'The Enablers'. We develop humans into winners

“What thePharma CEO Wants from the Brand Manager”.

2011-08-31T18:05:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you on Ganesh Chaturthi!

May Lord Ganesh shower His choicest blessings on you!

On this very auspicious day, I am happy to announce the hosting of my website: www.theenablers.org.

With great pleasure, I also introduce you to my second book: “What the Pharma CEO Wants from the Brand Manager”. I have written this book specifically for the brand managers of the Indian Pharmaceutical Industry and will soon be released.

Please do visit the page on this website: ‘Book to be released soon: What the Pharma CEO Wants From The Brand Manager’ on the website www.theenablers.org. Please do await the date of launch.

My business e-mail id effective today is: vivekhattangadi@theenablers.org

MCI Whip : Pharma Brand Managers on the Roll - By Prof. Vivek Hattangadi

2010-04-17T21:47:00.000-07:00

News article on the lecture delivered by Prof. Vivek Hattangadi during the National Pharma Symposium which appeared in 'The Economic Times' of 5th April 2010

Brand managers in the pharma industry have been feeling low lately. Their roles and responsibilities have undergone mortification as pharma companies no longer consider brand managers as important members in the marketing team. What with the foreign junkets and freebies offered to the medical profession in the name of Continuous Medical Education and brand building, most companies today are almost not concerned about brand management.

A senior brand manager of a well known pharma company in Ahmedabad in a lighter vein said that he is more of a travel agent or an event manager of his company rather than a brand manager. On a serious note, he goes on to say that he has almost forgotten the fundamentals of brand management!

Well, the recent Medical Council of India whip which has traumatized the industry and the medical profession, however, has brought smiles on the faces of the pharma brand managers. This means he can once again establish the positive values of his brand – such as trust, integrity, and its intangible assets. He can now communicate them through the medical representatives for generating prescriptions and get true job satisfaction.

To be successful in brand management, it’s just a matter of thinking differently from ‘freebies’ and ‘gifts’ and ‘junkets’ approach. The he will now have the drive to create those lifetime prescribers in an ethical way.

The pharma brand managers are on the roll once again, thanks to the MCI Whip!

Actions, not authority, drive leadership - February 11, 2010 - Technique - The South's Liveliest College Newspaper

2010-02-28T18:13:00.001-08:00

Actions, not authority, drive leadership - February 11, 2010 - Technique - The South's Liveliest College Newspaper

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Discipline and Willpower - Vivek Hattangadi

2010-01-18T23:05:00.000-08:00

Discipline and Willpower - By Vivek Hattangadi

While uneducated birds and beasts
Know how to lead regulated lives,
Alas! Man endowed with intelligence
Does not lead a disciplined life
(Anon)
Discipline is fundamental to every living being. For Homo sapiens it is even more important; may be as much as the spinal cord. Without discipline mankind will be ruined.
Said Zig Ziglar “Discipline yourself to do the things you need to do when you need to do them, and the day will come when you will be able to do the things you want to do when you want to do them”.

Today, in India, it is because people do not practise discipline, whether for instance traffic discipline, social discipline, discipline in daily routine, or elsewhere, life is becoming painful. Discipline must start from the early years, but it is needed not only by students but even by elders. The elders must impress on the young ones that discipline is imperative to become a successful student, a professional, a parent, a musician or even a sportsperson.

One of the misconceptions in the world is that the people who end up being successful somehow achieve this success through short cuts, and other miracles of fate. In the process, the world forgets about the disciplined life of these successful personalities. The importance of discipline in life is something which is often ignored. Discipline is behavior in accordance with rules of conduct. For example, discipline is denying oneself of an excessive pleasure in order to accomplish more demanding jobs. Discipline is the most essential quality of life. It is necessary in the personal life of everybody. Discipline means teaching ourselves self-control, obedience, cooperation and punctuality. It is the ability to stay focused on our chosen action path without detour, distraction, or interruption

This brings us towards willpower and self-discipline.

Willpower is an expression of our inner strength, determination, decisiveness, and assertiveness. It is the ability to act and exert ourselves in spite of laziness and discomfort. Willpower confers on us the strength and fortitude to act in spite of inner resistance or external obstacles. The application of willpower can be like a military strategy:
Choose your target and objective
Create a plan of attack
Execute the plan

Willpower is the spearhead of self-discipline. Self-discipline can be said to be the ‘spouse’ of willpower.

Self-discipline is usually understood to be synonymous with 'self control'. It is the giving up of instant pleasure and gratification or satisfaction for a higher goal. It gives us the power to follow our decisions, stick to them and not change our mind too often, and thus reach our goals. Self-discipline refers to the training that one gives to one's self to accomplish tasks or to adopt a particular pattern of behavior, even though one would really rather be doing something else. Self-discipline is the ability of a person to force himself to do something he knows he should do, whether he likes it or not. Every successful person knows that self-discipline is important for success. Self-discipline must be developed and practised in order to succeed. Every time we practise self- discipline, we will strengthen it.

Thus, self-discipline is the assertion of willpower over basic desires. Self-discipline is the power to keep going forward, when everything around us seems to be pulling us back.

Lack of self discipline may lead to failure to reach goals, even minor ones, and to loss of health, wealth, relationships and may lead us to many other troubles.

Unfortunately, many people, especially the young ones are not interested in self-discipline. They prefer to engage in actions that satisfy their short-term needs – even at the expense of long term failure. Lack of self-discipline is a source of low self esteem. Self-discipline is something we all need because it is a vital characteristic of successful people. Self-discipline helps us control our actions and makes sure we stay on the right track.

What then are the benefits of discipline? Discipline generates trust and confidence in ourselves, and attracts trust and confidence from others. The constant act of discipline can magnify our power many, many times. The possession of this power leads to self confidence and self esteem, and consequently to happiness, satisfaction and real strength.

Practise self-discipline and we shall be in control of ourselves all of the time.

“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of willpower”. - Vince Lombardi

Jack Welsh on Leadership

2010-01-18T22:55:00.000-08:00

Jack Welsh on Leadership

Leadership can be defined as one's ability to get others to willingly follow. Every organization needs leaders at every level. Leaders can be found and nurtured if you look for the following character traits.

A leader with vision has a clear, vivid picture of where to go, as well as a firm grasp on what success looks like and how to achieve it. But it’s not enough to have a vision; leaders must also share it and act upon it. Jack Welch, former chairman and CEO of General Electric Co., said, "Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision and relentlessly drive it to completion."

A leader must be able to communicate his or her vision in terms that cause followers to buy into it. He or she must communicate clearly and passionately, as passion is contagious.

A good leader must have the discipline to work toward his or her vision single-mindedly, as well as to direct his or her actions and those of the team toward the goal. Action is the mark of a leader. A leader does not suffer “analysis paralysis” but is always doing something in pursuit of the vision, inspiring others to do the same.

Integrity is the integration of outward actions and inner values. A person of integrity is the same on the outside and on the inside. Such an individual can be trusted because he or she never veers from inner values, even when it might be expeditious to do so. A leader must have the trust of followers and therefore must display integrity.

Honest dealings, predictable reactions, well-controlled emotions, and an absence of tantrums and harsh outbursts are all signs of integrity. A leader who is centered in integrity will be more approachable by followers.

Dedication means spending whatever time or energy is necessary to accomplish the task at hand. A leader inspires dedication by example, doing whatever it takes to complete the next step toward the vision. By setting an excellent example, leaders can show followers that there are no nine-to-five jobs on the team, only opportunities to achieve something great.

Magnanimity means giving credit where it is due. A magnanimous leader ensures that credit for successes is spread as widely as possible throughout the company. Conversely, a good leader takes personal responsibility for failures. This sort of reverse magnanimity helps other people feel good about themselves and draws the team closer together. To spread the fame and take the blame is a hallmark of effective leadership.

Leaders with humility recognize that they are no better or worse than other members of the team. A humble leader is not self-effacing but rather tries to elevate everyone. Leaders with humility also understand that their status does not make them a god. Mahatma Gandhi is a role model for Indian leaders, and he pursued a “follower-centric” leadership role.

Openness means being able to listen to new ideas, even if they do not conform to the usual way of thinking. Good leaders are able to suspend judgment while listening to others’ ideas, as well as accept new ways of doing things that someone else thought of. Openness builds mutual respect and trust between leaders and followers, and it also keeps the team well supplied with new ideas that can further its vision.

Creativity is the ability to think differently, to get outside of the box that constrains solutions. Creativity gives leaders the ability to see things that others have not seen and thus lead followers in new directions. The most important question that a leader can ask is, “What if …?” Possibly the worst thing a leader can say is, “I know this is a dumb question ...”

Fairness means dealing with others consistently and justly. A leader must check all the facts and hear everyone out before passing judgment. He or she must avoid leaping to conclusions based on incomplete evidence. When people feel they that are being treated fairly, they reward a leader with loyalty and dedication.

Assertiveness does not mean aggressiveness. Rather, it is the ability to clearly state what one expects so that there will be no misunderstandings. A leader must be assertive to get the desired results. Along with assertiveness comes the responsibility to clearly understand what followers expect from their leader.

Many leaders have difficulty striking the right amount of assertiveness, according to a study in the February 2007 issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, published by the APA (American Psychological Association). It seems that being under-assertive or overassertive may be the most common weakness among aspiring leaders.

A sense of humor is vital to relieve tension and boredom, as well as to defuse hostility. Effective leaders know how to use humor to energize followers. Humor is a form of power that provides some control over the work environment. And simply put, humor fosters good camaraderie.

Intrinsic traits such as intelligence, good looks, height and so on are not necessary to become a leader. Anyone can cultivate the proper leadership traits.

Book Review: Who killed change?

2009-10-04T01:16:00.000-07:00

Book Review: Who killed change?

Author- Ken Blanchard et al. Publishers: Harper Collins 2009

It is a well known adage: ‘Change is the Only Constant’.

Yet, when change initiatives are launched, people put up a lot of resistance. There are people who would still like to be in comfort zone of tradition, conformity of the old systems and sometimes even superstition. People who try to bring about change initiatives have also been branded as ignorant and stupid fools by the traditionalists and conformists! They would still try to achieve success through obsolete ideas which have no relevance to today’s scenario. On would believe that only the senior and experienced people are the ones who resist change; this is a wrong impression. At times Gen-Next are the ones who are very comfortable with orthodox beliefs and resist change.

Ken Blanchard of ‘One Minute Manager’ fame has recently released his new book: ‘Who Killed Change”, published by Harper Collins Publishers Ltd, 2009. This book is also catalogued in the British Council Library.

The book is written in a delightful way – again a change initiative by Ken Blanchard! One may even call it a parable business book.

The central character is a cigar-smoking, detective Agent Mike McNally who is investigating a serial murder of people having the same second name – Change. These murders take place at the ACME Company. Like a true detective story the business story opens on a dark and stormy night

Agent Mike McNally, interviews 13 prime suspects, with the aid of his associate Anna. The suspects include Carolina Culture, Chase Commitment, Spence Sponsorship, Perry Plan, Bailey Budget, Victoria Vision, Ernest Urgency, and Clair Communication among others.

Through this series of interviews, McNally discovers a core truth: Many different people at all levels of the organization are often responsible for killing change efforts. Agent McNally discovers that Change was poisoned — but you'll have to read the book to uncover the details.

The parable concludes with the following truth: "Change can be successful only when the usual characters in an organization combine their unique talents and consistently involve others in initiating, implementing and sustaining change."

Vivek Hattangadi

13^th September 2009

Ahmedabad

7 Myths of a Sales Managers Job

2008-09-06T06:57:00.000-07:00

I came across a very interesting article by Ray Wiiliams from B-Net and thought I must share this with you since I agree with every word in it! When we accept underperformance, we are conveying our low standards, and this will affect every one in the organization, right from the lowest to the top employee, the vendors and all others associated with the organization. Managers, who accept non-performance, should be the ones to be given the pink slip immediately! They are the ones who can damage an organization.

– Vivek Hattangadi, 3rd September 2008

The Truth about Sales Manager’s Job

• Myth #1: Managers should put the customer first. When managers preach and practice this longstanding axiom, they overlook their employees, who are responsible for creating and nurturing the customer relationship. Customers quickly learn they can bypass the rep and get what they want by appealing to the manager, resulting in lousy morale, high turnover, and customer dissatisfaction.
• Truth #1: Manager must put their employees first. Managers should communicate regularly and comprehensively with employees, and work through them when communicating with the customer. Managers should never undercut their employee’s authority to deal with customer issues.

• Myth #2: Morale will improve when sales go up. Managers often believe that increased sale will result in higher morale, ignoring the fact that low morale makes it difficult, and even impossible, to increase sales. What results is a classic “chicken or egg” situation where everyone’s waiting for things to improve, with decreasing hope that they actually will.
• Truth #2: Morale improves when employees believe sales will improve. To create this belief manager must: 1) present a clear vision of the future, 2) have the sales team makes the reality check that the vision will work and will benefit each team member, and 3) refine the vision into a practical set of steps that everyone agrees are achievable.
Note: this initiative must have an upper management champion or it will die on the vine.

• Myth #3: Management’s first responsibility is to make the numbers. While numbers are important, they are always the history of what’s happened in the past. Treating the numbers as the top priority leads to jiggling the revenue stream, pushing revenue into different quarters, and (worst case) cooking the books to make the numbers look good.
• Truth #3: Management’s first responsibility is to manage activities. While a manager cannot (honestly) manage the numbers, a manager can always manage the activities that lead to the numbers. If you focus on what the sales team is doing, and measuring the effectiveness of each activity, each day the numbers become a foregone conclusion that needs little attention.

• Myth #4: Quota (targets) is an employee management tool. Quota defines the minimum performance standard of an organization and the minimum performance of the individual inside that organization. When it is used as a management tool, managers are placing maximum emphasis on minimum performance. The result is entirely predictable: the entire sales team aims at the minimum standard and seldom exceeds it.
• Truth #4: Quota is a corporate measurement tool. Quota is simply what the organization needs to achieve in order to fulfill its goals. Quota has nothing to do with what the employee wants from his or her employment with the organization. It does not motivate, even when managers uses it as a club to beat employees about the head and shoulders at the end of the month.

• Myth #5: The manager’s job is to have the answers. Each time a manager answers an employee’s question, he or she becomes a thief. The manager has robbed that person of the opportunity to think and the opportunity to grow. While experience has value, people don’t learn when that hard-won wisdom is handed over on a platter, much less forced down their throat.
• Truth #5: The manager’s job is to ask the right questions. The trick to managing effectively is being able to spark, in the employee’s own mind, the thought processes and ideas that will make the employee successful. Great managers know the “magic questions” that help employees discover where they need to improve and how, and which get the commitment necessary to make the improvement.

• Myth #6: The top performers define management ability. Managers often point to their top performers as an indicator of how successful they are as sales managers. However, while the manager may have hired that top performer or grown him or her into that role, the success of that individual is more likely to reflect that person’s drive and ability, rather than anything the manager brought to the table.
• Truth #6: The worst performers define management ability. The worst performing sales person on the team illustrates exactly what the manager will accept, because that person remains employed. What’s more, the worst performer acts as a drag upon the rest of the team, who are well aware that they must work harder in order to cover for the manager’s willingness to tolerate poor performance.

• Myth #7: Management is mostly common sense. When we view the solution to anything as being common sense, we tend not to pay much attention to it, thinking that our common sense will get us through. The result is that the same problems keep coming up month after month, year after year, because managers are relying upon “common sense” to fix them.
• Truth #7: Good management requires a complex and multiplex skill set. To get the best from employees, managers must know their employees and their interests, and manage according to those interests. That requires applied psychology. To make sure that sales activities result in profitable revenue, managers must define and track a productive sales process. That requires system analysis. And so forth. If you’re serious about being a great sales manager, you’ll constantly upgrade your skills and knowledge.

From: Ray Williams

Posted by
Vivek Hattangadi
theenablers@gmail.com
6th September 2008

The Moments of Truth

2008-06-10T03:59:00.000-07:00

Customer Relations Management is the buzz word today. Every interaction between a customer / consumer and service provider is a moment of truth - The truth whether the sevice provider is truly customer-centered?
Read this from Zig Ziglar, trainer and the worlds greatest salesman
Vivek Hattangadi
vivekhattangadi@yahoo.co.in
Moments of Truth

A “Moment of Truth” is any opportunity (contact) a customer has to get an impression of the level of customer service your company delivers. There are many, many moments of truth that the customer can experience that begin to make up an overall impression of your organization. Was the phone answered in a timely manner; how much trouble was it to get out of the automated loop and talk to a live person; is the lobby clean; was their question answered; is your appearance professional? These are just a few of the opportunities a customer has to form an impression of your company. Moments of truth can be identified and managed – they don’t just “happen.” It is how you manage those moments that ultimately determines how successful the business – and you – will be. Your day is filled with “moments of truth” – full to overflowing, and each is an opportunity to exceed customer expectations. Think about your job – what are some moments of truth that you can identify? Don’t forget the internal customers (your coworkers) as well. You have many moments of truth with your coworkers that add up to how they view you and your ability to do the job. You may feel that you personally can’t make an impact on the impression your customer has of your organization. That would be incorrect! As long as you are speaking to the customer, in their mind you are THE organization. You represent the entire business. What you say and do, how you sound, the knowledge you use to work with the customer – all of these add up. It is your moment of truth – are you ready?

This article is adapted from the Assuring Customer Loyalty program from Zig Ziglar
Very well written by Eric WildeAdapted from: Ten Moments of Truth by Eric Wilder (babyshopmagazine.com)

Failure is not permanent

2008-06-10T03:37:00.000-07:00

Failure is not Permanent By Dave Ramsey
Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently. – Henry Ford
As I have walked with thousands of families through hope-robbing financial problems, I have realized there are reasons we lose our hope. Our mind and spirit have believed lies in order to lose the most precious item called HOPE. One big hairy lie that we allow to steal our hope is: Failure is permanent. If we see failure in our past as an indicator of our future, it will rob our hope. Winston Churchill, the great British prime minister, said, “Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” When we believe failure is here to stay, we lose enthusiasm and the ability to head back toward success.
Hope is stolen when we misunderstand failure. Failure is natural, normal, and is going to happen. If we take all the lessons learned from failure and stack them, we can easily get the breathtaking view that hope gives. The trick is to avoid making short-term decisions, based on loss of hope, that have worse long-term effects.
When people are in financial difficulty, they often make stupid short-thinking financial decisions. If you really believe you can never save enough money to pay cash for a car, you lose hope and borrow the money. If you got laid off from a job or your small business went under, you may think the rest of your life is doomed. Debt, which robs your ability to build wealth, is usually the result of lost hope. We have been sold debt so thoroughly that it has stolen our hope. People who have hope, grown from vision based in values, are savers and investors; they think long term. Where there is a lack of hope, we cripple our ability to build wealth and long-term relationships of value.

When past failure sneaks up and steals our hope, we must have been asleep at the wheel because we know better, realizing that failure is part of the process. The great author C.S. Lewis agrees. He said, “Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement.”

I Know, I've Been There
Failure is definitely a part of my story. Starting from nothing, by the time I was 26 I had a net worth of a little over $1 million and was having fun! However, then debt caused Sharon and me, over the course of two and a half years of fighting it, to lose everything. After losing it all, we didn’t let failure keep us down for long. I went on a quest to find out how money really works, how I could get control of it, and how I could have confidence in handling it. I formed our company in 1988 to counsel folks hurting from the results of financial stress. To this day, our mission statement isn’t just lip service; it’s our mantra

Now is the time to learn from your failures and regain HOPE. Make it happen!
Dave Ramsey is a personal money management expert, an extremely popular national radio personality and best-selling author of The Total Money Makeover.

