Einstein Statement!

Well Said!

 

Management Tips

Hi Readers,

Here are some Management Tips:

 

Eye Contact-Public Speaking

Hello Readers,

Greetings!

Today I have gone through an interesting article in one of the leading personality development magazines, here I am sharing an interesting article on Eye Contact in Public Speaking!

As we all know, public speaking is an art and one of the important functions in the Management. Being in management field we all have been experiencing the importance and the impact of effective public speaking skills which directly relates to our career and personality. Public speaking is mainly used for Inform, Influence or entertain the listening audience and mainly use to persuade the audience.

In this post I am not attempting to write a theory on Public speaking, but would like to write  few points on Eye Contact and its impact in Public speaking.

When you're in front of an audience, strategic eye contact has the power to change how people think of you. Here's why.

 

Here are 10 reasons why presenters should look at people, one at a time, when addressing an audience of any size.

1. Focusing your eyes helps you concentrate. When your eyes wander, they take in random, extraneous images that are sent to your brain, slowing it down.
2. When you fail to make eye contact with your listeners, you look less authoritative, less believable, and less confident.
3. When you don't look people in the eye, they are less likely to look at you. And when they stop looking at you, they start thinking about something other than what you're saying, and when that happens, they stop listening.
4. When you look someone in the eye, he or she is more likely to look at you, more likely to listen to you, and more likely to buy you and your message.
5. When you look a person in the eye, you communicate confidence and belief in your point of view. One of the most powerful means of communicating confidence and conviction is sustained, focused eye contact.
6. Sustained, focused eye contact makes you feel more confident and act more assertively. It may feel weird at first, but when you practice, it becomes a habit that gives you power.
7. When your listeners see your eyes scanning their faces, they feel invited to engage with you. They feel encouraged to signal to you how they feel about what you're saying--with nods, frowns, or skeptical raisings of their eyebrows.
8. As a result, your listeners are transformed from passive receivers to active participants. Your monologue takes the form of a dialogue, albeit one in which you speak words while they speak with gestures and facial expressions. Your speech or presentation is suddenly a conversation.
9. However, to have a successful dialogue with your audience, you must respond to what your listeners are signaling. So, for instance, when you see skepticism, you might say, "I know it seems hard to believe, but I promise you, the investment makes sense. The data bears it out. "
10. Finally, when you look someone in the eye for three to five seconds, you will naturally slow down your speech, which will make you sound more presidential. In fact, you will find that you are able to pause, which is one practice that has helped President Obama become a powerful and effective orator.

Looking into the eyes of others may make you feel as if you are staring at them, but you are not doing any such thing. You are simultaneously being assertive and empathetic, because you are asserting your opinion and then watching their faces to understand their response.
With practice, you will master this important skill and turn it into a behavior that will serve you well in all areas of your life.

Thanks for Reading!!




 

NAVY SEALS-Motivational Sayings

The Navy "Seals" are United States- SE(sea), A(air),L(land) teams.

Here are seven Navy SEAL sayings I keep top of mind while moving toward achieving my personal and professional goals.

1. The only easy day was yesterday.

This is one of the more well-known sayings of the SEALs. When constantly pushing yourself to excel, there will be challenges that make every day a battle.

If you wake up knowing that every day will pose new challenges and that you are ready to face them head-on, you will be well equipped to achieve any goal you set.

 

2. Get comfortable being uncomfortable.

One exercise in SEAL training is "surf torture." You link arms with your classmates and stand, sit, or lie in the frigid Pacific Ocean until your body reaches the early stages of hypothermia. During the initial phases of training, you do this daily. Then you cover yourself from head to toe in sand and stay that way for the rest of the day. You might follow this with running the obstacle course, weapons training, or classroom time, but you are expected to push the discomfort aside and stay focused on the task at hand.

 The more you embrace that as a reality, the wider your comfort zone becomes. This boosts confidence and provides the tools for facing even larger challenges down the road.

 

3. Don't run to your death.

In SEAL teams, this is not a metaphor. When conducting raids that put you in close-quarters combat scenarios, restraint is often the best approach. Once you breach and gain entry to the target, being slow and methodical often wins the race. Hence the phrase, "Don't run to your death."

 knowing when not to act is as important as knowing when to push forward. Restraint is crucial for business leadership. This is especially important if you are running or managing a rapidly growing business. Growth is fantastic, but smart growth is even better. Have a good plan, slow down, grow intelligently, and never, ever, run to your death.

 

4. Have a shared sense of purpose.

A shared sense of purpose is hard to continually communicate. The economy changes. New technologies emerge. Employees come and go. There are many moving parts, which is why it's critical for the leadership to always be communicating the reality of the situation and what the "win" will look like when you get there. And, most important, what everyone's role is in helping the team achieve that goal.

