Non IIM Graduates to take up OFFBEAT JOBS

BANGALORE: Sweta Tiwari, who will soon get her MBA degree in finance from Thakur Institute of Management, made chocolates on Valentine’s day which

fetched her Rs 20,000 in just three days. Interestingly, she earned Rs 22,000 while test marketing her products — the highest earned by any student in her 180-batch class. She plans to open a retail outlet and aims it to be a Rs 100-crore company in five years.

It’s just not IIM graduates who are taking the entrepreneurial plunge. Students from tier-1 and tier-2 management institutes are also increasingly joining the entrepreneurial tribe and their businesses range from making solar streetlights, robots, solar mobile chargers, painting murals and walls, mushroom cultivation, making eco-bricks out of cow dung to offering homemade tiffins.

Sweta was among the 6 lakh students from business schools and engineering colleges across 30 cities who participated in Entrepreneurship Week (E-Week) India conducted by the National Entrepreneurship Network (NEN) this year. “We saw the number of business propositions and the number of participants double compared to last year,” said Laura A Parkin, executive director, NEN, and Wadhwani Foundation, which supports E-Week.

One of the aspirants was Danny D’Cruz from the VLB Janakiammal College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore. He started a wall and mural painting business, taking up an average of four projects a month, which helped him earn Rs 8,000 per project. D’Cruz started this business when one of his artist friends lost his BPO job during the recession. “We go to houses and paint their walls with different pictures as per customer demand,” says D’Cruz.

Students like Praveen Kumar and Ashwin Dange from the National Institute of Engineering, Mysore, who learnt about the shortage of mushroom supply in Mysore, started cultivating it. They plan to brand their products soon and sell them directly to hotels and restaurants. And Ashutosh Pandey (25) from the Thakur Institute of Management in Mumbai plans to launch a startup that offers homemade tiffins along with four fellow students. “We hope to sell 1,000 tiffins per day after six months,” said Mr Pandey.

G Ramachandran (22), a Btech final year student at the PSG Institute of Technology, has plans to launch solar streetlights and solar mobile chargers. He plans to raise funds by conducting workshops on solar robots.

Going the eco-way is another student, Kumar Saurav, from the Vidya Vardhaka College of Engineering, Mysore, who has plans to make eco-bricks made of cow dung for homes. These bricks are a mix of cow dung, silica and clay which can be baked in sunlight and don’t need kilns or large ovens. Mr Saurav is talking to contractors and the construction industry to supply these bricks. “With an investment of Rs 50,000, I am planning to produce 20,000 bricks to do a trial run,” he said.

Rahul Kamath (24) from PSG College of Technology in Coimbatore has started a company which makes steam boilers used for different industries instead of furnaces.

“The steam has got higher temperature than fire and can be used for different purposes such as cleaning and won’t burn objects,” he said. Mr Kamath is also starting a plant for organic fuel sourced from agricultural waste, with an investment of Rs 5 lakh.

CLOSING- MARKET TO MARKET SELLING

Can you understand how the excessive use of sales closes may drive some prospects away from the purchase of your product? Its simple: The prospect realizes that he must answer to others in his organization -- or get rid of a trusted vendor -- which is less comfortable than your best closing techniques. He uses any one of dozens of techniques to postpone his decision, then stops returning your calls.
Customers have a decision process that helps to prevent impulse decisions. Sorry, but this is an unavoidable fact.
Industrial customers may be under pressure from sales psychology. Worse than appearing transparent and thoughtless, your excessive and repeated use of sales closes may permanently alienate your prospect.

You will be required to pitch the decision maker and others on your road to meet the decision maker. The decision maker may require steps in evaluating your product such as literature, meetings with subordinates, sample evaluations, process trials, price negotiations, comparisons to competitive products. They may use you, perhaps invite you in only to accumulate additional data that justifies their current supplier. You must contend with advanced corporate purchasing tactics.

