Ganeshh's Blog

The biggest failure of my life or is it?

Ganesh — Mon, 16 May 2011 20:14:57 +0000

Dont worry be happy

For now over 3 years I have been asking this question to myself am I so very incompetent that I can’t get a decent job? I am sure this is the question which millions around the world would be facing today.

Are you prepared to be unemployed?online survey

But I guess the biggest failure of my life was to get a job during these times and I realized that it was nothing to do with competency or any ability to deliver. But on the other hand I would like to thank all those employers who either shut down shop within 3 to 4 months of beginning operations and also those who tried to put me in a profile which didn’t fit my shoes. All of these short term assignments reflect in my CV and kept wondering why I have had to show so many company names in my resume. But I guess this has made me smarter as an employer to employ people who can deliver and capitalize on the key skills of an individual.

The other reason I would like to thank all of them is because of them I learned the hard facts of life. I learnt new means of survival. With all the emi’s and credit cards bills not stopping to come to your doorstep it has been a difficult time to cope with all the pressure. But this is the new learning. I would like to ask all those who are working comfortably that do they have the courage to sit without a job and yet run the house?

The learning I have got from running the house in these times without any cheque being returned and all bills being paid can be applied to many companies for their benefit. I feel I have had this unique opportunity and I used it to my advantage. I would earnestly advise all those who are jobless not to lose heart and learn a new way of living. You won’t be able to get this chance again so go out there and show the world what you can prove.

All your friends, colleagues and relatives would stand there and talk about you and your in efficient process of getting a job. Don’t be disheartened, this is a challenge which I picked up and am still fighting this challenge. There is nothing to fear or to complain. Employers are hiring people who have been working and have shown no break in employment. But is that any proof of the person capability and strengths. I have always fought the battle from the front and I am still doing it. The soft cushion would not give you the experience of handling real like situations if you don’t go and fight yourself.

Since the time I have been out of employment (not out of job), I have worked a as consultant with various companies on short term assignments. There is wide array of opportunities but one need to see around and grasp these opportunities. I kept myself busy with the online media and set up two new initiatives one in marketing (www.marketing365.in) and other on healthcare (www.healthcaretoday.in). These varied assignments are really worth a good experience as sometimes you would find the challenge of moving out of your domain industry. You can increase your knowledge and your networking skills. Also you get a fair idea on whom you can trust next when you need help. I guess this is one big learning which you get from being unemployed. As for getting a job I got myself enrolled in most of the sites and also used professional networking sites like LinkedIn to spread my word around.

On the personal front, I don’t think I would ever have had so much time with my family if I was working. I have seen my kids grow and helping with the household chores has been an eye opener for me to realize the fact on what goes through a housewife managing a home. You don’t realize when you are in office but handling the house and kids is a job by itself. I guess I have given my wife a lot of spare time which she has put to better use. All this wouldn’t have happened if I had an 8am onwards Monday to Monday job. . During all these times my wife has been the best support for me. She has kept all those fasts and visits to the temple and Pandit, tarot reader and others. She has also managed to follow all suggestions and advises given to her for a better life. She has given away some of the pleasures in life for the kids and for me. I would cherish the precious moments which we have shared sipping our tea and watching the sun set down and waiting for the new day to begin. It would have been difficult for me to realize her importance if I was employed.

Financially I have been put back by probably 5 years. All my savings has been drained and most of my SIPs are now over. I couldn’t give my kids the holiday which I had promised them but I still took them out for walk and to the mall where we as a family had loads of fun and notvto mention the numerous evening which we spend in the garden. I have still managed to hold on to my car and our most precious dream house. No doubt that these are the toughest times of my life but I have also thoroughly enjoyed them and used this as an opportunity to learn more.

So finally I should say the biggest failure is indeed a boon and I thank all of them who made this happen.

Who is King?

Ganesh — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 19:18:51 +0000

This is the biggest question today that every company has got. Is it the new phrase ‘cash is king’ really true or is it the result of an exercise?
If we truly analyze then we would understand that ‘cash is king’ is the result of an activity. If this is the case then the question is ‘who is king’?
In this current market situation, I would say – market share is king. This is true for any business at any point of time but more so during these times. However big or small a competition is there in the market, if you need to survive then don’t let your competition survive. It’s a simple jungle law that should be followed now. The person who survives the current storm would come out a winner and then he can truly be called the Emperor.
My suggestion to all marketers is that you should create marketing programs which would ensure that the market share of your company goes up. Today don’t worry too much of your top lines. Your bottom lines would automatically be taken care of if you start focusing on the market share. Don’t be so stringent about the price of the product, it would make a lot of sense to get rid of maximum inventory rather than sitting on them.
Media companies today have realized that and hence even the big giants are cutting down on price. One key advantage here is that, the prices were so very high that even after discounting to about 50-60%, there is a margin for profit. This is quite evident even with the consumer goods where you can see huge offers and discounts. All are aimed at only one thing, get the maximum market share.
When you focus on increasing market share, you would without doubt kill your competition. You can ensure that you get that business by making various counter offers including price. If you lose business to your competition, then you are feeding him to survive. Today as I mentioned earlier it is the jungle law, you should choke your competition to death. This if you do today and survive till the next one year, you have made enough ground to become the leader and then focus on top lines. Thus by working today on the market share you are creating an Emperor for tomorrow. I would sum up by saying that for me while the consumer always comes first but today for survival ‘Market share is king’ and you should bow down to it.

Marketing @ Home

Ganesh — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 05:28:13 +0000

There is an old saying ‘Charity begins at home’ but how many actually realized that marketing also begins at home. Well each one of us has been doing this job expertly and has passed it on over generations.

