Sarathi Strategic Solutions

06/08/2014

Features of a Good Brand Name:
1. It should be unique / distinctive (Kodak, Mustang)
2. It should be extendable.
3. It should be easy to pronounce, identified and memorized. (Tide)
4. It should give an idea about product’s qualities and benefits (Swift, Quickfix, Lipguard).
5. It should be easily convertible into foreign languages.
6. It should be capable of legal protection and registration.
7. It should suggest product/service category (Newsweek).
8. It should indicate concrete qualities (Firebird).
9. It should not portray bad/wrong meanings in other categories. (NOVA is a poor name for a car to be sold in Spanish country, because in Spanish it means “doesn’t go”).

17/07/2014

“The customer isn’t always right. But if you don’t listen to them, your product won’t be either.”

09/07/2014

Albert Mehrabin a renowned Guru of non verbal communication said that 55% impact of our message is body language, 38% is tone and 7% is delivered by words.
Some of the commonly reflected positive body language gestures are – smile, erect body posture, open arms, eye contact, leaning forward when meeting or greeting others. What if we also add the power of our tone to catch up on the 38% of impact? Good news; “Tone is the slave of your body language.” Positive body language delivers positive tone; friendly body language delivers friendly tone whereas body language of fear delivers weak tone.
Imagine now if we complement the balance 7% with powerful words? following basic principles and strategy you can deliver 100% of your message’s impact.

The balance 7% of the impact can be generated by following one fundamental rule that is “right attitude” ie.

Attitude of gratitude: Such as thank you, I am sorry. Practice the statement “How can I help you” “Let me know if I can be of help” and observe the positive difference in people around you and yourself.

Attitude of treating people with respect and dignity: Because when you climb the ladder you will cross same people as when you climb down.

Attitude of unbiased opinion: Extending a genuine ear and entering a discussion with no pre-conceived notions.

Attitude of complimenting: Find a good thing about others and pass on a sincere compliment.

Delivering 100% of your message’s impact is following right principles; strategy and practice; hence go ahead and deliver impact.

04/07/2014

30/06/2014

The Preacher And The Farmer !
An old hill farming crofter trudges several miles through freezing snow to his local and very remote chapel for Sunday service. No-one else is there, aside from the clergyman.
"I'm not sure it's worth proceeding with the service - might we do better to go back to our warm homes and a hot drink?.." asks the clergyman, inviting a mutually helpful reaction from his audience of one.
"Well, I'm just a simple farmer," says the old crofter, "But when I go to feed my herd, and if only one beast turns up, I sure don't leave it hungry."
So the clergyman, feeling somewhat ashamed, delivers his service - all the bells and whistles, hymns and readings, lasting a good couple of hours - finishing proudly with the fresh observation that no matter how small the need, our duty remains. And he thanks the old farmer for the lesson he has learned.
"Was that okay?" asks the clergyman, as the two set off home.
"Well I'm just a simple farmer," says the old crofter, "But when I go to feed my herd, and if only one beast turns up, I sure don't force it to eat what I brought for the whole herd..."
From which we see the extra lesson, that while our duty remains regardless of the level of need, we have the additional responsibility to ensure that we adapt our delivery (of whatever is our stock in trade) according to the requirements of our audience.

28/06/2014

24/06/2014

Top Ten Sales Tips !!!

1) You can sell only if you yourself are convinced: If you are not sold on the product or service, it will be an uphill battle to sell someone on else. Your lack of conviction will scream through.

2) Be clear and direct: When pitching do not use complicated diction. Pride yourself instead on being able to explain the concept as quickly, clearly and simply as possible. This is important because the biggest problem in sales is client confusion. Confusion does not lead to a Yes.

3) Pressure is an art: Creating FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt) in your client’s mind can be a good thing because it will lead to serious consideration of your concept.The trick is to mention this once and to NOT rub it in, which is likely to anger them. No one who is angered into saying Yes.

4) Know your client: Make sure to research your potential clients, know their challenges and their needs. One size hardly ever fits all, and you look much stronger if you care about the business enough to invest in the research.

5) It’s all about the presentation: Building an amazing deck is critical to the sales process. Practice it, memorize it and be prepared to shift your emphasis based on how the energy changes when you give the presentation.