Where do you start? First, realize that closing should be a way of working, not a script. Begin by understanding all of the steps that the organization will require to complete the sale. Then, agree on what you will need to accomplish at the current step; how you would be permitted to move forward to the next step. In other words, pre-qualify the customer's needs. This pre-qualification is basically your close -- done in advance! Your job is now to reach a mutual agreement that the customer's objectives are satisfied, clearing a step, allowing you to move step by step towards a check that clears the bank.

Believe it or not, you still have not closed. You will close only when your customer is completely satisfied. What's better than closing on a bank cheque? How about one of the greatest aspects of industry business: repeat orders?

My philosophy is to use one sales closing technique during any single meeting or phone conversation. Using too many closes in sales is a typical mistake; but, not using any is another mistake. Using one close during a meeting will help to move a deal forward. Using two closes may be helpful in very few cases. But, using three or more seems very risky to me -- in business to business product sales.

Furthermore, I use more of a conversational close, not a scripted close. For example, there are some purchasing agents who want to be asked for their order. If they seem to be this type, if they look interested, and if the time is right, why not simply ask for the order?

"Mr. ABC your needs are a wonderful fit for the capabilities of our Corporation. We are excited that your requirement fits with the phase transition with our corporation’s metamorphosis capabilities. During this time you have shown us your requirements and your concerns. We have shown how our organization is capable and focused on meeting all of your requirements. All of us at organization will work hard to make your program a success. May we have an order?"

How to Start a Conversation with New People

1. Start with a "hello or a hi or hey," and simply tell the new person your name then ask them theirs. Offer your hand to shake, upon his/her responding to you. (If you go to other countries, greet the person in tune with the particular culture). If you already know the person, skip this step and proceed to step.

2. Look around. See if there is anything worth pointing out. Sure, talking about the weather is a cliche, but if there's something unusual about it "bam!" you've got a great topic of conversation.

3. Offer a compliment. Don't lie and say you love someone's hair when you think it's revolting, but if you like his or her shoes, or a handbag, say so. A sincere compliment is a wonderful way to get someone to warm up to you. But be careful not to say something so personal that you scare the person off or make him or her feel uncomfortable. It is best not to compliment a person's looks or body.

4. Ask questions! Most people love to talk about themselves; get them going. "What classes are you taking this year?" "Have you seen (Insert-Something-Here)? What did you think of it?" Again, keep the questions light and not invasive. Do not ask too many questions if he or she is not responsive to them.

5. Jump on any conversation-starters he or she might offer; take something he or she has said and run with it. Agree, disagree, ask a question about it, or offer an opinion, just don't let it go by without notice.

6. Look your new found friend in the eye, it engenders trust (but don't stare). Also, use the person's name a time or two during the conversation; it will help you remember the name, and will draw the person's attention to what you are talking about.

7. Don't forget to smile and have fun with your conversation!


Tips

* Just relax. Chances are that whatever small-talk you're making isn't going to stick out in anyone's mind a few months from now. Just say whatever comes into your head, so long as it's not offensive or really weird. (Unless, of course, the person you're attempting to converse with is into weird stuff.)

* Remember, if you think of something in your head while you're talking, it's probably related.

* It will help if you watch some TV, listen to radio shows, and/or read a lot newspapers, magazines, and/or books. You need to have some idea of what is going on in the world. Also remember and plan to share anything you like, think is funny, or find intriguing. This is building up your own library of things that might be helpful to another person during a conversation someday. It will be amazing how you thread these interesting things when you least expect it, and make conversation an adventure instead of a dreadful task. If you take it to the next step and say things that you want the person to think of as adding value, and keep to yourself things that the person might not, you are actually honing your own personality to be appealing to the other person, and what is a greater act of kindness than that.

* If you are shy, it will be helpful to have thought about a topic or two that you could talk about.

* Follow the lead that your listener is expressing. If he or she appears interested, then continue. If he or she is looking at a clock or watch, or worse, looking for an escape strategy, then you have been going on for too long.

* Interesting and funny quotes or facts can lighten things up, and make way for things to talk about. You could also use a set of conversation starter question cards for inspiration.