Saraswati - The ancient river lost in the desert

2008-06-09T09:32:00.000-07:00

Saraswati – the ancient river lost in the desert
A. V. Sankaran

Source: http://www.ias.ac.in/currsci/oct25/articles20.htm
NEARLY ten thousand years ago when mighty rivers started flowing down the Himalayan slopes, western Rajasthan was green and fertile. Great civilizations prospered in the cool amiable climate on riverbanks of northwestern India. The abundant waters of the rivers and copious rains provided ample sustenance for their farming and other activities. Some six thousand years later, Saraswati, one of the rivers of great splendour in this region, for reasons long enigmatic, dwindled and dried up. Several other rivers shifted their courses, some of their tributaries were ‘pirated’ by neigbouring rivers or severed from their main courses. The greenery of Rajasthan was lost, replaced by an arid desert where hot winds piled up dunes of sand. The flourishing civilizations vanished one by one. By geological standards, these are small-scale events; for earth, in its long 4.5 billion years history, had witnessed many such changes, some of them even accompanied by wiping out of several living species. But those that occurred in northwest India took place within the span of early human history affecting the livelihood of flourishing civilizations and driving them out to other regions.
The nemesis that overtook northwestern India’s plenty and prosperity along with the disappearance of the river Saraswati, has been a subject engaging several minds over the last hundred and fifty years. However, convincing explanations about what caused all the changes were available only in the later half of the current century through data gathered by archaeologists, geologists, geophysicists, and climatologists using a variety of techniques. They have discussed and debated their views in symposia held from time to time, many of which have also appeared in several publications. Over the last thirty years, considerable volume of literature have grown on the subject and in this article some of the salient opinions expressed by various workers are presented.
Rivers constitute the lifeline for any country and some of the world’s great civilizations (Indus Valley, Mesopotamian, and Egyptian) have all prospered on banks of river systems. Hindus consider rivers as sacred and have personified them as deities and sung their praises in their religious literature, the Vedas (Rig, Yajur and Atharva), Manusmriti, Puranas and Mahabharata. These cite names of several rivers that existed during the Vedic period and which had their origin in the Himalayas. One such river Saraswati, has been glorified in these texts and referred by various names like Markanda, Hakra, Suprabha, Kanchanakshi, Visala, Manorama etc.1,2, and Mahabharata has exalted Saraswati River as covering the universe and having seven separate names2. Rig veda describes it as one of seven major rivers of Vedic times, the others being, Shatadru (Sutlej), Vipasa (Beas), Askini (Chenab), Parsoni or Airavati (Ravi), Vitasta (Jhelum) and Sindhu (Indus)1,3,4 (Figure 1). For full 2000 y (between 6000 and 4000 BC), Saraswati had flowed as a great river before it was obliterated in a short span of geological time through a combination of destructive natural events.
Judged in the broader perspective of geological evolution, disappearance or disintegration of rivers, shifting of their courses, capture of one river by another (river piracy), steady decline of waters culminating in drying up of their beds, are all normal responses to tectonism (uplift, faulting, subsidence, tilting), earthquakes, adverse climate and other natural events. Such catastrophic events overtook Saraswati river in quick succession, within a short geological span in the Quaternary period of the Cenozoic era (Figure 1) leading to its decline and disappearance. Similar changes to drainage of rivers have occurred during earlier geological periods also, much before human evolution. A few of the south Indian rivers like the east-flowing Pennar, Palar and Cauvery draining into the Bay of Bengal and west-flowing Swarna, Netravathi and Gurupur draining into the Arabian Sea are known to have changed their courses or got dismembered due to uplift of land. Today, their former courses or palaeochannels can be seen as dry beds5–8.
Saraswati – evolution and drainage
The river Saraswati, during its heydays, is described to be much bigger than Sindhu or the Indus River. During the Vedic period, this river had coursed through the region between modern Yamuna and Sutlej. Though Saraswati is lost, many of its contemporary rivers like Markanda, Chautang and Ghaggar have outlived it and survived till today. All the big rivers of this period –Saraswati, Shatadru (Sutlej), Yamuna derived their waters from glaciers which had extensively covered the Himalayas during the Pleistocene times. The thawing of these glaciers during Holocene, the warm period that followed, generated many rivers, big and small, coursing down the Himalayan slopes. The melting of glaciers has also been referred in Rigvedic literature, in mythological terms, as an outcome of war between God Indra and the demon Vritra1,9. The enormity of waters available for agriculture and other occupations during those times had prompted the religiously bent ancient inhabitants to describe reverentially seven mighty rivers or ‘Sapta Sindhu’, as divine rivers arising from slowly moving serpent (Ahi), an apparent reference to the movement of glaciers3.
According to geological and glaciological studies11,13, Saraswati was supposed to have originated in Bandapunch masiff (Sarawati-Rupin glacier confluence at Naitwar in western Garhwal). Descending through Adibadri, Bhavanipur and Balchapur in the foothills to the plains, the river took roughly a southwesterly course, passing through the plains of Punjab, Haryana,Rajasthan, Gujarat and finally it is believed to have debouched into the ancient Arabian Sea at the Great Rann of Kutch. In this long journey, Saraswati was believed to have had three tributaries, Shatadru (Sutlej) arising from Mount Kailas, Drishadvati from Siwalik Hills and the old Yamuna. Together, they flowed along a channel, presently identified as that of the Ghaggar river, also called Hakra River in Rajasthan and Nara in Sindh1,11 (Figure 2). The rivers, Saraswati and Ghaggar, are therefore supposed to be one and the same, though a few workers use the name Ghaggar to describe Saraswati’s upper course and Hakra to its lower course, while some others refer Saraswati of weak and declining stage, by the name Ghaggar12.
Considerable philological debate has taken place about the roots of the nomenclature ‘Saraswati’, which is referred to by the name Harkhaiti or Haravaiti (in Avesta) in regions further west of India. The contentious point debated is whether the syllable Ha in the river’s name changed to Sa, later in India or Sa to Ha outside India. The choice of the name, Saraswati or Harkhaiti, depended upon whether one considered Aryans, the ancient inhabitants along this riverine system, as indigenous people who, upon their migration, carried the name Saraswati westwards where linguistic growth changed Sa soon to Ha; or, whether they were migrants from west of India who brought with them the name Harakhaiti which changed to Saraswati once they settled here2. Apart from the nomenclature, the riverine systems of the period draining northwestern India had generated considerable discussion among the scholars about the positions (hierarchy) of the other feeder rivers, big and small, their sources and causes for their shifts which affected the supply of waters to the main rivers hastening their disintegration, e.g. Saraswati and its major tributary, Drishadvati.
Hindu mythology records several legends and anecdotes that are intertwined with the river’s geologically brief existence. Every aspect of the river’s life, right from its birth to its journey down the Himalayas and over the plains towards the Sindhu Sagara (ancient Arabian Sea), have found mention in one religious text or other, like Rigveda, Yajurveda, Atharvaveda,Brahmana literature, Manusmriti, Mahabharata and the Puranas1–3. These descriptive legends have often proved helpful in cataloguing some of the natural events of the period and linking some of them with the river’s perturbations. For example, the graphic description of a war between Gods and demons detailed in one of these texts and use of fire (Agni) in the destruction of a demon hiding in the mountains which trembled under the onslaught may possibly refer to volcanic and seismic episodes of the period2. Today, more than 8000 years since the Vedas came into existence, some of the rivers mentioned therein have become defunct or have shifted from their original path. In the earlier years of study, their erstwhile courses were mainly inferred from archaeological evidences. These included sites of ancient settlements (some 1200 are known) of Harappan, Indus or Saraswati civilizations along river banks, the scripts and seals left behind, and references in Hindu mythology to river-bank Ashrams and Yagnya Kundams preserving evidences about the ritual worship practiced by the ancient inhabitants3,10–13.
Over a 3000 year-long period since the Vedic times (Figure 1), the drainage pattern of many rivers had changed much from that described in the earlier religious literature. The decline of Saraswati appears to have commenced between 5000–3000 BC, probably precipitated by a major tectonic event in the Siwalik Hills of Sirmur region. Geologic studies14 indicate destabilizing tectonic events had occurred around the beginning of Pleistocene, about 1.7 my ago in the entire Siwalik domain, extending from Potwar in Pakistan to Assam in India, resulting in massive landslides and avalanches. These disturbances, which continued intermittently, were all linked to uplift of the Himalayas. Presumably, one of these events must have severed the glacier connection and cut off the supply of glacier melt-waters to this river. As a result, Saraswati became non-perennial and dependent on monsoon rains. All its majesty and splendour of the Vedic period dwindled and with the loss of its tributaries, major and minor, Saraswati’s march to oblivion commenced around 3000 BC. Bereft of waters through separation of its tributaries15, which shifted or got captured by other neighbouring river systems, Saraswati remained here and there as disconnected pools and lakes and ultimately became reduced to a dry channel bed. Lunkaransar, Didwana and Sambhar, the Ranns of Jaisalmer, Pachpadra etc., are a few of these notable lakes, some of them highly saline today, the only proof to their freshwater descent being occurrences of gastropod shells in these lake beds16–19. With the decline and disappearance of Saraswati, the ancient civilizations, that it supported, also faded.
Inferences from geologic, remote sensing and geophysical surveys
Considerable tectonic activity connected with Himalayan orogeny continued during the Holocene and later times although uplifts to heights of 3000–4000 m were at their peak during 0.8–0.9 my span. The high elevation of the mountains perturbed the wind circulation patterns and induced climatic changes. Moderate terrain of earlier times became rugged and hilly affecting the channels of rivers14. That was the scenario of the Himalayan region when Saraswati emerged as a major river about 9000 y ago20 and flowed in all splendour during the vedic times till its decline to an impermanent monsoon dependent state some 4000 y later.
Bulk of earlier studies on Saraswati pertain more to the civilizations that flourished along its banks and many of the reasons attributed for the decline of this river were speculative. The impacts of middle to late Quaternary geologic events on the river systems in this region, however, had received only cursory attention. Awareness to the potentialities of geologic, meteorologic, climatic and other cyclic events, basically triggered by plate tectonism, earth’s orbital and tilt variations and similar global phenomena came up much later. Attempts to investigate their roles over the decline and desiccation of Saraswati began only since close of nineteenth century21–23 and gained momentum during the last three decades. Oldham23, a geologist of Geological Survey of India, was one of the first to offer as early as 1886, geological comments about Saraswati. According to him, the present dry-bed of Ghaggar River represents Saraswati’s former course and that its disappearance was precipitated when its waters were captured by Sutlej and Yamuna. This view differed from that of several others who felt that Saraswati vanished due to lack of rainfall. However, later-day meteorological research about palaeoclimates11,24–27, oxygen isotopic studies36, thermouminescenct (TL) dating28 of wind-borne and river-borne sands in the Thar desert region, radiocarbon dating of lake-bed deposits48 and archaeological evidences29,30 have all indicated that during early to middle Pleistocene period this region had enjoyed wetter climate, heavy rainfall and even recurring floods and that increase in aridity commenced by mid-Holocene (5000–3000 BC) only.
Intense investigations during the last thirty years have yielded fruitful data obtained through ground and satellite based techniques as well as from palaeoseismic, and palaeoclimatic records all of which had enabled a good reconstruction of the drainage evolution in northwestern India. In addition, TL-dating of dry-bed sands and isotopic studies of the groundwater below these channels provided useful links in these reconstruction efforts. The observed river-shifts and other changes could also be correlated with specific geologic, seismic or climatic event that occurred during the mid- to late-Quaternary period. Particularly helpful were the information gathered from LANDSAT imagery about location of former river courses in the plains and beneath the Thar desert upto the Rann of Kutch, about existence of palaeo-river valleys and identifying major structural trends (lineaments) in the region3,16,18,31–34. In spite of a large volume of such data, the chain of natural events during the Quaternary period has given rise to different interpretations about the former river courses.
Mainly, Indus and Saraswati, were the two major river systems of northwestern India during the Vedic period but the network of their tributaries, some of which are known to have deviated from their initial course or become non-existent today, have given scope for grouping these rivers into convenient classifications. Sridhar et al.18 have classified the rivers into four main groups (Figure 2) – (i) Sindhu (Indus) and its tributaries Vitasta (Jhelum) and Askini (Chenab); (ii) Shatadru (Sutlej) and its two major tributaries Vipasa (Beas) and Parasuni or Iravati (Ravi); (iii) Saraswati and its three tributaries Markanda, Ghaggar and Patialewali, in its upper reaches and a major tributary in its middle course; (iv) Drishadvati and Lavanavati. Baldev Sahai19 grouped them into Sutlej, Ghaggar and Yamuna systems while Yash Pal and co-workers32 recognized only two major systems –the Sutlej and the Ghaggar.
Detailed evaluation of data obtained from remote sensing, geophysical, isotopic and other studies by various workers32,33,35–40 have been instrumental in sorting out many of the earlier speculative inferences and unsolved aspects of Saraswati river. Yash Pal et al.32 have traced the palaeochannel of this river through Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. They found that its course in these States is clearly highlighted in the LANDSAT imagery by the lush cover of vegetation thriving on the rich residual loamy soil along its earlier course. According to their findings, the river disappears abruptly in a depression in Pakistan, instead of in the sea, an observation shared by a few others also. But, digital enhancement studies35 of satellite IRS-1C data launched in 1995, combined with RADAR imagery (from European Remote Sensing satellite ERS-1/2) could identify subsurface features and thus recognize palaeochannels beneath the sands of Thar Desert. These channels are seen to extend upto Fort Abbas and Marot in Pakistan and appear in a line with present dry bed of Ghaggar (Figure 3). This river continues as Nara River in Sindh region and opens into the Rann of Kutch34. Another study33 of satellite derived data has revealed no palaeochannel link between Indus and Saraswati confirming that the two were independent rivers; also, the three palaeochannels, south of Ambala, seen to swerve westwards to join the ancient bed of Ghaggar, are inferred to be tributaries of Saraswati/ Ghaggar, and one among them, probably Drishadvati (Figure 4). The latter disappeared along with Saraswati due to shifts of its feeder streams from Siwalik and Aravalli ranges as well as due to the onset of desertification of Rajasthan15.
Geophysical surveys carried out by the Geological Survey of India to assess groundwater potential in Bikaner, Ganganagar and Jaisalmer districts in western Rajasthan desert areas have brought out several zones of fresh and less saline water in the form of arcuate shaped aquifers similar to several palaeochannels elsewhere in the State. That these subsurface palaeochannels belong to ancient rivers has been confirmed through studies37 on hydrogen, oxygen and carbon isotopes (d2H, d18O, 14C) on shallow and deep groundwater samples from these districts. The isotopic work has also indicated that there is no direct headwater connection or recharge to this groundwater from present day Himalayas. Though the antiquity of these waters and probable links to ancient rivers are thus established, the subsurface palaeochannel route beneath the desert sands obtained from hydrogeological investigations, however, differs from that derived through satellite based studies 16,35,38.
The waning period of Vedic civilization around 3700 BC was also the period that disrupted both Saraswati and Drishadvati18. Several evidences indicate that rivers of this area changed their courses often in the last 5000 y (ref. 32) and one detailed study40 about Saraswati has identified at least four progressive westward shifts in Rajasthan, due to encroaching sands. In their evaluation of the palaeochannel imagery obtained from LANDSAT, Yash Pal et al.32 observed a sudden widening of Ghaggar near Patiala which, they argue, can take place only if a major tributary had joined it. According to them, ancient Shatadru or Sutlej must have been this tributary and possibly ancient Yamuna (palaeo-Yamuna) also flowed into Ghaggar, a conclusion they claim is strengthened by archaeological findings of active life that existed at one time on their banks. During a subsequent period, Shatadru (Sutlej) swung suddenly westwards near Ropar (Figure 4) to join Indus (as also Vipas/Beas and Parasuni/Ravi, its two tributaries), deserting its earlier channel to the sea. This sudden diversion of Sutlej as well as depletion of waters from Drishadvati due to loss of its feeding streams15, appear to be major events that heralded the drying up of Saraswati. Several workers attribute this event to tectonism involving rise of Delhi-Hardwar ridge and uplift in the Aravallis11,15,16,18,32. Capture of Shatadru (Sutlej) by a tributary of Beas through headward erosion or due to diversion of Shatadru (Sutlej) through a fault are also considered as possible reasons32. Structural control over the migration of Saraswati river is also evident from studies41,42 in the Great Indian desert and adjacent parts of western Rajasthan. This area is dissected by several lineaments, some of which (e.g. Luni–Sukri lineament) were reactivated during Pleistocene–Holocene period bringing about alignment of Saraswati with Ghaggar.
Saraswati and the palaeodelta of the Great Rann
Considerable debate has taken place about Saraswati’s entry in the northern part of the Great Rann. Scholars have pointed to references in Rigveda, Manusmriti and Mahabharata about Saraswati disappearing in the sands at Vinäsana and not in the sea; but at the same time, there is also reference in some of these ancient texts about a narrow sea, possibly a creek, coming right upto Bikaner, but which disappeared during the Vedic times10,22. Rigvedic and archaeological references describe how Saraswati supported inland and marine trade and travel and that, around 3000 BC, there was continuous flow of this river upto even the Little Rann13.
The topography at the Great Rann is typically deltaic, developing usually at the mouth of rivers, confirming entry of a few rivers in the sea at this place. Neotectonism, reactivating faults and lineaments which are seen criss-crossing this region, as well as frequent seismicity, apart from Holocene sea-level changes all appear to have influenced development of a peculiar drainage topography in this area. The tilting and sinking of land resulting from the tectonic events have carved characteristic uplands (locally called Bets) representing areas of river mouth deposits, and lowlands which are sites of distributary channels17,28. Satellite imagery, as well as detailed mapping, have revealed network of distributaries and extensive graded deposits, products of Holocene marine regression17. It appears that Indus (Sindhu), Shatadru (Sutlej), Saraswati, Drishadvati (palaeo-Yamuna) and Lavanavati (possibly an ancestor of present day Luni river) had independent courses and opened into the Rann separately. According to Maliket al.17, at least three rivers – proto-Shatadru (Hakra), Saraswati and Drishadvati must have drained into the Rann around 2000 BC, of which only Sindhu (Indus) has survived. The original delta complex with relict channels, including that of Nara, a continuation of Ghaggar, is today better preserved on the western side but covered by wind-borne deposits on the eastern part of the Great Rann17,43,44.
Yash Pal et al.32 argue that though in the satellite imagery Saraswati/Ghaggar appear to debouch into the sea or a lake near Marot or Beriwala (Pakistan) (Figure 3), this place is far interior, and unlikely to be a palaeo-seacoast, even allowing for rise of sea level during the Holocene marine transgression. In fact studies about coast line changes along the west coast have shown a much lower sea level some 12,000 y back which rose to the present level only later and had remained there for the last 7000 y. These findings, therefore, discount the possibilities of a seacoast at this place45,46 though they do not rule out the river’s entry into the sea that must have existed further south of this site in those times. It may be mentioned that Quaternary neotectonism has submerged vast areas of palaeodelta complex, possibly along with palaeochannels. In this context, it is relevant to take note of the observation that Saraswati’s ancient course in this region is in continuity with another dry river bed–Hakra or Sotra which can be traced through Bikaner to Bhahawalpur and Sind in Pakistan, and finally upto the Rann of Kutch. Such a course appears likely if we backtrack the delta distributaries inland, when it is noticed they connect up with the existing palaeochannels there. Some of these are actually extensions of relict channels seen beneath the sands of Thar Desert, as found out by geophysical and hydrogeological surveys16,17,35,38.
While tectonism had certainly a major role in shaping the fate of Saraswati and other rivers, this could not have been the only agent bringing about various changes that led to its downfall. Even though the role of climate on the disappearance of Saraswati system was underestimated by some of the earlier workers, undoubtedly it must have exercised considerable sway during the Holocene, a period during which major climatic swing has been noted globally26,27,36,47. It is well known that variation in earth’s orbit and tilt of earth’s axis affect the earth’s climate (Milankovitch and albedo forces). A drastic weather change related to these phenomena had peaked around 7000 BC26. Recent studies have shown that the onset of an arid climate occurred in two pulses –at 4700–3700 and at 2000–1700 BC26, both of which had fairly wide impact not only in India in the desertification of western Rajasthan but in other countries also, like Africa in the development of Saharan and Nubian deserts. The desertification is thought to have occurred 5400 y ago (3400 BC) and its onset greatly affected the monsoon rains and consequently the river systems too. The change from wetter to arid condition destroyed steadily the vegetation, which in turn affected soil moisture, its evaporation, atmospheric circulation and precipitation, all important links in the monsoon evolution chain and, ultimately the climate over the region. However, a recent study48 of water-table fluctuations and radiocarbon estimates from the Lunkansar Lake deposit do not support the views about aridity around 3500 BC, the period when Saraswati and Indus Valley culture were thought to have collapsed. The chronology emerging from these studies show that the once perennial lakes had ceased to be so and they had dried and desiccated more than 1500 y before the dated collapse of the civilization.
Computer based climate simulation studies26, to reproduce the changes to solar heating of the atmosphere due to variations in earth’s tilt and orbit have shown that climate-induced weakening of monsoons over India and north Africa led to desertification in a span of just 300 years. Needless to point out, when one traces the topographic evolution of a place, the influence of a combination of many natural phenomena can be recognized in its build up. It becomes, therefore, very difficult to point out any one reason for some of the major changes to the topography or river systems. The climatic swing that led to sweeping changes in northwestern India was triggered by variations in earth’s orbit and tilt and these departures are known to recur periodically. The latter should, therefore, rise the possibilities for a favourable orientation of these parameters of earth at some future time to initiate climatic conditions for a re-greening of theRajasthan desert, rejuvenation of the dry river beds and, hopefully, for a rebirth of Saraswati, like Phoenix out of the ashes.

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Saraswati yatra: Saraswati yatra (contd...)

2007-11-09T07:23:00.000-08:00

Saraswati yatra: Saraswati yatra (contd...)

The photographs are too good. We shall all now be able to cherish the memories of Saraswati Yatra forever.

Can I add an interesting point? Would one believe that our sweet Konkani language had its origin here?

Between the River Saraswati and River Drishadwati was once the mighty Saraswat Desh. The intellectuals – the Saraswats – spoke Sanskrit. They however, developed a very simple version of Sanskrit – the Brahmani language – which they spoke only at home.

Konkani is an offshoot of this Brahmani language.

Vivek Hattangadi
Ahmedabad

The Pygmalion-Galatea Effect in Management

2007-07-06T08:15:00.000-07:00

Pygmalion in Management

In George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, Eliza Doolittle explains: “You see, really and truly, apart from the things any one can pick up, [the dressing and the proper way of speaking and so on]; the difference between a lady and a flower girl is not how she behaves but how she is treated. I shall always be a flower girl to Prof. Higgins, because he always treats me as a flower girl and always will; but I know that I can be a lady to you (i.e. to Col. Pickering) because you always treat me as a lady and always will.”

The effect was originally studied in context of teachers’ expectations of their students: Students who are expected to perform well usually do so. Those students of whom teachers have lower expectations will generally perform less well. However, this approach has clear application in the corporate world. This effect is named after George Bernard Shaw’s play "Pygmalion", which is the basis of the film and stage musical “My Fair Lady”.

Shaw summarizes the effect by his character Professor Higgins’ observation that:

"...The difference between a lady and a flower girl is not how she behaves, but how she's treated."

The Pygmalion Effect helps you think about how your expectations of other people can influence or motivate their performance.

It argues that by setting and communicating high performance expectations, you can motivate better performance from the people you lead and manage.

Some managers always treat their subordinates in a manner that leads to superior performance.

But most managers, like Prof. Higgins, unintentionally treat their subordinates in a way that leads to lower performance than they are capable of achieving.

The way managers treat their subordinates is subtly influenced by what they expect out of them. If manager’s expectations are high, productivity is likely to be excellent. If their expectations are low, productivity is likely to be poor.

It is as though there was a law that caused subordinates performance to rise or fall to meet the manager’s expectations!

Scientific researches now reveal:

-What managers expect of their subordinates [and the way they treat them], largely determine their performance and career progress.

-A unique characteristic of superior managers is the ability to create high performance expectations that subordinates fulfill.

-Less effective managers fail to develop similar expectations, and as a consequence, the productivity of their subordinates suffers.

-Subordinates more often than not, appear to do what they believe they are expected to do.

-Self-fulfilling prophecies:

The influence of one person’s expectations on another person’s behavior is not a business discovery. In the early part of the last century, psychologist Albert Moll concluded from his clinical experiences that subjects behaved as they believed that were expected to. The phenomenon, he observed, in which the “prophecy causes its own fulfillment”, has become a subject of considerable scientific interest.

The medical profession has long recognized that physicians or psychiatrists expectations can have a formidable influence on a patient’s physical or mental health. What takes place in the minds of the patients and the healers, particularly when they have congruent expectations may determine the outcome. For instance, the havoc of a doctor’s pessimistic prognosis has been observed again and again. It is also well known that the efficacy of a new drug or a new treatment can be greatly influenced by the physicians expectations – a result referred to as the placebo effect.

Pattern of failure:

When medical representatives are treated by their district managers as ‘super-people’, they try to live up to that image. And do what they know ‘super medical representatives’ are supposed to do.

But when the medical representatives are treated by their managers as not having “any chance” of success, this negative expectation also becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Unsuccessful medical representatives have great difficulty in maintaining their self-image and self-esteem. In response to low managerial expectations, they typically attempt to prevent additional damage to their egos by avoiding situations that might lead to greater failure. They either reduce the number of sales calls [or call on ‘easy’ doctors only] or avoid trying to ‘ask for a prescription’ that might result in further painful rejection or both. Low expectations and damaged egos lead them to behave in a manner that increases the probability of failure – thereby fulfilling their manager’s expectations.

Power of expectations

Managers cannot avoid the depressing cycle of events that flow from low expectations merely by hiding their feelings from the subordinates. If managers believe that their subordinates will perform poorly, it is virtually impossible for them to mask their expectations because the message is usually conveyed unintentionally, without conscious action on their part.

Indeed managers communicate the most when they believe they communicate the least. For instance, when they say nothing – become cold and uncommunicative – it is usually a sign that they are displeased by a subordinate or believe that he or she is hopeless. The silent treatment communicates negative feelings even more effectively, at times, than a tongue-lashing does.

What seems to be critical in the communication of expectations is not what the boss says so much as the way he or she behaves. Indifferent and noncommittal treatment, more often than not, is the kind of treatment that communicates low expectations and leads to poor performance.

Common illusions

Managers are more effective in communicating low expectations to their subordinates than in communicating high expectations to them, even though most mangers believe exactly the opposite.

Positive feelings, on the other hand do not come through clearly enough.

Clearly the way managers treat subordinates, not the way they organize them, is the key to high expectations and high productivity.

Impossible Dreams

Management expectations must pass the test of reality before it can be translated into performance. Subordinates will not be motivated to reach high levels of productivity unless they consider the boss’s high expectations realistic and achievable. If they are encouraged to strive for unattainable goals, they eventually give up trying and settle for results that are lower than that hey are capable of achieving.

Scientific research by David McClelland of Harvard University and of John Atkinson of the University of Michigan, has demonstrated that the relationship of motivation to expectancy varies in the form of a bell shape curve. The degree of motivation and effort rises until the expectancy of success reaches 50%, and then begins to fall even though the expectancy of success continues to increase. No motivation or response is aroused when the goal is perceived as being virtually certain or virtually impossible to attain.

Failure of subordinates to meet the unrealistically high expectations of their managers leads to high rates of attrition – either voluntarily or involuntarily.

Secret of superiority

Something that takes place in the minds of a superior manager that does not take place in the minds of a less effective manager. While superior managers are consistently able to create high performance expectations that their subordinates fulfill, weaker managers are not successful in obtaining a similar response. What accounts for the difference?

The superior managers have greater confidence than other managers in their own ability to develop the talents of their subordinates. Contrary to what might be assumed, the high expectations of superior managers are based primarily on what they think about themselves – about their own ability to select, train and motivate their subordinates, what they expect of them, and how they treat them.

In other words, the superior manager’s record of success and their confidence in their ability give their high expectations credibility. As a consequence their subordinates accept these expectations as realistic and try hard to achieve them.

Most Influential Boss

A new medical representative’s first district manager is likely to be the most influential in that young medical representative’s career. If managers are unable or unwilling to develop the skills of the young employees to perform effectively, the latter will set lower personal standards than they capable of achieving, their self images will be impaired, and they will develop negative attitude towards their jobs, employers and in all probability – their own careers in business. Since the chances of building successful careers with these first employers will decline rapidly, the employees will leave if they have high aspirations in the hope of finding better opportunities. If, on the other hand, early managers help employees achieve maximum potential, they will build foundations for successful careers.

Astute selection

While success in business sometimes appears to depend on luck, more than luck is involved when a young person is selected by a superior manager. Successful managers do not pick their subordinates at random or the toss of a coin. They are careful to select only those who they ‘know’ will succeed.

The pharmaceutical industry has not developed effective first-line managers fast enough to meet its needs. As a result, many companies are under-developing their most valuable source – talented young men and women. They are incurring heavy attrition costs and contributing to negative attitudes young people often have about careers in business.

For top executives in the industry who are concerned with the productivity of their organizations and the careers of young employees, the challenge is clear: to speed the development of mangers who will treat their subordinates in ways that will lead to high performance and career satisfaction. Managers not only shape the expectations and productivity of their subordinates but also influence their attitudes towards their jobs and themselves. If managers are unskilled they leave scars on the careers of young people, cut deeply into their self-esteem, and distort their image of themselves as human beings. But if they are skillful and have high expectations, subordinates self confidence will grow, their capabilities will develop, and their productivity will be high.

More often than one realizes, the Manager is Pygmalion.

(Original Source: Harvard Business Review)

Commentary:

As a manager, your aim is to get the best performance from the people who work from you. If you have high expectations of a member of your team, this can reinforce your efforts. On the other hand, if you convey lower expectations of an individual, this can undermine your efforts to improve his or her performance. Without knowing it, you may show low expectations by delegating less challenging and interesting work. You may pay less attention to team members' performance and give them less support and praise. In return, the team member may feel undervalued and untrusted, and his or her confidence may be undermined. And so your lower expectations, albeit unconsciously communicated, can demotivate the team member, creating the exact opposite effect of the performance improvement that you want. More than this, the effect of low expectations can create a vicious circle – you expect less, you get less, you lower your expectations and further demotivate, and so on.

The good news is that the opposite is also true. By setting and communicating higher expectations, you can motivate team members and create a virtuous circle leading to continuously improving performance.

Using the Theory

1 To use this new technique to shape the way you express your expectations, follow the steps below

2. Make a list of all of the members of your team, and then write down your expectations of the job-related performance of each team member on the next task you allocate to him or her.

Next, take an objective look at the outcomes of the last three tasks you delegated to each team member. Were these outcomes positive or negative? Again, write down this objective measure of outcomes against each performer.

Plot each team member on the grid in figure 1 (above). Don’t worry too much about scale: Just ask yourself which of the four quadrants (boxes) reflects your expectation of the team member and his or her objective performance. The quadrants are:

“High Performers, As Expected”:These people meet your expectations and continuously improve their performance. This can be a “virtuous circle”, where high performance is subtly motivated by your high expectations.“Low Performers, As Expected”: Here, you have lower expectations of people, and they tend to perform and improve less well than others. This can be a “vicious circle”, and there's a risk that these people are subtly demotivated by your lower expectations of them.
“Self-Motivated Performers”: Despite your lower expectations of this group, these team members perform well. Perhaps their last three tasks were unusually successful, or perhaps you need to adjust your expectations.“Under-Performers”:Despite your higher expectations, this group are failing to improve their perform

Now consider and write down all the ways in which you may be consciously and unconsciously motivating or demotivating the members of your team. This will include factors such as:
-The work you delegate
-The responsibility and trust you give
-Praise and recognition
-Support and guidance given
-Opportunities for development given
-Fair treatment in relation to other team members.

Tip 1: A useful starting point for thinking about what motivates and demotivates others is to think about what motivates you. But people differ in their needs – if possible, check with team members themselves

For the factors you identify, what are the (obvious or subtle) differences in the way you treat people in your “High Performers, As Expected” category compared to your “Low Performers, As Expected” category? What can you learn from how you treat your “High Performers, As Expected” that could help you better motivate others?

Tip2: However “fair” we try to be in treating our team members, differences evolve for all manner of reason. Be honest with yourself about these, and it will help you identify and avoid some unintentional signals that can demotivate.

Now you have analyzed the impact of your expectations, you can use what you have learned to make subtle changes to how you treat and motivate people and so improve performance. Here’s how to consider each category: “Low Performer as Expected” By expecting more of this group, you can help motivate better performance in many areas. Using the information from steps 4 and 5, write down how you can signal and express higher expectations.“Self-Motivated Performers”These people are potentially some of your biggest stars. Write down how you can more clearly signal positive expectations and recognize their achievements, and so motivate even better performance.“Under-Performers” Why do these people under-perform? Are you expecting too much from them, or is something stopping them perform to their potential? Talk to these people and be prepared to expect less or provide more support and guidance.“High Performance as Expected” Don’t forget the people in this category! Keep up your “virtuous circle” expectations and motivation to help this group keep on performing

Key points:
“Pygmalion Motivation” helps you apply the principles of the Pygmalion Effect to alter the way you express your expectations of team members, thereby motivating them to improve their performance.

You can summarize the Pygmalion effect, often known ‘as the power of expectations’, by considering:

-Every manager has expectations of the people who report to him.
-Managers communicate these expectations consciously or unconsciously.
-People pick up on, or consciously or unconsciously read, these expectations from their supervisor.
-People perform in ways that are consistent with the expectations they have picked up on from the supervisor.
-However, positive supervision is one of the key factors that keep good employees on the job.

These are ways in which you can encourage positive, powerful self-expectations in employees.

-Provide opportunities for the employee to experience increasingly challenging assignments.Make sure she succeeds at each level before moving forward.
-Enable the employee to participate in potentially successful projects that bring continuous improvement to the workplace.
-Provide one-to-one coaching with the employee. This coaching should emphasize improving what the employee does well rather than focusing on the employee's weaknesses.
-Provide developmental opportunities that reflect what the employee is interested in learning.
-Assign a successful senior employee to play a developmental mentoring role with the employee.
-Hold frequent, positive verbal interactions with the employee and communicate consistently your firm belief in the employee's ability to perform the job. Keep feedback positive and developmental where possible.
-Make sure the employee is receiving consistent messages from other supervisory personnel. -How you speak to others about employees powerfully molds their opinions.
-Project your sincere commitment to the employee's success and ongoing development.

The Galatea Effect

Even more powerful than the Pygmalion effect, the Galatea effect is a compelling factor in employee performance. The manager, who can assist employees to believe in themselves and in their efficiency, has harnessed a powerful performance improvement tool. This transformation from ‘I’m not OK to I’m Ok’ becomes a "self-fulfilling prophecy."

Applied as the ‘Galatea Effect’, these words mean that the individual's opinion about his ability and his self-expectations about his performance largely determine his performance.

If an employee thinks he can succeed, he will succeed. Consequently, any actions the manager can take that increase the employee's feelings of positive self-worth, will help the employee's performance improve.

These are ways in which you can encourage positive, powerful self-expectations in employees. Provide opportunities for the employee to experience increasingly challenging assignments.

Make sure he succeeds at each level before moving forward.

Enable the employee to participate in potentially successful projects that bring continuous improvement to the workplace. Provide one-to-one coaching with the employee. This coaching should emphasize improving what the employee does well rather than focusing on the employee's weaknesses. Provide developmental opportunities that reflect what the employee is interested in learning. Assign a successful senior employee to play a developmental mentoring role with the employee. Hold frequent, positive verbal interactions with the employee and communicate consistently your firm belief in the employee's ability to perform the job. Keep feedback positive and developmental where possible. Make sure the employee is receiving consistent messages from other supervisory personnel. How you speak to others about employees powerfully molds their opinions. Project your sincere commitment to the employee's success and ongoing development. Harness the power of the employee's self-expectations to ensure powerful, productive, improving, successful work performance.