 

5. Move, shoot, communicate.

As a SEAL, you must be able to perfectly execute these three functions to ensure mission success. Move: You have to be able to work as one well-maintained mechanism with the ability to have constant fluid motion. Shoot: That's self-explanatory. Communicate: All good teams have frequent, open, transparent communication. When the bullets start flying, everyone needs to know what the next move is.

The same philosophies apply in the fast-paced world of business and entrepreneurship. The team has to have the ability to communicate effectively to adapt to changing environments. Which takes us to the next saying.

 

6. No plan survives first contact with the enemy.

This is from Helmuth von Moltke, a German field marshal from World War I. Similar is this sentiment from Mike Tyson: "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face." That is why preparation and training are even more critical than planning.

When you have a team of the right people doing the right things, they will know how to adapt when the you-know-what hits the fan. And they will adapt with composure, not panic. This is why ongoing training and professional development are so important.

 

7. All in, all the time.

I wanted to close with another one of the more well-known SEAL sayings. Just being a good performer won't cut it to make it into the SEAL teams. You have to give everything you have just to make it to the next day. Just like managing stress, you have to focus on one piece at a time. So don't worry about the test you have in the afternoon. Your goal is to make it to breakfast. Then lunch, and so on.

Whether you are building a startup, leading a team in a large organization, being an active parent, battling cancer, or training for a triathlon, it's got to be all or nothing. Mediocrity and moderation won't get the job done. Give everything you do everything you've got.

My heart welled with pride when I heard my 8-year-old son's flag football coach give the team one last piece of advice in the last couple minutes of its championship Super Bowl game. He said, "Now is the time to dig deep. Leave everything you’ve got on that field. If you do that, win or lose, you will be the champions!" So whether you are 8 or 58, get comfortable being uncomfortable, get well prepared, and be all in, all the time.

 

Thanks for Reading!!

Employees-Boss

SOME EMPLOYEES ARE READY TO DIE FOR THEIR BOSS...WHY??

To know the answer lets read a nice story about loyalty.

There were about 70 scientists working on a very hectic project. All of them were really frustrated due to the pressure of work and the demands of their boss but everyone was loyal to him and did not think of quitting the job.
One day, one scientist came to his boss and told him –
‘Sir, I have promised to my children that I will take them to the exhibition going on in our township. So I want to leave the office at 5 30 pm’
His boss replied 'OK, you're permitted to leave the office early today'
The Scientist started working. He continued his work after lunch. As usual he got involved to such an extent that he looked at his watch when he felt he was close to completion. The time was 8.30 PM. Suddenly he remembered of the promise he had given to his children. He looked for his boss, He was not there. Having told him in the morning itself, he closed everything and left for home. Deep within himself, he was feeling guilty for having disappointed his children.
He reached home. Children were not there. His wife alone was sitting in the hall and reading magazines. The situation was explosive; any talk would boomerang on him. His wife asked him 'Would you like to have coffee or shall I straight away serve dinner if you are hungry?’
The man replied 'If you would like to have coffee, I too will have but what about Children?'
Wife replied 'You don't know? Your manager came here at 5.15 PM and has taken the children to the exhibition’
What had really happened was...
The boss who granted him permission was observing him working seriously at 5.00 PM. He thought to himself, this person will not leave the work, but if he has promised his children they should enjoy the visit to exhibition. So he took the lead in taking them to exhibition. The boss does not have to do it every time. But once it is done, loyalty is established. That is why all the scientists at Thumba continued to work under their boss even though the stress was tremendous. By the way, can you hazard a guess as to who the boss was..?

He was none other than Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam, former President of India

 

Learning-Earning

 
 



 One of my favorite Quotations.

Secrets to Influence People

Dear Readers,

 

Hope everyone is doing good!!

 

Here I am posting an interesting article, which I have gone through in an International Magazine today.

 

Ever wish you were better at getting people  to do what you want? You can be. All it takes is practice and desire.

 

1. Spend lots of time listening.

Even if you already know what people are going to say, and even if there's no way you can do what they want, start by listening. Being listened to is one of the things they want--that's true of just about everyone. That was one mistake I made on my first project: I had listened to people who wanted to volunteer, but not to those who had volunteer jobs to offer. I assumed they'd be happy to have new volunteers, but I was wrong.

2. Ask lots of questions.

Not only because everyone wants to be listened to. Careful questioning will help you determine what people really want, which is often different from what they say they want. It will also tell you what they have to offer.

3. Make a human-to-human connection.

Look for ways to connect that have nothing to do with the work at hand. Maybe they have children the same age as yours, or they live somewhere you've vacationed, or you share the same hobby. Even if none of that's true, you can still make a bit of a connection on the basis of universal experiences. For instance, right now a large portion of the United States is suffering through extreme winter weather.