* If talking over the phone, keep the person involved in the conversation at all costs. If you can't come up with a good topic, try the "questions" game. Just keep asking them questions; random questions work just fine as long as they are appropriate. This technique can save a phone conversation. The questions should be open ended questions that do not require a yes or no answer. For example "How do you know the hosts?"This way you can ask questions about what they just said or follow up with how you know the hosts (for example) instead of acting as if the conversation is an interrogation.

* Half of an effective conversation is the way you non-verbally communicate, and not necessarily what you say. Practice better non-verbal skills that are friendly and confident.

* Read newspapers and magazines to increase your knowledge so you can have more interesting things to talk about

The 10 Most Common Mistakes Insurance Sales team Make

Problem #1


Customers have more sales resistance training than Sales team usually have in sales presentation skill.

Prospect response to insurance Sales team is designed to get as much information as possible and be in control of the situation. Customers often mislead insurance Sales team about their intentions, how much they'll spend, who makes decisions, etc.

The prospect intent is designed to turn Sales team into unpaid consultants, lead them on until they have all of the information they need, and often use their quotes to compare with their current agent or a competitor.

When customers have what they need, they stop returning the agent's phone calls.

Does this make customers bad people?

Of course not.

We all use this system for dealing with salespeople...it's almost second nature.

Why do customers do this?

It's simple.

It works.

The stereotype of an agent is not a good image for most of us, and customers are afraid of being sold something they don't want. In order to protect themselves, customers feel they need a way to deal with Sales team. It is an instinctive reaction to the negative stereotype of Sales team that causes customers to put up a defensive wall.

So how do most Sales team deal with the customers system of defense? Most play right into it. Many don't use a systematic approach to selling. They allow the prospect to take total control of the sales process. The agent eagerly:

• gives their knowledge
• makes commitments without getting any in return
• wastes resources on pursuing deals that will never close
• gives quotes to non-customers who never buy
• misinterpret the ubiquitous "I'll think it over and get back to you" as a future sale

How do most sales organizations contribute to the problem? Frequently they focus on product knowledge and overlook teaching what circumstances or concepts products fit best with.

The solution: Train Sales team on a systematic approach to making presentations so they have "a track to run on." The training should balance both the prospect and agent's best interest.

Problem #2

Spending too much time with customers that will never buy.

Sales team doesn’t ask the hard questions up-front for fear of making their customers angry, they are afraid they will lose something they don't have. Most Sales team thinks their job is to close everybody.

Over the years sales training has emphasized, "Don't take NO for an answer." Insurance Sales teams are taught to be persistent...handle stalls and objections...trial close...always be closing...and yes, even be manipulative. No wonder customers need sales resistance to shield themselves!

Customers realize Sales team doesn’t want to hear "NO" and that when they do, they'll "hang in there" and try to turn "NO" into "YES." When the poor prospect really means "NO," s/he has found the easiest way to get rid of an agent is to tell them, "I'll think it over, and I'll get back to you." How many "think it over's" really turn into business?

The solution: Sales team need tools to separate tire-kickers from buyers. They need an approach that obtains support early in the sales cycle. They need to learn the fine art of tactfully qualifying customers in, not qualifying them out. The top Sales teams learn to ask the hard questions up-front, saving precious resources for real opportunities. "NO" is an acceptable response from a buyer. "Going for the NO" requires a tremendous paradigm shift for most Sales team, but it can take all the pressure off the agent and increase productivity. This approach allows customers to feel in control, this then relaxes them, and lets them buy instead of feeling like they are being "sold."

Problem #3

Sales team talk too much.

Of course, when we sent them to the College of Product Knowledge, filling them with technical knowledge and then sent them out to make their quotas, we should have expected this result."

So what's the problem telling our story? First, people buy for their reason, not the Sales team reasons, not even their company's reasons. Second, most companies' presentations sound the same to the prospect, and when they sound the same, the agent just becomes another agent to the prospect, and then to the prospect, low price becomes the determining factor in getting the business.

The solution: Asking questions is the answer. Teach insurance Sales team to stop regurgitating to the prospect and start asking questions. Customers should do at least 70% of the talking on the sales call. The only way this will happen is for the sales rep to ask a lot of questions.