If management sincerely desires to implement a program involving participative management, managers should introduce programs that genuinely reflect their intention to treat employees as though they are truly appreciated, as well as experts at their jobs. In effect, employee involvement usually allows employees to utilize his or her expertise. When management does this, a "Pygmalion Effect" may result, which will hopefully lead to a "Galatea Effect."

A "Pygmalion effect" occurs when people live up to the high expectations that others have of them.

A "Galatea Effect" occurs when a person becomes self-motivated.

In essence, if management assumes that people want to contribute to the organization and tries to inspire them by seeking techniques to tap into that expertise or wealth of knowledge, the end results can be improved productivity, better decision-making, and high quality of work life.

According to the Fairness, Equity and Dignity (EE.I.) principle, as coined by Dr. Kent Curtis, a professor and a scholar, participative management requires managers to treat their employees fairly, equitably, and with dignity. The primary goal of participative management is to help employees and management operate in the most effective manner. It is imperative that employees become familiar with profits and losses, the cost of products and services, quality, and customer satisfaction. Thus, perhaps it is necessary to require extensive cross-training and shared authority for everyone involved. By using such an approach, the employee may no longer be confined to a narrowly defined job, which could ultimately relieve boredom and fatigue.

The Enablers
We develop human resources

theenablers@gmail.com

Developing Better DM's (First Line Managers)

2007-05-26T01:20:00.000-07:00

I liked this article by Garry O’Grady - Senior Vice President, Sales Practice, at Campbell Alliance and thought I must share it with all visitors to this weblog site

Developing better DM’s for today’s market

The selling environment has become increasingly complex for pharmaceutical sales representatives. But, with the portfolios of many pharma companies in stagnant or declining conditions, companies are highly motivated to improve rep productivity.

As a result, sales and marketing leaders are depending more on district managers (DMs) to drive rep productivity. Recently, we have seen companies take three approaches to redefining the DM role.

Traditional coach and mentor:

These companies have decided that the fastest way to improve representative performance is to allow DMs to focus on improving representative selling skills. This is what most industry sales professionals would consider a “back to basics” approach.

Business manager:

These companies acknowledge the complexity of the changing selling environment and want their DMs to assume greater accountability for district performance. Their assumption is that increasing the sophistication of the DM as a business manager will lead to better opportunity identification, resource allocation, and pull-through. This approach is a departure from the industry’s traditional DM role but has become a realistic option as companies have moved away from mirrored-district structures (i.e., structures that called for multiple DM’s leading separate teams that promote overlapping products in the same geography).

Coach and business manager:

These companies are hedging their bets. These DM’s must now balance the role of being a coach to their teams with that of being a business manager who is expected to plan for and understand the trends and issues driving business in their local markets.

Unfortunately, most companies have not invested in additional resources
(e.g., field-based selling-skills trainers) or DM training necessary to support these approaches. Changes must be made to traditional DM training programs in order to ensure the success of these approaches.

In a two-part series spanning the Summer and Fall issues of this magazine, we will address the topic areas that require the greatest emphasis for the above DM roles—

Coaching and business acumen:

This initial article will examine the internal and external forces driving changes to the selling environment as well as take a close look at how coaching training should change for DMs.
Situation Analysis: External Forces

Before we can discuss these topics, it is important to understand some of the forces—internal and external— acting upon the industry’s front-line sales leaders.

External forces are as follows:

Managed markets expansion

The increasing ability of managed markets organizations to influence physician prescribing is the single largest factor affecting the pharmaceutical marketplace today. Regional and national MCOs, state Medicaid programs, and Part D participant health plans have all increased the use of restrictive practices (e.g., increased co-pay differentials, preferred drug lists) to drive physician and patient behavior toward the most cost-effective drug therapies.

Result:

The selling environment for representatives is much more complex. Reps must now have a comprehensive understanding of formulary status and payer mix to effectively position their products with targeted physicians and staff. DM’s must have an in-depth understanding of their local marketplace, be able to identify managed-market driven trends, and develop action plans to exploit opportunities or negate threats.

Competitive promotion

For many years, the primary care marketplace was characterized by intense levels of competition (e.g., share-of-voice escalations of the late 1990s), while specialty markets, though competitive, were free from some of the negative effects of “message-driven” marketing (e.g., diminished access to physician customers). However, the number of products and companies vying for share in specialty markets is ratcheting up the intensity of competition in these markets, as well. As specialty products take on increased significance in company portfolios, increased amounts of promotional dollars are finding their way into specialty markets.

Result:

Traditional science-based or relationship-based selling in specialty markets is not enough. Reimbursement complexities and increased levels of competition require a renewed emphasis on selling skill development within specialty sales forces. In primary care sales forces, reps must not only be able counter competitive promotion in a tailored fashion, they must also be able to adjust their detailing strategy to accommodate a range of potential obstacles (e.g., abbreviated call durations, disadvantageous formulary status).

Promotional scrutiny and regulation

Government and industry regulations and guidelines continue to limit the scope of promotional activities and increase the amount of effort required to remain “compliant.”

Result:

Reps must be fully aware of all compliance issues in order to effectively and ethically promote their products. DM’s must monitor representative activities and consistently reinforce regulations and guidelines.

Changing customer dynamics

Today, some physician customers their managers are related to the volume of administrative work.

Result:

DM’s are frustrated with the administrative burden and are challenged to meet “in field” requirements.

Increased volume of data, reports, and analysis

The volume of data and information available to industry sales professionals is astounding. It is easy to understand why many DMs feel deluged with data.

Result:

DM’s either 1) feel like they are asked to go too deep into the numbers or 2) want to go deep in the numbers but don’t have the knowledge or skills to do it.

Restrictive promotional practices

Many companies have instituted conservative promotional policies that are designed to keep sales representatives on the straight and narrow, but that ultimately constrain promotional dexterity.

Result:

As in the case of external regulations and guidelines, DM’s must monitor representative activities and enforce company policies rigorously.

Turnover

Although turnover varies significantly across the industry, for some companies turnover is a very real problem, with rates as high as 16%.

Result: Turnover, and the resulting time taken from performance-based activities to recruit and hire reps, is a very real problem. Also, the time required to constantly bring replacement reps up to speed is significant. DM’s must be expert coaches to minimize ramp-up time for new reps and have maximum impact during time spent with established reps.

Changes in company strategy or approach to selling

Strategy changes or changes in the company’s approach to selling ultimately land on the DM’s shoulders. Sometimes companies do an excellent job of planning the transition to a new strategy or selling approach, but often, the new strategy or approach is implemented before its effects on reps and DM’s is thoroughly understood.

Result: DM’s become de facto “change managers” and can find themselves in challenging coaching and leadership positions. These drivers combine to produce an extremely challenging selling environment for industry representatives. Success in today’s market depends on the ability of representatives to navigate this environment to engage physician customers in compelling dialogues. The DM, more than any other position in the industry, can help representatives understand the dynamics of their environment and in hone the skills necessary to influence prescribing behavior. That is why many industry executives believe that investments in DM training produce a return many times greater than investments in representative selling skills. The average industry DM has the ability to positively—or negatively— affect the sales performance of eight to 10 representatives.

Coaching

As mentioned before, coaching is one of the major roles that DM’s are expected to assume. The definition of coaching is “to act as a trainer or tutor.” Pharma companies usually set more specific expectations around that role, including modeling good behavior to reps, observing reps in selling situations, and giving reps feedback on what they did well and what they did poorly. These models essentially provide a road map for the coach in his or her interactions with the person being coached. At a bare minimum, these models provide the “steps” to conducting a successful coaching session. More sophisticated models are designed to align the coaching approach with the skill level or personality of the person being coached, or the unique situation that has prompted the coaching event. DM’s are usually introduced to coaching during introductory DM training. For some DM’s, that is the beginning and end of their formal coaching training. For others lucky make use of a “coaching model enough to work at companies that value coaching skill, it is simply the first step in the process designed to establish them as effective coaches. Ongoing coaching training can take many forms, including

• Advanced coaching workshops at centralized internal training events
• Reinforcement through the DM’s direct supervisor or a management trainer
• Third-party coaching skills courses— delivered internally or externally
• Live assessments of coaching skill
• One-on-one coaching with a trained executive coach

Most individuals need reinforcement of coaching skills over time to achieve proficiency as coaches. That is why some of the industry’s best DM training programs include coaching as a component of each major training phase (e.g., DM I, DM II, DM III…). As DMs develop as coaches, they can struggle in several key areas:

• Identification—Every new DM has a different perspective of what a “good” sales call looks like. Many coaching training programs focus exclusively on the steps related to coaching, without formally communicating or “level setting” the company’s expectations for representative performance during sales call. This is why we can see such variability in coaching skill and effectiveness across a single company’s DM ranks.

• Prioritization—New DM’s often struggle with “what to tackle first” and “how hard to push” during coaching sessions.

• Adjusting coaching style—Many new DM’s focus on the steps of the coaching model more than on the person they are coaching. Understanding coaching receptivity and rep personalities is a critical step in developing as a coach. Some coaching models address personality directly as a core component of the model. Other more basic models may not factor in personality at all. Because these challenges can be difficult to bring to light in a classroom or workshop environment, many companies have implemented or are experimenting with different role play- based formats for coaching skills assessments and training. At a minimum, these formats usually include:

• Defined coaching scenarios (between DM’s and representatives)

• Established criteria for providing feedback to DM’s on coaching performance

• Guidelines for the management trainer or executive coach who is facilitating the coaching training

• More advanced formats can also include the following:

• Live scenarios that parallel the phases of sales call and include the following:

• Trained assessors who play the part of targeted physicians

• Representatives who prepare for and deliver sales presentations to the assessors (physicians)

• Coaching challenges that are not pre-defined, but rather emerge in the context of the representative assessor role-play

• Rep and DM coaching interactions that are observed by an executive coach or management trainer who later delivers feedback to the DM regarding his or her coaching performance

• Opportunities for multiple DM’s to observe representative role-plays or face in the field. Physician profiles should also reflect the common attitudes, beliefs, and personalities of targeted physicians.

• Establishing firm criteria for how DMs and representatives will be assessed—Criteria should parallel the defined performance standards. DM’s and reps need not know the criteria in advance of the training. This will allow interactions to be as close to “real” as possible.

• Training assessors playing the role of physicians to ensure that interactions with representatives are realistic—Assessors must be capable of engaging with reps in a compelling dialogue.
These assessors must be trained on all aspects of the product and market and must be prepared to receive probes and respond with objections during the course of the role-play. Investment in assessor training is critical to success in this training environment.

• Training executive coaches on the standards for DM and representative performance— Executive coaches must understand what they should be looking for and how to place their coaching feedback in the context of the specific selling situation. The more the coach understands about the selling situation, the more valuable his or her feedback will be.

In Part 2 of this article, slated for the Fall issue of this magazine, we’ll look at business acumen as another area of DM training that is receiving greater emphasis across the industry.
Garry O’Grady is Senior Vice President, Sales Practice, at Campbell Alliance.

By Garry O’Grady

In Part 1 of this series on the changing role of the district manager (DM), which ran in the Summer issue of this magazine, we discussed the three approaches pharmaceutical and biotech companies have taken to redefine the DM role. We also examined the internal and external forces acting upon the industry’s front-line sales leaders. Then we took a closer look at coaching as one of the major roles that DM’s are expected to assume and how coaching training should take form. In this article, we will address business acumen as the second area of DM training that is receiving greater emphasis across the industry.

Business Acumen

Business acumen means very different things to different people. Here are three examples of what three different companies consider “business acumen” training

• Training on standard sales reports, including a fundamental understanding on the underlying data sets
• Training on standard reports and the manipulation of underlying data using Microsoft Excel to conduct basic analyses of district and territory performance
• Training on methods for analyzing market, district, or territory performance using a combination of quantitative and qualitative data.

Methods focus on analyzing data and information to identify the root causes of a trend or issue and prioritizing district activities to address the trend or issue. As you can see from these examples, there is no consensus on the definition of business acumen training. And, depending on the company’s definition of the DM role, any of the examples above could provide “appropriate” levels of acumen training. Remember, many companies remain committed to the DM’s role as “traditional coach and mentor.” Senior sales executives from these companies do not want their DM’s spending time “doing an analyst’s work.” Rather, they want their DM’s in the field coaching representatives, so their expectations for DM’s in the area of business acumen are minimal Having said that, the third example is probably the most representative of the trend in DM business acumen training. With the number of forces— internal and external—potentially influencing product performance within a district of territory, DM’s must be capable of diagnosing a performance problem and allocating resources—as appropriate—to address the problem. DM’s often go into their role at a disadvantage when it comes to business acumen. Most companies push a large volume of standard reports to their representatives and do not expect reps to do much more than review and interpret report data. So, many new DM’s are not exposed to business acumen training until they enter formal DM training. Interestingly, business acumen is rarely a component of early DM training phases (e.g., DM orientation, DM I). So, a new DM might be in the field for up to several years before having formal business acumen training. In the interim, much acumen training is informal in nature and is largely driven by the DM’s direct supervisor during discussions about district and territory performance. New DM’s are typically good at identifying trends or issues but are less prepared to:

• Develop a hypothesis regarding the origins of trends or issues
• Analyze data or information in a logical order to prove or disprove hypotheses
• Prioritize trends and issues requiring action
• Allocate or re-allocate resources to address key trends or issues.

To address these types of training needs, most companies are designing business acumen training for classroom settings and are using workshops, case study formats, or both. These interactive formats allow trainees to “go deep” into specific aspects of business acumen training in a controlled, low-risk environment. Here, we have listed some of the keys to developing effective business acumen training events.

Developing case studies or workshops that address typical business problems and that emphasize potential pitfalls of analysis.

Too often, business acumen training is either too narrowly focused or is focused on an aspect of analysis that is not relevant to trainees. Trainers should work with senior sales executives to identify the most common challenges that DM’s are facing and build case studies and workshops that address these challenges.

Aligning training with the data and tools that the DM uses or has access to on a daily basis

Business acumen training should enhance the DM’s ability to affect the performance of his or her district and territories immediately. Therefore, the data and tools used in the training environment should be the same as those used by the DM on a daily basis. This ensures that the DM’s understand how best to use the tools and data that they have at hand and prevents the training from taking on an “academic” feel.

Ensuring that the methods taught (e.g., method of analysis, method of prioritization) are clear and are aligned with the priorities of senior sales managers.

In developing case studies and workshops, companies often discover that they have no standard methodologies for district- and territory-level analyses. Trainers should work with senior sales executives and representatives from Sales Analytics, SFE, or SFA groups to develop and validate these methodologies.

Using seasoned facilitators who have a robust understanding of the marketplace, applicable data sets, and core methods of analysis

This type of training is best facilitated by an experienced hand—one that has been in the shoes of the trainees. For this reason, many companies prefer to use a management trainer with DM experience, a senior DM, or a second-line sale manager (e.g., regional director) to lead training

Ensuring that the training can be built upon and reinforced during the execution of the DM’s duties in the field

Too often, training can take place in a vacuum. Business acumen training works best when the expectations for using the newly acquired skills are high. When companies align business acumen training with already established processes, such as reporting, performance management, or annual business planning, there is a greater potential for reinforcement and skills transfer.

Conclusion

Pharma companies should understand that changing the role of the DM requires them to provide more and different training so that DM’s can excel in that role. DM’s who are required to take the lead as coaches for their reps need rigorous coaching training that is focused on a solid coaching model. This training is most effective if presented in a real-world environment, where DM’s are evaluated on their coaching skills and given feedback to help them improve. DM’s who are asked to be business managers in their districts should be given business acumen training that is aligned with the company’s expectations of the DM’s business related activities. Training that is specific to the tools the DM is required to use and that explores realistic situations that DM’s might face will prepare these first-line managers for the challenges of the marketplace.

By preparing DM’s for the challenges they will face, pharmaceutical companiescan build a force of first-line managers who understand the business and can support the development of high-performing reps.

Garry O’Grady is Senior Vice President, Sales Practice, at Campbell Alliance. For more information, please visit
.

Coaching for Prescription Generation

2007-04-19T02:55:00.000-07:00

Coaching for prescriptions generation

“The Enablers” offers a comprehensive module for coaching field managers.

Critical skills for First Line Managers

Operational issues:

• Job of FLM √
• FLM and JFW √
• Planning JFW√
• Joint call post call review√
• Post Joint Field Work Appraisal √

Behavioral skills:

• How to communicate effectively √
• How to discipline √
• Encouraging good behavior√
• On-The-Job training – Workshop √

Strategy implementation issues:

• Reasons for poor strategy implementation√
• Building blocks of execution √
• Core processes of execution √

For further details, please e-mail to vivekhattangadi@yahoo.co.in or theenablers@gmail.com

Or call 09376100041, 079-26616163, 07926601479

Vivek Hattangadi
The Enablers
Brand Management and HRD (Training) Consultant

BOSS Syndrome

2007-04-19T02:18:00.000-07:00

I read this article by Vidhi Ahuja and liked it a lot. Thought I must share it with all visitors to this site.

Vivek Hattangadi

Are you at risk of BOSS? - Author Vidhi Ahuja

When Tanisha Malhotra joined her first job at a Gurgaon-based call center eight months ago, she happily distributed sweets in the neighbourhood. Today one of her neighbours remarks, "She was a bubbly, cheerful girl; now she has no inclination to talk, and she looks completely exhausted when she returns from work."

This is perhaps how BPO life looks like to most people. What they're talking of actually is called the BOSS syndrome in BPO jargon.

What does BOSS stand for?

BOSS stands for Burn-Out Stress Syndrome.

The BOSS syndrome is seen very commonly among young people working in call centers. The symptoms include chronic fatigue, insomnia and complete alteration of the 24-hour biological rhythm of the body. Gastrointestinal problems are inevitable for those working at nights as the body is put under chronic stress. A potentially fatal increase in heart rhythm can result severe chronic gynecological problems in women and sleep disorders in both men and women and could even lead cardiac related problems also.

Stress can be compared to weight gain - you don't notice it creeping up on you. Which is why most employees who work 12-plus hours before computer terminals, don't begin to notice the side-effects of doing so (especially in the night shift) except when the body begins to show physical signs.

While a major part of the stress that employees go through is dependent on the change in the body's biological clock by 24 hours, it can also be attributed to other pressures of working in a BPO set up. Some of these are an increased level of competition, peer-pressure and performance-related bonuses. Added to this is the lack of social and family interactions (and hence a support system) due to the reverse time schedules (everyone comes home when a BPO employee leaves for work).

As a consequence of this, BPOs have of course felt the attrition pinch, but employees on their part have possibly had it worst, with productivity levels falling, personal well-being at a risk and quality of work dipping. Earning a fat salary at the very beginning of their career, also makes some of them lose interest in their work, with a feeling of "been-there-done-that". In their quest for that "perfect job", some of them even change 2-3 jobs a year. Nervous disorders like memory loss, incorrect judgements, lack of concentration and falling asleep at the workstation, also come up often when erratic sleep patterns and burn outs at work are mentioned to employees.

Bharat Nanda, a team leader with a leading BPO firm, manages a team of 15. He finds absenteeism due to health issues, to be a common thing in his team.

Prashant Joshi, employed with an MNC's ITeS operations observes, "Most people are not aware that they are facing stress. The daily routine is to get up in the afternoon, eat, go to work, go home in the morning, sleep and so on. There is no physical exercise, the snacks at work are not always healthy, people drink a lot of tea and coffee, which kills the appetite, a lot of people smoke and clubbing is plentiful on the weekends to release the stress." He notices a lot of his colleagues taking allopathic drugs aplenty, to cure minor illnesses like colds, viral infections etc. and an increase in habits like smoking. However, he personally practices pranayam and yoga everyday to keep himself fit and feels that youngsters should do the same to relieve themselves of stress to ensure general well-being.

Nutritionists recommend changing one's food habits and eating healthy to avoid health problems. One should eat more of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, rather than greasy snacks and bread-based foods in between breaks. Tea and coffee must certainly be cut down to avoid acidity. Taking short breaks/walks during the night shift is also useful. Exercise or yoga before you begin the shift, will keep you energetic. And of course drinking a lot of water, will wash out toxins regularly.
While some companies continue to "make up for the hazards" by loading more perks and benefits on their employees, the youngsters on their part hope to break the monotony and stress and work by partying hard. However, various BPOs have started taking some serious pro-active steps, instead of losing employees due to mental or physical disorders. Companies are trying to counter it by providing the staff with various perks for the night- shift, extra support from staff etc. Night-shift workers, whose work is mainly administrative and repetitive, also have special outings planned for them and fun activities organised by CFO (Chief Fun Officer) to break the monotony. However, no matter how much "fun" is brought in, the basic nature of the work doesn't change, nor do the hours connected with it, giving the companies a tough time where motivation is concerned, even as the employees try to cope with new health-related issues.

Also, if some companies have brought in doctors and counselors to help their employees, so others are looking at gyms and treadmills at work, to help employees keep fit, and yet others are carefully monitoring the food provided to their employees. However, at the end of the day, the burn-out faced by the employee is something that both companies and individuals have to collectively fight as BPOs keep attracting employees with the money and more and more youngsters are going to get lured into it, only to quit when they begin to face the stress. It’s a vicious cycle! But BOSS isn’t a problem that one can’t get rid of, a little precaution taken by the BPO employees as well as employers can be very helpful in avoiding such complex stressful situations.

Vidhi Ahuja

theenablers@gmail.com

Why you should not be late for meetings

2007-03-13T09:14:00.000-07:00

This should be a good example for those executives who tend to take their own time to attend a meeting.

The retirement dinner

Father John was being honored at his retirement dinner after 45 years serving the parish.

A leading local politician and member of the congregation was chosen to make the presentation and give a little speech at the dinner.

Like all politicians, he was late getting there. So Father John decided to say his own few words while they waited.

"I got my first impression of the parish from the very first confession I heard here. I thought I had been assigned to a terrible place. The very first person who entered my confessional pulpit told me that he had stolen a television set and when questioned by the police, was able to bluff his way out of it.

He went on to tell me that he had stolen money from his parents, embezzled from his employer, had an affair with his boss's wife, taken illegal drugs, and gave VD to his best friends’ wife. I was appalled! What a parish, I thought, as the person was leaving the church.

But as the days went on I knew that all my people were not all like that and I had, indeed, come to a fine parish full of good and loving people….."

Just as the priest finished his talk, the politician arrived full of apologies at being late. He immediately began to make the presentation and gave his talk. "I will never forget the first day our parish priest arrived," said the politician. "In fact, I had the honor of being the very first person to go to him for confession.

Moral: Don't ever be late for a meeting

The Enablers
We develop human resources

Brand Loyalty - How to Build It

2006-11-28T03:28:00.000-08:00

This is an article from Marketing Prof which I found useful and would like to share with you.
It is authored by Ted Mininni.

theenablers@gmail.com

Brand Loyalty—How to Build It, How to Keep It
by Ted Mininni November 14, 2006

What does it really take to cement brand loyalty? In addition to time, patience, commitment, and sound brand management, what else can marketing executives do to build and maintain brand loyalty? Especially in an age when the consumer has so many choices—too many choices—in an increasingly global marketplace?

Fundamental principles of brand building still apply. Even in an age of Internet marketing and advanced technology, the basics must still be in place. There is no speeding up this process. Nor are there any shortcuts.

A proper identity must be developed, one that resonates with the customer and reflects the core of the company and its products. The brand identity then becomes the springboard for unique positioning and differentiation. Too many products and services are viewed as commodities in the marketplace; the truly strong brands stand out and stand alone among all of their competitors.

For a brand to remain viable...
It must be nurtured and remain consistent at every touch point, inside the company and outside.

Each and every employee must be a brand ambassador.

For the customer, every touch point—from a company's products or services, to the packaging of those products/services, the business's Web site, its letters and special offers, its call center interactions with customers, its advertising and promotions—must all work together to create a cohesive brand experience.

Companies must realize that positive experience in one channel does not create total experiential branding: The sum of all of the customer touch points, if properly managed and aligned, do.
It's truly amazing to note the number of companies that continue to acknowledge that outstanding customer service is an absolute must, but then fail to provide it. Customers continually complain about the lack of responsiveness to their questions or needs, whether they call or email a company.

In repeated surveys, the American Customer Satisfaction Index, since its inception in 1994 at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, has demonstrated that companies have not delivered improved customer service over the past decade. Whether emails or phone messages are slowly or never responded to, unsatisfactory responses to problems are given, or expert information is lacking... this is a huge, continuing problem.

Delivering a high level of customer service, and the ensuing "fabled" customer satisfaction, is one of the most powerful differentiators in the marketplace—cementing brand loyalty when all other touch points are consistent.

The two aspects of service that customers consistently say they value most? Reliability and responsiveness. Constantly meeting, or exceeding, customer expectations in service yields great rewards for companies.

If companies think they are in the business of selling products and services, they should think again. They are actually in the relationship-building business.
Building strong customer relationships—B2B or B2C—directly correlates to the development of brand loyalty. When the customer becomes emotionally rather than merely intellectually vested in a brand, loyalty to the brand becomes cemented.

Loyalty and Brand Equity

Loyalty is intangible, yet incredibly valuable, since over time it builds great brand equity. Brand equity goes right to the value of every company. In fact, brand equity is sometimes the most decisive factor in assessing company value

In a campaign developed in the early '90s by Dow Jones to promote the Wall Street Journal, it issued the following statement: "A brand or corporate image is not something that can be seen, touched, tasted, defined or measured. Intangible and abstract, it exists solely as an idea in the mind. Yet it is often a company's most precious asset...in a world of parity products and services, nothing can tilt things more dramatically in your favor."

Strong brands enjoy distinct advantages:

They are perceived as effectively differentiated from their competitors.
They satisfy consumer needs on both intellectual and emotional levels.
They consistently deliver on their brand promise, thus they consistently deliver value. When brands resonate with customers at this level, there is a powerful emotional relationship in place. This is the key element that leads to loyalty.

True brand differentiation is the order of the day here. And that centers completely on a company's ability to meet customer needs on an emotional rather than merely an intellectual level. It also points to being able to execute customer service at a consistently high level.
Let's face it: Product or service differentiation features, no matter how innovative, can be copied in a relatively short period of time by competitors. Then, competitors seeking their own advantage will take that a step further and add additional bells and whistles to their product or service offerings. So a major determinant of loyalty for the customer centers on the intangibles.

Think about it:
There are computer companies, and then there is Apple. The Apple customer is passionately attached to the brand. An entire culture, one that transcends national boundaries, has been formed by Apple devotees. The iPod has brought many more consumers to the Apple brand.
There are coffee shops, and then there is Starbucks. Its concept of creating "A Third Place"—not home and not the office—resonates with the public.

There are many lines of athletic footwear, and then there is Nike. "Just Do It" hits the mark with the customer.

Some marketers seem to be of the opinion that the consuming public is more fickle today. While noting that there are many more brands, products and services flooding the marketplace, we should observe that basic customer needs have always been, and continue to be, the same. The customer will buy a company's products or services if there is true or perceived differentiation, a high level of service and consistent value. Remember: loyalty can't be bought. It must be earned.

Inserted by:Vivek Hattangadi . the enablers@gmail.com

Delegation

2006-06-27T03:12:00.000-07:00

Dear Visitors,

I liked this article from "Mind Tools" immensely and therefore, would like to share it with you.

Vivek Hattangadi - vivekhattangadi@yahoo.co.in

The Delegation Dilemma
By Dianna Podmoroff

"If it's to be, it's up to me."

This was my mother's favorite saying when I was growing up. It says a great deal about her willingness to delegate. She worked non-stop morning to night, and still does, because she somehow couldn't embrace the notion that it's possible to get things done any other way. She certainly would reject the possibility that sometimes, when you delegate a task, it can actually get done better than you could do it yourself.

