I was reading Scott Ragsdale’s blog, CEO of naseba, the entry on Black Gucci Loafer, on how to sell people on the benefits and make them buy a service or product at a premium. I am very impressed by the way he gives his sales pitch to motivate the sales team to sell more. Here is a small story from my experience to re-enforce the fact on what Scott has written.
In my previous job at one of the largest India IT MNCs, I was the marketing manager and I was responsible for launching a new Software Product in the SME market in India. India is a very price sensitive market and people are not ready to pay big amounts. However, if sold well on the concept and brand, people do buy it.
So after launching the product and doing marketing activities, I launched a special offer of 50% off on the initial price. Obviously, the price was marked up according to competitor’s price and there was an actual profit margin kept. In the first 2 weeks none of the sales guys sold it. They all thought it’s an expensive product and won’t sell.
I got pissed off and I asked my manager, that I am going to prove them wrong and sell it at a higher margin + I am going to get an annual maintenance contract (25% of the actual cost of product) also signed in a month’s time.
Within 1 week of scanning the market I found 2 potential opportunities and I went and pitched and showed the product demo and closed the deal much higher than the actual price and also sold the AMC for 25% of the product cost.
My simple pitch was that it is exclusive as the service provided is unmatchable and the convenience that the hospital (buying it) is much higher than any of the cheap competitor’s product. The brand name and the over all packaging along with the smooth sales pitch highlighting the benefits made me sell and I won the “Operation Market Storm – BDM of the Month”.
This is the power of branding, sales and individual’s ability all put together to build a strong sales organization.
Showing posts with label Attitude. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Attitude. Show all posts
Friday, May 23, 2008
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Avoiding Email Marketing Blunders - Refer to your checklist
Email marketing is not about just sending out emails. This is the art and science of building long term relations and driving revenue for the organization. In today's fast changing world of e-mail marketing, an for attention to details along with an reasoning based attitude is necessary to avoid embarrassment and lost revenue opportunities for the sender.
Here is Karen Gedney's article on email checklist, which I read last year and I must say it's a very good read for email marketers.
On a day to day basis, when we keep doing the same job, we feel that we know it all. Though when you start exploring it more, is when you understand that there is so much more to it. The day we start believing that we know it all is the day you stop learning more and the moment you stop learning or you lose the will to learn more, you are nothing more than a dead man.
As Scott Ragsdale pointed out in his blog "Jack Murphy Syndrome", it's very easy to fall in trap of this syndrome and become incomplacent. But people who are consistent and committed and who want to learn more are the ones who would succeed. Not just in this form of marketing, however, in their lives.
Reading, Learning More and following industry trends is as important as your breakfast and missing it would make you slack physically or mentally. As I point out sometimes, Sharpening the Saw (7 Habits of Highly Effective People), is one of the most important activities and its not just physical fitness but also mental fitness what matters!
Here is Karen Gedney's article on email checklist, which I read last year and I must say it's a very good read for email marketers.
On a day to day basis, when we keep doing the same job, we feel that we know it all. Though when you start exploring it more, is when you understand that there is so much more to it. The day we start believing that we know it all is the day you stop learning more and the moment you stop learning or you lose the will to learn more, you are nothing more than a dead man.
As Scott Ragsdale pointed out in his blog "Jack Murphy Syndrome", it's very easy to fall in trap of this syndrome and become incomplacent. But people who are consistent and committed and who want to learn more are the ones who would succeed. Not just in this form of marketing, however, in their lives.
Reading, Learning More and following industry trends is as important as your breakfast and missing it would make you slack physically or mentally. As I point out sometimes, Sharpening the Saw (7 Habits of Highly Effective People), is one of the most important activities and its not just physical fitness but also mental fitness what matters!
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Sachin Uppal's TOP 100 th Blog Post | Marketing & Technology
I am not sure what should I write in my 100th blog post, though I thought I can write a bit about myself and about my blogging habit. How I started blogging, why do I blog now, what I blog and for whom I blog for and what role does today's Blogging technology play in Marketing and personal Branding.