Questions gather information. Ask questions to find out what the prospect's "pain" is. This is the same thing your family doctor does during an office visit. They ask - they don't tell you anything until they have made the proper diagnosis.

Problem #4

Weak Sales team focus on price.

Price is never the real issue! Sales team focus on price because it's often the first thing the prospect asks about. Yet study after study confirms that quality and services are almost always more important than price. Price is never the main reason for getting and keeping business. People buy our products to either solve a problem they have, or improve something about their current situation or protect against future occurrences.

The solution: Teach Sales team to be more effective in asking questions and getting to real issues. Once they learn to do this, price will not be the determining factor in making sales.

Problem #5

Product knowledge is over-emphasized and misused. As a result, selling often becomes nothing more than "pitching and presenting."

Most sales training focuses on product knowledge. studies show that 80% of training dollars spent annually are spent on product knowledge training. Sales teams, once filled with this product knowledge, are eager to share this information and become a Professional, Unpaid Educator. The focus then becomes totally on product, and not on the customers problem, which is where it belongs.

The solution: Provide training in the strategy and tactics our Sales teams need to help customers clearly define their problems and co-build solutions that fit their needs. Product knowledge is important, but how it's used at each phase of the buying process is the key.

Problem #6

Sales teams fail to get customers to reveal budgets up-front. Many insurance Sales teams are uncomfortable talking about money. Discussing money is seen as intrusive, and unpleasant. Many Sales teams avoid talking about money, until the prospect forces the issue. This is one of the five most common weaknesses that Sales teams have.

The solution: Knowing whether there is money upfront will help the insurance agent distinguish between customers who are ready to solve a problem from one who is not committed. Comfortably talking about money is a key to management, where resources are evaluated based on bottom line impact. Teach your Sales team to find out two things about money:

• How much the problem is costing the prospect; in other words the amount at risk.
• How much they'd be willing to invest to solve the problem.

Without a candid discussion about money, the agent is left to make certain assumptions. And we all know what happens when we make assumptions!

Problem #7

Sales team fails to get firm commitments from customers.

Insurance Sales teams are often very willing to jump at the opportunity to do a quote, presentation, etc. This approach is incredibly time-consuming and resource intensive.

How many quotes has your team/distribution sent out over the last twelve months that resulted in nothing? How much does it cost your team/distribution on an annual basis to do quotes that go nowhere?

The solution: Sales team must learn what motivates people to buy. They must master the skills required to help customers become comfortable sharing problems, and they must learn to determine the customers' level of commitment to solve these problems before they begin to offer their solutions.

Problem #8

Lack of sufficient prospecting.

• Over 40% of all experienced sales professionals have experienced bouts of call reluctance severe enough to threaten their career in sales
• And 80% of all new Sales team who fail within their first year do so because of insufficient prospecting activity.

The Solution: Insurance Sales team need to develop a realistic activity plan. Monitor the plan weekly and implement effective accountability.

Problem #9

The insurance agent has a strong need for approval.

It's an easy and common mistake. "I love people, so I'll be an insurance agent." You end up with an insurance agent that would rather make "friends" with their customers than conduct business. While developing relationships are an important part of the selling process, selling is not a place for people to get their emotional needs met. In fact, it's the opposite: a tough and demanding profession, full of rejection. People who internalize the rejection end up getting out of the profession. Truth is, they should never have gotten in the business. Sales interactions are fundamentally different than social interactions. Successful professionals understand and accept that the bottom line of professionally selling is: MAKING MONEY.

The Solution: Evaluate yourself to determine if you have this need for approval. Managers need to ask pre-hire screening questions that helps to hire stronger people and teach them a system that helps strike the appropriate balance between developing relationships and getting commitments.

Problem #10

Insurance Sales team doesn’t treat sales as a profession.

Professionals like doctors, lawyers, engineers, teachers, and CPAs' all have one thing in common - they attend continuing education to maintain and increase their proficiency. Yet how many insurance Sales teams are continually seeking new ways to increase their skills? Many have the attitude, "I've been selling for years, what more can I learn?"