If you see yourself in my mother's fateful saying, you are not alone.

Delegation is an area of personal and professional management that many people struggle with. The difficulty stems from our need to control outcomes and a strongly rooted belief that we know how to do things best. It's hard to let go of control.

As managers, we fear the repercussions when an employee fails to complete something correctly or in a timely manner. The failure might reflect badly on us so we take the path of least resistance. Rather than working on improving our delegation skills, sometimes we simply keep hold of more tasks. Being overworked somehow seems less risky than having things done that might not meet our exact requirements.Beneath the many excuses for not delegating lies the reason why many of us avoid delegating things:

True delegation means giving up a little of what we would like to hold onto (some measure of control) while keeping what we might prefer to give up (accountability).

Think about it. By nature we love to keep control. That way we can make sure things are done completely the way we want them done. It's often a scary prospect even to think about letting someone else take over a task or duty we've been doing for a while:

What if they don't do it correctly?

What if the outcome is not up to my standards?

What if they don't do it the way I've been doing it?

What if I become less essential to the business?

What if, gasp, they do it better than me?

It's tempting to want to hold onto control. And giving up control it often (wrongly) equated with giving up leadership as well. In fact leadership has much, much more to do with responsibility than authority or control.How many times have you heard someone say that he or she can handle responsibility or that they thrive on accountability? Many people do, yet what people often mean is that they like to be in control.

Delegation means taking true responsibility and inevitably means giving up some control. If that sounds a bit scary, how can you overcome your mindset and become a better delegator? Here are some tips:

Realize that you just can't do it all.
Everyone has limits. If you fail to acknowledge yours, you will burn out. Maybe not tomorrow and maybe not even next year, but the stress and pressure of trying to do it all will get you eventually.

Start small.
Delegation is a skill and learning it needs patience, persistence, and practice. Start by giving away small, uncomplicated tasks. As your confidence grows so will your willingness to delegate more. Recognize success. When you have had a few successful outcomes on tasks you have delegated, take time to appreciate the process. Think about the time you saved and how you spent that extra time working on other projects.

Realize that "Your Way" is not always the "Only Way."
A big part of letting go is the fear that the task will not be done "right." The problem is that your "right" often means identical to you and fails to consider that there are other ways to achieve the same result. Work on giving others the tools to do what you do. Delegation will only work if you help the other person succeed. So make sure he or she has the right resources and then keep communicating, participating and supporting the other person.

Remember, delegation means not abdicating your responsibility, so you need to make sure you have done everything you can to influence a successful outcome.Appreciate others' accomplishments. You might be bored with organizing the annual Juggler's Conference and Exhibition, but if one of your employees has never done it, the challenge can be exciting, invigorating, and motivating. The successful outcome is not just a well-organized conference. It's the opportunity for someone to shine you and get recognized for their achievements. Seize the opportunity to work on more stimulating projects. The less time you spend on lower level tasks, the more time you have to concentrate on your main objectives. (You know the ones…the really important issues that keep getting shoved to the bottom of the pile because you're so overloaded….)Understand the dynamics of authority and responsibly.

Delegating does not mean giving up responsibility, and this is an essential lesson for true leadership. Use the leverage. Delegation can put the right people on the right tasks. And the better allocated your people are, the greater the productivity, effectiveness and the opportunity for organizational growth. Delegation, when done well, benefits everyone. You have more time to concentrate on the main responsibilities of your position. Your employees have more opportunities to expand and enrich their jobs. An added bonus is the fact that because delegation relieves your own time pressures, the job gets done better in the long run. So, cast off your preconceptions about delegation! You were doing a good job before: You can do even better when you delegate more. With a fresh perspective and little courage to "let go", you'll be amazed by what you can achieve!

Do let me have your views on delegation. Vivek Hattangadi

Conflict in Work Place

2006-05-23T22:31:00.000-07:00

This is a beautiful article I read in "Mind Tools" by Dianna Podmoroff. Its a must read for all
Vivek Hattangadi vivekhattangadi@yahoo.co.in

Article Series and New ToolBe Positive:
Resolve Conflict
By Dianna Podmoroff

In many cases, conflict in the workplace just seems to be a fact of life. We've all seen situations where different people with different goals and needs have come into conflict. And we've all seen the often-intense personal animosity that can result. The fact that conflict exists, however, is not necessarily a bad thing: As long as it is resolved effectively, it can lead to personal and professional growth. In many cases, effective conflict resolution can make the difference between positive and negative outcomes.

Good News and Bad News...The good news is that by resolving conflict successfully, you can solve many of the problems that it has brought to the surface, as well as getting benefits that you might not at first expect:

·Increased understanding: The discussion needed to resolve conflict expands people's awareness of the situation, giving them an insight into how they can achieve their own goals without undermining those of other people;

·Increased group cohesion: When conflict is resolved effectively, team members can develop stronger mutual respect, and a renewed faith in their ability to work together; and

Improved self-knowledge: Conflict pushes individuals to examine their goals in close detail , helping them understand the things that are most important to them, sharpening their focus, and enhancing their effectiveness.However, if conflict is not handled effectively, the results can be damaging.

Conflicting goals can quickly turn into personal dislike.

Teamwork breaks down. Talent is wasted as people disengage from their work. And it's easy to end up in a vicious downward spiral of negativity and recrimination.If you're to keep your team or organization working effectively, you need to stop this downward spiral as soon as you can. To do this, you need to understand two of the theories that lie behind effective conflict resolution:

Understanding the Theory: Conflict Styles In the 1970s Kenneth Thomas and Ralph Killman identified five main styles of dealing with conflict that vary in their degrees of cooperativeness and assertiveness. They argued that people typically have a preferred conflict resolution style. However they also noted that different styles were most useful in different situations.Thomas and Killman's styles are:

Competitive: People who tend towards a competitive style take a firm stand, and know what they want. They usually operate from a position of power, drawn from things like position, rank, expertise, or persuasive ability. This style can be useful when there is an emergency and a decision needs to be make fast; when the decision is unpopular; or when defending against someone who is trying to exploit the situation selfishly. However it can leave people feeling bruised, unsatisfied and resentful when used in less urgent situations.

Collaborative: People tending towards a collaborative style try to meet the needs of all people involved. These people can be highly assertive but unlike the competitor, they cooperate effectively and acknowledge that everyone is important. This style is useful when a you need to bring together a variety of viewpoints to get the best solution; when there have been previous conflicts in the group; or when the situation is too important for a simple trade-off.

Compromising: People who prefer a compromising style try to find a solution that will at least partially satisfy everyone. Everyone is expected to give up something, and the compromiser him- or herself also expects to relinquish something. Compromise is useful when the cost of conflict is higher than the cost of losing ground, when equal strength opponents are at a standstill and when there is a deadline looming. Accommodating: This style indicates a willingness to meet the needs of others at the expense of the person’s own needs. The accommodator often knows when to give in to others, but can be persuaded to surrender a position even when it is not warranted. This person is not assertive but is highly cooperative. Accommodation is appropriate when the issues matter more to the other party, when peace is more valuable than winning, or when you want to be in a position to collect on this “favor” you gave. However people may not return favors, and overall this approach is unlikely to give the best outcomes.

Avoiding: People tending towards this style seek to evade the conflict entirely. This style is typified by delegating controversial decisions, accepting default decisions, and not wanting to hurt anyone’s feelings. It can be appropriate when victory is impossible, when the controversy is trivial, or when someone else is in a better position to solve the problem. However in many situations this is an extremely weak and ineffective approach to take.Once you understand the different styles, you can use them to think about the most appropriate approach (or mixture of approaches) for the situation you're in. You can also think about your own instinctive approach, and learn how you need to change this if necessary.Ideally you can adopt an approach that meets the situation, resolves the problem, respects people's legitimate interests, and mends damaged working relationships.Understanding The Theory: The "Interest-Based Relational Approach" Commonly referred to as the "Interest-Based Relational (IBR) Approach", this type of conflict resolution respects individual differences while helping people avoid becoming too entrenched in a fixed position.

In resolving conflict using this approach, you follow these rules:

·Make sure that good relationships are the first priority: As far as possible, make sure that you treat the other calmly and that you try to build mutual respect. Do your best to be courteous to one-another and remain constructive under pressure;

·Keep people and problems separate: Recognize that in many cases the other person is not just "being difficult" – real and valid differences can lie behind conflictive positions. By separating the problem from the person, real issues can be debated without damaging working relationships;

·Pay attention to the interests that are being presented: By listening carefully you'll most-likely understand why the person is adopting his or her position;

·Listen first; talk second: To solve a problem effectively you have to understand where the other person is coming from before defending your own position;

·Set out "the facts”: Agree and establish the objective, observable elements that will have an impact on the decision; and

·Explore options together: Be open to the idea that a third position may exist, and that you can get to this idea jointly.

By following these rules, you can keep often-contentious discussions calm and civilized. This helps to prevent the antagonism and dislike which can cause conflicts to spin out of control.Using the Tool: A Conflict Resolution Process Based on these theories, a starting point for dealing with conflict is to identify the overriding conflict style employed by your team or organization. Over time, people's conflict management styles tend to mesh, and a “right” way to solve conflict emerges. It's good to recognize when this style can be used effectively, however make sure that people understand that different styles may suit different situations.Look at the circumstances, and think about the style that may be appropriate.

Then use the process below to resolve the conflict:

Step One: Set the SceneIf appropriate to the situation, agree the rules of the IBR Approach (or at least consider using the approach yourself.) Make sure that people understand that the conflict may be a mutual problem, which may be best resolved through discussion and negotiation rather than through raw aggression.If you are involved in the conflict, emphasize the fact that you are presenting your perception of the problem. Use active listening skills to ensure you hear and understand other’s positions and perceptions.
·Restate
·Paraphrase
·Summarize

And make sure that when you talk, you're using an adult, assertive approach rather than a submissive or aggressive style.

Step Two: Gather Information Here you are trying to get to the underlying interests, needs, and concerns. Ask for the other person’s viewpoint and confirm that you respect his or her opinion and need his or her cooperation to solve the problem. Try to understand his or her motivations and goals, and see how your actions may be affecting these.Also, try to understand the conflict in objective terms: Is it affecting work performance? Is it damaging the delivery to the client? Disrupting team work? Hampering decision-making? or so on. Be sure to focus on work issues and leave personalities out of the discussion.
·Listen with empathy and see the conflict from the other person’s point of view
·Identify issues clearly and concisely
·Use “I” statements
·Remain flexible
·Clarify feelings

Step Three: Agree the ProblemThis sounds like an obvious step, but often different underlying needs, interests and goals can cause people to perceive problems very differently. You'll need to agree the problems that you are trying to solve before you'll find a mutually acceptable solution. Sometimes different people will see different but interlocking problems - if you can't reach a common perception of the problem, then at the very least, you need to understand what the other person sees as the problem.Step Four: Brainstorm Possible Solutions If everyone is going to feel satisfied with the resolution, it will help if everyone has had fair input in generating solutions. Brainstorm possible solutions, and be open to all ideas, including ones you never considered before.Step Five: Negotiate a SolutionBy this stage, the conflict may be resolved: Both sides may better understand the position of the other, and a mutually satisfactory solution may be clear to all.However you may also have uncovered real and valid differences between your positions. This is where a technique like win-win negotiation can be useful to find a solution that, at least to some extent, satisfies both people.

There are three guiding principles here:

Be Calm, Be Patient, Have Respect…

Key Points Conflict in the workplace can be incredibly destructive to good teamwork.Managed in the wrong way, real and legitimate differences between people can quickly spiral out of control, resulting in situations where co-operation breaks down and the team's mission is threatened. This is particularly the case where the wrong approaches to conflict resolution are used.To calm these situations down, it helps to take a positive approach to conflict resolution, where discussion is courteous and non-confrontational, and the focus is on issues rather than on individuals. If this is done, then, as long as people listen carefully and explore facts, issues and possible solutions properly, conflict can often be resolved effectively.

Forwarded by:

Vivek Hattangadi

24th May 2006

The Medical Representative, by Kirit Fadia

2006-04-07T22:24:00.000-07:00

Doctor &The Representative (As told by Mr. Kirit Fadia a gentleman with over 45 years as a practicing Medical Representative)

Definition

What does the word “Medical Representative” signify to a doctor?

When I hear it I first conjure up a picture of a quiet man with a smiling face and assured manners wearing a well-designed suit, with a tie around his neck and a bag in his hand waiting in a doctor’s office for that most important event-interview. The first meaning given to the word “Representative” in a concise Oxford Dictionary is –one who is fitted or qualified to represent. Here it is a pharmaceutical firm which he represents. Some call him a commercial drug traveler while others call him a detail man. He is the one who brings product into the premises of doctor. He is a link between the doctor and the product. He is the first contact with a new preparation of an average physician. He is sale promoter whose job is to sell a new product to a busy, skeptical, specialist or a general practitioner.

Representative Yesterday and Today

In the bygone days there were a very few firms and those which were there were mostly foreign and reputed. The doctor also had very little choice for prescribing. And hence, a job of the representative was very much easy. He used to visit a few important doctors in town and also used to see civil surgeons at Taluka places. In the early 40’s and 50’s doctors at times used go to the station to receive them for doctors thought that there was something magic in the Representative’s bag. Representative then had very little competition. But what is the position today? Today, he has got a very tough job and a very keen competition. He tries to see eight to ten doctors a day by appointment or otherwise, with repeat visits every month or two months. He has to call on more than four to five hundred doctors in this area, plus forty to fifty drug stores and a few hospitals. And his main job is to sell the new product to a busy, skeptical specialist or a practitioner.

Good Representative

Remember, a doctor of today is not concerned with the dress or the personality of the detail man. The other point of great importance with which a doctor of today is not concerned is how the representative puts his firm’s interest first and how he promotes the sales of the firm’s products by liberal sampling or by offering useful or wasteful gifts or by circulating the reprints or the literature claiming that ‘B’ is an improvement over A+. This you have plenty of time to learn from your firm who knows the job too well. But doctors want him to be a good member of the society. He must be welcome in society for his own sake. He should see that he is respected not only by firm and doctor but also by his associated chemists, and also by his stockist. Every one of you here must remember that neither force of character, nor attractiveness of personality can compensate for ignorance or for failure to detail a product, Personality alone should not contribute equipment in itself. It is the stock of the quacks. He must learn to cultivate test that are attainable, available and satisfying. Every one of you must define his objectives in life and live so as to attain them. Every one of you must define his objectives in life and live so as to attain them. Every representative must shake off regrets for the past, the fears of tomorrow, and start to live happily today. He must cultivate courtesy at home and outside but especially at home. He must learn to live for others, to give rather than to seek. He must learn how to learn for himself. He must acquire the power to reason and think critically. He must gain an understanding of the responsibilities of a representative. If these objectives are reached one will inevitably have built up a foundation of knowledge and also the nature of man.

ART OF INTERVIEW

It will help the representative immensely in sales promotion if he studies the doctor’s nature prior to the interview. He should, if possible, try to know the doctor’s leisure pursuits, his personality, his habits, his likes and dislikes and also the type of doctor he is likely to interview- a doctor with an eye on the price, a studious one, a quality conscious, a sporting type or the one interested in politics. For everyone knows “forewarned is forearmed”. Just as communications between the doctor and the patient must precede diagnosis so also communication. And as diagnosis precedes treatment so product introduction should precede sales promotion. What about the interview itself? One should avoid stereotype interview. It should vary from doctor to doctor, from rural to urban one and from one consultant to another. In addition, a representative must have the art of prolonging as well as cutting short the interview depending on the circumstances prevailing at that time. Prolong the interview only when you find the doctor is getting something of value. Ideally, interviews should be as brief as possible. Remember that the doctor’s time is his money, especially if he is a specialist; and many times, if it is a repeat visit and nothing new to detail, the big boss expects him to finish the interview in less than five minutes. The detail man must have answers to sharp, pointed ands even auspicious questions asked by his customer. Routine interview, if it is losing its value, remember, this may be the fault of the interviewer here it is of the representative.
In my opinion, more discussions should take place between the doctor and the representative, for information about the particular product should not be a one way transfer of data. In principle and practice at its best, it is a process in which experience and ideas of two minds meet and are sharpened. For such an interview engenders our appetite, at attitude, and at length, a habit of mind that brings steadily increasing knowledge, awareness and discrimination to its possessor. Remember, every representative must have knowledge about the product and what he is talking about or he may get tramped on every time.

EXPECTATIONS OF DOCTOR FROM THE REPRESENTATIVE

The doctor expects from him, besides knowledge of product, judgment and skill, a capacity to understand members of medical profession, appreciation of different outlooks, experience of the world, last and above all, a right sense of values. The doctor expects him to come at the appointed time or when he is a bit free of his patients. He also expects the representative to know his job well. Whether he does it or not it is very difficult for any representative to assess. The doctor expects him to tell the truth and not the half-truth of the product. In 99 out of 100, the doctor’s opinion about the representative will be enhanced if a representative stresses benefits as well as the dangers of the new drug. Every representative should see that he does not add his own personal problems and create more problems to the doctor. Rarely, this helps sales-promotion. A representative can have and express an opinion, but he should see that he avoids useless and provocative arguments. Remember, at times, you may win an argument but lose the customer. The doctor expects him not to criticize other doctors, for it raises the suspicion that it is a chain reaction. He should give technical details depending upon nature and interest of the doctor. He should stress the product in which the doctor shows his interest and not the drug on promotion list. He should never slight a doctor. The doctor expects him to carry out the intelligent market survey and communicate the firm. He should also communicate to the firm the type of products the doctor needs. The doctor may be your friend, but he expects him to be given a proper respect in his office, and especially, in front of his patients. The representative, by qualification, should not be another doctor. Because by nature, a doctor is an individualist, if another doctor tries to tell him how he should practice, a barrier is set up between the doctor and the detail man and the selling job is likely to fail. The doctor expects him to supply ordered drugs in stated time. If, for one reason or the other, there is a chance of delay, it is the representative’s job to inform the customer in time. It is a tragedy if the doctor has to put a board requesting the representative not to ask for the order. Remember the doctor will put the order if you have drugs of his need and if the detail man has patience. Please do not press for an order, at times the doctor gets irritated. Remember, he has problems to solve before placing the order. As there are many products of similar nature with more or less the same composition, a representative should avoid comparing his firm’s product with that of others. Today drug houses want to promote the sales of their own particular brand of drug, and they either rename the official preparation or they will re-introduce the same with some minor modifications which are claimed to be superior. So, it is the opinion of the medical profession that a representative should first tell the official name of the product and then the proprietary name given to the same by his firm.

Medical Knowledge

Another very important question than baffles a representative is how much medical knowledge should he possess? If one wants to answer to this, one should keep in mind Kipling’s famous jingle- It says “I had six trust serving men (they taught me all I knew) their names were: What? Why? When? How? Where? And who? What is the product? What is the dose of it? Why to use it? When to use it? How, where and who should use it? The one who has the answers to these on the tip of his tongue at the time of the product introduction may venture to call himself a well-read and well informed representative.

Prescribing and Practice

Where once, the practitioner had little but advice to give his patients, he now has at his disposal a wide range of effective drugs. Rarely is his counsel unaccompanied by a prescription. Choosing drugs is therefore a large part of a practitioner’s business. Selecting not only the agent which is most appropriate to the condition but one of the many virtually equivalent preparations in which it may be marked. The doctor of today has and apparent predilection for proprietary preparation and hence to boost the sales promotion every representative should try to discover not only what the practitioner prescribed but why? Some of the external factors are likely to be important in determining the practitioner’s choice for drug includes, amongst others the various sources of therapeutic information such as medical training, consultant’s advice, discussions with colleagues, text books, journal and postal advertising, representative hammering etc. Some other factors which determine the doctor’s choice of drug include reputation of the firm, quality of the product, the price, reminders about the drug safety of the product, or as stated by Morrell, a drug whose probationary period is over, the one of its kind, doctor’s interest either in the firm or the representative and the intimacy of detail man with the practitioner. As there are many products of comparable nature with varying composition the doctor is many times baffled as to what to prescribe and here the personal relations sometimes comer to the aid of a detail man.

Conclusion

Remember, man will always feel the need for drugs, a means to escape from stresses of life and lubricant to ease contact with his fellows. The experience of human predicament and the need felt for aids coping with it may now possibly be greater than ever before. This has been stated long ago in a different way by Sir William Oster. He had said “The desire to make medicines is perhaps the greatest feature which distinguishes man from lower animals”. And as long as man exists, the disease, the drug, the doctor and the detail man and his firm exist. And as well as exist, let us all, the doctor, the drug firm, the detail man come together and use all our knowledge to try to defeat discomfort, disease and death and safe guard the man’s health against side effects of drugs which we use on him, for society asks of medicines more foresight in the appreciation of hazards of mankind and more humanism in design of our therapeutic programme both for individual and the community.

The ladder of Inference - How to Avoid "Jumping to Conclusions"

2006-03-16T01:52:00.000-08:00

This is taken from MindTools. I found it very interesting and thought I must share with you
vivekhattangadi@yahoo.co.in

The Ladder of Inference:How to Avoid "Jumping to Conclusions"

Have you ever been accused of “putting 2 and 2 together and making 5”, meaning that the other person thinks you have jumped to the wrong conclusion?In today’s fast-paced world, we are always under pressure to act now, rather than spend time reasoning things through and thinking about the true facts. Not only can this lead us to a wrong conclusion, but it can also cause conflict with other people, who may have drawn quite different conclusions on the same matter. Especially in a fast business environment, you need to make sure your actions and decisions are founded on reality.

Similarly, when you accept or challenge other people’s conclusions, you need be confident that their reasoning, and yours, is firmly based on the true facts. The “Ladder of Inference” helps you achieve this. Sometimes known as the “Process of Abstraction”, this tool helps you understand the thinking steps that can lead you to jump to wrong conclusions, and so helps you get back to hard reality and facts. The Ladder of Inference was first put forward by organizational psychologist Chris Argyris and used by Peter Senge in The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization.Understanding the TheoryThe Ladder of Inference describes the thinking process that we go through, usually without realizing it, to get from a fact to a decision or action. The thinking stages can be seen as rungs on a ladder and are shown below:

Starting at the bottom of the ladder, we have reality and facts. From there, we:
· Experience these selectively based on our beliefs and prior experience;
· Interpret what they mean;
· Apply our existing assumptions (sometimes without considering them);
· Draw conclusions based on the interpreted facts and our assumptions;
· Develop beliefs based on these conclusions; and
· Take actions that seems “right” because they are based on what we believe
.
This can create a vicious circle. Our beliefs have a big effect on how we select from reality, and can lead us to ignore the true facts altogether. Soon we are literally jumping to conclusions – by missing facts and skipping steps in the reasoning process.By using the Ladder of Inference, you can learn to get back to the facts and use your beliefs and experiences to positive effect, rather than allowing them to narrow your field of judgment. Following this step-by-step reasoning can lead you to better results, based on reality, so avoiding unnecessary mistakes and conflict.How To Use The Theory:The Ladder of Inference helps you draw better conclusions, or challenge other people’s conclusions based on true facts and reality. It can be used to help you analyze hard data, such as a set of sales figures, or to test assertions, such as “the project will go live in April”. You can also use it to help validate or challenge other people’s conclusions.The step-by-step reasoning process helps you remain objective and, when working or challenging others, reach a shared conclusion without conflict.

Tip 1:Use the Ladder of Inference at any of stage of your thinking process. If you're asking any of the following questions, the model may prove a useful aid:
· Is this the “right” conclusion?
· Why am I making these assumptions?
· Why do I think this is the “right” thing to do?
· Is this really based on all the facts?
· Why does he believe that?
Use the following steps to challenge your thinking, using the Ladder of Inference:
Stop! It’s time to consider your reasoning.
Identify where on the ladder you are. Are you:
· Selecting your data or reality?
· Interpreting what it means?
· Making or testing assumptions?
· Forming or testing conclusions?
· Deciding what to do and why?

From your current “rung”, analyze your reasoning by working back down the ladder. This will help you trace the facts and reality that you are actually working with.At each stage, ask yourself WHAT you are thinking and WHY. As you analyze each step, you may need to adjust your reasoning. For example, you may need to change some assumption or extend the field of data you have selected.The following questions help you work backwards (coming down the ladder, starting at the top):
· Why have I chosen this course of action? Are there other actions I should have considered?
· What belief lead to that action? Were the beliefs well-founded?
· Why did I draw that conclusion? Is the conclusion sound?
· What am I assuming, and why? Are my assumptions safe?
· What data have I chosen to use and why? Have I selected data rigorously?
· What are the real facts that I should be using? Are there other facts I should be considering?

Tip 2:

When you are working through your reasoning, look out for rungs that you tend to jump. Do you tend to make assumptions too easily? Do you tend to select only part of the data? Note you tendencies so that you can learn to do that stage of reasoning with extra care in the future.
4. With a new sense of reasoning (and perhaps a wider field of data and more considered assumptions), you can now work forwards again – step-by-step – up the rungs of the ladder.

Tip 3:

Try explaining your reasoning to a colleague or friend. This will help you check that your argument is sound.If you are challenging someone else’s conclusions, it is especially important to be able to explain your reasoning so that you can explain it to that person in a way that helps you reach a shared conclusion and avoid conflict.

Example:The regional Sales Manager has just read the latest sales figures. Sales in Don’s territory are down - again. It’s simply not good enough. He needs to be fired!Most people would agree that the Sales Manager may have just jumped to a rash conclusion. So let’s see how the scenario plays out using the Ladder of Inference:The latest month’s sales figures (reality) have come in, and the Sales Manager immediately focuses on Don’s territory (selected reality). Sales are down on the previous months again (interpreted reality). The Sales Manager assumes that the drop in sales is entirely to do with the Don’s performance (assumption), and decides that Don hasn’t been performing well (conclusion). So he forms the opinion that Don isn’t up to the job (belief). He feels that firing Don is the best options (action).Now let’s challenge the Sales Manager’s thinking using the Ladder of Inference:The Sales Manager came to the sales figures with an existing belief that Don, a new salesmen, couldn’t possibly be as good as the "old-timers" who he has trained for years. He focused on Don’s territory because Don is the newest salesman, and selected facts that supported what he already believed (that Don wouldn’t be doing a good job). To get back to facts and reality, we must challenge the Sales Manager’s selection of data and his assumptions about Don’s likely performance.Although the figures are down in Don’s territory, they have actually dipped less than in other areas. Don is actually a great salesman, but he and his colleagues have in fact been let down by new products being delayed, and by old products running out of stock. Once the Sales Manager changes his assumptions, he will see the need to focus on solving the production issues. He can also learn from Don – how is it that Don has performed better than other sales people in the face of stock problems? Can others learn from him?

This is just one of the problem solving techniques that you can learn on the Mind Tools website. Visithttp://www.mindtools.com/pages/main/newMN_TMC.htm for many more!

The Indian Pharma Leaders I Adore and Respect

2006-03-02T21:53:00.000-08:00

The Indian Pharma Leaders I adore and respect !

I have read so much on leadership, the qualities of a good leader, the differences between a leader and a manager - but one of the best descriptions of leadership has been attributed to Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw. During one of his speeches to the Army Officers during the Indo-Pak war in December 1971 he said: “Leadership is the sum essence of character, personality, motivation and sacrifice. It is also the fine art of inspiring people even in the most trying conditions. The art of leadership requires a life time of sacrifice, devotion and selfless deeds.”

What a lovely thought! In this competitive world of today, you have to be a cut above the rest. Thorough professionalism, innovative thinking, a highly analytical mind and complete dedication is what is required in a good leader.

And this is how some of the greatest Pharma leaders were made!