Well what I notice in Marketing over a period of time is that Technology has started playing a larger role, sometimes to the extent of driving the new strategies. Also, this has led to creation of a new breed of Human Capital with a completely new skill set which is needed. 10 years back to drive the marketing it required business objectives and goals, business mindset, creativity, new ideas and passion to do marketing. However, today it has got augmented and now it needs to be a good balance of Technical Know-how too. But one thing which has not changed is Passion to succeed in whatever you do. And passion is one thing which has driven me to achieve all the success which I have till now, though in words of Robert Frost :"I have miles to go before I sleep."
So what I noticed as a change in myself over a period of time is that, now I not just understand the technical part of technology, but also the Business and Human part of it and this I something which I leverage to my advantage. With social and professional networking adding advantage to the knowledge growth I just feel more privileged that I am born in this age. I sometimes now enjoy myself being called an Online Media Evangelist, as this is what I strongly believe in and stand for in today's Web 2.0 times. I can say I am passionate about it. When I started blogging way back in 2005, it was more like a juvenile amateur writing about college days or why he likes a Pizza or some philosophy and some inspired content etc. However, in mid 2007, I started focusing on Technology & Marketing.
In 2006 I didn't blog, as I was so occupied with my work. I was learning on how to implement marketing and branding strategies leveraging various media. I executed some 200 events in 05(sept) -07(june) varying from Seminars, Conferences, Workshops, Interaction and Brainstorm sessions, Expos, Tradeshows and did over 1000 different electronic mailers and some 50 direct mailers targeting 26 different industry segments varying from Automation, Automotive, Aerospace to Travel and Tourism, Healthcare, IT, Wireless, HR and more... Also I interacted with media for online and offline PR and even press conferences etc. I created whole lot of sales productivity enhancement tools, testimonials, demos, CDs etc etc and tried so many more things.
One thing which I remember while doing all this is my mentor in National Instruments telling me to focus on results and to see the broader picture than just on media execution. The importance of learning from past and each activity by analysing it on basis of what was the objective, strategy, tactics and what was finally achieved.
I was in a race to learn as much as I can and just because I was passionate about marketing and I wanted to be the best in what I am doing. I did my set of mistakes and learned every time and came off much stronger and better every time.
My professional journey of marketing officially started off at National Instruments though the seeds were born in my school and college life and small activities in Wipro Technologies. I let the plants grow and mushroom into strong banyan trees as I grew older. I read this book called "The End of Marketing as we know it" by Sergio Zyman the ex-CMO of Coca Cola, which shattered a lot of myths about marketing and the most abused term "Strategy" and I got introduced to real, fact based, measurable world of marketing, where it was all about sales and how new marketing strategies can drive sales for a small organization to the large giants.
Then one day while I was reading online I just felt that I should share my opinion on this topic and I started writing and revisited my blog. I saw many other blogs and started learning how to optimize blogs and on how to make it user friendly, add productivity features etc. Then I got introduced to something called Web Analytics and I installed the freely available (not so accurate) google analytics and started noticing that there are people who are reading my blog. So I thought why not start keeping in touch with my friends, known and unknown people who may get benefited from my writing. Soon I saw with increasing content on my blog I started getting more and more visitors on my blog and people started sharing their opinions.
Though I have a long way to go, I can surely see that I am able to keep myself focused on my thought process, my ideas and opinions and obviously keeps me aware that its a public place where people are seeing my thoughts naked as it is.
In today's time it's become a tool for personal branding for individuals as well as corporate branding for organizations. I don't know if it is an Exaggeration that I am making or not, but in some years from now, HR departments of companies, girl friends and boyfriends, dads and moms, CEOs and managers might just get judged in the world by there blogs. You might see a campaign like Titan Fast Track watches with tag line: "How many you have" for blogs saying "How many you write?" running on prime time TV. :)
Happy blogging and commenting!
-Sachin Uppal http://sachinuppal.blogspot.com
Well what I notice in Marketing over a period of time is that Technology has started playing a larger role, sometimes to the extent of driving the new strategies. Also, this has led to creation of a new breed of Human Capital with a completely new skill set which is needed. 10 years back to drive the marketing it required business objectives and goals, business mindset, creativity, new ideas and passion to do marketing. However, today it has got augmented and now it needs to be a good balance of Technical Know-how too. But one thing which has not changed is Passion to succeed in whatever you do. And passion is one thing which has driven me to achieve all the success which I have till now, though in words of Robert Frost :"I have miles to go before I sleep."