4. Let your own guard down.

It's always tough to know just how much of your personal life it's OK to share in a business context. Many people err on the side of caution by sharing little or nothing about themselves. Instead, decide what you feel comfortable having other people know, and then give them a few details. You'll make other people feel safer and engage their human side. 

5. Never miss a chance to say thank you.

Think hard about who's helped you or put him- or herself out, and make sure to thank him or her. That makes it much likelier he or she will put him- or herself out again for you next time.

6. Never miss a chance to give praise.

Most of us never get enough praise for the things we work hard to do. So if you want to influence someone, make sure to call out what he or she has done well and how he or she has contributed to your organization or your well-being. Do it in public if you can.

7. Never miss a chance to apologize.

If you hate apologizing, get over it. An apology is one of the most powerful tools you have for winning people to your side. If a decision you made caused someone inconvenience or upset, an apology lets him or her know that you care. That's true even if you don't regret the decision itself but only the harm it caused him or her.

(One word of caution: Don't ever apologize, praise, or thank unless it's sincerely how you feel. People can tell when you're faking, and it will backfire.)

8. Strive to give people what they want.

Obviously, this isn't always an option. But if you can figure out what people really want or need and make sure they get it, they'll be that much more likely to give you what you need from them.

9. Let people save face.

Sometimes you know that someone would be disastrously bad at a job he or she wants. Should you say so? Unless you're giving him or her feedback with a view to his or her being qualified later on, don't. You're better off giving that person a more palatable out. For instance, you've already promised the job to someone else.

10. Pick up the phone.

Do you find yourself getting and making a lot fewer phone calls than you used to? With email, text, and social media, I do. But there are times when a phone call or face-to-face communication makes a big difference. One of those is if you have disappointing news to deliver. Another is if you are asking someone to take on a bigger role or added responsibility.

 

On the phone, you can answer any questions he or she has or listen to any venting he or she may need to do in real time. You've stepped away from your other duties to spend time with him or her. That lets him or her know you really care about whatever you're calling for. It's a powerful way to make him or her care, too.

 

 

                                             Thanks for reading!

Information Security-Positioning to Clients!!

Dear Readers,

Being in the Field of Computer Network & Security, we face the hurdles in selling/proposing the Information Security solutions to our clients.

 

In this article we will read the aspects of Information security selling in detail..

 

 

 

 

Information assets are critical to any business and paramount to the survival of any organization in today's globalized digital economy. When information is not adequately protected, it may be compromised and this is known as an information or security breach. The consequences of an information breach are severe. For businesses, a breach usually entails huge financial penalties, expensive law suits, loss of reputation and business.

why is Information Security viewed as a niche?

First and foremost it is a business challenge, so why place those accountable in a technology role? When you place Information Security under the control of the technologists, their accountability is greater than their influence which equates to expensive, inefficient and often ill-conceived ad-hoc solutions. Rarely are we stronger as a result.

 

IT managers need to embrace Information Security and work closely with Security Specialists to develop ROI. Not just a return from a security perspective but from a business perspective.

Learn to ask the right questions of the Security Experts:

For instance if a business is having difficulty billing all internal customers for systems used the solution can be provided from a whole host of open source security tools that generate a concise listing of IP enabled devices and categories them for you against business lines. After all you can't secure what you don't know about!

We need to find more and more of these Win -Win situations. An effective security specialist can cost you millions or save you millions and for greatest effect you must allow them to work across your business and not only the technology segment. By careful cooperation Security can deliver directly against the bottom line.

 Only then should Security Specialists mention the additional benefits of upholding mandated standards and finally right at the end, as a by-product, almost in passing it can be mentioned we may have even prevented a hack from occurring! All in order of importance to the CEO.

Information Security is bigger than many CEOs and IT managers realize and Security Specialists should invite them in otherwise they will never understand just how big the Tardif is.

 Parting note to Senior Management, connecting with your IT Security department doesn't mean you have to travel through a worm-hole!

There are a host of reasons why a potential customer wouldn't be interested in buying security, but perhaps the most common one is the belief that the customer simply doesn't need what you're selling. Many business owners and IT professionals suffer from, "It won't happen to me," syndrome. They're convinced that because "It hasn't happened yet," or they "don't have any data people want" or "are too small to be a target," that they can be lax on security. Your most important job, as a security provider, is to overcome objections and protect the client.

Finding the return on security investments:

In my experience selling information security, the most common objection is driven by a perceived lack of tangible return on security investment, as well as the belief that security is expensive and interferes with operations. Unlike a new server, upgraded productivity software, etc., showing return on security investment (ROSI) is less intuitive because people see it as a disabler. But in fact, a security investment can also yield productivity gains. If you take a closer look in search of return on investment (ROI), you may not only close the sale, but you may become a deeply trusted business consultant as well.