A very important quality for a leader is to have clear vision. He should be able to identify the drivers and catalysts of that vision. Having done that, a good leader should create a robust organization that has the strength and energy to march ahead. A shining example of this is Dilip Shanghavi of Sun Pharma. He ensured that all team members stayed focused and motivated and that paid rich dividends to the company. He encouraged feedback and even criticism which were professional in nature. His team, therefore, delivered consistently high performance. He made his people understand that persistence is not about trying – but about the determination to achieve its objectives. And the employees kept on reflecting on how they can help Sun Pharma achieve its objectives. Proper communication helped build right perspectives among employees. The foundation for organization’s future success was laid by setting the right tenor from the beginning. He created a ‘thinking organization’. He stimulated a thinking environment within the organization.

Leadership also means communicating a vision that motivates and inspires others. Late U.N. Mehta of Torrent Group of Companies was one such leader. He was able to transform and energize the people working in Torrent. He had the ability to ignite passions and could connect with his team. His team knew where exactly it headed and his team could translate vision into reality. “Failure is not a crime – aiming low is a crime”, he continuously preached. He constantly looked for new opportunities and challenges. His belief was firmly rooted in the 3S philosophy – systems, speed and spirit. This was combined with transparency, result orientation and empowerment and catalyzed the organization towards greater growth. Sudhir Mehta is definitely his worthy successor. Through his magnetism and quiet persuasion, he enlists the employees in the company vision.

Binnish and Nimmish Chudgar of Intas Pharmaceuticals typify the leaders who knew that risk taking can involve failures and disappointments. They nevertheless took risks and made Intas what it is today – the most adorable company in the Pharma industry. When about a decade back, the annual turnover of the company was less then Rs.200 millions, they decided to invest Rs.300 millions in a new ultra-modern plant which met US-FDA and UK-MCA specifications. They were the first to invest in the most modern Pharma packaging – double aluminum blister foils (now known as Alu-Alu pack) which made the company stand out and their corporate credibility reached new heights. They made their people feel like heroes in the industry! They were creating an ideal image of what an organization can become. The people in the organization were ordinary, but they accomplished extraordinary results. They made every employee take pride in Intas.

The single most critical ingredient, which has made Sami Khatib, of Medley Pharmaceuticals a successful leader, is passion – passion for hard work. At 70+, he is still a workaholic and can put to shame people half his age. He has been able to infuse his whole team with that same passion. He shares his passion with his team by translating his passion into a vision for Medley Pharmaceuticals. He coaxes, cajoles and inspires his people into sharing his vision. He uses his communication skills to psyche up his people. He evokes trust among his followers. He has faith in the abilities of his people and makes them realize that every person has the potential to grow. And he gives them the opportunities to do so. He once mentioned that although Kotler has talked about the 4P’s of marketing, but he has not talked about the 5th and the most important P – People. He really considers people as his assets.

Another great leader in the Pharma industry I shall cherish forever is the Late P.J. Menezes of the Cosme Mathias Menezes Group. He had the uncanny knack of making some of the top multinational pharmaceutical and FMCG companies collaborate with his group and obtain sole marketing rights of their patented products in India. At one time the company simultaneously had tie-ups with Carter-Wallace (USA), Upjohn (USA), Pharmacia (Sweden), Bristol-Myers (Britain), Leo Pharmaceuticals (Denmark), Takeda (Japan) and Old Spice (USA)! This was at a time when the larger Indian companies never thought of this! He exhibited excellent leadership qualities – a coach cum player. In fact he was the mentor of his team. Even at the age of seventy-five, he moved about in the field along with medical representatives meeting doctors and retail chemists! He even celebrated the diamond jubilee of his field working. (He started his career as a salesman with Nestles). He ensured that organizations work culture facilitated employee growth and development. Except for the top position, all promotions were from within. Employee development resulted in the overall growth of the organization.

Leadership is not the private reserve of a few charismatic men and women. It’s about ordinary people bringing forth the best from themselves and others. All my idols from the Pharma industry created a culture where people dream, imagine, collaborate, invent, experiment and most important – deliver.

These are the people who have made the Indian Pharmaceutical industry a force to reckon with internationally.

vivekhattangadi@yahoo.co.in

Increasing Medical Representative Productivity

2006-02-24T21:30:00.000-08:00

Increasing medical representative productivity

The cost of finding new prescribers is a big expense for most Pharma businesses.

It has been estimated by market researchers that the costs and efforts required to develop a new prescriber is six to eight times more than making an existing prescriber generate more prescriptions for the same volume of business.

The reason is because existing prescribers already know the medical representative, his company’s products, and the company. All these factors make the medical representative more acceptable to the doctor. Moreover, the very fact he is a prescriber means there is a certain amount of rapport, which has developed between them, and can translated into more prescriptions.

What is rapport? Rapport is the process of building and sustaining a relationship of mutual trust, harmony and understanding.

Profitability will come from existing prescribers while we cannot be certain how many new prescribers we can attract in short term.

A recent marketing study reported that the sources of profit breakdown are as follows:

-70% from existing customers
-25% from targeted new or prospective customers
-5% from casual customers

Ask:

Are the medical representatives making the most of their relationship with doctors?
Are doctors prescribing the appropriate products from the company's product basket?

Fortunately, most businesses, whether it is Computer Software, FMCG or Pharma business, have the potential to increase sales by selling more to the existing customers.

Many of us have heard the old adage:

“The easiest place to make your next sale is where you just made a sale.”

What is the technique of getting more sales from existing customers? In relation to Pharma business, you attempt to generate additional prescriptions from the existing prescriber base and apply a growth technique known as:

Ø Cross Selling
Ø Upselling

Cross Selling in Pharma Industry:

· Cross selling is prescriptions generating activities that make a doctor prescribe additional products when he already prescribes a product or two.
· Example, if he is a gastroenterologist prescribing only our omeprazole we make him prescribes our mosapride, itapride, rabeprazole as well as pantoprazole from our basket.

Upselling in Pharma Industry:

It refers to the efforts in prescription generation to increase the quantity and quality of prescriptions generated by a doctor.

Example, if a doctor is prescribing say 10 prescriptions of pantoprazole in a week in non-ulcer dyspepsia (where the prescription life is for about a week to ten days), we make efforts to make him prescribe at least 15 prescriptions of pantoprazole in a week in GERD (where the prescription life is for about three to six months). Thus we increase not only the quantity but also the quality of prescriptions.

Cross Selling and Upselling are valuable business tools for increasing the productivity of medical representatives.

Many medical representatives avoid Upselling because they are afraid the doctor may get irritated and not prescribe or stop prescribing at all!

I have experienced that the opposite is true. Every medical representative can implement a successful Upselling or a Cross Selling program. But the current mindset has to change.

We have all heard about:

E=MC2

But what is

E=MC2= P

E = Cross Selling and Upselling Efforts
M = How Motivated you are
C = Customer Relation
C = Control – control the direction of Cross Selling and Upselling activities
P = Prescription Generation (Performance)

7 Tips for Successful Upselling and Cross Selling

1. Be well prepared before a doctor call. Do your homework thoroughly.
2. Know your customer. Become an amateur psychologist. Do not assume that you know what the doctor wants.
3. Spend 75% of your time in building rapport with the doctor.
4. Understand that the only reason you did not succeed in Cross Selling or Upselling is because 5. You were not convincing enough.
6. Distinguish yourself from all other medical representatives who meet him.

Do not talk about features – talk only of benefits.

Make sure that you “W.I.I.F.M.” the doctor – it is human nature to look after your own best interests. But whenever we are addressing a customer, they are asking themselves “What’s In It For Me?”. We must answer this question to be successful.

7 Top Sales Blunders

1. Allowing the doctor to lead the sales process. The best way to control the sales is to ask open ended questions.
2. Not completing pre-call research. 75% of your time should be spent on that.
3. Talking too much! Many medical representatives talk too much during the interaction. They espouse about their product, its features and so on. Make the doctor talk instead.
4. Giving the doctor information that is irrelevant. Do not share something, which is meaningless to them.
5. Not being prepared. Have all relevant information at your fingertips, including references, clinical trials, pricing, dosage, indications, contraindications and adverse drug interactions.
6. Neglecting to ask for a prescription. You need not be pushy but ask for a prescription in a non-threatening confident manner, with a positive body language and most of the doctors will respond favorably.
7. Failing to prospect. This is a common business mistake. When business is good, people stop prospecting thinking that the flow of prescriptions will continue.

Get Ready to Cross Sell and Upsell by Building Self Confidence

1. Believe in your product – believe in yourself.

2. Increase your self-confidence and you increase your Upselling and Cross Selling skills.

3. Cultivate your self-confidence.

4. Develop a building self-confidence routine. Eliminate all distractions, which interfere with your concentration on the doctor’s call.

Use self-praise to develop self-confidence. We are surrounded by negative influences – many of them exist only in our own heads – and combat these negative messages.

One important key to success is self-confidence.
An important key to self-confidence is preparation -Arthur Ashe

How to implement a winning strategy

2006-02-23T02:05:00.000-08:00

A must read article for all marketing professionals from MarketingProfs, authored by Steve Bassil.

How to Implement a Winning Segment Strategy
by Steve Bassill
February 21, 2006

Have you learned the best way to identify and serve customers in your target segments?

Segmentation could be the marketing tool that sets your company apart from the competition. The business organization that goes all the way from developing a winning segment strategy to committing the resources needed to implement the strategy will be more profitable.

One of the basic segmentation rules is that the segment must be "reachable." It's essential for marketers to have the ability to identify and serve customers in the target segment.

However, in today's complex business environment, markets are becoming more and more fragmented. When you consider the increased number of niches, you realize what a daunting task it is for businesses to deliver across so many segments.

A quick review of basic segmentation theory illustrates why this is the case. The simplest way to think about market segments is to picture different colored balls—each color represents a customer segment with unique application needs.

In the power tool industry, for example, there are three very basic segments: the do-it-yourself individual; the craftsman (who is more than a casual tool user); and the professional (who handles the tool for a living). At a minimum, the colored balls represent three distinct segments.

After segmenting customers based on tool application, marketers have several tasks to execute before they can adequately serve these segments. Let's take a look at the classic four "Ps" of marketing:

Product: Do you have products that meet the specific needs of each, or any segment? Meeting the customer's needs relates to the product's performance, look and feel, brand image, ease of purchase, and ease of use.
Place: Do or can you offer your product for sale where the customer wants to buy it? You must have the distribution channels in place to intercept buyers wherever they shop.
Promotion: Have you created messages designed to communicate your product's features and target those customers most likely to buy? Effective vehicles include trade shows, advertising, word of mouth, and the Internet.
Price: Are you in the right price band for your target customers? You don't have to be the least expensive, but you have to be considered competitive.

You must align your segments for success. What makes alignment so important to segmentation is that all four of these variables could be different for each segment you target. The greater the difference between the needs of each segment, the more essential it becomes to customize your offering and organization.

Ask yourself: Are you prepared to back up your product with the features and support that your customers require?

Let's take a look at the diverse needs of the power tool market.

The craftsman may accept returning his power tool to the manufacturer when it needs to be repaired.

On the other hand, the "professional" segment requires much more responsive post-sales support and may even demand a loaner or same-day repair.

The do-it-yourself segment might require a help line to answer questions and troubleshoot.

Building an organization capable of providing the type of support that each customer segment expects is crucial to achieving success. Of course, you'll want to take a close look at the potential financial income generated from each segment first to establish whether it merits investment.

Behavioral segmentation opens many possibilities for marketers to be more efficient and effective. Behavioral segmentation distinguishes the buyers from the shoppers. Rather than investing time and money on consumers who are not ready to purchase, the marketer can spend his valuable resources on customers who are motivated to buy in the near term.

This builds momentum. The net effect is to generate more sales out of the same sales and marketing investment. On the other hand, chasing pretenders can stall sales momentum, frustrate your sales force, and ultimately require the investment of additional funds to re-energize the sales initiative.

Behavioral segmentation is like taking our original three balls representing the power tool market, and exploding them exponentially into 9, 12, or 15 more balls. To reap the advantages of behavioral segmentation, businesses will have to implement organizational changes to effectively reach these additional sub-segments.

Developing customer profiles, using CRM to keep track of prospects, and educating sales people to distinguish the buyer from the shopper could be some of the steps taken to target sub-segments. These are not trivial efforts. Although it takes time and money to put the infrastructure in place to support behavioral segmentation, doing so can mean the difference between success and failure.

If there is a lesson to walk away with when you start to think about segmentation, it is this:

Segmenting your market gives you the opportunity for rapid, highly profitable growth.
But segmenting your market requires a commitment to make the changes necessary to win and maintain your customers' business.

So, as you look at segmentation opportunities, make sure you clearly identify every internal/channel change required to capture the market. Continue to monitor your strategy over time.

Markets change rapidly, and it's critical to make adjustments accordingly. Don't let your segment strategy fall short. To be successful, you've got to align your segments and back them up with the investment needed to generate a revenue stream.

Steve Bassill is president of QDI Strategies, Inc.

vivekhattangadi@yahoo.co.in

Is Al Ries Dangerous To Your Brand ?

2006-02-14T20:55:00.000-08:00

I read this article in MarketingProfs a couple of years back and found it interesting. I, therefore, share it with you. Vivek Hattangadi
vivekhattangadi@yahoo.co.in

Is Al Ries Dangerous to Your Brand?
by Dan Herman June 1, 2004

In the business world's hall of fame, a special place is reserved for Al Ries. He is without doubt one of the most prominent gurus of strategic thinking.

More than 30 years ago, together with his partner Jack Trout, Ries coined the term “Positioning”—a concept that to these very day shapes the way of marketing and branding all over the world. Only few other concepts come close in importance.

Despite the rebellious, revolutionary spirit and the surefooted—even vain—phrasings that characterized them from the very start of their careers, Ries and Trout did not always grasp in full the magnitude of the revolutions they initiated. Their early books, Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind, Marketing Warfare and Bottom-Up Marketing, proclaimed, in fact, without their authors expressed awareness, the death of the so-called Marketing Approach (“marketing successes are achieved by satisfying the unsatisfied needs of customers”).

Furthermore, Ries and Trout suggested an alternative approach, which could be named the Competitive Approach. They drew guidelines for conducting a business in competitive markets for which the Marketing Approach is quite useless.
The reason for this incompatibility is as simple as it is counterintuitive. If everybody is trying to satisfy the unsatisfied needs of customers—everybody is doing the same thing. This is a very uncompetitive behavior.

Together and apart, they brought us ideas like the need to focus first on the competitors and only later on customers, the need for strategic focus, the importance of strategic differentiation (a concept borrowed from others), the advantages of adopting an opposite behavior to that of the competitor, of divergent innovation and of primacy in the consumer's mind (because it's better to be first than to be better).

Although Ries never said it clearly, he can even be credited with the understanding that the competitive strategy and the brand are two facets of the same coin, rather than the brand being a kind of make-up applied to the product or the company in order to make it more attractive.

Regretfully, Ries's continued influence is becoming today a considerable danger to successful brand building and brand management. Despite his historic importance, in the current business and marketing realities Al Ries is outdated and limited.

Despite his often use of terms like Psychology, Perception and Mind, Ries's entire theoretical account of consumer psychology can be summed up in two principles.
The first: People find simple claims—rather than complex claims—easier to understand and learn. The second: People understand new information in terms of what they already know. This is undoubtedly true but hardly sufficient for successful strategizing and branding.

Ries has always excelled more in common sense than in psychology, which often defies common sense. For that reason, Ries is missing major changes that occurred in recent years in consumers' behavior. Even apart from these changes, Ries simply fails to understand the psychological and social instrumentalities of brands.

Unconscious motivations are beyond him. Impulsive purchases evade him. He doesn't get why consumers “buy things they don't need” and other such phenomena that are sources of huge profit to those who do understand them. He doesn't understand brands that where destined to cater for such needs.

The secret of Ries's power always lay in his simplistic formulations. He claims ‘universal truths' and formulates do/don't rules that overlook complexities. But our world is a complex world. And, therefore, whoever tries to implement such rules may lead his brand and business to obliteration.

To justify these severe and harsh statements, I invite you to examine with me the six main tenets of Ries's credo.

Ries says: Innovation should be based on creating a new product category (car) or on diverging an existing category (mini-van) but not on crossbreeding/grafting between categories (car-plane). It is a law of evolution.

That sounds good, but it is incorrect. Crossbreeding works for agriculture in order to create new species. A Tangelo (to name one example out of many) is a hybrid created by crossbreeding pomelos and tangerines. The cellular phone is becoming a device offering rich communication options as well as personal entertainment center by crossbreeding a cellular phone, a walky-talky, an Internet connection, a receiver/transmitter of MMS and data, a radio, a MP3 player and more. The PC in general (and Windows OS in particular) is a crossbreed.

A car and a plane or a boat may not mix. But a car and a living room have, in luxury car such as the Maybach. There are crossbreeds/grafts that work, and then there are those that don't.

Want a new simple rule? It works when the compromise which the breed demands in the benefits of the different components is smaller than the benefit offered by them combined. If you operate according to Ries, you are reducing your options for innovation.
Ries says: Brands need to focus in one product category. It is not advisable to extend a brand from one category to another. It is best to create a new brand instead.
This is correct only when the brand was originally created with a strong affinity to a certain product category. But this is no must.

Virgin is a brand that exists in tens, even hundreds of product categories, and is successful in many of them because its promise (“being mischievous, breaking the rules, screwing the big guys and having fun”) is not limited to one product category. Another UK brand, Dunhill, exists in many product categories catering to a variety of life style requirements of the modern-day gentleman.

My own Abstracting technique promises to replace Brand Extension. It assists the creation of brands that have beyond-category benefits and the re-branding of existing brands into such. The model includes seven extents of branding, each consecutive one another step away from product dependency to a higher level of intangible added value.
As I have already mentioned, Ries has difficulty in understanding brands that offer the consumer a psychological-emotional or a social (rather than tangible-practical) instrumentality for reaching goals/benefits. But let us put aside for a moment the sophisticated brands (although they are the ones yielding their owners the highest profits).

Ries does not like diversified conglomerates, but they do make money nonetheless. What about Samsung, Mitsubishi, GE or even HP? Actually, every private label of a supermarket chain exists in tens if not hundreds of product categories and its promise (usually something like “good value for your money”—nothing unique or brilliant) crosses all of them. Even this type of huge profit-earning brands fall out of Ries's narrow canon.

Ries says: It is better to be first (in the consumer's mind) than to be better.
Ries gives ample examples, like the fact that we all remember the name of the first man walking on the moon but not the second one. He interprets this to suggest that we will remember and pay attention only to the pioneer of a category.

This is part of the Positioning theory. But the Positioning theory, right from the start, was not in line with the up-to-date knowledge of how the memory works. Positioning is based on a metaphor of mountains with tops that you can “conquer” and “own.”
There is no basis for such an idea. The consumer may recognize Rolls Royce as a prestige brand, but this will not lead him to perceive Bentley as any less prestigious. While brands may be associated with just one concept (the best are not, think Ferrari)—it doesn't work both ways. The consumer doesn't limit himself to only one brand of prestigious cars. Similarly in fashion, Gucci and others didn't block the relatively newcomer Prada from breaking into awareness. No one can have exclusivity on any “top” concept or word in the consumer's mind. This metaphor is inappropriate and is misleading the marketing people who use it.

Moreover, the rapidly spreading “fear of missing out” (FoMO) that is becoming a primary motivation driving consumer behavior, encourages consumers to seek the new. This motivation leads to an unprecedented willingness to try and adopt novelties, often simply because they are… new.

Not only does Ries not account for the fundamental changes that occurred in consumers' behavior, it appears that he doesn't even notice them. Even worse, his way of thinking is idealistic rather than businesslike. Even if me-too products will never become category leaders, as Ries claims, and even if Coca-Cola energy drink KMX will not ever outperform Red Bull, still the second- and even the third-ranking brands in the market can make handsome profits. So what is wrong with that?

Ries says: Take a word and build it into a brand. A brand should “own” a word in the consumer's mind.

We already dealt with the ownership issue, but why a “word”? Will any word do? If you are about to implement this rule by Ries, you may spend a lot of money associating your brand with a “word” that will not bring you any gain.

You can decide, for instance, that your word would be “leadership” or “cutting edge” (but be careful, friends! The most attractive words have a lot of takers!). Let's even say that you succeeded and now market research shows that consumers indeed associate the word you chose with your brand. Why do I claim that it can be useless? If your word is not associated with the consumer's buying consideration (and if the consumer does not use the very word in his thinking—even if she does use implicitly that criterion), it would have no effect whatsoever upon choosing your brand.

The consumer's buying considerations are sometimes conscious and often not. They may be conscious but not verbal. Ries is a man of words, but the consumers aren't necessarily. What you want, in fact, is for your target audience to have a very clear anticipation (that can be unverbalized, just felt) for some benefit arising from your brand. Such anticipation makes the consumer smile when your brand comes to mind. All strong brands arouse their specific anticipation, preferably unique to them. In fact, such anticipation is THE defining characteristic of brands.

Ries says: Brands take off slowly and their success is measured in decades. Brands that take off fast—die fast.

Ries obviously haven't heard about Harry Potter, or about Nokia (which became a world market leader in only a few years) or about the Easy Group, which was established only in 2000 and is already a successful concern that incorporates a dozen companies in diverse areas such as aviation, cellular communication, hotels, banking, etc.
Simply put: Ries is wrong. There are brands that take off very fast. Some of them, not all of them, really do behave like meteors and are very successful for a short period of time. In recent years, many companies opt to do it purposely, realizing that it is more probable in today's markets to make it big for the short run. Strategically, it is possible in many categories to launch consecutive blockbusters and have, in the long run, a high average market share and to hold consumer loyalty effectively.

Ries says: Advertising, because of its increasing lack of credibility, is nearly incapable of building a brand. PR is more effective than advertising in imprinting a brand concept in the consumer's mind. The role of advertisement is to remind the consumer something already known in order to reinforce it.

This peculiar claim already drew a lot of fire, as it was meant to. But seriously, now. You can expect a very limited control over messages you send to the market via PR. Journalists will have their own mind and agenda. How, then, can PR be used as the major means for evoking and shaping a specific anticipation in the consumer's mind?

Ries goes on to claim that limited resources to support an emerging but yet unprofitable brand for a long period of time is another reason to count on PR. But the media's interest in a new brand is brief at best! There can be no doubt that advertising does a better job than PR, more precisely and faster, in evoking and shaping specific anticipations.
However, advertising is not always necessary. Some outstanding brands like Starbucks and Zara took off without any considerable advertising budgets. This is possible especially with retail brands where the consumer has opportunities to grasp the brand's promise at the selling points. There, yet another type of brands that creates for their costumers opportunities to meet, thus encouraging the formation of a community. These brands' promises travel by buzz, and they sometime become a kind of cult, like Harley-Davidson, Saturn, Linux and Vans.

Admittedly, it is a bit sad: the world has changed, and Al Ries stayed focused but behind. But hey, you have your brand to worry about, which means giving up the seductive simplicity of Al Ries's generalizations and rules.

Dan Herman, PhD, creates Unique Success Formulas for companies and brands. His new book, Just-on-Desire Branding, will be available soon. For more information, visit www.danherman.com.

Management decision

2006-02-13T20:39:00.000-08:00

Story of Management Decision!!!
Once PVNR (PV Narasimha Rao), L.K. Advani and Laloo Prasad Yadav were traveling in an Auto Rickshaw. They met with an accident and all three of them die. Yama was waiting for this moment at the doorstep of death.He asks PVNR and Advani to go to heaven. But, for Laloo, Yama had already decided that he should be sent to hell. Laloo is not at all happy with this decision.

He asks Yama as to why this discrimination is being made. All the three of them had served the public. Similarly, all took bribes; all misused public positions, etc. Then why the differential treatment?

He felt that there should be a formal objective evaluation before a decision is made; and should not be just based on opinion or preconceived notions.

Yama agrees to this and asks all the three of them to appear for an English test.

1. PVNR is asked to spell "INDIA" and he does it correctly.
2. Advani is asked to spell "ENGLAND" and he too passes.
3. It is Laloo's turn and he is asked to spell "CZECHOSLOVAKIA".

Laloo protests that he doesn't know English. He says this is not fair and that he was given a tough question and thus forced to fail with false intent.

Yama then agrees to conduct a written test in Hindi (to give another chance assuming that Laloo should at least feel that Hindi would provide an equal platform for all three).

1.PVNR is asked to write "KUTTA BOLA BHOW BHOW". He writes it easily and passes.
2.Advani is asked to write "BILLY BOLI MYAUN MYAUN". He too passes. 3.Laloo is asked to write "BANDAR BOLA GRRRRRR....." Tough one. He fails again.

Laloo is extremely unhappy. Having been a student of history (which the other two weren't), he now requested for all the 3 to be subjected to a test in history.

Yama says OK but this would be the last chance and that he would not take any more tests.

1PVNR is asked: "When did India get Independence?” He replied "1947" and passed.
2.Advani is asked, "How many people died during the independence struggle?" He gets nervous. Yama asked him to choose from 3 options: 100,000 or 200,000 or 300, 000. Advani catches it and says 200,000 and passes.
3.It's Laloo's turn now. Yama asks him to give the names and addresses of each of the 200,000 people who died in the independence struggle. Laloo accepts defeat and agrees to go to HELL.

This story is a a reflection on many management decisions.

Moral of the story: If your management has decided to screw you, there is no escape.
vivekhattangadi@yahoo.co.in

What makes a successful salesperson

2006-02-11T03:28:00.000-08:00

Selling is a noble profession. To be successful, at every stage you have to sell your self - be he a doctor, a lawyer or a scientist. How can you be successful salesperson? Read on this article from MarketingProfs written by Nido Qubein. Vivek Hattangadi

What Makes a Successful Salesperson?

by Nido Qubein October 11, 2005

What makes a successful salesperson?
I've often asked a seminar audience that question, and the answers have been all over the board.

"You've got to have the right product," some say. (It helps, but a really good salesperson can rack up more sales with a mediocre product than a mediocre salesperson can make with the greatest product in the world.)

"You've got to make plenty of sales calls," others say. "The more calls you make, the more sales you'll get." (As a general rule, that's true, but it doesn't go far enough.)
Still others say, "You've got to master the mechanics." (That helps, too. But it won't put you on top of the sales charts unless you master the right mechanics.)

Selling Savvy

In today's market, it's crucial that we learn selling savvy. The sales environment has changed radically in four distinct ways:

1. Customers are better-educated, more sophisticated, and more value-conscious
In other words, they are harder to please; they want more for their money. Think about your own demands as a consumer. You insist on quality goods and efficient service. You don't want to be tricked into buying a product or service you don't want or need.
You expect follow-up service. If something goes wrong, you want to know that the salesperson and the company are going to stand behind the sale.
This means that salespeople have to stay on top of their markets. They have to be knowledgeable about their products and services. Moreover, they have to be honest and sincerely interested in helping their customers find value and derive satisfaction.

2. Competition is stiffer

Customers have so many options that price will always be the deciding factor — unless you can offer a strong differential advantage. With companies producing similar products at similar cost, it's getting tougher every day to offer substantially lower prices than the competition.

That means that you have to offer something that sets you apart from all the other salespeople who are trying to get your customers to buy from them. You have to provide quicker service, more up-to-date product knowledge, and better follow-up.
Your customers must acknowledge the superiority of your products and services. If not, you won't get the sale, no matter how good your product. Your success in selling depends less on the product you're selling, and more on your skills as a salesperson.

3. Technology is rapidly replacing peddlers

People are buying more through direct mail, interactive television and the Internet, simply by pressing a button or clicking a mouse. Companies are no longer looking for peddlers to handle items that are much easier to sell by phone or through the mail. In many cases, they're setting up self-service systems that can be operated by clerks.

Of course, there are plenty of very good opportunities for sharp salespeople who can sell with power and skill, especially in the industrial field. To be successful as a salesperson, you must find ways to distinguish yourself from the inexpensive clerks and the commonplace peddlers. You must rise to the challenge with proficient skills, depth of knowledge and a positive attitude.