So what I noticed as a change in myself over a period of time is that, now I not just understand the technical part of technology, but also the Business and Human part of it and this I something which I leverage to my advantage. With social and professional networking adding advantage to the knowledge growth I just feel more privileged that I am born in this age. I sometimes now enjoy myself being called an Online Media Evangelist, as this is what I strongly believe in and stand for in today's Web 2.0 times. I can say I am passionate about it. When I started blogging way back in 2005, it was more like a juvenile amateur writing about college days or why he likes a Pizza or some philosophy and some inspired content etc. However, in mid 2007, I started focusing on Technology & Marketing.
In 2006 I didn't blog, as I was so occupied with my work. I was learning on how to implement marketing and branding strategies leveraging various media. I executed some 200 events in 05(sept) -07(june) varying from Seminars, Conferences, Workshops, Interaction and Brainstorm sessions, Expos, Tradeshows and did over 1000 different electronic mailers and some 50 direct mailers targeting 26 different industry segments varying from Automation, Automotive, Aerospace to Travel and Tourism, Healthcare, IT, Wireless, HR and more... Also I interacted with media for online and offline PR and even press conferences etc. I created whole lot of sales productivity enhancement tools, testimonials, demos, CDs etc etc and tried so many more things.
One thing which I remember while doing all this is my mentor in National Instruments telling me to focus on results and to see the broader picture than just on media execution. The importance of learning from past and each activity by analysing it on basis of what was the objective, strategy, tactics and what was finally achieved.
I was in a race to learn as much as I can and just because I was passionate about marketing and I wanted to be the best in what I am doing. I did my set of mistakes and learned every time and came off much stronger and better every time.
My professional journey of marketing officially started off at National Instruments though the seeds were born in my school and college life and small activities in Wipro Technologies. I let the plants grow and mushroom into strong banyan trees as I grew older. I read this book called "The End of Marketing as we know it" by Sergio Zyman the ex-CMO of Coca Cola, which shattered a lot of myths about marketing and the most abused term "Strategy" and I got introduced to real, fact based, measurable world of marketing, where it was all about sales and how new marketing strategies can drive sales for a small organization to the large giants.
Then one day while I was reading online I just felt that I should share my opinion on this topic and I started writing and revisited my blog. I saw many other blogs and started learning how to optimize blogs and on how to make it user friendly, add productivity features etc. Then I got introduced to something called Web Analytics and I installed the freely available (not so accurate) google analytics and started noticing that there are people who are reading my blog. So I thought why not start keeping in touch with my friends, known and unknown people who may get benefited from my writing. Soon I saw with increasing content on my blog I started getting more and more visitors on my blog and people started sharing their opinions.
Though I have a long way to go, I can surely see that I am able to keep myself focused on my thought process, my ideas and opinions and obviously keeps me aware that its a public place where people are seeing my thoughts naked as it is.
In today's time it's become a tool for personal branding for individuals as well as corporate branding for organizations. I don't know if it is an Exaggeration that I am making or not, but in some years from now, HR departments of companies, girl friends and boyfriends, dads and moms, CEOs and managers might just get judged in the world by there blogs. You might see a campaign like Titan Fast Track watches with tag line: "How many you have" for blogs saying "How many you write?" running on prime time TV. :)
Happy blogging and commenting!
-Sachin Uppal http://sachinuppal.blogspot.com
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Online Media is part of me now
A strange thing happened this morning. The bell rang at 7 AM and I went and opened the door to see a man standing in front, holding a pile of newspapers and saying something in Kannada. I could barely understand what he said, but I got the gist, he was trying to sell me “The Hindu” newspaper. He was telling me, to try out “The Hindu” newspaper, it’s good and today we are giving you this free of charge. I refused to do that because I told him I read Times of India and anyways I read online. Did I say online?
Wow, this is very interesting. I never thought I would give reading online as a reason to the newspaper boy. But yes, I said that automatically.