 You must convince the client that doing nothing is worse than writing a check. One major source of return on security investment is productivity. Yes, productivity can be substantially increased by driving employees to be less distracted and to follow organized procedures for doing their daily tasks. For example, the implementation of Web filtering and user monitoring software can ensure users are spending their work hours doing productive work for the company. Another example is data-loss-prevention. By not allowing documents to enter and exit the network unchecked, there is far less time spent searching for the documents and validating their security status, a process that can be quite time-consuming and costly during IT or compliance audits. Other ROI from security can range from 25% gains in sales activity, to massive increases in collections and manufacturing production.

 

 When selling information security, you must also find the risk or tangible losses that may come from not having your product or service, and seek to quantify those potential losses. Help the client calculate the costs due to loss of intellectual property or goodwill and the canceling of key partnerships. Identify any significant fines they may face and the expense of legal defense and lawsuit settlements. Don't forget to mention increased insurance costs. 

Handling security fears and resistance:

Help your client deal with the political upheaval, and employee complaints, often caused by security initiatives. One way to deal with the politics of employees is to make them part of the initiative to protect their jobs and raise their own productivity. Believe it or not, there is "sexiness" to participating in security. If you get employees invested and proudly talking about their involvement, you will see far fewer objections, and you may even see some employees coaching others to come along.

When selling information security, you must find the risk or tangible losses that may come from not having your product or service, and seek to quantify those potential losses.

Fear, uncertainty and doubt or FUD, can make or break any deal. Clients may be quick to accuse security solution providers of using FUD to sell them stuff. In my experience, this is the ultimate customer fallback, especially with IT staff. They may say to each other, "Oh the consultant is just trying to scare you.

However, FUD can be a powerful mechanism to find the risk manager in every business person. In my consulting and presentations, I confront this during my introduction. For example, I will say, "These are the laws of the land. I don't necessarily agree with them, but hating me will not change that." and, "I am an expert. I do this everyday and yet I am fearful, uncertain and doubtful too. If you are not, you should be." Now you are sharing in their fear and uncertainty.

Then be ready to give real examples of tragic information security events in other small or midsized businesses that are similar to them. Show your client the actual regulations and tangible penalties for failure to comply. Be prepared to counter the common mindset that everything is good and they need not worry. Patching systems are a great measure of the most basic security within a network. It is also one of the most despised and least effectively managed IT processes. Ask your client about patch currency. If you are willing to gamble a little, bet on their patching being out of date. This is a pretty safe bet in my experience. Do an inventory of the patches. Then use that as a benchmark assumption to get the decision maker to realize there are bigger hidden issues and maybe IT isn't as on top of it as they thought they were.

Communicating with the client:

 Be careful how you communicate with your client. Don't use fancy acronyms and try to blow them away with your knowledge. If they feel as though you are presenting yourself as superior, rather than aware and concerned, you will fail. You must inspire them into action or at least self preservation. A major unspoken objection (and this can be the hardest to overcome) is the intimidation factor. Security and compliance in particular both require a depth of understanding and expertise that cause many to be frightened into inaction. Clients often feel they don't have the time or capacity to understand. If you perpetuate this feeling rather than helping them overcome it, you will not close security deals or they will be short lived. If you can help them mange fear, you will be able to build a consulting relationship with them that will last a long time.

Above all, let your clients know you care about them and their business. If they question your motivation and don't believe you are sincere in your desire to help them achieve their goals, they will not listen to your advice. Take the time to ask them about their beliefs and understanding of security. Assure them that you understand it is complex and a little scary. Show them how you are there to help their IT environment become more secure and to make them the leader of their security initiatives.

Selling most of information security services and products is a challenge to the vast majority. The reason is that security is generally something to prevent the company from the possibility of losing money (whether by the leak of information, fraud or any other way), and it is neither just some money that you spend today to make profit tomorrow, nor something that you can use to cut costs and make your company more.

Except for some mature companies, which, in general, take security seriously and consciously invest a lot of money in information security, most of the other companies have trouble justifying their investments when it comes to security.

After some years of experience, I would say that most security investments are done for one out of five main reasons, which became a rule of thumb for me when my hope was almost dashed trying to help the sales force with the best way to sell security products and services. The reasons are described below.

 Everyone knows (I hope) that some security measures are simply necessary—period. Firewalls and Antivirus, for example, are by common sense necessary.

 This is followed by what I call “a sheep in the crowd syndrome”, which occurs when you don’t know what you are buying, but you do it just because everyone else does. Don’t confuse it with common sense, because many might think they know the reason of buying security, but in fact they are following a trend.

Information security incidents, unfortunately, are also good sellers. The 9/11 incident and similar situations sell more security than any of the other four reasons. The motive is quite obvious, just looking how the airports became stricter after this cruel incident….