4. Time has become a priceless commodity—for salespeople and for their customers
Prospects don't want salespeople wasting their time. And if you're serious about becoming successful, you don't have time to wander around showing your products or services to anyone who will look at them.

To survive in today's volatile marketplace, you need a clear and effective strategy. You need the skills to implement that strategy. And you need the know-how to make that strategy work for you. When you acquire and apply these things, you're demonstrating "selling savvy."

Five Vital Ingredients for Selling Savvy

Selling savvy is understanding the selling process well enough to approach it as a highly educated professional.
Selling savvy is understanding people well enough to influence them to buy.
Selling savvy is knowing how to execute.
Selling savvy means developing street smarts.
Selling savvy is having the self-discipline to carry out every detail of your strategy all day, every day.

Professionals vs. Workers

There's a distinction between a person with a worker mentality and a person with a professional mentality. Workers tolerate their jobs as burdens to be endured for the sake of putting food on their tables and roofs over their heads. Professionals see their jobs as rewarding components of their lives. Their careers and their personal lives complement and support each other. Their jobs are part of who they are.

Workers wait to be told what to do. They don't reach out for new responsibility, because they don't want responsibility. They take care of their own immediate tasks without worrying about how their tasks affect others in the organization. In fact, they don't see themselves as part of the organization. They see the organization as an outside entity that may have a negative or positive impact on their lives. They refer to it in the third person: as "it" or "them," and not as "we." The organization is something they have to respond to, although they're not a part of it.

Professionals see themselves as part of the organization. To them, the organization is "we." When it succeeds, they succeed. When it suffers reverses, they feel the reverses.
People look up to professionals because they recognize them as being good at what they do. They're good because they've walked the extra mile toward excellence. They absorb information about their chosen fields, and they share their knowledge with others.
To be a professional, you have to look like a pro, communicate like a pro, and exude the confidence of a pro. You must set a high standard for yourself and never allow yourself to fall below that standard.

Please send your views to vivekhattangadi@yahoo.co.in

Delegation - Getting the help you need, when you need it

2006-02-06T21:37:00.000-08:00

This is an article on DELEGATION which I have downloaded from Internet. I am sorry, I do recollect the source. Vivek Hattangadi

Introduction:

There is a limit to the amount of work that you can do on your own. There is only so much value that you can deliver to your organization without the help of other people.

If you are successful in your career, at some stage the demands on you will become greater than you are able to cope with on your own. As they do, you must learn to delegate parts of your work to be able to manage your increased workload, and further expand the value you can deliver.
Delegation is the skill that you must acquire to manage this work, and to ensure that it is successfully delivered. It is also a skill you can use to bring other people's expertise to bear in your your work, particularly in areas where you do not have the skills or the temperament to do the best possible job. Furthermore, the transfer of responsibility involved with delegation develops your staff, and can increase their enjoyment of their roles

How to ‘delegating work’ to other people

Delegation involves passing responsibility for completion of work to other people. This section examines the reasons you should delegate, how to delegate, failure to delegate and what should not be delegated.

Delegation is useful for the following reasons:
1.Once people have learned how to work with you, they can take responsibility for jobs you do not have time to do.
2.You can develop people to look after routine tasks that are not cost-effective for you to carry out
3.It transfers work to people whose skills in a particular area are better than yours, saving time.
4.Transfer of responsibility develops your staff, and can increase their enjoyment of their jobs

The ideal position to reach as a manager is one where your staff carries out all the routine activities of your team. This leaves you time to plan, think, and improve the efficiency of what you are doing.

How to delegate

The following points may help you in delegating jobs:
Deciding what to delegate: One way of deciding what to delegate is simply to list the things that you do which could be more effectively done by someone either more skilled in a particular area, or less expensive. Alternatively you may decide to use your activity log as the basis of your decision to delegate: this will show you where you are spending large amounts of time on low yield jobs.

Select capable, willing people to carry out jobs: How far you can delegate jobs will depend on the ability, experience and reliability of your assistants. Good people will be able to carry out large jobs with no intervention from you. Inexperienced or unreliable people will need close supervision to get a job done to the correct standard. However if you coach, encourage and give practice to them you may improve their ability to carry out larger and larger tasks unsupervised.

Delegate complete jobs: It is much more satisfying to work on a single task than on many fragments of the task. If you delegate a complete task to a capable assistant, you are also more likely to receive a more elegant, tightly integrated solution.

Explain why the job is done, and what results are expected: When you delegate a job, explain how it fits into the overall picture of what you are trying to achieve. Ensure that you communicate effectively:
the results that are needed
the importance of the job
the constraints within which it should be carried out
the deadlines for completion
internal reporting dates when you want information on the progress of the project

Then let go! Once you have decided to delegate a task, let your assistant get on with it. Review the project on the agreed reporting dates, but do not constantly look over their shoulders. Recognize that your assistants may know a better way of doing something than you do. Accept that there may be different ways of achieving a particular task, and also that one of the best ways of really learning something is through making mistakes. Always accept mistakes that are not caused by idleness, and that are learned from.

Give help and coach when requested: It is important to support your subordinates when they are having difficulties, but do not do the job for them. If you do, then they will not develop the confidence to do the job themselves.

Accept only finished work: You have delegated a task to take a workload off you. If you accept only partially completed jobs back, then you will have to invest time in completing them, and your assistant will not get the experience he or she needs in completing projects.

Give credit when a job has been successfully completed: Public recognition both reinforces the enjoyment of success with the assistant who carried out the task and sets a standard for other employees.

Why do people fail to delegate?

Despite the many advantages of delegation, some managers do not delegate.
This can be for the following reasons:
Lack of time: Delegating jobs does take time. In the early stages of taking over a job you may need to invest time in training people to take over tasks. Jobs may take longer to achieve with delegation than they do for you to do by yourself, when coaching and checking are taken into account. In time, with the right people, you will find that the time taken up reduces significantly as your coaching investment pays back.

Perfectionism - fear of mistakes: Just as you have to develop staff to do jobs quickly without your involvement, you will have to let people make mistakes, and help them to correct them. Most people will, with time, learn to do jobs properly.

Enjoying 'getting my hands dirty': By doing jobs yourself you will probably get them done effectively. If, however, your assistants are standing idle while you do this, then your department will be seriously inefficient. Bear in mind the cost of your time and the cost of your department's time when you are tempted to do a job yourself.

Fear of surrendering authority: Whenever you delegate, you surrender some element of authority (but not of responsibility!) This is inevitable. By effective delegation, however, you get the benefits of adequate time to do YOUR job really well.

Fear of becoming invisible: Where your department is running smoothly with all routine work effectively delegated, it may appear that you have nothing to do. Now you have the time to think and plan and improve operations (and plan your next career step!)

Belief that staff ‘are not up to the job': Good people will often under-perform if they are bored. Delegation will often bring the best out of them. People who are not so good will not be effective unless you invest time in them. Even incompetent people can be effective, providing they find their level. The only people who cannot be reliably delegated to are those whose opinions of their own abilities are so inflated that they will not co-operate.

It is common for people who are newly promoted to managerial positions to have difficulty delegating. Often they will have been promoted because they were good at what they were doing. This brings the temptation to continue trying to do their previous job, rather than developing their new subordinates to do the job well.
What should not be delegated?

While you should delegate as many tasks as possible that are not cost effective for you to carry out, ensure that you do not delegate the control of your team. Remember that you bear ultimate responsibility for the success or failure of what you are trying to achieve.
Effective delegation involves achieving the correct balance between effective control of work and letting people get on with jobs in their own way.

You can send your comments at:
vivekhattangadi@yahoo.co.in

Prof. Tarun Gupta, Vivek Hattangadi and Strategy Execution for First Line Managers

2006-02-06T21:28:00.000-08:00

Dear Visitor

If an organization has to deliver superior performance, without doubt, the people accountable for strategy execution – the 1st line managers hold the key.

In his book ‘Execution – The Discipline of Getting Things Done’, Prof. Ram Charan says: “Execution is the great unaddressed issue in the business world today. Most often, the difference between a company and its competitor is the ability to execute. If your competitors are executing better than you are, they are beating you”.

In recent years, the pace of growth of the pharma industry in India has slowed down alarmingly and the obvious reason is that execution of strategies is at levels unacceptable to the top management.

Reasons for poor execution of strategies could be many. Prof. Tarun Gupta, the master implementer of brilliant strategies and his student Vivek Hattangadi, have analyzed the reasons for poor strategy execution in most companies and have a solution to offer on this issue.

Based on our expertise, we have together developed a module that will help the first line managers in the pharmaceutical and the FMCG industries to execute strategies at levels acceptable to the top management.

The module, which can be fine tuned to be company specific, will help the first line managers appreciate the gap between what the company’s leaders want to achieve and the ability of the first line managers to deliver it.

We have already conducted such this programme for a Rs.100 crore company very successfully.

We look forward to an interaction with you to work out the finer details of the programme.

You can contact us at
vivekhattangadi@yahoo.co.in

or

Telephone: 91-79-26601479

With warm regards,

Vivek Hattangadi

About the faculty

Prof Tarun Gupta, the doyen of the Indian pharmaceutical industry, needs no introduction.

In his very eventful association with Glaxo, Sandoz and Ranbaxy, he has produced many illustrious marketing professionals for the pharmaceutical industry.

He was responsible for the numerous innovations in pharma marketing, like the visual aid, which is in vogue even today. His imaginative retail shop audit through ‘live prescription monitoring’ has tremendously helped a company like Solus build an authentic and dynamic doctor base.

Along with Prof. Chitta Mitra, he was the innovator of prescription audit. He was the first to understand that focus had to shift from month-end sales push to prescription generation – he did not give too much significance to ORG audit in his days because he knew that MAT or monthly rankings could easily change when a company offered bonus schemes to retailers.

Prof. Tarun Gupta is currently Professor-Emeritus in Marketing with Somaiya Institute of Management and Senior Professor of Marketing at Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies – a Deemed University.

Prof. Vivek Hattangadi started his career with Carter - Wallace Ltd., After a brilliant career in sales and field operations in this company for over fourteen years, he shifted to Sun Pharma in the brand management team.

Under the tutelage of Prof. Tarun Gupta, he built several strong brands for Sun Pharma, some of them being Alzolam, Monotrate, Famocid, Angizem and Prodep.

After a brief stint with Cadila Laboratories [Alidac Genetics] as Group Product Manager, he took over Intas Pharmaceuticals as General Manager [Marketing and Sales] and was responsible for nurturing this company to its present status it enjoys in the industry. Through his brand Ciza, [Read – the success story of Intas on this site, elsewhere], he was able to create a new segment in the ORG, i.e. gastric pro-kinetics.

His last assignment was with Torrent Pharmaceuticals, where after being the General Manager with Psycan Division [super speciality division for cardiology and diabetology], he was given the responsibility to create their neuro-psychiatry division – Mind.

In January 2004, he stared his consultancy firm, ‘The Enablers’, which offers consultancy services in brand management and HRD (Training).

He is also a visiting faculty / guest faculty in Pharmaceutical Brand Management and Sales Management in many business schools for MBA in Pharmaceutical Management.

‘The Enablers’ unlocks the concealed potential in people, converts their dormant inherent strength into actuality and leverages latent energy to achieve their goals and dreams and enables them to emerge as winners.

vivekhattangadi@yahoo.co.in

v_hattangadi@hotmail.com

theenablers@gmail.com

Do we really understand the 20/80 rule?

2006-02-06T02:31:00.000-08:00

Read on this article by Matthew Syrett and let us put it use in our industry
Vivek Hattangadi

Do You Really Understand the 80/20 Rule?
By Matthew Syrett October 18, 2005

Few rules are more widely quoted in marketing today than the 80/20 Rule (the Pareto's Principle), which states that 80% of your sales come from just 20% of your customer base.

In this age of relationship marketing, this rule has become an often-heard battle cry to focus our efforts on maintaining the loyalty of customers belonging to the golden 20% that drive most of our business, while spending less effort on the trivial other 80%.
Intuitively, it makes sense. But this marketing interpretation of the 80/20 rule is actually flawed.

The present understanding of the 80/20 derives in large part from Dr. Joseph Juran, who in the 1940s wrote a wonderful article describing the 80/20 rule's applicability to industrial quality control. He concluded that the greatest quality gains were to be found in focusing quality assurance efforts on the 20% of all defects that cause 80% of problems. He saw that not all defects were created equal, so it is inefficient to treat them as if they were.
Juran's work has subsequently been expanded to a wide range of other fields, including marketing, where it has found a home in customer loyalty theory and relationship marketing. While interesting, the direct application of Juran's work to marketing is not as straightforward as it first appears, and care should be taken when applying it to our marketing practices.

The 80/20 rule as conceived by Juran assumes an equal return on investment for each opportunity. This is not an assumption that typically works in marketing, where the margins on sales vary widely based upon the terms of those sales. Most importantly, the more a customer buys, the more bargaining power they tend to have to drive down the price they pay per item.

For instance, a bar of soap sold through Wal-Mart will tend to margin less for its manufacturer than the same bar of soap sold through a small grocery chain, since Wal-Mart's purchasing power enables it to drive a significantly better price per bar of soap than everyone else. This difference in margins means that the gains in volume catering to the golden 20% can come at the cost of a lower profit margin. When those differences are great, it is easy to have situations where the "trivial" 80% of customers are actually more profitable on only 20% of the volume.

This observation lies at the heart of a richer interpretation of the 80/20 rule, which can lead you in many circumstances to do the exact opposite of what a simple Juran-style interpretation of 80/20 would lead us to believe.
An alternative way at looking at 80/20 rule in marketing is as a model for creating economy of scale through selling to a few high-volume customers at near cost, while funding continued overall business growth through selling at higher margins and lower volume to everyone else.

As the high-volume customers drive down prices through leveraged negotiation, a marketer is able to offset the need to appease these powerful buyers by margining well everywhere else in their business, as long as they have an adequate population of low-volume buyers.

In this light, the 80/20 is not always an argument to wash our hands of low-volume customers. It actually is an argument to use a blended profit margin to achieve continued growth and competitiveness without being priced out of the highest-volume deals. Those high-volume deals, while having decreasing returns proportionate to their scale, are critical for a business to achieve the necessary economies of scale to competitively lower overall costs of production and distribution.

In other words, the highest-volume 20% of your customer base will drive profitability through creating efficient scales of business, while the lower 80% will drive profitability through aggressive margins. It is easy to see how these two strategies would work best when they feed off each other's efforts, rather than working in isolation. Indeed, there are often harsh growth limits for your business set by selling only to the "best" 20% of your customers, or engaging only in low-volume deals.

This is not to say that relationship marketing efforts to keep the loyalty of "golden" 20% should be abandoned; rather, the health of our marketing relationships with other 80% of our customers needs to be equally addressed and certainly not abandoned. The only exception to this general rule is when the margins on high- and low-volume customers are largely identical or random. In those cases, ignoring the 80% is probably a good idea.

At least, I found this article very inspiring
vivekhattangadi@yahoo.co.in 6th February 2006

HRD at Work

2006-02-05T22:41:00.000-08:00

HRD At Work

By Vivek Hattangadi, General Manager (Marketing and Sales) Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (Published in 1996)

[Published in ‘The Pharma Manager’ in January 1996 and reviewed by personalities like Dr. Cess Heiman (Director, Pfizer Ltd.), Dr. K. Anji Reddy, Chairman, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories), Prof. Tarun Gupta, (Senior Director, Ranbaxy Laboratories), Ganesh Nayak (President Zydus Cadila) and R.D. Joshi (Secretary General OPPI),]

HRD is the buzz word today. Unfortunately not many pharmaceutical companies in India give the importance it deserves to HRD functions. Is it because the HRD is considered as a non-revenue generating leech?

As a proprietor of a Rs.500 million company candidly puts it: “If I invest on developing people, they will join MNC’s and big Indian companies. So why invest? I would rather invest on giving better incentive schemes”. But he does not realize that these people in a few years may become obsolete, therefore, a liability to the organization. Moreover, the organizational growth will get stunted.

It is well recognized that development of competence of field personnel especially medical representatives and more importantly the life line of the company – the first line managers – in an organization is an essential pre-requisite for any growth or development effort, which ultimately results into higher profits.

As Dr. Krish Pennothur, President, World Academy of Productivity Science says “The primary concern of Productivity (and profitability) is it’s most precious source- The Human. Human Resources Development is the foundation of Productivity and Profitability”.

Companies which have setup “HRD Department”, symbolize the importance which the organization has given to help their people acquire competencies or to sharpen it. It also gives a feeling to the people that the management is progressive.

Human Resources Development is a continuous process, encompassing so many activities like training, motivation, appraisal and organizational culture.

But what does a Medical Representative at Imphal or an Area Manager at Trivandrum feel about HRD – Department?

I have talked to a cross- section of pharmaceutical field employees from multinationals to big growing Indian companies.

Believe it or not- to him the HRD is a glorified name of the Personnel Department.

HRD is looked upon as a discipline enforcing cell of the organization. The main function as perceived by them is to send appointment letters maintain leave records and P.F. records! Sometimes, to perform the chore of performance appraisal based on confidential reports sent by field managers.

This perception is possibly because the managers who man this department are paying only lip service to the HRD function. They have seldom interacted with field personnel.

Lack of empathy for the field personnel distances the HRD from the field.

It is time the professionally qualified HRD Managers, develop the functional line managers into HRD managers. In other words, the first, second and third line managers (even the marketing managers) should also be line HRD Managers!

The HRD at the Corporate Office and the line HRD Managers should work in tandem and complement the efforts of each other in developing the most valuable asset – people.

Human Resources Development is like a flower in bloom – to be experienced, but difficult to describe.

It is one of the most effective tools for the healthy growth of an organization-too important to be left to people who cannot put themselves in the shoes of field personnel.

HRD should therefore be an integral part of the job function of the line managers: this will make HRD activity more meaningful and effective.

Can the line manager be an effective HRD Manager?

Yes, if the Chief Executive Officer understands and believes in HRD. The CEO should have the vision to understand that brilliant marketing techniques of the marketing manager alone can not yield success.

Marketing success is a function of strategies and the enthusiasm of the field staff.

Enthusiasm can be developed and sustained only when the field employees are convinced that the management is genuinely interested in their growth and development. They will find their job more enjoyable and will be able to do ordinary things extraordinarily.

No marketing strategy can be complete without the implementer’s morale being high. This makes it all the more important for the marketing manager to be an effective HRD Manager.

In the context of the Indian pharmaceutical industry, the products of XLRI and IIM’s should blend with the line managers and provide them with instruments and systems to develop its human resources.

It is ultimately the line managers who can translate these into action. Needless to say, the line managers must realize that they have the responsibility to develop and train their junior field colleagues.

This can be achieved when the chief of marketing stops evaluating his line managers on the basis of sales alone. The message must be loud and clear: the line manager is first the HRD Manager and then the Sales Manager.

The role of line manager as HRD manager

To a CEO, P&L should not mean Profit and Loss alone.

P&L should also mean People and Love. P&L is based on

-trust

-respect

-empathy

-caring

-help

The line HRD manager can play a vital role in creating this atmosphere of love for his people. The line HRD manager must acquire new competencies to help him in his role as HRD manager. What are these?

Training: this activity can lead to skilled behavior. Training is the most direct way of helping an employee acquire new competencies. Training prevents obsolescence which is important for survival in the market driven, competitors ridden environment.
Training imparts skills, techniques and methodologies to employers and employees to assist them in establishing a place of work that is healthy. It helps one learn new processes, procedures, systems and other tools effectively I performance of their work.
The most useful and effective form of training – On the Job Training – can be best provided by the line-manager. The biggest advantage here is that the Medical Representative is productive during training. He is trained in the specific procedures required for the job. Moreover, he is able to see his progress and realize that he is doing worth-while work.

Successful training should ultimately enable one to work without close supervision. An efficient system should work well in their absence, and not only when the manager is around. Integrity, honesty and dedication should be taken for granted. The manager too, has to be trained to be a trainer. No one is beyond training! Senior managers should realize that in today’s dynamic work environment, training is a method to cope with change.

Coaching and Counseling: Dr. McCann has been on the forefront of the new model of working which has been given credibility under the name “Coaching.” What is the difference between counseling and coaching? The distinction between the two is often gray, rather than black and white.
· Counseling is often seen as problem focused
· Coaching is seen as future oriented and visionary.
While counseling deals with diagnosable conditions, with emotional and psychological disorders, coaching moves people away from problems (or “pathology”) toward solutions and a visionary future.
However, coaching, like counseling, can be very “therapeutic and healing,” just as therapy, when the therapist is focusing on the future and aiding in the formation of a vision, can be future oriented and visionary, according to Dr. Frederic Hudson a renowned psychologist.
In brief, coaching is for people who are not only hungry for change, but are willing to take responsibility for their own changes; people who believe in their own natural wholeness and resourcefulness; and who are looking for a mentor with experience and wisdom to partner, support and guide them on their path to change.

Motivation and Stimulation: Almost any treatise on people management says you must motivate people. Not entirely true – employees can bring their own motivation. Work should be regarded as a joy and not drudgery. The line HRD manager should create a sense of challenge in their daily work. When the work ceases to give a sense of growth and development, motivation goes down.
Striving for excellence provides motivation for most people as it gives purpose and meaning to life. The conviction to strive for excellence is an intensely personal one- the attainment of which is personally satisfying. After all, happiness comes from the full use of one’s potential to achieve excellence.
One school of thought says that there is no such thing called motivation. There is what is called the Stimulus Factor. High performance is not just a function of energy, skill, experience, but also a function of stimulus factor at work.

In the absence of frequent stimuli, people and organizations will fail. Success in business arises from the way Corporate HRD stimulate their employees to perform for their customers.

When effective stimulus is not provided, relations may atrophy and business will go into decline. Stimulus, therefore, must be factored into all business relationships, whether with the customers, with the vendors, suppliers or even employees.

What will happen when you fail to stimulate your body with exercise? Your body will be flabby, diseased.

Failure to stimulate heart with positive feelings and your heart will be clogged with negativity and make you feel bad.

Should you fail to stimulate the motivation of your people, their performance will progressively decline.

In selling should you fail to stimulate customers, with new experiences, they will be tired of your company and its products and they will look for business elsewhere

The eventual objective of motivation and stimulation is to make one effective. Pride, joy and a sense of growth are the basic elements of work motivation. How rich can be the job of a line –HRD manager be made!

Organizational Cultural Aspects: It is a set of beliefs, values and norms which together with symbols like dramatized events and personalities that represent the unique character of an organization
It also represents the organizations belief, knowledge, attitudes and customs.
Culture may result from the senior managers’ beliefs but may also result from employees beliefs.
It can be supportive or non-supportive
It can be positive or negative

It can affect the employees’ ability or willingness to adopt or perform well.
Organizational culture reflects the attitude of the top management. The culture in an organization flows from the values and beliefs it wishes to inculcate amongst its employees.
Organizations must promote an open culture as this promotes high performances as they bring out the true potential of its field employees.
Openness develops mutual trust between the superior and the subordinate. Such a culture creates a climate that engenders excellence. Unfortunately it has become a fad to display values which are rarely practiced. The line HRD managers should acquire newer techniques and skills to nurture the values and beliefs of the organization.

Appraisals: Performance appraisal can be a difficult and depressing activity for those appraisers who have not been trained in this area. The natural tendency then is to play safe and rate all appraises as “average” or “near average”. Effective training of the appraisers is the only answer.
The qualified HRD Managers have to step in to help the line HRD managers make performance appraisals dynamic and positive. For the medical representatives the appraisal scheme to be effective, it should be open.

Appraisal Reports should be read by the Medical Representative and then used by both the Medical Representative and the line HRD Manager for healthy discussion. The appraisee should be also be given the option to add his written comments.
Closed schemes can become the seed-beds of distrust and apprehension. While no process concerned with homosapiens is without snags, without doubt, appraisals have their share. The skills developed by the line- HRD Manager should build up a climate conducive to the development of the appraisee.

The pharmaceutical industry has made FMRAI and its allies into Frankenstein monsters. It’s high time the industry leaders not only tame it but brings it back into its fold. The line HRD managers’ role is now crucial. The professionally qualified HRD- managers have a lot to contribute in this effort. Both together can blend an organization into the ‘most-desired-to-work-for’ company. They need to have empathy towards the lonely gentlemen called Medical Representatives. For this, let them be in the real place of work, the field. But then – are we living in Utopia?

Please send your comments to

vivekhattangadi@yahoo.co.in

Positioning in the Indian pharmaceutical industry

2006-01-29T21:27:00.000-08:00

This article was written by Vivek Hattangadi and dedicated to Prof. Chitta Mitra of C Marc, the Brand Manager – Guru of the Indian Pharma industry – appeared in the November 1995 issue of ‘Pharma Manager’. It was edited by eminent pharma personalities like Prof. Tarun Gupta, Dr. Anji Reddy, Mr. K.C. Hegde and Mr. V. Thyagarajan.

Positioning in Pharma Industry

“Positioning is a concept that has changed the nature of advertising – a concept so simple that people have difficulty understanding how powerful it is”, say Al Ries and Jack Trout in their now legendary book “ Positioning- The Battle for your Mind”.

Product positioning is the art of tailoring the image and presentation of a product or service to appeal to a selected market segment.

At its best, product positioning enables marketers to draw a direct link between an existing product attribute and a specific customer need, in our industry, the doctor.

Positioning is not what you do to the product but what you do to the mind of the customer i.e. the doctor. Positioning also shows you how to use ad techniques to capture the biggest market share and become a household name

Examples of successful positioning in consumer products are aplenty; e.g. Lux- ‘The Beauty Soap’, Liril – ‘The Freshening Soap’ and Lifebuoy- ‘The Health Soap’- all from the same manufacturer! All of them successful!

How one would like to see such powerful positioning in the pharmaceutical market in India- and the scope here is much more than anywhere in the world.

Witness the fierce battle amongst 3 powerful brands of Ciprofloxacin! But has even one of these brands been able to effectively occupy the mind of the doctor on any particular attribute? It is today being widely prescribed in “Fever of Unknown Origin”, which was never the intention of any company marketing ciprofloxacin.

Simply, positioning is how your target market defines you in relation to your competitors.

A good position is:

1. What makes you unique

2. This is considered a benefit by your target market - the doctors

Both of these conditions are necessary for a good positioning. Does your target market consider this a good thing?

Positioning is important because you are competing with all the noise out there competing for your potential prescribers attention.

If you can stand out with a unique benefit, you have a chance at getting their attention.

It is important to understand your product from the customers point of view relative to the competition.

Positioning is a crucial decision and should not be taken in the air-conditioned chambers of the Marketing Managers.

It has to be done after meeting the doctors.

Right positioning can make even an ordinary product an extraordinary brand.

In order to begin positioning a product, two questions need to be answered:
1.What is our marketing environment?

2.What is our competitive advantage?

The marketing environment is the external environment. Some things to consider:

How is the market now satisfying the need your software satisfies?
What are the switching costs for potential users for your market?
What are the positions of the competition?

It is important, therefore, to know the perceptions of the brand in the doctor’s mind before a positioning decision is taken. Your position in the market place evolves from the defining characteristics of your product. Yes, meet the doctors, (No- Not an opinion poll).

If the Brand Manager believes that there is an area, which can be exploited, through proper promotion, and he has enough reasons to believe that it is a relatively strong, take a stand and position the brand to change the perception of the doctors.

After meeting the doctors, address the following issues:

a) What are the major needs of the prospect in the identified segment?

b) What is the order of those needs?

c) What is the vacant slot in the mind of the doctor?

Address these questions before determining the positioning the strategy.

Positioning Strategies

Pharmaceutical products can be positioned and measured against a number of parameters.

A pre-requisite to positioning is to identify the market segment.

Product positioning is the process of matching product features to the needs of selected market segment. This can be done through the following thought process.