Almost 3 months back, I was conducting an interview for the position of marketing and this journalist who used to write for CEO and CIO articles for a premium media group was not enthused enough hearing about our plans. As I was telling her that we do only online marketing in our company. She couldn’t believe that and said what about offline? At that moment I made some bold statements like soon you would see the offline media taking a hit because of popularity of online media and people will start migrating to online media, even to read newspapers.
That girl went away and later called me to say that she couldn’t join us as she wants to stay in offline media only. She couldn’t see the future and couldn’t analyze how the world has rapidly moved over a short period of time.
Am I jumping the gun? Probably not, after looking at how Times group, India Today Group and others have moved to online channels by launching their online portals and how people have started reading and spending time online much more than offline. Looking at how finding a word meaning in a dictionary format has moved to searching in a PC dictionary or even better for searching anything now we just Google it, its rampant and its obvious the traditional media has taken a definitive hit.
Will the offline media die? I do not know, may be not, however, the future is online and mobile and if the companies do not see this yet, they are doomed. I would have spent this money to promote my online channel than sending a messenger boy to my door step asking me to buy the Hindu newspaper.
Online media has become part of me now and I haven't even conciously realised it till these small incident make me realise this. Why suddenly this change has come, probably bacause of Web 2.0 proliferation. This is going to be my next topic.
Wow, this is very interesting. I never thought I would give reading online as a reason to the newspaper boy. But yes, I said that automatically.
Almost 3 months back, I was conducting an interview for the position of marketing and this journalist who used to write for CEO and CIO articles for a premium media group was not enthused enough hearing about our plans. As I was telling her that we do only online marketing in our company. She couldn’t believe that and said what about offline? At that moment I made some bold statements like soon you would see the offline media taking a hit because of popularity of online media and people will start migrating to online media, even to read newspapers.
That girl went away and later called me to say that she couldn’t join us as she wants to stay in offline media only. She couldn’t see the future and couldn’t analyze how the world has rapidly moved over a short period of time.
Am I jumping the gun? Probably not, after looking at how Times group, India Today Group and others have moved to online channels by launching their online portals and how people have started reading and spending time online much more than offline. Looking at how finding a word meaning in a dictionary format has moved to searching in a PC dictionary or even better for searching anything now we just Google it, its rampant and its obvious the traditional media has taken a definitive hit.
Will the offline media die? I do not know, may be not, however, the future is online and mobile and if the companies do not see this yet, they are doomed. I would have spent this money to promote my online channel than sending a messenger boy to my door step asking me to buy the Hindu newspaper.
Online media has become part of me now and I haven't even conciously realised it till these small incident make me realise this. Why suddenly this change has come, probably bacause of Web 2.0 proliferation. This is going to be my next topic.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Loyalty and Employee Attrition Rate
In recent times I have been reading about "Employee Loyalty" and "Employee Attrition Rate". A lot of organizations worldwide face this challenge of employee attrition, where they hire the best and the brightest in the industry. However, after 2-3 years of stay in the company and learning things people think they know everything and they decide to move on.
Well I do not agree to this behaviour, however, reflecting on my previous job hops it's strange that unknowingly I myself have done the same. "Unknowingly" yes, unknowingly...when today I reflect upon my previous 5 years I see having changed 3 companies already. Which essentially means 1.5 yrs on an average is what I stayed with those companies and I didn't realize till now until I think about it...that, I too moved on thinking I know everything. Strange but true. Well then just a month back I was thinking after a review meeting and hearing something very important from my Boss..."I have to think long term and what I was demanding is a very short sighted demand."
I felt a little disheartened and unsatisfied. However, I then went back to home and started talking to my wife about it and she said...hold on....come out of your present thinking and look at it objectively. Yes, I realized, I was unpractical for a moment and unreasonable too and that's when I decided, ok, let me introspect. Well I don't know it all. I need to learn a lot. And this is the right place and is in the right time over here. So let me re-look at the way I am looking at things.
Hey, I just moved out of the feeling of "disloyalty" which was developing in me...and yes it helped me grow as a person.
Question: What is "loyalty" anyways?
Dictionary: The act of binding yourself (intellectually or emotionally) to a course of action
Answer: Infosys CEO Narayan Murthy once said:” Love Your Job But Never Fall In Love With Your Company, Because You Never Know When It Stops Loving You."