As a child you always wanted that ice cream or a toy and to get that you knew exactly what to do. For that one day or moment you would market yourself to be the best child in the family and wait to get your hands on your ice cream or the toy which your other siblings wouldn’t get.

The reason why I am sharing this is cause, there is a fact in our life, that we all learn marketing at a very young age. Some of them grow up to master it and practice it while others use it subtly in their life. Some probably might disagree to me by saying that what I call marketing is only a way of life. Well if that’s the case then even brushing your teeth is just a way of life then why do the companies spend billions of rupees to reach you. The fact is that, the more you see and reach your customer the better you understand him learn to talk his language. Similar to your life when as you are growing your Dad would know exactly all about you, but you start learning more and more about him and start pleasing him in every possible way so that your wants are met.

There are in our daily life, many such incidents from where we can teach ourselves a lot more about marketing than all the B-schools. Probably your mother is the best CFO you can ever get and your Dad is the best CEO you could get. Keep an attentive ear and eye to every moment in your life and you will find zillions of true life marketing examples. Writing here I wont be able to quote these examples but you can witness it yourself today by watching around your family.

I have always found the best solutions to my problems in my house. Every time I come up with a solution I do share it with my family and ask their opinion. These opinions are from the consumers point of view and can be a true eye opener for you.

Marketing within is more tough than to the world outside. Learn, sharpen and apply it to your marketing programs and you will reap the benefits.

Technology & marketing

Ganesh — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 07:54:43 +0000

Recently I got an opportunity to witness a very unique event which was held by 9dot9 media along with Capegemini. This event was focused on the approach and road ahead for the IT managers in the time of recession.
While I was a silent spectator to this entire event, I did manage to gather a lot of inputs which I thought should be shared through this forum. One of the key things which came out was the role of the CIO has become very important and has moved away from being the techie guy to a guy who would enhance your business. This was evident from the fact that the IT managers were speaking about productivity, losses, profits, employee retention and of-course marketing besides all the other topics which are discussed in the board room. Something which was seriously discussed was the fact that now is the right time to review and invest in enhancing the company’s technology which could drive the company to have the competitive edge. As rightly pointed out by one of the senior leaders, it is time for a company to see within itself its resources and use them. Most of the time the resources of the company in terms of its manpower go underutilised at all levels. The recession is a good time for companies to give some thought for everybody’s job function and also using his skills which has been developed over the years to practice.
The presentation by Mr.Pierre Hessler, one of the board members of Capgemini, shared with the audience on some new tecnovision 2012 which they are developing. The crux of the matter was realigning the company to perform better. They have developed some unique models which could be a good investment during recession. He also mentioned the fact that India has approximately 23 years before costs outweighs outsourcing. Since India’s IT industry is over dependent on outsourcing, it would be left to see if India would look at these 23 years as a lot or too little.
Walmart’s technology application has enhanced its profitability and thus it has focused on marketing. Today companies need to look at how to build profits through a better technology process and thus this could be a unique tool for marketers. The reason I have touched upon technology in this blog is that technology is a very inherent part of marketing. Look at all those technology options which are available around you which you can use effectively to communicate to your consumer. I would urge you to sit down and speak to your IT managers to help you devise some technology options to be in touch with your customers.
Lastly I would sum by adding that while, this probably is the time for you to sit down and rethink strategy but don’t sit around for too long else you would lose out to your competition.

The beginning

Ganesh — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:04:28 +0000

When I began my career way back in 1991, I worked for the company which was hard core into sales – Eureka Forbes. This was fresh out of college and it prepared me for the later onslaught in sales. The experience at Eureka Forbes was absolutely hard core. It always pushed me to sell that one Aqua Guard more so that I could qualify for the silver circle club. During this time all I knew was sales is marketing and vice versa.

We used to have morning field meeting at 8am and then off to cold calling. The mornings we used to ensure that we get some appointments or entry to some households in the evening. In the after noon, I remember, I used to manage to get some rest in the municipal garden along with my friend. Then we had our afternoon meetings at 4pm, discuss the schedule and map for the evening. Off we went to sell the aqua guards.

Every time I knocked on a door, I used to get a different response. There wasn’t much training to handle clients but each meeting taught us something new. Probably that was the best training I think which Eureka Forbes could give to their team. Getting involved with the client and ensuring that we understand who the critical influencer was in the family was very important. This was done by being with them and making note of every comment and reaction in the family. To now understand that and look back at it, I feel it was a tremendous learning for me.

Then we meet again at 9pm or sometimes even 10pm and then give our reports to our group leaders. By the time I reach home it used to be around 11.30 or later than that. The food was on the table and I used to eat and go to bed and the days were so long and tiring that it made me feel that nights were short. True to our commitments back again to our field meeting point by 8am.

While this experience taught me a new beginning to my life, I also started to realise that life was not easier after going through those books. It’s a lot more different and can be stressful than those college days. Every time a change happens in my life and I tell myself, the previous life was better. It’s like finding a perfect girlfriend for yourself, and i know you are still waiting for the Miss Perfect 10.

Marketing in Recession

Ganesh — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 19:35:03 +0000

This recession has actually left nobody untouched and what we see across is a slash of budgets and people.
This is one mistake many companies do of slashing the marketing budgets and the role from the company. if you dont market how would you survive?
What you need to do is only change your marketing to ensure that you don’t move out of the view of your audience.
infact this is the best time for companies to get some good bargains for all their marketing activities. History has shown that companies who have survived through the recession by touching their audience have grown more than their competition.
I would urge companies to think before they slash the role of the marketing person but rather redefine and get a new wave of thinking around them.

Hello world!

Ganesh — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 19:27:06 +0000

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!