Let us consider some of the ways that a positioning strategy can be conceived and implemented.

What are the needs of the doctor?

What are the benefits of the product?

What features can substantiate the claims?

a) Positioning by attribute

Associate the product with past experience with the company. A new product can be positioned with respect to an attribute that the competitors have ignored.

b) Positioning by price/quality

The price/quality dimension is so useful and pervasive that it can be a separate topic by itself. A high price serves to signal higher quality o the customer.

c) Positioning by indications

Another positioning strategy is associating the product with its indication. This is the obvious course to follow when a company has two or more products in the same therapeutic segment.

d) Positioning by the product user

One more approach is to associate a product with the user or a class of user. Sometimes a product can have multiple positioning strategies, although increasing the number involves obvious difficulties and risk.

e) Positioning with respect to a competitor

In positioning strategies an explicit or implicit frame of reference is the competition. First, a well established competitors image can be exploited to communicate another image referenced to it. Second, it is not important how good customers think you are; it is just important that they believe you are better. Build your strategy around your competition's weaknesses. Reposition a strong competitor and create a weak spot. Use your present position to its best advantage

Analyze recent trends that affect your positioning. Al Ries and Jack Trout provide many valuable case histories and penetrating analyses of some of the most phenomenal successes and failures in advertising history. When the positioning has been decided the positioning statement has to be made known not only to all involved in the marketing process, but also to people in the manufacturing finance, HRD and to all in the company. And of course, the grass root must understand the reasons for the position strategy.

Positioning an anti- anxiety drug: A case study

A new non-benzodiazepine immediate acting anxiolytic is being introduced for the first time in India. This anxiolytic has no sedative action unlike the benzodiazepines. Another interesting feature is that this anxiolytic has no drug-drug interactions. It is a long acting anxiolytic and its dosing is just one tablet a day.

Osborne Pharma Ltd. (OPL), the company marketing this new anxiolytic is already well entrenched in the cardio- vascular market.

Two of their products, a nitrate and a beta-blocker are the brand leaders in the respective markets and their ACE-Inhibitor and calcium channel blocker are very strong brands in their category. Moreover, OPL has a moderate presence in the macrolide and the quinoline market. No doubt, doctors prefer to call OPL as, “The House that Repairs Weak Hearts.”

This anxiolytic is the first “psychotropic” in their product portfolio.

OPL is invading into a new product category. Three more companies are also on the verge of introducing the same molecule. All of them more or less are of the same size. It would be an interesting battle amongst equals.

Market research reveals that anti- anxiolytic drugs have very strong co- prescription profile and the prescriber base from cardiologists and gastroenterologists and consultants nears 100%. At the same time, the prescriptions from psychiatrists for anxiolytics are very frequent. In fact, the most frequently prescribed drug by a psychiatrist is an anxiolytic.

Around 40 doctors are met determining the positioning. The positioning analysis is done and few questions are raised:

Would the profession accept a psychotropic product from a “Cardiac- Care” Company?

Has the vacant slot been determined?

Does OPL enjoy the same sort of equity with the gastro- enterologists and psychiatrists as it does with the cardiologists?

Will the psychiatrists accept a ‘psychiatry’ product from a “Cardiac Care” company?

Will the cardiologists accept an anxiolytic product from a “Cardiac Care” company?

Undoubtedly, had OPL introduced a product for cardio-vascular disease, success would be instantaneous. A sound positioning strategy, however, would make this anxiolytic a success.

The logical approach would be to position this product as a “co- prescription with the basic drug for cardio-vascular disease” as OPL has a “Cardiac” profile. It could be positioned as an ‘essential co-prescription’ in hypertension, and coronary artery disease. It would be easy for doctors to retie the connection that already exists for this company. His mind would readily accept what matches his prior knowledge and the experience with OPL!

Yes this would be a narrow but very powerful positioning for this company. But isn’t this what positioning is all about?

Here, OPL has made an overt decision to concentrate on a certain segment. This requires commitment and discipline because it is not easy to turn their backs on potential prescribers like psychiatrist and gastro-enterologists. A distinct, meaningful position is to focus on the target segments and not to be constrained by the reaction of other segments.

“Narrower- The Stronger”. A question can be raised at this juncture as to whether it would be prudent for OPL to re- position itself from its current position as a “Cardiac- Care” company to a “Total Healthcare” company.

The anxiolytic from OPL should be successful as the attempt is to distinguish it from competitors. Thus would help the doctor to know the real differences between the OPL brand and the other 3 brands.

Acknowledgements

Ries, A. and Trout,J.
David Aaker

American Marketing Association

Please send your comments at:
vivekhattangadi@yahoo.co.in or
v_hattangadi@hotmail.com

Giving gifts not good for doctors

2006-01-28T04:46:00.000-08:00

I reproduce below an interesting article I downloaded from the Internet. In the Indian context, in the pharmaceutical industry, Brand Managers and Field Managers refuse to see beyond gifts and samples for brand building activities. Communication and other activities take a back seat. Now, after reading this article, one can even say it is also unethical? Come on Brand Managers, let us get into real Brand Building activities - Vivek Hattangadi

Giving Gifts To Doctors Not Good For Patients 25 Jan 2006

The medical profession is challenged by the conflict of interest between a doctor's commitment to his/her patient's interests and drug companies' product promotion. The prestigious Institute of Medicine as a Profession at Columbia University, New York, says that current self-regulation on giving gifts to doctors does not protect patients enough.

In a paper, the Institute says more stringent regulation is needed. It proposes a policy for academic medical centers to take the lead in eradicating doctors' conflicts of interest. This would include stricter controls on support for continuing medical education activity carried out by pharmaceutical companies.

The paper also calls for the end of free samples. The President of the Institute, D Rothman, says a gift requires reciprocity. Even though doctors say they cannot be bought, he believes gifts do influence prescribing patterns. He says that what should underlie doctors' prescribing ought to be scientific knowledge and patients' interests, not reciprocity - be it conscious or unconscious.

You can read the paper in the January 25 issue of JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association).The pharmaceutical industry in the USA spends $21 billion on marketing. According to the report, a large part of this is directed at physicians.

Even medical students get gifts and attend events paid for by drug makers.

Written by: Christian Nordqvist - Editor: Medical News Today

The success story of Intas Pharma - A Case Study

2006-01-23T22:41:00.000-08:00

This is the success story of Intas and is a case study for all the students of brand management.

The success story of Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd. – A case study
as told by Vivek Hattangadi

In early 1992, when Dilip Shanghavi, now Chairman and Managing Director, Sun Pharma, confided in me that Sun Pharma would shift back to Bombay in a couple of years, I was taken aback. Probably he felt that I would be happy as I was a thoroughbred Bombayite (or as you can now call – Mumbaikar). But exactly the opposite happened.

Having spent about six of my 18 professional years (then in 1992) in Bombay, I knew that if I shift to Bombay, I would be spending five hours everyday in commuting. These 5 hours would be a waste, which I could utilize in self-development and reading.

For my self-development, Bombay was certainly not the right place.

I started looking for a change in a forward-looking company in Ahmedabad. I got my break in Intas.

Intas in 1992 was exactly what Sun Pharma was in 1987 when I joined them. Intas then, was hardly doing Rs. 20.00 lakhs per month and the field force across the country did not exceed 50 medical representatives and field managers.

But I could see the fire in both the brothers – Nimish Chudgar and Binish Chudgar. They wanted to come into the big league as early as possible and were constantly looking for new molecules and effective people.

They mentioned that the field staff at Intas had a low-morale as Intas was not succeeding like USVP, Torrent or Sun Pharma.

The first job at H.O. was to breathe fire into the field staff and develop a killer instinct in them.

The introduction of a successful new brand seemed to be only way out.

By October 1992, Torrent (A company which was then over 35 times bigger than Intas in sales) had already procured permission for cisapride and they marketed it as Unipride – but could not make much headway.

We at Intas were also thinking about this product although Torrent had failed. This is the most opportune moment, I thought, to achieve what the Chudgar brothers wanted.

We were all keen on making this new brand a prized brand and to transcend the product and may be even the company.

A very catchy name, the think tank at Intas thought, would help.

We brainstormed and my colleague in the Product Management Team – Chirayu Upadhya came out with the name CISA.

All liked it and we were about to zero down on this name.

I still wanted the doctors perception on this name. I asked Chirayu to meet a few gastro-enterologists. Within 3 days Chirayu came back to me and said that a great majority of them have found the name CISA to be sweet, short and catchy.

Chirayu, however added, that when the doctors were asked to pronounce the name, he distinctly heard them pronouncing the ‘s’ in CISA like ‘z’.

If that is the case, I said to Chirayuu, we would call it ‘CIZA’

And CIZA was born.

Two things were very important – the promotional theme and the brand name style.

Ciza was a pro-kinetic agent, which improved the motility of the g.i. tract. The logo style, therefore, had to depict a forward propelling movement.

We asked the vizualizer to stretch the tail of the ‘z’; use italica style so that the brand name Ciza should appear to have a forward propelling movement: which was exactly the mode of action of the drug.

The logo style, when finally developed appeared some thing like this, (with the tail of the ‘z’ stretched to extend below the ‘a’ in brand name):

Ciza

This logo style did contribute significantly to the success of the brand.

On the promotional theme, to the gastro-enterologists, the introduction of cisapride was akin to the ‘wheel being invented’. (A doctor in fact verbalized this during the brand name interviews).

Our introductory literature had an image of the Stone Age wheel and the copy screamed: “Kinetics rediscovered…”

Ciza became an instant hit and in the first month itself, Ciza had a sale of over Rs. 20 lakhs – more than all the other brands of Intas put together.

The field staff responded very positively. I knew that I was able to strike the right chord and ignite fire in their bellies. And then they went in for the kill.

West Bengal in general and Calcutta in particular, had the tradition to make all like H2-antogonists and PPI’s successful. If Ciza was to be made a brand to be reckoned with, success in Calcutta was vital.

The then Regional Manager at Calcutta – Mr. Pradeep Kumar Mukherjee, played a significant role.

Mr. Mukherjee approached Dr. P.N. Jalan of Calcutta, the most respected gastro-enterologists in India, to conduct a symposium on this brand.

At first, Dr. Jalan refused to even grant an interview to Mr. Mukherjee, saying that Intas was an unknown entity and he would not like to be associated with the symposium to be conducted by Intas. But Pradeepda used all his charm and successfully persuaded him to be the main speaker.

The very fact that Dr. Jalan was to be the speaker drew record-breaking crowds to the symposium.

Overnight, Intas was recognized as a company to be taken seriously. The follow through activities by Pradeepda and his team at Calcutta was terrific. Ciza and Intas painted the town red.

The success at Calcutta was soon replicated in all the major cities and soon, the gastro-enterologists across the country fell in love with Ciza and Intas.

Later on we had brand extensions like Ciza MPS and Ciza 40 for diabetic gastro-paresis.

We then used CRM activities as the main weapon and swayed the gastro-enterologists towards Intas.

We built a base of loyal doctors and we knew them ‘by heart’.

At one time, when the sales of Ciza had reached Rs.250 millions annually, we could actually count exactly 627 gastro-enterologists and physicians with a gastro-enterology profile who contributed to over Rs. 200 millions from the Rs.250 millions. Yes – the Pareto’s Principle was loudly visible.

Success breeds’ success and all gastro products introduced by Intas became run-away hits. Lan-30 was one of them. Although, this was the 6th brand of lansoprazole to be introduced, within a year, it went on to be the brand leader.

Towards the end of the last century, Intas had 3 divisions and today it is a multi-divisional company and ranks amongst the top 20 companies in the industry in India with annual sales turnover expected to reach Rs.4000 million by the end of March 2006.

A case study in the Indian pharma industry, where a brand built a company.

Secrets of Success

2006-01-20T00:31:00.000-08:00

The secrets of success? Read this interview with Rod Moore

My Secrets for Success!

Rod Moore talks to Rachel Manktelow and shares his secrets for sure success. As a life strategist, trainer, and creator of the “Design Your Life” system, Rod has inspired thousands of people to achieve more success in their lives. Rachel talks to Rod about his own influences and his secrets for success.

Rachel: Rod, can you tell me something about the successful people you most admire?

Rod: There are many people who come to mind but three in particular that I see as role models for what is possible.

Martin Luther King Jr. – The spiritual leader of the civil rights movement in the 1960’s was one of the most influential and persuasive people of the last century. His ability to move people to action through his mastery of language was truly inspirational. He directly modeled the success of Gandhi, using a peaceful approach to voicing discontent. He had strong moral conviction and was prepared to die for what he believed.

Richard Branson – Told he was dyslexic at a young age, Richard Branson’s is an amazing story of success. Some people with a similar condition are held back by it or worse, use it as an excuse that limits their achievement. Instead, Richard took action and, at the age of 15, launched his first business. He based his businesses on what he values most: having fun, involving his staff and treating them well and making great products and services accessible through lower prices.

Lance Armstrong – Lance Armstrong is an example of what you can achieve when you are focused on a compelling future. When diagnosed with cancer, he chose not to focus on this and instead to focus on his dream: To win the toughest bike race on the planet. Winner of 7 Tour de France races, he is a model of consistency, focus, determination, self-belief, guts and glory. Rachel: Great role models! So how, specifically, can people learn from these role models and apply their successes in our own lives?Rod: In each of these people, we can find many clues for improving our own lives. Quite simply, by studying such people you can learn how to model their success. For example, when I wanted to learn how to be a more compelling professional speaker, I went out and got recordings of all of Martin Luther King’s speeches and listened to them over and over. I studied the structure of his speeches, his vocal tonality, his use of metaphors, his pacing and his passion. As a result my own speaking moved to a new level.

So the key is to ask: What goal are you working towards? And whom can you learn from who has been successful in that before you?

If you want to climb Mount Everest (or any other challenging mountain!) then make a list of the great mountain climbers. Then simply learn to model their attitude and actions: What are their thoughts and beliefs, their strategies such as preparation and training, their resources such as the team they worked with? By modelling those who have succeeded before you, you can really achieve anything you want to.Rachel: You've worked with some amazing people and helped them achieve much more from in their lives. Can you share with us some of your most favorite success stories? Rod: Every day I have the good fortune to hear from people who have used our goal setting systems to transform their lives. It’s exciting to see that people can totally change their lives simply by expanding their view of possibilities, creating clear, focused goals, and developing the right mindset to propel them towards the life they dream of.

Perhaps my favorite story is of a lady who was interested in goal setting and personal development but had not really set any goals in the past. When she used my goal setting system she took a month to go through it and totally design her life. She ended up setting over 90 major goals! This gave her an expanded view of what was possible in life. As a result she decided to learn more and begin delivering goal-setting workshops. In the next 6 months she presented over 100 workshops. She became highly successful and now presents workshops frequently in the UK and Barbados.

Another story I love is of a young lady in New York. She dreamed of writing a movie script and having it become a Hollywood movie. So she already had her big dream – but no idea about how take it forward in real life. By using my goal setting process she was able to “chunk down” her goal into smaller steps, and soon she began to make rapid progress forward. She is now in negotiations for the movie deal and set to become a huge star.

Rachel: Rod, we are all so keen for success, so why do so many of us fail to achieve our full potential?Rod: Most people fail due to their mindset. Many times, I have had people tell me they set a goal to become a millionaire. And failed. When I speak to them about what they have done to actually achieve the goal it usually amounts to very little. I call it the “million-dollar-goal, $10-dollar-mindset syndrome”.

Goals are of little value if your mindset is not aligned to the goals. Most people limit their success because of their mindset. They picture the worst possible outcome. They talk themselves out of making that phone call… They tell themselves it probably won’t work out anyway.

The most powerful tools I have come across to align your mindset with your goals are based on Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP). NLP works on your unconscious mind, re-imprinting new mental programs that compel you to action. The “Design Your Life” system uses NLP techniques to help align your mindset with your goals.

The first vital step towards achieving your potential is of course to design a compelling future. But the next step, and by far most important, is to align your mindset.

Rachel: So what are your top tips for everyone wanting to make 2006 their most successful year ever?

Rod: As I tell people in my goal-setting workshops, to achieve massive success, here’s what you must do:

(1) Expand your view of possibility. Don’t feel constrained. You can achieve much more when you follow your dreams.

(2) Design your life in detail using a specific life design system such as “Design Your Life”.

(3) Break your goals down into a step-by-step action plan. Learn from the strategies and actions of others who have found success already.

(4) Align your mindset to your goals. “Design Your Life” uses good NLP techniques to help align your mindset with your goals. Investigate and start using some such “mind programming” techniques.

(5) Take massive action. After taking action review the outcome and be prepared to adjust your approach if you do not get the result you where seeking. Keep doing this until you reach your goal

(6) Find a mentor, friend or coach who will support you and help keep you on track.

(7) Enjoy yourself! You need focus and work on your plans, but also have some fun along the way.

Beating Procrastination

2006-01-20T00:20:00.000-08:00

How to manage time? Learn from MindTools -- an article by Kellie Fowler

Beating Procrastination Manage your time; get it all done.
by Kellie Fowler

If you’ve found yourself putting off important tasks over and over again, you’re not alone. In fact, most people procrastinate to some degree - but some are so chronically affected by procrastination that it disrupts their careers and thwarts even their best efforts.

The key to controlling and ultimately combating this destructive habit is to understand how and why it happens (even to the best of us) and to take a few simple steps to better manage your time and outcomes.

Understanding Procrastination:
In a nutshell, you procrastinate when you put off things that you should be focusing on right now, usually in favor of doing something that is more enjoyable or that you’re more comfortable doing.

Sometimes this happens when someone does not understand the difference between urgency and importance. The prevailing belief here: We all have the same amount of time in every day and procrastinators spend this time fully, but do not invest it wisely.

Instead, procrastinators focus so much on urgent issues that they have little or no time left for the important tasks, despite the unpleasant outcomes this may bring about.

Other causes of procrastination can be as simple as waiting for the “right” mood or the “right” time to tackle the important task at hand; a fear of failure or success; underdeveloped decision-making skills; poor organizational skills; or perfectionism.

How to Combat Procrastination:Whatever the reason behind procrastination, it must be recognized, dealt with and controlled before you miss opportunities or your career is derailed.

Part of the solution is to develop good organizational and personal effectiveness skills. Learn to establish the right priorities, and manage your time in such a way that you make the most of the opportunities open to you.

The other part of the solution can be as simple as applying this rule of thumb: If you're not working (directly of indirectly) to progress your top priority projects, you may be procrastinating. And, when you're doing something important, such as working on your top-priority project or task, and something urgent comes up, recognize that this will take time away from this important work.

To do this, it is imperative to understand the difference between urgency and importance.

On one hand, let’s say that your boss comes to your office and says he or she has called a meeting and wants you to join other team members in the conference room now. This is clearly urgent.

Or, your sales manager calls in from the field and explains that your biggest customer just received the wrong shipment and is in dire need of the correct shipment. This will require tracking down the original shipment, working through the placed orders, even the salesman’s paperwork, etc. Again, this is urgent.

However, while immediate action is needed here, these things only tangentially affect the truly important things in your life.

Important things are likely to be the actions that serve to broaden you, build your career, or achieve something of real human significance to you. These important actions are often easy to pinpoint, for they are the ones that help you achieve your goals.

This is not to say that you do not have to take care of the urgent things. Instead, you will need to take care of these things as efficiently as possible, while also staying on top of the important demands/going-ons of the day. You’ll need to minimize the time spent on these urgent tasks, while still ensuring that they are successfully and efficiently resolved.

With proper planning and some self-discipline, many urgent matters disappear altogether or, when they do surface, your planning and discipline makes them less urgent and easier to deal with. This means that you waste less of the valuable time that should be spent on the important things.

And, keep in mind that you probably do not have to handle every urgent matter yourself. Delegate as far as possible, so that you do not get caught up in remedying every urgent situation. To spend life "firefighting" is a misuse of your “important” time.

What they Dont Teach at IIM- Ahmedabad

2006-01-19T01:08:00.000-08:00

What They Dont Teach at IIM- Ahmedabad: Lessons on Life

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. So, he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall.When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen.

WINTER

The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted.

SPRING

The second son said "No it was covered with green buds and full of promise"

SUMMER

The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.

FALL

The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

The man then explained to his sons that they were all speaking the truth, because they had each seen but only one season in the tree's life.He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, fulfillment of your fall.Moral:Don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest.

Don't judge life by one difficult season.

Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come sometime or later.

Do let me have your feedback at vivekhattangadi@yahoo.co.in

Coping with Unreasonable Demands

2006-01-17T04:23:00.000-08:00

This a very interesting article downloaded from Mind Tools

Coping With "Unreasonable Demands"Job Stress Management from Mind Tools - James Manktelow

Introduction:

Demands that seem unreasonable can be a tremendous source of stress.

These often arise when innocent situations come together and reinforce one another to create stressful, extreme, and unfeasible demands on you. For example, if you are in a customer service role, several customers can be clamoring for completion of large jobs at the same time. This becomes intensely stressful when you only have the resource to service a few of them.

Similarly, enthusiastic middle managers can amplify the importance of simple, low priority requests from senior managers, creating unwarranted pressure on implementation teams. In other situations, requirements can be misunderstood when transmitted from person-to-person, the importance of deadlines can be overstated, and requests can be made in ignorance of key pieces of information.

Obviously, real emergencies can also occur. Resolving these can often require extreme and unpleasant levels of activity from all involved.

In all of these cases, and in many others, reasonable people can make unreasonable demands with or without knowing it. If you add into this the concept of “stretch goals”, the fact that people making requests may not have correctly appreciated the situation, and the fact that that people may be playing normal commercial games, you can see how problems arise.

This tool helps you to work through apparently unreasonable demands to understand what lies behind them, and develop appropriate solutions to them. It helps you to work effectively with the person making the demand to find a satisfactory solution, rather than just assuming that the other person is “difficult and unreasonable”. This helps you to reduce the stress that these situations can cause.

Using the Tool:

By using this process, you can ensure that:
· The situation has not arisen as a result of a misunderstanding;
· You have fairly tried to understand the other person’s position;
· You have explored all reasonable ways to meet the demands; and
· You have tried to negotiate a fair compromise.
Each step in the diagram is explained below:

1. Check Your Information and Assumptions:

The first stage of this process is simply to make sure of your information. Check that you have not made any incorrect assumptions. Then check that you fully understand what you are being asked to do. Finally, confirm when it needs to be delivered. If you are set a deadline, understand why that deadline has been set, and what happens if it is not met. You may find that deadlines are actually much more flexible and arbitrary than they initially appear.

2. Look From the Other Person’s Perspective:

If things still seem unreasonable, try looking at the situation from the other person’s perspective. Make sure you are fully aware of all of the facts. For example, if you are working at full capacity and someone asks you to take on more priority work, they might not know how much work you have on. Explain the situation to them, and try to negotiate an appropriate solution.

Tip: “Negotiate" is an overloaded word. It conjures up images of sophisticated ploys and subtle gamesmanship. While this can be true in very important negotiations with a great deal at stake, what “negotiate” normally means is "find a mutually acceptable solution". This is often easy, and is something we do all the time.

It is also quite possible that what seems unreasonable to you, might seem fine to someone else. For example, if you are new to a company, it might have a longer hours culture than you are used to. As another example, a client needing to place a priority order may expect it to be turned around in a reasonable time - the fact that your production process is backlogged may not interest them. Come to a fair view of what is right in the set circumstances with which you have to work, and then manage the situation appropriately.

3. Explore Your Alternatives and the Cost of the Alternatives:

If the demand still seems unreasonable, think through all the ways in which you might try to meet it. A little lateral thinking may help you to find a solution. Evaluate the impact of any possible solution.

4. Explain Your Perception Assertively:

Using the techniques we described in our assertiveness article, arrange a meeting and explain the situation as you see it in an assertive manner.

5. Agree or Disagree, and Manage the Consequences:

By this stage, you will have done everything that you can reasonably be expected to do to meet the unreasonable demand.

It is still quite possible that you may not have agreed on a fair way forward. The other person may be trying to squeeze you to get a better deal than is normal. This is quite often the case in tough commercial negotiations (particularly where the other person does not expect to have to do business with you again).
Alternatively (this is unpleasant) they may have political “hidden agendas” and may want you to fail or be disadvantaged.

This is where you need to know your “BATNA” – your Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement. This is the course of action or outcome that is open to you if you do not agree to meet the unreasonable demand. You also need to have an idea of what the future value of the relationship might be, as making a sacrifice now may bring strong benefit in the future.If your BATNA is good, then the other person may have little power to impose the demand on you. Either use your BATNA to negotiate good compensation for coping with the unreasonable demand, or reject it.

If your BATNA is poor, then you may have to agree to the demand. Even if this is the case, try to negotiate some form of fair compensation for any pain you have to accept.

If you choose to turn down the demand, make sure that you manage this with all of the stakeholders who will be affected - this gives them the opportunity to support you and help to manage the consequences.

Summary:

It is far too easy to immediately jump to the conclusion that someone is a “bad person” when they make an unreasonable demand of you. In reality, people can make unreasonable demands for a whole range of good and bad reasons.

This tool gives you a process for working through seemingly unreasonable demands. This involves the following stages:
· Checking your information and assumptions;
· Looking from the other person’s perspective;
· Exploring the alternatives;
· Explaining your perceptions assertively; and
· Agreeing or disagreeing, and managing the consequences.

If you choose to turn down the demand, make sure that you explain the reasons for this to all appropriate stakeholders. We talk about this next.

Please do communicate to me vivekhattangadi@yahoo.co.in

Please visit my site

2006-01-17T00:03:00.000-08:00

Dear blog visitors,

Please do visit my site

http://theenablers.blogspot.com

Vivek Hattangadi
17th January 2006

How to choose a copy writer?

2006-01-16T23:40:00.000-08:00

A very interesting article -A must read for Indian Pharma Brand Managers

How to Identify the Right Copywriter
by Youby Jonathan Kranz August 16, 2005

With September on the horizon, vacations are coming to an end and a new wave of marketing initiatives may be about to begin. For many organizations, 'tis the season to shop for talent, especially copywriters.

It looks easy enough. Just scroll through Craigslist or tap your talent agency, and you'll attract loads of well-scrubbed writers carrying handsome leather portfolio cases packed with clever, catchy copy.

But it's awfully hard to look beyond the leather to identify the talent who will really work for you. Too often, the new writer "just doesn't get it," cannot cooperate with your other talent or otherwise simply fails to articulate messages that really resonate with your audience.

Given human foibles, there are no fool-proof formulas for finding winners. But you can take measures—right at the start of your relationship—that give you a much greater probability of success. Here are some things you should look for in a writer at your very first meeting:

1. Connects creative work to underlying objectives

Face it: All the samples the writer proudly slides across the table to you are going to look pretty good. After all, your would-be writers cherry-pick their best work. Unless they're truly incompetent (most professionals are not), everything you read is going to be clean, smooth and attractive.

Your job is to dig deeper, to uncover the "why" behind each creative decision evidenced before you. Why was one benefit highlighted over others? Why use a particular catchphrase? What was the reasoning behind the diction, tone, point of view of the piece?

Good writing is never arbitrary, and every writer worth her salt should be able to connect her creative decisions to the underlying objectives of the project or the overall strategy behind the marketing campaign. Consider this your opportunity to expose the writer's thinking.

2. Wears many masks

Writers are like actors—they must be prepared to assume the voices and mannerisms of people who may be completely unlike themselves. As you flip through the samples, look for variety. You should "hear" different voices—manifested through changes in tone, rhythm and vocabulary—appropriate for different audiences. You should be able to guess the target demographic from the copy voice alone. The annual report for investment bankers should sound completely different from the direct mail pitch to porcelain doll collectors.

That's why industry experience may not be a significant criterion for selecting a writer. If a writer has the chameleon-like ability to match his voice to your audience's, chances are he can write effectively for your market. If not, no amount of industry knowledge will compensate for the inability to connect.