Well, I am not sure in what context he said that, however, an interesting statement from a company's CEO who runs a company of over 60,000 employees.
So does that mean you should be loyal to your work and nothing else?
Well, I feel if I am loyal to my work, I am loyal to the people who assigned me the work. I am loyal to the people who thought I would be the right fit to do that job. I am loyal to the company who decided to hire me to do that job. I am loyal to my family to whom I promised I will earn and give them a good life.
So does that mean I should be loyal to my work and my company and my family always? Well answer is YES. However, I have 2 questions to ask readers...
What about my company being Loyal to me?
Where does this disloyalty actually arise?
Is it a One-Way-Street? That I keep being loyal to my employer and my employer can take a decision to let me go whenever they want to? Isn’t that disloyalty to the employee that you decide to let some one go and don't even bother to inform him about it, if, any corrective action can be taken?
There were days in my country, India, when people use to join one company and retire from the same company in there entire career. Why doesn't it happen again? Well, it's a 2-way street now. Both employers and employees are disloyal to each other OR is it that we don't communicate enough? Is it that, if we have our issues, we do not communicate them well in advance, to find a solution? I am not sure...what are the reasons...but I feel it can be corrected.
As I always say, communication is the KEY to success. If people communicate with each other about their feelings, about their opinions and what they think is right and wrong, these "Disloyal" situations can be avoided.
However, I have another question:
Question:Have we become so impatient and eccentric that we don't have the time and patience to talk and be honest?
Answer: May be yes. We do not have patience to help people. We are bothered about our own growth. We are bothered about "what's in it for me?” So essentially, it's neither the employer being disloyal to the employee, nor the employee being disloyal to the company. It comes down to Individuals. We as individuals are responsible for our actions and our decisions. And if we are taking these decisions based on our attitudes towards looking at things, as self centered people, we are more or less bound to take irrational decisions.
There are so many companies out there, which have survived for over 100 years. Have they had people taking decisions based on there attitudes and self centered behavior, today, those companies would have died, because, the success of companies is due to the people who work there.
So what does this all mean? - Loyalty is nothing but an individual's decision based on his attitude? Yes, I feel so, and if that is the case, I, as a person should spend most of the time on keeping my attitude the best and I can make most of the work done well, and I can be "Loyal" to my work, my company, my family. I need to communicate and help others communicate about any issues. I need to keep the channel open and try to keep my attitude positive and healthy always.
I can always sit and talk about it instead I will take action and work on my attitude and communicate whenever required.
Lastly, a healthy positive communicative attitude from an employer and employee can help solve these attrition / loyalty / disloyalty issues easily. Nobody should wait, instead start acting on this.
Leave a comment and let me know what you think about it.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Top 100 CEO Blogs | Sales Motivation Capsule
"Inspiration" "Motivation" Growth path ... yes this all is what you would get while you go thorugh my CEOs blog.
I would consider my CEOs blog among the TOP 100 CEO Blogs in the world. A must read for all Sales guys and keep themselves motivated Each Day, Every Day. Scott is one of those people who can be called epitome of "Doing things as much as saying" and as he says "if it was easy" ... anybody could have done it ... not everyone can make it happen.
A few people in this world actually "Make It Happen" and Scott is my inspiration and my motivation for making it happen.
Scott's passion for adventure sports made him cross the deserts in a marathon race marathon-des-sables-southern-morocco ... while I was reading this entry, I was just getting more passionate about what I do and it motivated me to "DO" more...
Oh by the way if you were wondering what made me get a new look ... you know now my motivation now...
Will be back soon.
Thursday, February 24, 2005
"It's all in your attitude."
Teacher Debbie Moon's first graders were discussing a picture of a family. One little boy in the picture had a different color hair than the other family members. One child suggested that he was adopted and a little girl said, "I know all about adoptions because I was adopted." "What does it mean to be adopted?" asked another child. "It means," said the girl, "that you grew in your mommy's heart instead of her tummy."