Compliance is also a good seller, but generally occurs after a big disaster, such as 9/11 or what occurred with the late Arthur Andersen. SOx and many other regulations, laws and standards had been developed with the intention of prevent such disasters reoccurring or to prevent them from being so calamitous.

Finally, sponsorship is not so common, but happens when someone in the company Is interested in security issues and has the authority and power to sponsor security investments.

 

Putting the pieces together, the challenge now is trying to sell security knowing all of the above.

 

                                                                   Happy Value Selling!!

 

Basic Steps in Selling

Hello Readers,
In this post we  discuss about the basic steps of  selling process.


The selling process involves a series of steps that may appear to be a sequential process, but there is a lot of movement back and forth between the different steps that will ultimately lead to closing the deal. 
The selling process will vary by industry and personal preference, but these six essential steps will help you close more deals and help grow your business.


1. The Cold Call (Meet and Greet) :
This initial introduction will set the stage for the rest of the selling process. This is the icebreaker, the time to get the customer to relax and feel comfortable. This is your chance to build rapport with the customer so you need to be sincere, friendly and humorous. You try to capture the customer's interest by asking those questions that make them think and learn more about your products and services.


2. The Qualifying Call (Customer's Needs) :
In this meeting you will ask questions to help you identify what the customer wants and needs. During this step, your open-ended questions will help you assess how the prospect will benefit from your products. If you qualify the customer properly, you will be able to fulfill his/her needs and wants. You can also establish credibility and a relationship during the meeting.


3. The Demo Call (Demonstration): 
Now you can show all you know about your products or services. The presentation will cover the 
features of the products; the physical characteristics. But most importantly, you will want to 
concentrate on the benefits of your products or services. The benefits will show the customer "what’s it for them" and why they should buy. Remember that people don’t like to be sold, but they want solutions to their problems.


4. The Proposal :
You will formalize your offer to the prospect. In short, you illustrate how your products and services solve the prospect’s problem. Your proposal will justify the prospect’s investment with you and the benefits they will receive. It is best to provide prospects with a formal written proposal accompanied by an in-person presentation of the proposal.


5. Show me the Money (Close) :
After you have presented your proposal, you should ask for their business. Ideally, the prospect will have given you signals along the way. If you have done a good job during the qualifying meeting and developed a strong proposal, you should feel confident when asking for the order. You should not feel embarrassed to ask for their business. Remember, you are really asking permission to solve their problems.


6. Relationship Building :
After celebrating the sale, it is time to get back to selling. Now you will want to ensure that your new customer is happy and satisfied with the results. Take time to follow up with the customer and start building that long-term relationship.Relationship always helps you to get repeat business from customers.

Cloud Computing--Beginners

By today's post..i would like to share "Cloud Computing" for beginners.As we all know the term cloud computing becoming a Buzz word in IT industry,and we all hve been familiar with this term. Yes this term has it's significant importance,and will change entire IT infrastructure picture. .

 

Despite of Many definitions like "software as a service..Infra as a service...etc,i wanna share a simple defintion for cloud computing...

In one sentence cloud computing is " using other people’s servers to run applications for your organization, remotely"

 

Cloud computing is a simple technology that has been around for a while, and almost all of us have used it, without even knowing. In simple terms, cloud computing entails running computer/network applications that are on other people’s servers using a simple user interface or application format. It’s that simple.

If this language still sounds strange, going back to basics will tell you something about what cloud computing is all about. In the olden days of networking, way before Google or Yahoo was born, companies ran e-mail as an application whose data was stored in-house. As such, all the files, documents, messages, and other things you currently use in e-mail were stored in a safe, dark room on the company’s premises. These sounds familiar because you were probably banned from visiting that room due to security reasons.

Moving forward into the 20^th century, when companies like Google started showing up, the way e-mail was treated and utilized was revolutionized. It would have been a commercial bid to get more subscribers, but these companies chose to open their servers to store e-mail information for you, free of charge. However, to access that data, you have to use their applications like Gmail, Yahoo Mail, and so many others. Practically, this is what cloud computing is all about – using other people’s servers to run applications for your organization, remotely.

Into the 21^st century, the concept of the cloud is the same, but more than ever before, cloud computing is bigger. It’s now becoming possible to use bigger applications that will leverage your business goals and functions easily in the cloud. For example, with cloud computing, you can run all your computer networks and programs as a whole without ever buying an extra piece of hardware or software.

The cloud technology has many benefits and that would explain its popularity. First, companies can save a lot of money; second, they are able to avoid the mishaps of the regular server protocols. For instance, when a company decides to have a new piece of software, whose license can only be used once and it’s pretty expensive, they wouldn’t have to buy software for each new computer that is added to the network. Instead, they could use the application installed on a virtual server somewhere and share, in the ‘cloud’.