The solution: Top performers in every profession are always looking for ways to sharpen their skills and gain the fine edge that leads to consistent success. Managers need to invest in top performers and help them grow their skills. Ego stunts your growth so managers have to be willing to set their ego aside and be willing to grow, modeling behavior that demonstrates it is more important to the manager to be effective than to be right. We can all learn from each other.

In Summary:

Hiring: Distributions, supervisors and managers must complete, step-by-step, a formal process for profiling, attracting, recruiting, interviewing and hiring top performers. Look to hire goal achievers not goal setters. Most managers hire goal setters and are surprised when Sales team never achieves their goals. The truth is the agent only had a wish list. Ask the agent when interviewing or coaching to describe goals they set and "how" they achieved the goal. If they didn't achieve then it was it a goal or only a wish list?

Effective recruiting and hiring is the most important job of any manager. No amount of training, coaching or mentoring will make up for a poor hiring decision. Do it right the first time.

Managing: Implement a sales management process that emphasizes more effective recruiting, hiring, coaching, growing, and developing Sales team. Most of all quit accepting excuses for poor performance from yourself and your agent, raise your expectations and implement a rigorous accountability process. This starts with your team production-if you are not meeting standards. How can you expect to hold your Sales team accountable? In management, you don't get what you want - you only get what you expect and inspect. Remember, you manage things - you lead people.

Training: Tapes, books and one -day seminars are fine for intellectual learning or external motivation, but if you want to be a better golfer, pianist - or a better sales person, you must practice and develop new skills. Selling is a skill that can be taught, learned, and mastered over time.

Phone scripts and rebuttals are intended to assist in moving your management and sales career forward or allowing you to increase you current volume of business.

Remember these are only meant to be sales tools, they do not work, you have to work them.

The key is to do enough of the right things, enough of the time.

Give success time to happen-and do something today to make it happen!

The clock starts NOW!

The Pretty Lady & The Monks

Once upon a time a big monk and a little monk were traveling together. They came to the bank of a river and found the bridge was damaged. They had to wade across the river. There was a pretty lady who was stuck at the damaged bridge and couldn't cross the river. The big monk offered to carry her across the river on his back. The lady accepted. The little monk was shocked by the move of the big monk. 'How can big brother carry a lady when we are supposed to avoid all intimacy with females?' thought the little monk. But he kept quiet... The big monk carried the lady across the river and the small monk followed unhappily. When they crossed the river, the big monk let the lady down and they parted ways with her. All along the way for several miles, the little monk was very unhappy with the act of the big monk. He was making up all kinds of accusations about big monk in his head. This got him madder and madder. But he still kept quiet. And the big monk had no inclination to explain his situation. Finally, at a rest point many hours later, the little monk could not stand it any further, he burst out angrily at the big monk. 'How can you claim yourself a devout monk, when you seize the first opportunity to touch a female, especially when she is very pretty? All your teachings to me make you a big hypocrite The big monk looked surprised and said, 'I had put down the pretty lady at the river bank many hours ago, how come you are still carrying her along?'



[This very old Chinese Zen story reflects the thinking of many people today. We encounter many unpleasant things in our life, they irritate us and they make us angry. Sometimes, they cause us a lot of hurt, sometimes they cause us to be bitter or jealous .. But like the little monk, we are not willing to let them go away.We keep on carrying the baggage of the 'pretty lady' with us. We let them keep on coming back to hurt us, make us angry, make us bitter and cause us a lot of agony. Why? Simply because we are not willing to put down or let go of the baggage of the 'pretty lady'. We should let go of the pretty lady immediately after crossing the river. This will immediately remove all our agonies. There is no need to be further hurt by the unpleasant event after it is over.]

The Turtle Story.....

A turtle family decided to go on a picnic. The turtles, being naturally slow about things, took seven years to prepare for their outing. Finally the turtle family left home looking for a suitable place. During the second year of their journey they found a place ideal for them at last!



