison instead of spreading communal or reservation poison'.

Gandhi claimed that a thoughtless word never escaped his lips or pen. He could write with both hands. His common writings were with use of right hand though his hand writing with left hand is found to be clearer and more readable. Why he chose to use his right hand more often is not known to me.

He read widely and digested what he read. His first (though naive) attempt as a writer was a booklet 'London Guide' written for Indian students. Next came two pamphlets- 'An Appeal to Every Briton' and 'The Indian Franchise'; then came 'Green Pamphlet' which was written on a voyage home in 1896. Similarly, 'Hind Swaraj' was written during his voyage from England to South Africa in 1909. When Tolstoy read it he said, "The question of passive resistance was of great importance not only for India but for the whole world". His manuscripts had a few marks of correction and seldom needed any change. And that, he often said, was due to "the spiritual discipline of votary of truth".

Gandhi was master words man. He did not go for literal meaning when doing translation. When Ruskin's essay ‘Unto This Last’ touched his deepest beliefs, he adapted it into Gujarati and titled it ‘Sarvodaya’. Similarly his 'Story of a Satyagrahi' is a paraphrase of the 'Defense and Death of Socrates' by Plato. And by writing his autobiography in Gujarati using simple yet forceful language, he turned Gujarati into people's language. And ‘The Story of my Experiments with Truth’ easily beats most modern thrillers in its ability to 'grip' a reader for complete attention.

When it came to writing letters, he could write even 50 letters in a day, all by himself. According to an estimate, he had written a total of one hundred thousand letters in his life time. Compare it with work of an Urdu Poet, Meer Taki Meer, who has reportedly written an equivalent of two hundred thousand poems in his entire life span. And in all his written matters he was a picture of perfection to the extent of never missing a comma or an apostrophe. If you come across a date written by him you can be sure of clear dots separating day and month and while writing 1930 in short he did not miss write it along with an appropriate apostrophe as '30.

He was asked to write biography of Raichandbhai (considered to be his friend, philosopher and guide by many). He is reported to have responded, "If I want to write his life story, I shall have to study carefully his home, his playground, mix with his friends, school mates, relatives and followers." This reflects his quest for truth in every sphere of his life. Here you might like to say- So, what's new?

Lord Curzon once stated, "The ideal of truth is to a large extent a western conception". With more than 9000 years of traceable history of Indian civilization in the backdrop, Gandhi retorted and provided a 'host of evidences' of Indians indulging in worship of truth earlier than West.

Gandhi's romance with journalism began early, when he was only 19. His earliest writings show his capacity for expressing any idea in simple direct language. Then, at a relatively young age of 35 years he took charge of an English Language Weekly, Indian Opinion, in South Africa. Later he would bring out its Gujarati Language Version too. Gandhi worked hard for 10 years for this weekly. He would pour out his soul and published detailed account of satyagraha struggle in South Africa. Some of his distinguished readers were Gokhale in India, Dadabhai Naoroji in England and Tolstoy in Russia.

He considered bad printing an act of 'hinsa'. In printing, he was not for cutting corners. Once the Navajivan Press decided to publish a Gujarati translation of Gokhale's writings and speeches.The translation was done by an educationalist. When the book was printed, Gandhi was requested to write a foreword. He found the translation poor and stiff and asked it to be destroyed. When he was told that seven hundred rupees had been spent on it, he said: "Do you think it is desirable to place this rubbish before the public after spending more on binding and cover? I do not want to ruin people's taste by distributing bad literature." The whole lot was burnt and was not allowed to be sold even as waste paper.


Gandhi always defended liberty of the press. He stopped printing his journals when any Government order restricted him from publishing his views. Having acquired editor's expertise and a reputation as editor, he warned, "Newspapers are fast becoming the people's Bible, Koran and Gita rolled in one. A journalist's duty is to teach people to be brave, not to instill fear into them. " In his opinion the aim of journalism was service: "Journalism should never be prostituted for selfish ends."

Managing Time For The First Time...

This piece is for those who are currently experiencing shortage of Time.

One of the British Queens is reported to have expressed (something similar to) these words, “There is so much time available for doing nothing, and so little to do something worthwhile.” It is believed that during her reign, foundation of British Empire got laid; an Empire that saw at least one complete century where people often remarked, “Sun does not set in British Empire!”

As a consultant, I am often required to find time for my clients. I have to point out how they need to think and reorganize their daily schedule, to conduct proposed activities. Most of them don’t like being told about managing their time. They claim we know everything that is there to know about managing time; and “We are using Time Management Techniques”, they assert. (They can be often seen scolding their subordinates, “Don’t waste my time!”) With so many PPTs floating around, so many books and articles available, companies doing internal programs, in other words with such a wide spread exposure, some people are bound to develop that feeling and become complacent. Just one day of satisfactorily conducting your to-do-list is enough trigger complacency.