These capabilities are becoming even more personalized today, and there are even a few solutions that allow you to use mobile in the cloud. Of course, there are very few people who aren’t willing to lose control of the little physical tools they are used to (like the dark server room); however, largely, any business that considers cutting costs and wants to move forward in this dynamic age needs to embrace cloud computing, or at least give it a shot to survive.

Safe Guard from Competition

Hello Readers,
Today,being a part of the sales meeting at our corporate office,learnt ample strategies related,"how to attain competitive advantage",and "how to position our product in the market in these intense competitive environment..and also learnt the defintion of DABAANG....

In this context i would like to share some vital information regarding competitive advantage,here is the post recently i read in a book..

A major task for any sales team is to bullet-proof its business plan so when competitors try to steal customers, the competition is shot down.

As much as your salespeople want to retain their customers’ business, the competition wants to take it away. But despite intense competition or difficult times, it’s possible to take steps to prevent the competition from stealing your customers.

Here are rules that, if followed, will keep competitors’ hands off your customers. Share them with your sales team.

1. Never, ever stop worrying. Anyone who thinks he or she has it made becomes vulnerable. Sales reps need to constantly look not just at the strengths of their products or services, but at the entire context of their relationships with the customers.
2. Never take any customer for granted. Even though your company may be doing a good job of taking care of customer needs, that’s not nearly enough today. It’s the ideas, the information, the help, the guidance and the insight that you give customers that’ll continue to earn you the privilege of doing business with them.
3. Never think that you’ve got a corner on the market. That type of thinking leads to complacency. Customers who feel they’re being taken for granted will become vulnerable to competitors. The biggest problem for salespeople is letting all the fancy features of what they sell get in their way. Customers don’t care about what your company sells; they just want to know how it’ll help them achieve their goals.
4. Never assume you really know your customers. They change. One of the key roles of a salesperson must be to gather information continually about his or her customers. What’s happening to them? What changes are they facing? What problems are they having? What difficulties are they encountering in the marketplace?
5. Never stop selling your company. In order to create customer loyalty, your customers must “buy” your company. Keep selling them on your qualities and service. A major task for your sales team is to do everything possible to cause a customer to want to do business with your company.

6. Anticipate and prepare for as many obstacles and objections as possible. Prepare your responses in advance. Keep your commitments. Do what you say you’re going to do, and make that your guarantee.
   
   "Be DABANG(a famous hindi movie) to shot down the competition"

Account Manager's

Hello  Readers,

             Greetings!!!
By this post i would like to discuss few things about Account Management,and the Role of Account Managers in a Company,Which the Revenue is mainly come from selling products and services..
  Note: one of my friends expressed bit confusion statement about Accounts Manager & Account Manager.....But Both are entirely different roles in nature, First one is closely related to Finance and Accounts, Second term relates to Revenue Generation and Customer Relations...

Let we go through Briefly about Account Manage(rs)ment.

An account manager (Sales) is a person in a business who is responsible for the management of the sales and relationship with particular customers. They are usually allocated particular customers especially key accounts that provide the most business..

 Responsibilites of an Account Manager:

The responsibilities of an account manager vary depending on the nature of the business. The account manager builds client relationship by acting as the interface between the Customer service teams and sales teams within a company. The goal is to maintain the company's existing relationship with a client or group of clients, so that they will continue using the company for business. The account manager also tries to identify potential new clients and business opportunities and to persuade new customers to place business with the company.

Account managers are responsible for working with clients to identify their needs and work out how the company can best meet those requirements, in order that the client does not decide to place business elsewhere. Normally an account manager looks after existing Customers (called "farming") and leaves the creation of new accounts to the Sales team (called "hunting").

Depending on the size of the company, account managers might manage a single account or they may have a variety of clients. An account manager might have responsibility for an account at national level or at global level. Global account managers and national account managers may work together in a hierarchical or matrix structure. The trend is to move responsibility for the major key accounts to the global level.Key Account Manager
Key account management includes sales but also includes planning and managing the full relationship between a business and its most important customers. An account manager who works in this role will engage in a variety of tasks including Project management coordination, Strategic planning, Relationship management, negotiation, leadership and innovative development of opportunities. keeping record of transaction of sale and purchase goods.

Sales profile consider as Key role for any organisation actively involving in making money from exchange of their goods for a value..and sales people are considered as Revenue Generators.

But Things in the competitive Business environment are drastically changed..Every organisation Striving to achieving Desired Growth to in line with the Management and owners(share holders) Expectations....

 To achieve the collective goals of an organisation..it should be aligned according to the operating business model..

My organisation always on the first line to adapt the changes to transform towards successfull business model..For ex: ASPIRE Programme is meant for Transformation..Like this many organisation taking intiatives with various Names..

 How Many of us Agree if i say "Employee first, customer next"..This statement has been applied successfully in HCL Technologies to attain high productivity from their employees, where the company is highly dependent on the services and product engineering(here Major CAPEX is in the form of intangible human intelligence)

                                           Thanks for Reading!!!!