3. Asks questions—lots of them

Good copy is built on a foundation of understanding: who your customers are; what your prospects value and fear; how they shop. Also, what your product or service is; what makes it different; what role it plays in the purchasers' lives. Without this underlying knowledge, the resulting copy may be clever, but it won't be effective.

The only way a writer can reach that level of understanding is to dig for it by asking questions. Beware the passive writer who nods at everything you say and assures you she has everything she needs to proceed. Instead, look for the writer who pursues your comments with questions, then follows your answers with further questions. You want a writer willing to do this kind of spade work before writing a single word.

4. Listens well

Your interview should not become a dog-and-pony show for the writer's talent, limited to star-spangled presentations of beautiful brochures and self-adoring revelations of awards won, honors claimed. Sure, writers should be prepared to talk about themselves and their services. But, more importantly, they should be actively listening to you, taking pains to uncover your needs.

Do they ask questions (see preceding point) that logically follow your comments? Do they show genuine interest in what you do and how you work? And when you're speaking, is their body language reassuring? Do you see the kind of eye contact and body postures that indicate attentive listening? If they're not really listening to you now, when they're seeking your business, they probably won't when they're executing it.

5. Plays well with others

Ask anyone if he's a "team player," and you'll get prompt reassurances of the affirmative. No one will admit to being an arrogant prima donna, so you'll have to use indirect methods to gauge the writer's ability to work cooperatively with your team of designers, strategists, product managers and other marketing staff.

Take it as a good sign when a writer, without prompting, shares credit for a given project with other people who participated. Or openly admits that the driving concept came from someone other than himself. Or describes a project as a cooperative venture and articulates the value of the myriad roles that accomplished it. Conversely, regard the self-serving writer, the one who consistently hoards all credit to himself, with suspicion. Chances are, he'll make you and everyone who works with him miserable.

6. Demonstrates self-respect

We all want a bargain, and no one can fault us for desiring more, for less. After all, everything's negotiable.

Be careful what you wish for, however. A good writer may be willing to cut you a discount, perhaps in exchange for a guaranteed volume of work, but only the bottom-feeders will bite on rock-bottom project fees. Good writers respect the value of their work and expect to be compensated accordingly. If you insist on making price the most important criterion for selecting a writer, you may end up with a lot of grief you didn't bargain for.

In sum, it's not enough to review the resume, client list, samples or portfolio. You need to mind your prospective writer's behavior in the course of your first encounter. When you see curiosity, respect, intelligence and a healthy ability to listen carefully to others, you'll find a writer who's likely to work productively with you.

Jonathan Kranz is the author of Writing Copy for Dummies and the principal of Kranz Communications (www.kranzcom.com).

Whats in a name? A rose is not a rose rose if called by another name

2006-01-16T21:50:00.000-08:00

Heard of Famotin and Famonite?
Heard of Oscar and Oskar ?
Ciprobid and Ciprocid?

All similar sounding names for the same molecule in the Indian Pharma industry.

Read on, a vey interesting article downloaded from Marketing Professionals

Extremely Frustrating and Completely Unimportant: The Arcane Art of Naming

by Michael Antman January 10, 2006

Here's a pop quiz: Name a form of marketing communications that can take as little as five seconds to complete, can be accomplished by a nine-year-old child or an adult, and is of absolutely no importance whatsoever.
Oh, and it also happens to be the most difficult and frustrating form of marketing communications, by far.

The answer is naming consulting, the often-arcane art of creating and applying names to products, services and companies.

Having named a dozen or so companies and products over the years, I'm firmly convinced of the utter irrelevance of names. This isn't something that the big, ultra-expensive corporate identity firms and naming boutiques will tell you, needless to say, because naming is their bread and butter—or, perhaps more accurately, their bread and pate de foie gras. However, because it's always been a small part of my own consulting practice, I have no compunctions about letting this dirty little secret out.

Here's what I mean. Imagine (since we're talking about bread) that you're planning to open a low-cost, high-quality sandwich shop and you need to come up with a name to put on the empty awning out front. It's critically important, wouldn't you think, to communicate to hungry lunch goers that your lettuce is crisp, your bread fresh, your ham and cheese of prime quality?

So, let's see... perhaps you should name your sandwich shop after a pitch-black, dank, dangerous hole in the ground that reeks of stale urine and is so loud that you can't hear yourself talk. An abysmally bad idea, you say? And yet it's worked out rather well for Subway, one of the most successful restaurant franchises in the world.

Ah, but you say, Subway is a reference to "submarine sandwich," which is what it's called in those parts of the U.S. where it isn't, instead, called a hero or a grinder or a muffaletta or a hoagie. And, yet, if you go into a Subway sandwich shop, the wallpaper contains reproductions of antique newspaper articles about the opening of urban subway systems, back in the days when they were even noisier, darker, danker, etc. than they are today.

Let's try another thought experiment. Let's say you're going to open a high-quality copy shop that offers high-speed copying and printing services, faxing, computer services, shipping and office supplies. Would you give it a name that evokes... oh, I don't know... a depraved clown? Of course not. And, yet, for Kinko's, it's worked out well enough. (There are many other examples of successful companies with seemingly inappropriate names, such as the plant-rental company Rentokil, which presumably has a subsidiary that allows you to purchase tropical plants outright if you plan to keep them alive.)

That these names have odd connotations is completely irrelevant. That's because what really matters is the quality of the product or service the name represents. Once the initial oddness of the name wears off, it soaks up these positive qualities like a chunk of tofu soaks up soy sauce, and the original meaning is utterly immaterial.

Hence, Yahoo, Google (which, by the way, is a play on the mathematical term "googol," itself concocted by a 9-year-old boy) and the automobile companies Chrysler and Chevrolet, which to our ears sound like perfectly reasonable names for cars, but which—when they were first introduced to the world—sounded exactly like what they were, the last names of their respective companies' founders.

Put another way, "Hershey" is a name that seems indelibly associated with chocolate, and yet there is nothing inherent in its two syllables to suggest chocolate; if Walter Chrysler and Milton Hershey has switched places early in their careers, we'd be snacking on Chrysler bars and driving Hershey cars, and we wouldn't even notice the lack of almonds.

So what makes this irrelevant discipline of naming so difficult?
First, because a name is so easy to come up with that an expensive consultancy that spends six months and hundreds of thousands of dollars to extrude a new corporate name is likely to be met with a good deal of skepticism. "Apex," the company founder says in shock. "It's just four letters! That's $250,000 per letter. Plus, it's right there in the dictionary! See, it means pinnacle! I could've come up with that myself!" (As well he could.)

The consulting companies can forestall this reaction by pointing out that there's an enormous amount of research that goes into developing a name (whether all of that research is necessary, given the irrelevancy of names, is another matter), creating a logo and stylebooks, and then creating a strategic plan for introducing the name to the marketplace.

Naming consultants will also tell you—quite accurately—that all of the names are already taken. Not just all of the good names, like "Global This" and "Strategic That" and "Smucker's Jams and Jellies." All of the names. According to some estimates, some product, company or service, somewhere has already taken virtually every word in the English-language dictionary.

Even invented names have been exhausted. Try another experiment: Think of a completely concocted word; the only requirement is that it should be readily pronounceable. Then, search for that word on Google. Odds are, you'll find it's being used by some company, in some context, somewhere. (Just now, I invented the word "Avexa" and Googled it. Bingo! It's a real company. Speaking of which, there's also a Bingo Technologies.)
In short, a world in which Tracinda and Fraxodi and Arixtra do business is a world in which there just are not enough letters to go around.

Thus, the shortage of names—or, more accurately, the proliferation of companies, products and services requiring names—means that a naming firm may go through thousands of possibilities to find one usable name that's pronounceable, doesn't sound too ridiculous (sometimes this requirement is waived), isn't already trademarked and doesn't mean "belly button lint" in Serbo-Croatian.

The obvious solution—so obvious that most companies and naming consultants ignore it—is to go back to days of Messrs. Hershey and Ford, when companies not only stood behind their products but put their names on them as well, thereby evading the issue of trademark infringement (since your name already belongs to you.)

This doesn't always work, as the software entrepreneur Chuck Microsoft has learned. But, by and large, using your own name for a new company or product is a sensible way to go. If you have a brand-new business and you're thinking of dubbing yourself, let's say, Axepia—stop. There's a less expensive, more personal and likely easier-to-pronounce alternative out there, and it's already printed on your American Express Card.

Good Luck to all

How to lead

2006-01-06T21:48:00.000-08:00

It's Launch Time for "How to Lead: Discover the Leader Within You"
Article by James Manktelow

This is an exciting time for all of us at Mind Tools, as our year-long work comes to fruition in this newsletter, with the much-anticipated launch of “How to Lead: Discover the Leader Within You.” For weeks now, we have given you “inside looks” at this course. Now, we hope you share our excitement as we make the course available to you on the Mind Tools website.

How to Lead was written by myself (James Manktelow), Felix Brodbeck and Namita Anand; and it was edited by Kellie Fowler.

You’ll know me through this newsletter and as author of Mind Tools, Stress Tools and Make Time for Success! (which I co-authored with Namita). I bring practical business and leadership experience to the course, as well as expertise in breaking complex ideas down into simple, easy-to-apply mind tools.

Namita is a business journalist. She specializes in presenting complex information in a straight forward and engaging manner. And you’ll know Kellie, again from this newsletter, as an inspiring personal development writer and a careful editor.

We’ve also introduced Felix Brodbeck in previous newsletters. Felix is Professor of Organizational and Social Psychology, Head of Department, Work & Organizational Psychology, and Director of the Aston Centre for Leadership Excellence (ACLE) at Aston Business School, UK. He is a real world authority on leadership.

Between us we have written a course that combines Felix’s expertise and my experience with the practical, clear, accessible approach you’ve come to expect from Mind Tools.

And it’s a course that really will unlock your leadership potential, setting you firmly on the path to becoming a highly effective and deeply respected leader (just as long as you put in a bit of hard work).

Find out more about “How to Lead” at http://www.mindtools.com/rs/HowtoLead. And really do discover the leader within you!

Building Expert Power - Lead From the Front!

There are many types of power that leaders can use.
These include problematic ones such as the power of position, the power to give rewards, the power to punish and the power to control information. While these types of power do have some strength, they put the person being lead in an unhealthy position of weakness, and can leave leaders using these power bases looking autocratic and out of touch.

More than this, society has changed hugely over the last 50 years. Citizens are individually more powerful, and employees are more able to shift jobs. Few of us enjoy having power exerted over us, and some will do what they can to undermine people who use these sorts of power.

However there are three types of positive power that truly effective leaders use: Charismatic power, expert power and referent power.
This article teaches the technique of building expert power.

Using the Tool:
Expert power is essential because as a leader, your team looks to you for direction and guidance. Team members need to believe in your ability to set a worthwhile direction, give sound guidance and co-ordinate a good result.
If your team perceives you as a true expert, they will be much more receptive when you try to exercise influence tactics such as rational persuasion and inspirational appeal.

And if your team sees you as an expert you will find it much easier to guide them in such a way as to create high motivation:
If your team members respect your expertise, they'll know that you can show them how to work effectively;
If your team members trust your judgment, they'll trust you to guide their good efforts and hard work in such a way that you'll make the most of their hard work; and
If they can see your expertise, team members are more likely to believe that you have the wisdom to direct their efforts towards a goal that is genuinely worthwhile.

Taken together, if your team sees you as an expert, you will find it much easier to motivate team members to perform at their best.
So how do you build expert power?
Gain expertise: The first step is fairly obvious (if time consuming) – gain expertise. And, if you are already using tools like the information gathering tools in "How to Lead", the chances are that you have already progressed well ahead in this direction.

But just being an expert isn’t enough, it is also necessary for your team members to recognize your expertise and see you to be a credible source of information and advice. Gary A. Yukl, in his book “Leadership in Organizations,” details some steps to build expert power.

A summary of these steps follows:

Promote an image of expertise: Since perceived expertise in many occupations is associated with a person’s education and experience, a leader should (subtly) make sure that subordinates, peers, and superiors are aware of his or her formal education, relevant work experience, and significant accomplishments. One common tactic to make this information known is to display diplomas, licenses, awards, and other evidence of expertise in a prominent location in one’s office – after all, if you’ve worked hard to gain knowledge, it’s fair that you get credit for it. Another tactic is to make subtle references to prior education or experience (e.g., “When I was chief engineer at GE, we had a problem similar to this one”). Beware, however, this tactic can easily be overdone.

Maintain credibility:
Once established, one’s image of expertise should be carefully protected. The leader should avoid making careless comments about subjects on which he or she is poorly informed, and should avoid being associated with projects with a low likelihood of success.

Act confidently and decisively in a crisis: In a crisis or emergency, subordinates prefer a “take charge” leader who appears to know how to direct the group in coping with the problem. In this kind of situation, subordinates tend to associate confident, firm leadership with expert knowledge. Even if the leader is not sure of the best way to deal with a crisis, to express doubts or appear confused risks the loss of influence over subordinates.

Keep informed:
Expert power is exercised through rational persuasion and demonstration of expertise. Rational persuasion depends on a firm grasp of up-to-date facts. It is therefore essential for a leader to keep well informed of developments within the team, within the organization, and in the outside world.
Recognize subordinate concerns: Use of rational persuasion should not be seen as a form of one-way communication from the leader to subordinates. Effective leaders listen carefully to the concerns and uncertainties of their team members, and make sure that they address these in making a persuasive appeal.

Avoid threatening the self-esteem of subordinates:
Expert power is based on a knowledge differential between leader and team members. Unfortunately, the very existence of such a differential can cause problems if the leader is not careful about the way he exercises expert power.Team members can dislike unfavorable status comparisons where the gap is very large and obvious. They are likely to be upset by a leader who acts in a superior way, and arrogantly flaunts his greater expertise.In the process of presenting rational arguments, some leaders lecture their team members in a condescending manner and convey the impression that the other team members are “ignorant.” Guard against this.

Best wishes, and until next time!
James & Kellie

Brand Value and User Experience

2006-01-06T20:37:00.000-08:00

Recommended as 'A must read article for practising brand managers'

Brand Value and the User Experience
by Kelly Goto October 4, 2005

Jet Blue Airlines cares about its customers—and it shows.

In February 2000, founder and CEO David Neeleman started the airline with a simple strategy focused on "bringing humanity back to air travel by offering passengers low fares, friendly service, and a high-quality product."

Understanding customers' needs, habits and desires has truly given Jet Blue an advantage over competitors. Its vision of "humanizing" the experience ties into its business model, which focuses on providing exceptional customer service and reducing costs and inefficiencies whenever possible (source: "Flying High with Jet Blue").

The flight itself is a friendly, comfortable experience. A partnership with DirecTV allows passengers access to 24 cable channels during the flight. Even when I needed to change my return flight at the last minute, I was surprised to find myself with a $25 credit. Now that is service with a smile.

What do companies like Nordstrom, Jet Blue, Amazon and Dell have in common?
They have built their brand value on providing a positive experience for their customers, online and offline. Successful companies match business objectives with customer needs. They combine ongoing testing, feedback and improvement cycles into their daily practices and invest in listening, learning and modifying the user experience to create positive returns in revenue and loyalty. This means user experience is not just a practice or a process—it is a philosophy.

The user experience should be...
• Comfortable
• Intuitive
• Consistent
• Trustworthy
The term "user experience" has been defined and described in many ways, but we define it as "the overall perception and comprehensive interaction an individual has with a company, service or product. A positive user experience is an end-user's successful and streamlined completion of a desired task."

When designing a good user experience it's important to remember these four principles, which should be a part of any usability or user experience specialist's toolkit. While they are not the only components of a complete experience, these principles form a solid foundation upon which to build a structure of usability, information design and brand application.

Create comfort—first and foremost

The notion of creating a familiar, comfortable interface backfired when Apple launched E-World in 1994. E-World was an online community service similar to AOL. The extremely cute interface was created to mimic a small town environment with a bank and a library and a bar, which should have been very familiar to most people.

However, when signing onto the service (using a 14.4 modem) it was as if you stepped into a ghost town or a Twilight Zone episode in which the townspeople disappeared. There was no sign of activity on the site.

In contrast, AOL's just-launched service was booming. The icons changed each time you visited, the chat rooms were open and inviting and content was everywhere on the page. With AOL, you felt comfortable because there were people chatting, the site was active and, of course, setting up and signing on was extremely easy.

AOL won over E-World's service because it was able to expose a mass audience to a new technology in a way that was non-intimidating and easy to use.

Online, comfort is created in many ways. The tone and voice of the company, established through copy and content, should reflect the brand personality of the company: The Onion can afford to be irreverent, whereas Whitehouse.gov should be a bit more formal.
Sites should be very clear in explaining their services and offerings—and it should be clear how to get to what you are looking for. When buried deep within a site after following various links and cues, it is important to be able to get "home."

Create a friendly and appropriate "voice" for your company that is reflected in the copy and in the visual language of all materials, online and off.
Make sure the home page explains the purpose of your site, company or product clearly and concisely.

Create an easy way to get "home" from every page of your site. Use standard conventions such as linking the logo back to the home page.

Make it easy to find what you are looking for. Search should yield usable results (not 2,000 non-relevant links). Paths to products or information should be easy to follow and hassle-free.
Keep surprise to a minimum. When linking outside of your site, give a warning and use a pop-up if possible. When downloading a PDF or other media, make it clear how large the file is and give an estimated download time.

Make the experience intuitive

Our everyday experiences with products, services and companies, both online and offline, are filled with hits and misses. The interfaces we interact with on a regular basis must be intuitive and easy to use, or they will be donated with the next run to Goodwill.

Case in point: many of my friends rave about TiVO, so I took the plunge and bought a device that I thought was TiVO (it was not). Struggling to use the interface, record my favorite shows and, the ultimate trick—watch one show while recording the other—proved to be nearly impossible. There was no "season pass" (which allows you to easily set your TiVO to record a show for the season) and my experience has been rather, shall we say, poor. So I intend on switching from my DISH DVR (Digital Video Recorder.) Bye-bye DISH and hello TiVO!
Complex applications in the past were software-based and packaged with manuals and training. These days, every industry from pharmaceuticals to human resources has migrated its complex systems to the online environment. Much attention has been placed on improving the usability of the "front-end" of Web sites, but most Web applications continue to be developed by engineers with little to no actual experience in user experience methodology, information design, brand application or usability.

This is not just a trend—it is an oversight by many companies not willing to invest in improving the user experience. Or they simply are not aware of the business benefits of providing a streamlined experience.

Think like a first-time visitor—understand specifically who they are and what they are looking for. Provide an easy starting point from which to begin.

Navigation, links and content should be easy to read, not full of jargon or insider terms your company may use internally, but which would be unclear to an outsider.
Organize your site in a way that makes sense to the visitor, not according to how your corporation is organized.

Make sure that links and clickable items look active. Make images and headline text active when appropriate.

Incorporate rounds of small-scale (informal) usability testing into your development process.
Keep it consistent

We all have our favorite restaurants. We know where to park, what the hours are and what dishes will be served. We know to expect great service, and to pay a price that is reasonable. Every time we go to our favorite restaurant, we expect these things to be consistent and, when they are not, we are dismayed.

Recently, one of my favorite sushi restaurants in San Francisco was sold to new owners. When I entered the restaurant, the decor was slightly different and the faces were unfamiliar. I ended up leaving the restaurant and heading to a different one. How disappointing.

Creating a consistent experience takes time and attention to detail. Although your site may change over time, the experience of interacting with your organization or company should retain a consistent focus on quality of product, service or content.

We start our brand investigation by looking at every instance of logo currently being used, online and offline. This includes memo pads, mailing labels, sales and marketing materials and more. One New York-based client had over 30 different logos in use at the same time. We collected them all and presented them in a report showing all of the variations and lack of consistency among all of the client's divisions.

Maintain brand standards whenever possible. Invest in the creation of a branding style guide for your company that translates to your online presence.
Use CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) to create consistency and to ease updating.
Use clear and consistent labeling from the top-level pages down through the lower-level pages of the site.

"Chunk" similar information together on individual pages and create a consistent manner of representing content on pages.

Content should be consistently written and presented throughout the site and in marketing and advertising materials.
Build credibility and trust

Let me tell you about the Kobe Beef scam. I was excited to cook dinner for a group of friends for a special occasion, and a friend recommended a Web site with a special "6 steaks for the price of 4" sale. The site was sent to me via my friend, so I felt the site was trustworthy.
I was wrong. During the ordering experience, I was surprised to find there were no options for shipping the order. There was no "expected date and time of arrival" or options to ship the order via next-day air. For something this important (dinner for 6) and perishable, wouldn't you want to know when it would arrive?

While placing my order, I noticed that I had been routed off of the Web site and into a Yahoo storefront. This did not make me feel comfortable. After I ordered, I tried to email the company and tried to call the 1-866 number. There was no answer.

Was it a scam? Most likely, but if it was a credible company it did an extremely poor job of facilitating a trustworthy customer experience.

Trust is important: When expecting customers to submit personal information and credit card numbers online, it is extremely important to build a certain amount of trust with your audience before they will feel okay about submitting personal and private information.
Collect only relevant information from your audience. If additional details are desired, make them optional. Develop a credible presence by making sure the site has no typos and is clean and functional. Links should not be broken. The site should be free from errors at the most basic level.

Have a non-legalese, easy-to-comprehend privacy statement linked from every page of your site.

Make it easy for your customers to contact you. Provide multiple ways (1-800 number, email, live chat) to connect with your company.

Get back to any customer requests within 24 hours.

Provide an easy customer feedback form; follow up with phone calls, online surveys and customer visits at least twice a year.

A little service goes a long way. If there is
a problem—FIX IT.

Notify your customer base before making drastic changes to the site. Allow your audience to be a part of the change rather than being surprised by the outcome.

Make it so

Commitment from the top level of an organization to focus on creating a comfortable, intuitive, consistent and trustworthy experience from start to finish is necessary for ongoing success. Such companies understand the business value that this approach will yield over time.
User-experience professionals generally have a small arsenal of usability specialists who are ready to deploy task analysis and customer observation toward the improvement of a site or product. Although usability is only one component of the entire user experience, it is a viable and measurable place to begin.

In the end, the interaction a visitor has with your company is an emotional experience; over time, positive experiences lead to trust. Strive to create an experience that is compelling and memorable. Remember, successful businesses, online and offline, are built with the customers in mind.

(This article was originally published on Digital Web Magazine [www.digital-web.com].)
Note: Join Kelly Goto this Thursday at noon (EST) for the MarketingProfs seminar "Behind the Wheel of Web Redesign: What Drives Success." In this 90-minute seminar, Goto will walk you through methods to streamline and enhance your current development process with a focus on both the end user and measurable results.

Seven Common Sales Challenges

2006-01-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

Seven Common Sales Challenges That Prevent Executive Buy-In
by Jeff Thull November 29, 2005

With the complexity of today's business solutions and their far-reaching affects, senior level executives are often actively involved in the process of assessing the issues and their options. Yet many companies are finding that their best sales and marketing strategies are highly diluted by the time they reach their customers, and their sales professionals are not connecting to the power in the executive suite.

Gaining access and connecting to executive decision makers is just one of the challenges that most sales professionals face. There are seven common challenges that sales professionals need to resolve to effectively engage the executive suite.

Consider the following situations, how often they occur within your team and how you currently are approaching each.

When was the last time you couldn't connect to the executive's critical business issues and were delegated down to a support level?Brilliant ideas and valuable products and services fall to indifference if you can't immediately establish credibility and connect to the executive's most pressing issues. Your credibility comes via the relevance you establish in your introduction by connecting your solutions or capabilities to the business drivers of the executive. When you reference challenges that the industry is facing or objectives that the company has stated in its public records, the executive will recognize that you've thought the matter through and you couldn't have had this conversation with anyone else.

You realized that your strongest contact in your customer's organization no longer held the power to make the buying decision.In today's highly competitive and volatile marketplace, globalization, consolidation and centralization are some of the causes of decisions' moving to higher levels of power and influence. This movement is forcing even the most experienced sales professionals to expand their expertise and compete at levels not required before. Expecting that a single contact in your customer's organization can and will carry your message effectively is hanging on to thin threads of hope. It is critical that we translate the value we can create at the technical, operational or clinical level to the impact it has on the performance drivers on the executive's dashboard and have those conversations with each executive. By recognizing the dials they are watching and being able to discuss their current measurements and how your solution will affect those measurements is a conversation most executives will be open to.

Your competition was in the executive suite and you weren't.Can the competition get to the executive suite and take your account while you believe that your relationship is strong at the operations level? Absolutely! Let's face it, your competition would have the advantage. People typically spend more time preparing for a prospect visit than they do for a customer visit. Don't let being overly familiar lull you into understanding less about your customer than your competitor who has prepared more. Gain advantage and pull ahead of competitive threats by establishing a broad base of relationships that will pre-empt and neutralize competitive moves.

You bought into the "I make the final decision" when, in fact, political moves and ego games got you hung up with someone who can barely influence the decision.Don't let diluted messages sabotage your best opportunities. Understand how your solution affects each level of responsibility within your customer's organization. It is only natural that you will interact at all levels to understand the full potential your solution will have, and after the sale to assure that the full value of your solution is being achieved. Building these relationships as you gather information will ensure that you are firmly grounded with both those who are influenced by and those who influence the decision.

You finally reached the person who held the checkbook, but you couldn't build the financial case needed to make the buying decision.The financial executive plays an increasingly central role in setting the strategy of the organization and how to fund the implementation of the strategy. Do not place the burden on your customers of translating your technical advantages into the financial impact of your solution. Involve them in your calculations; have them collaborate and adjust your assumptions. In the end, the customer must "own" the justification. Be their advisor, not their sales rep. Position your solution as a strategic asset.
Third-party consultants forced you to compete on price when you knew that the value you would create for the customer was not making it to the executive level in your customer's organization.Recognize that you and the consultant have the same customer. Build the case for mutual gains with the consultant by asking the questions they have not thought of asking and don't have the answers to. They will recognize the value that you add to their position and invite you into the executive suite. Help third-party consultants manage a quality buying process that builds successful outcomes for them, for you and for your customers.

Your convincing proposal won the first round of approvals, but you later found that the executive buy-in never happened. The executive had criteria on the table that you never tapped into, or even knew existed.Engage the executives early in the decision process to establish the criteria that creates senior-level ownership. Build winning proposals that connect the business drivers at all levels of influence and decision. Ask the in-depth questions that your customer has not thought of asking. Ask questions that expose the risks inherent in a successful implementation of your solution.Executives are concerned about working with suppliers that truly understand their business, their customers' demands and their competitive landscape, as well as the challenges associated with the implementation. If you cannot speak to these issues, your time in the executive suite will be brief at best.

To help you get started in gaining access and communicating with credibility, here are three suggestions:

Understand the executive mindset and be empowered to connect to top executives. Gain insight into how they think, what they expect, what makes them move forward and how they drive management support. They are looking for ideas and resources to execute their strategy, and ways to reduce risk and increase the probability of success.

Create compelling relevance that gains you access to the executive suite. Build a value assumption that will connect your capabilities to the executive agenda and ensure that you have strong executive-level sponsorship to prove or disprove the hypothesis.

Know how to establish exceptional credibility with corporate executives. Expected credibility is what you know about your solution. Exceptional credibility is what you know about your customer's business. Look at your words and your documents. Are they about you and your solution, or are they about your customer and their business?

When you understand the mindset of the executive, connect to their agenda and establish exceptional credibility, you will find yourself having meaningful conversations that often result in long-term and mutually beneficial relationships
.
Jeff Thull is president and CEO of Prime Resource Group (www.primeresource.com) and the author of The Prime Solution: Close the Value Gap, Increase Margins, and Win the Complex Sale (Dearborn Trade Publishing, 2005) as well as Mastering the Complex Sale (2003).