6) Be passionate and exciting: Most presentations are BORING! So create a show and make it exciting. Excitement is contagious – just like a yawn.

7) If you don’t know the answer, do not guess: People will ask you tough questions, and you may not always know the answer. The person asking you may be testing you, knowing the answer full well. And if you fumble, it’s very hard to rebuild credibility. Do not guess.

8) Answer questions directly and clearly: If you are asked a question and you give a “politician’s answer” – in other words, if you don’t answer the question – your credibility will decline, and you will hurt your chances of making the sale.

9) Humour is a great lubricator: Funny stories always break the ice.

10) You can always be better: Sales is an art, not a science. Which means it’s never perfect and can always improve.

Bottom line: sales is a critical function that is more art than science, so hone your art.

And please share any of the sales tips you’ve learned.

23/06/2014

When Growth Matters !!!
Growth is the successful process or processes of effectively serving your customers needs. This requires selling the right products to the right people at the right time. It requires being able to change with markets, technology and the times. You'll need the right staff in the right places; staff that cooperates listens and works as a team. And you'll need to effectively deliver your products as promised, on time, and as your customer expects them to be and at a competitive price. You'll need to increase cash flow at a steady rate, as you increase your businesses size balancing cash flow with growth. And although this may sound easy here, it's not!

It's a highly complicated process fraught with ups and downs and personal issues between staff members, management, customers, vendors, and revenue. There's not a soul out there that hasn't needed a little help in life at times, as it's complicated. It's hard enough to manage a single relationship, let alone multifaceted business relationships. And the bigger the company, the more complex the processes are. We all get stuck in ways of doing things; as this is how we always did it or this is what so and so told me to do and on and on. People resist change, yet there is nothing but change in life.

Do you need some help changing things in your company to improve your growth? There is no better time than now to embrace change.

16/06/2014

Management Lesson..!

One fine day, a bus driver went to the bus depot, started his bus, and drove off along the route.
No problems for the first few stops - a few people got on, a few got off, and things went
generally well.
At the next stop, however, a big hulk of a Pathan got on. Six feet four, built like a wrestler, arms
hanging down to the ground.. He glared at the conductor and said, "Pathan doesn't pay!" and sat
down at the back.
Conductor didn't argue with Pathan, but he wasn't happy about it. The next day the same thing
happened – Pathan got on again, made a show of refusing to pay, and sat down. And the next
day, and the next..
This grated on the bus driver, who started losing sleep over the way the Pathan was taking
advantage of the poor conductor. Finally he could stand it no longer. He signed up for body
building courses, karate, judo, and all that good stuff. By the end of the summer, he had become
quite strong; what's more, he felt really good about himself.
So, on the next Monday, when the Pathan once again got on the bus and said, "Pathan doesn't
pay!"
The driver stood up, glared back at the Pathan, and screamed, "And why not?"
With a surprised look on his face, the Pathan replied,.......... "Pathan has a bus pass."
Management Lesson:
Be sure there is a problem in the first place before working hard to solve one.

15/06/2014

There's no business like KNOW Business—KNOW your industry, company, product, service, customer, and competition better than anyone else!

14/06/2014

Things you must do before you go to sleep
There two important time periods in our day. Early morning time when you get up and the other time before you hit the bed. And if you begin and end your day with right activities you are one step closer to achieving your goals. It’s like creating your destiny and the three mantras are
Meditate: This practice may seem innocuous but it is the most potent medicine in your arsenal. No sooner you return home, get into comfortable clothes and empty your cup. Sit down in a quite place and mediate for the next 15 minutes.
Self Analyze: Once you are with calm and sharp mind. Rewind and analyze your day for the activities. Analyze what could have been done better and what could have been avoided. Set your alarm clock for 30 minutes no less and nothing more than 30 minutes.
Write down your things to do list: This is the time to plan for the next 24 hours. Hence sit down and write down what you intent to achieve and what activities will contribute towards that. Set high impact activities for the early morning time slot when you are the sharpest. And adding to the things to do list; invest few minutes on the activity list. How you can do them different, faster and cheaper.

13/06/2014

Whatever women do, they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult.
Charlotte Whitton
😉