Sales person TO Manager

It’s Monday morning and you’re now a manager! It happens all the time. The best salesperson in the company is suddenly promoted to manager role.

Being a great sales manager takes much more than being a great salesperson. It requires a different set of skills and focus. In fact, the behavior that got you there may now work against you as a manager. In the absence of strong leadership, the best salespeople will still thrive, but those who need help the most will be the ones who suffer. And that failure not only creates revenue problems, but even worse, retention problems.

Corporate Strategy

Many Employees feel it!!!

Don't Discount Ur product/Service

Hi,
 Greetings..
Today i have gone through an interesting article in a magazine,which reflects my experience in mirror.While reading this article you may not be understand the relevance of this article, But being employed with US$6 Billion,Group subsidary, i personally felt how importance it is.....

Emphasize the virtues of your product or service, rather than the price. It will keep your competitors at bay, and your customers close.

As Sales force/Business owners, we are often tempted to discount our product or service, thinking it will somehow win us customers and drive growth.  Customers are relentless about asking for discounts too, believing that getting something cheaper is better.  Whichever perspective you look at it from, discounting is not only dumb, it's dangerous. 

Here's why:

You'll cut corners. 

Even if we try to look past it and keep our eyes on the far-off prize of increasing sales, the reality of discounts is that they require you to take a loss.  If you discount your product, something has to get cut.  Perhaps you will change the way your product is crafted, and use lower quality materials to make the discount work.  Perhaps you will have to reduce the level of service you provide, or the speed with which you deliver orders, all in the name of the discount.  While this strategy may result in a quick burst of sales, it will also burn your customers.  A customer who receives a sub-par product may be happy with the discount—until she opens the box and has buyer's remorse.  And when she does, you can rest assured, she will let other potential buyers know that you sold a product that did not meet her needs.  Rarely will she mention that the product was discounted, but instead only that it was not what she thought she was getting.  That discount has now cost you not only money, but reputation as well.

You'll invite competitors to attack.

Discounting is generally a sign of distress—and one that is easily readable by your competitors. When businesses are having trouble converting prospects to customers, they look to discounts to win business. When cash flow is in jeopardy and a company needs to balance books quickly, discounts are often used to create an emergency influx of funds.  As word gets out that you are discounting—and it will—any good competitor will come on strong by lowering prices in kind, further undercutting your chances of growing your business or stabilizing revenues.

You'll reveal a lack of confidence in your product.

Price is the weakest of all attributes to use when trying to sell your products, because any company can meet or beat your pricing either temporarily or long-term.  If you lead your sales with a discount or promotional offer, it sends a signal to your customer that your product has no better attribute to distinguish it from competing products. You may actually have the best product on the market, but by offering it at a discount, you are not only discounting it, but also devaluing it.  Discounts proclaim, in a silent but deadly manner, that what you are selling is worse than, or at best equivalent to, the product of your competitor—and customers are smart enough to know it. Relationships are built on the confidence your customers feel in your products, and the assurance they get from buying what they know to be quality. Discounts wipe out these two brand essentials and leave your business in a very risky position in both customers' minds and the marketplace.

So the next time you are ready to head in the direction of discounting, consider your choice carefully.  You surely have a better reason to convince customers to choose your product.  Focus on articulating the why of your product instead of the how much.  It will keep your competitors at bay, and inspire your customers to stay close

I always Belive in One Saying "Build Value for Your offering, The Value will play remainign part"

                             Happy Selling,Build Value

Manager(boss)

This post talks about core beliefs of Extraordinary Bosses, I read this interesting article in an online magazine, Really must read post.Continue reading....
The best managers have a fundamentally different understanding of workplace, company, and team dynamics. See what they get right.

I learned that the "best of the best" tend to share the following eight core beliefs.

 1)Business is an ecosystem, not a battlefield.

Average bosses see business as a conflict between companies, departments and groups. They build huge armies of "troops" to order about, demonize competitors as "enemies," and treat customers as "territory" to be conquered.

Extraordinary bosses see business as a symbiosis where the most diverse firm is most likely to survive and thrive. They naturally create teams that adapt easily to new markets and can quickly form partnerships with other companies, customers ... and even competitors.

2. A company is a community, not a machine.

Average bosses consider their company to be a machine with employees as cogs. They create rigid structures with rigid rules and then try to maintain control by "pulling levers" and "steering the ship."

Extraordinary bosses see their company as a collection of individual hopes and dreams, all connected to a higher purpose. They inspire employees to dedicate themselves to the success of their peers and therefore to the community–and company–at large.

3. Management is service, not control.

Average bosses want employees to do exactly what they're told. They're hyper-aware of anything that smacks of insubordination and create environments where individual initiative is squelched by the "wait and see what the boss says" mentality.

