Low turnout in Mumbai

On April 30, 2009 third phase of the elections for 15th lok sabha and there was a lesser turn out than in year 2004. It really feels strange that in spite of so many actors/public personalities appealing to people to vote and after such carnage in Mumbai by militants there was such a slag response! I had not expected this out of Mumbai.

We should learn from stories

I am particularly fond of stories as they convey a deeper meaning with a message to your audience . The story I am about to tell is about a man who had to move to an apartment in the city. Circumstances did not allow taking his dog with him. He offered the dog to a farmer who turned him down. The man related the experience to a friend who was a salesman who went to see the farmer. He told the farmer that he often drove by the farm and and was so impressed by the appearance that he wanted to meet the owner. The farmer offered to show him around and pointer with pride to his building. The friend asked the farmer whether he had problems with rats. The farmer said yes. When the friend saw the heard of cattle he asked the farmer whether he had problems getting them into barn at night. The friend also asked him about robbers. He finally sold him the dog. I hope you did learn something!

Learning from a book

I remember reading a book titled “Sun Tzu- strategies for selling” by Gerald and Steven . Few things which I learned/observed from this book are as under:-

a. That selling is a trade for the ignorant and a science for the professional. Professional skills are honed through study and practice. People who think that their skills are naturally born will not focus on self improvement and their personal growth will be stalled.
b. Instead of saying “How much do you want to pay?” it’s better to say “How much are you thinking of investing?”
c. Learn from experience of others as well as from your own.
d. Strategy is an idea seeking its means of execution. Tactics are the means of execution used to carry out ideas.
e. To subdue an enemy without fighting is the supreme excellence.
f. The best policy is to attack the strategy of your enemy next best is to disrupt his alliances through diplomatic means next best is to attack the enemy in the field and the worst is to attack walled cities.
g. Ask such questions if you have lost a sale “Just for my information would you mind telling me what I/we did wrong?”
h. One should use normal force to engage and the extraordinary to win.

Stimulate your brain

Very few people these days read poems but the reason behind this is that most of us have got so entangled in his/her work that we don’t have time for these things. Only yesterday when I was searching through some notes that I came across a poem by Mr. H W Longfellow, I had long forgotten. I touched my heart and I am sure it will touch yours. Here it reads:-

“I shot an arrow into the air
It fell to earth, I knew not where,
For so swiftly it flew, the sight
Could not follow it in its flight
I breathed a song into the air
It fell to earth, I knew not where
For who has sight so keen and strong
That it can follow the flight of song
Long, long afterward, in an oak
I found the arrow, still unbroke
And the song, from beginning to end
I found in the heart of a friend”

I often feel that we should more often read poems as they tend to stimulate a different part of our brain which remains rusted due to no stimulus.

Now Everyone can acquire knowledge

Internet is a great medium to acquire knowledge but you should know where to go. You can go to MIT open courseware and see for yourself what is taught at MIT(http://ocw.mit.edu), Also Edcorner at standford(http://ecorner.stanford.edu) is one of best resource for entrepreneurs. Project Gutenberg(http://www.gutenberg.org) is one such resource where you can download free e-books for free. Such a vast sorehouse of knowledge and so less time to learn!

Who says its impossible!

Only few days back I was reading a newspaper a unique story about a Japanese car maker. There was a time when the car maker had only made poor quality cars which were withdrawn from the US markets. It was way back in the year 1947 and the company was Toyota. Toyota in fact started as a manufacturer of textile machinery and moved to car production in the year 1947. But see how things have changed now. Toyota’s luxury brand Lexus has become a renowned and sought after car in its category. See nothing is impossible!

A Rickshawala knows more about our roads!

The other day I was in Chandigarh waiting for the bus when a rickshaw puller came and asked if I would be interested. The next minute I was roaming the city roads with him. He was an interesting person and engaging too. While passing by a road he told me pointing out that the streetlights I see were recently put. When i asked him why, he explained that it is because of an accident !He further said that whenever an accident happens, and somebody dies only then, the authorities take action. He told me that he is a native of UP and is pulling rickshaw for last 20 years in Chandigarh and there are many persons like him in the city. He has seen many such examples where the authorities have taken action only when someone had died or some fatal accident happens. He told me that if this had not been the case many lifes would have been saved.

I wonder why government never takes inputs from people who travel daily by city roads, specially these rickshaw pullers. They possibly are the people who know the condition of roads - which street light is not working and needs repair etc.