For about six months they cleaned the area, unpacked the picnic basket, and completed the arrangements. Then they discovered they had forgotten the salt. A picnic without salt would be a disaster, they all agreed. After a lengthy discussion, the youngest turtle was chosen to retrieve the salt from home. Although he was the fastest of the slow moving turtles, the little turtle whined, cried, and wobbled in his shell. He agreed to go on one condition: that no one would eat until he returned. The family consented and the little turtle left.



Three years passed and the little turtle had not returned. Five years...six years... then on the seventh year of his absence, the oldest turtle could no longer contain his hunger. He announced that he was going to eat and begun to unwrap a sandwich. At that point the little turtle suddenly popped out from behind a tree shouting, 'See! I knew you wouldn't wait. Now I am not going to go get the salt.'



[Some of us waste our time waiting for people to live up to our expectations. We are so concerned about what others are doing that we do not do anything ourselves.]

Two Stories BOTH TRUE - and worth reading!!!!

STORY NUMBER ONE

Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago . Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder.

Capone had a lawyer nicknamed "Easy Eddie." He was Capone's lawyer for a good reason. Eddie was very good! In fact, Eddie's skill at legal maneuvering kept Big Al out of jail for a long time..

To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well. Not only was the money big, but Eddie got special dividends, as well. For instance, he and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all of the conveniences of the day. The estate was so large that it filled an entire Chicago City block.

Eddie lived the high life of the Chicago mob and gave little consideration to the atrocity that went on around him.

Eddie did have one soft spot, however. He had a son that he loved dearly. Eddie saw to it that his young son had clothes, cars, and a good education. Nothing was withheld. Price was no object.

And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie even tried to teach him right from wrong. Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than he was.

Yet, with all his wealth and influence, there were two things he couldn't give his son; he couldn't pass on a good name or a good example.

One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision. Easy Eddie wanted to rectify wrongs he had done.

He decided he would go to the authorities and tell the truth about Al "Scarface" Capone, clean up his tarnished name, and offer his son some semblance of integrity. To do this, he would have to testify against The Mob, and he knew that the cost would be great. So, he testified.

Within the year, Easy Eddie's life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a lonely Chicago Street . But in his eyes, he had given his son the greatest gift he had to offer, at the greatest price he could ever pay. Police removed from his pockets a rosary, a crucifix, a religious medallion, and a poem clipped from a magazine.

The poem read:

"The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop, at late or early hour. Now is the only time you own. Live, love, toil with a will. Place no faith in time. For the clock may soon be still."



STORY NUMBER TWO

World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare.

He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington in the South Pacific.

One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank.

He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship.

His flight leader told him to return to the carrier. Reluctantly, he dropped out of formation and headed back to the fleet.

As he was returning to the mother ship, he saw something that turned his blood cold; a squadron of Japanese aircraft was speeding its way toward the American fleet.

The American fighters were gone on a sortie, and the fleet was all but defenseless. He couldn't reach his squadron and bring them back in time to save the fleet. Nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger. There was only one thing to do. He must somehow divert them from the fleet.

Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes. Wing-mounted 50 caliber's blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane and then another. Butch wove in and out of the now broken formation and fired at as many planes as possible until all his ammunition was finally spent.

Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dove at the planes, trying to clip a wing or tail in hopes of damaging as many enemy planes as possible, rendering them unfit to fly.

Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another direction.

Deeply relieved, Butch O'Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to the carrier.

Upon arrival, he reported in and related the event surrounding his return. The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane told the tale. It showed the extent of Butch's daring attempt to protect his fleet. He had, in fact, destroyed five enemy aircraft
This took place on February 20, 1942 , and for that action Butch became the Navy's first Ace of W.W.II, and the first Naval Aviator to win the Medal of Honor.

A year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29.. His home town would not allow the memory of this WW II hero to fade, and today, O'Hare Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this great man.

So, the next time you find yourself at O'Hare International, give some thought to visiting Butch's memorial displaying his statue and his Medal of Honor. It's located between Terminals 1 and 2.


SO WHAT DO THESE TWO STORIES HAVE TO DO WITH EACH OTHER?


Butch O'Hare was "Easy Eddie's" son.