So what can be attempted by those who are experiencing shortage of time?

They need to begin managing their time, more ruthlessly than yesterday. For this sit down and in 10 minutes time write what method you would use to manage your time for next four days. This may be followed by another 10 minute review at the end of four days. Then rewrite the method to be used for another four days. Do not worry if there are holidays or weekends in between. Your time is more precious during such breaks.

Finally, you may be ruthlessly pursuing your method, yet be more polite to others with whom you have to interact.

Body language is changing...

We all have learned the importance of Body Language at some stage or the other. The old adage- "Actions speak louder than words!" is still valid and going strong. However I have come across a few significant occurrences which indicate just like any other language this all powerful language too is changing. Meanings assigned to certain gestures, set of gestures are changing.

• Previously if one smiled at another. It was for giving some thing to the other. Now, if one smiles at another, it is for taking some thing away.
  
• Previously in traffic, if some one looked at the other driver, s/he would give him right of the way. He could proceed as desired. Now looking at other is considered giving right of the way to the other person.
• Previously if a person walked with pride in his stride, he was an honest, law abiding and perhaps a God fearing man. These days if some one walks with pride in his stride, you could be sure that his kind of scam is working to his entire satisfaction.
• Previously we looked at Blogs to see what other people wrote in their Blogs. These days we look at Blogs to look at our own Posts.

The above observations are not entirely devoid of intended pun. And if you ever gets to read this piece, please comment on what you think of the above.

Retail Snap Shots 01

Some thing happened during current visit to Delhi and I decided to continue my commentary on the business of Retail.

I had gone to Connaught Place on a shoestring budget of Rs.200/- and was hopeful of buying a book to read during my travels. Why a budget of only Rs.200/-? For one - I am not a part of any corporate 'benefit match' to be able buy those high priced books on Management Topics and histories of great corporations. Secondly, I find it is very stressful to read and remember what some Ford once said and how it changed the fortunes of Ford Motors. Perhaps in those days employees listened to their employers, some thing of which I am not sure of these days. These days employees not only do not listen to their bosses but also keep complaining their children don't listen to them. Listening to some one, it seems, has gone out of fashion. Further, I have often come across biographical books on the coffee tables in reception of firms where I go calling. And I have found most of those firms reluctant to part with such titles even for a good cause of educating our students. Perhaps such firms like many others are afraid of educated students. And of course that's another story.


So on this fateful day I was in this book store for a good 20 minutes and had began to loose hope of finding a suitable book with in my budget. Most of the titles catching my eyes were priced several times my budget. I had begin to doubt my choice of book store (more than 2000 sq. feet retail space). Just then I saw as the owner was busy scolding an aged employee about slow collections and his method of working. I found it to be a little out of the way to shout at an employee (for such reason) on the floor of the shop before customers. It is a standard practice in un-organized retail businesses to loudly shout at an employee for all ills of the outlet that a customer points out. Then I saw a rack labeled 'Fiction' and found it to be displaying books on Central Excise Laws and other such Law Titles. I asked the store attendant it all those books on law amounted to fiction? He did not catch the intended pun and simple replied, 'Galt haiga jee!', revealing his rustic Punjabi back ground.

Moving further, my hand rested on a title "Retail Business Kit for Dummies" and I repeated to myself- dummies know themselves well and don't ever attempt a Retail Business. And immediately saw the folly of my statement. In India, Retail, it seems is a "Dummies' Delight". As I was visiting a large book store in heart of Indian Capital and they were getting away with whatever bungling they did. A few minutes later I discovered this book to be going through a Retail merchandising Cycle, Rs. 299/- title was being offered at Rs. 89/-, as the publisher was intent upon clearing the stock. I was happy that my search for a book under Rs.200/- was over. But I did not become owner of that book until the attendant, the owner, and one of the cashiers had, one by one, scrutinized me suspecting I carried a sticker from the publishers announcing the 'offer' and had conveniently placed on the front of the book by taking it in to a remote corner. Once they had satisfied themselves they allowed me to take away the book upon payment of Rs. 89/- and I walked out of the store with a feeling of 'having earned' the book. Once outside, after breathing some fresh air, I recognized the tactic. The ridiculously low priced book was another VM technique designed to offer a bait (to visit again) in disguise.

Finally, if you are in Retail, do not think that you are a dummy; and if you actually are a dummy, do not be afraid of getting into Retail, secure in knowledge such books and many other useful titles are available offering the Retail know how.

Navendu Mahodaya