***********************
Whenever I'm disappointed with my spot in life, I stop and think about little Jamie Scott. Jamie was trying out for a part in a school play. His mother told me that he'd set his heart on being in it, though she feared he would not be chosen. On the day the parts were awarded, I went with her to collect him after school. Jamie rushed up to her, eyes shining with pride and excitement. "Guess what Mom," he shouted, and then said those words that will remain a lesson to me: "I've been chosen to clap and cheer."
***********************
A lesson in "heart" is my little 10 year old daughter, Sarah, who was born with a muscle missing in her foot and wears a brace all the time. She came home one beautiful spring day to tell me she had competed in "field day" that's where they have lots of races and other competitive events. Because of her leg support, my mind raced as I tried to think of encouragement for my Sarah, things I could say to her about not letting this get her down, but before I could get a word out, she said "Daddy, I won two of the races!" I couldn't believe it! And then Sarah said, "I had an advantage." Ah. I knew it. I thought she must have been given a head start...some kind of physical advantage. But again, before I could say anything, she said, "Daddy, I didn't get a head start...My advantage was I had to try harder!"
*****************************
An Eye Witness Account from New York City, on a cold day in December: A little boy about 10 years old was standing before a shoe store on the roadway, barefooted, peering through the window, and shivering with cold. A lady approached the boy and said, "My little fellow, why are you looking so earnestly in that window?" "I was asking God to give me a pair of shoes," was the boy's reply. The lady took him by the hand and went into the store and asked the clerk to get half a dozen pairs of socks for the boy. She then asked if he could give her a basin of water and a towel. He quickly brought them to her. She took the little fellow to the back part of the store and, removing her gloves, knelt down, washed his little feet, and dried them with a towel. By this time the clerk had returned with the socks. Placing a pair upon the boy's feet, she purchased him a pair of shoes. She tied up the remaining pairs of socks and gave them to him. She patted him on the head and said, "No doubt, my little fellow, you feel more comfortable now?" As she turned to go, the astonished lad caught her by the hand, and looking up in her face, with tears in his eyes, answered the question with these words: "Are you God's Wife?"
**************** **************** **************** **************** ****************
***********************
Whenever I'm disappointed with my spot in life, I stop and think about little Jamie Scott. Jamie was trying out for a part in a school play. His mother told me that he'd set his heart on being in it, though she feared he would not be chosen. On the day the parts were awarded, I went with her to collect him after school. Jamie rushed up to her, eyes shining with pride and excitement. "Guess what Mom," he shouted, and then said those words that will remain a lesson to me: "I've been chosen to clap and cheer."
***********************
A lesson in "heart" is my little 10 year old daughter, Sarah, who was born with a muscle missing in her foot and wears a brace all the time. She came home one beautiful spring day to tell me she had competed in "field day" that's where they have lots of races and other competitive events. Because of her leg support, my mind raced as I tried to think of encouragement for my Sarah, things I could say to her about not letting this get her down, but before I could get a word out, she said "Daddy, I won two of the races!" I couldn't believe it! And then Sarah said, "I had an advantage." Ah. I knew it. I thought she must have been given a head start...some kind of physical advantage. But again, before I could say anything, she said, "Daddy, I didn't get a head start...My advantage was I had to try harder!"
*****************************
An Eye Witness Account from New York City, on a cold day in December: A little boy about 10 years old was standing before a shoe store on the roadway, barefooted, peering through the window, and shivering with cold. A lady approached the boy and said, "My little fellow, why are you looking so earnestly in that window?" "I was asking God to give me a pair of shoes," was the boy's reply. The lady took him by the hand and went into the store and asked the clerk to get half a dozen pairs of socks for the boy. She then asked if he could give her a basin of water and a towel. He quickly brought them to her. She took the little fellow to the back part of the store and, removing her gloves, knelt down, washed his little feet, and dried them with a towel. By this time the clerk had returned with the socks. Placing a pair upon the boy's feet, she purchased him a pair of shoes. She tied up the remaining pairs of socks and gave them to him. She patted him on the head and said, "No doubt, my little fellow, you feel more comfortable now?" As she turned to go, the astonished lad caught her by the hand, and looking up in her face, with tears in his eyes, answered the question with these words: "Are you God's Wife?"
**************** **************** **************** **************** ****************
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Share this