Extraordinary bosses set a general direction and then commit themselves to obtaining the resources that their employees need to get the job done. They push decision making downward, allowing teams form their own rules and intervening only in emergencies.

4. My employees are my peers, not my children.

Average bosses see employees as inferior, immature beings who simply can't be trusted if not overseen by a patriarchal management. Employees take their cues from this attitude, expend energy on looking busy and covering their behinds.

Extraordinary bosses treat every employee as if he or she were the most important person in the firm. Excellence is expected everywhere, from the loading dock to the boardroom. As a result, employees at all levels take charge of their own destinies.

5. Motivation comes from vision, not from fear.

Average bosses see fear--of getting fired, of ridicule, of loss of privilege--as a crucial way to motivate people.  As a result, employees and managers alike become paralyzed and unable to make risky decisions.

Extraordinary bosses inspire people to see a better future and how they'll be a part of it.  As a result, employees work harder because they believe in the organization's goals, truly enjoy what they're doing and (of course) know they'll share in the rewards.

6. Change equals growth, not pain.

Average bosses see change as both complicated and threatening, something to be endured only when a firm is in desperate shape. They subconsciously torpedo change ... until it's too late.

Extraordinary bosses see change as an inevitable part of life. While they don't value change for its own sake, they know that success is only possible if employees and organization embrace new ideas and new ways of doing business.

7. Technology offers empowerment, not automation.

Average bosses adhere to the old IT-centric view that technology is primarily a way to strengthen management control and increase predictability. They install centralized computer systems that dehumanize and antagonize employees.

Extraordinary bosses see technology as a way to free human beings to be creative and to build better relationships. They adapt their back-office systems to the tools, like smartphones and tablets, that people actually want to use.

8. Work should be fun, not mere toil.

Average bosses buy into the notion that work is, at best, a necessary evil. They fully expect employees to resent having to work, and therefore tend to subconsciously define themselves as oppressors and their employees as victims. Everyone then behaves accordingly.

Extraordinary bosses see work as something that should be inherently enjoyable–and believe therefore that the most important job of manager is, as far as possible, to put people in jobs that can and will make them truly happy.

As we all know Boss is a key person in Management matrix which leads an employee towards job satisfaction or viceversa, Being working as a US$6 billion Group subsidary, i always say one thing "Love Your Company, Like you Boss"

Increase your Sales--Easy ways

Hi, Readers,
    Here are some vital ways, which will enable your organisation to increase sales..
Make these easy steps to your sales process to create a huge increase in sales revenue.

Want to sell more? Here are 12 simple actions that you can take today that will increase both revenue and profit.

1. Reduce the number of opportunities you pursue. The more opportunities you've got, the more likely you are to make a sale, right? Wrong! If you can't give each prospect the attention they deserve, you'll lose sales you otherwise might make.

2. Increase the percentage of time you spend selling. Get somebody else to handle your paperwork, expense reports, or whatever busywork is involved with making a sale. Use the extra time to get in front of customers.

3. Stop buying technology because it's cool. Smartphones, tablets, and PCs can be important tools--but learning and supporting them can drain your productivity. Only purchase devices and programs that actually help you sell.

4. Think about your solution as a verb. Suppose your company makes glue. If you're selling "glue" (a noun), you'll talk about product features. If you're selling "gluing" (a verb), you'll talk what your offering does for your customer's business.

5. Treat selling as a service to the customer. Stop thinking that selling means "convincing" the customer, "overcoming" objections, and "winning" the business. Instead, view yourself as the customer's ally in solving a problem.

6. Terminate weak engagements--politely but immediately. The moment you find out that a customer really doesn't need what you're offering, point them in the right direction, then politely withdraw from the opportunity.

7. Don't confuse telling with selling. Rather than talking to the customer about what your product can do, ask intelligent questions so that the two of you can discover whether the customer really needs you to help solve a problem or achieve a goal.

8. Hone your lead generation effort. Based upon your own experience, observe who's just interested and who's actually buying. Hone your lead generation efforts to find more of the ones who are actually spending money on your offering.

9. Don't focus on the gatekeepers. Make sure that you're talking to the realdecision-makers, and not just the influencers and sideliners. When you meet a decision-maker, stay in regular communication throughout the sales cycle.

10. Stay on top of your opportunities. Don't lose track of what's changing inside the account. Build a short sales plan that documents the process and the players, so you don't spin your wheels trying to remember who needs what and when.

11. Outflank your competition. Find out who the other guys are calling on, and how they're approaching the account. Figure out who they're talking to, what they're saying, and defensively position your offering to counter their approach.

12. Increase your average Rupee value. It takes just about as much effort to cut a 1,000 deal as it does to cut a 10,000 deal. The more revenue you book on each opportunity, the more money you'll make overall.

                                                "Happy selling"