“TRANSFORM MEDIOCRE MINDS AND WORK TO MARVELLOUS MINDS AND WORK”

“Maintain pre-eminence with continuous actions to be victorious in your Career”

First and foremost let me wish you a bright, happy and prosperous New Year. Soon after your A/L ‘s, you may be planning to choose Marketing or Sales or business as your career.

Or else you would have just started your business or sales or marketing career.

Well it is a wise decision. Also, it is a challenging career. You are equally rewarded in these careers

provided you become an expert in your business or sales or marketing disciplines.

But with the current economic and political crises, you may be rethinking of your decision making whether to go ahead or not with your plans.

Furthermore, everyone who works as Marketing or Sales Professional or businessman would like to see greener pastures in their lives. However most of the times it is not realised due to the fact that they do not initiate with their plans.

They wait for the perfect time, perfect start, perfect opportunity, perfect finance, perfect company, perfect superior and so on. Hence the time is wasted in daydreaming.

Aiming for a perfect start is something like waiting for the waves to cease in order to go fishing. Instead start where you are, with what you have with what you can with wholeheartedly. Make hay while the Sun shines. Strike while the iron is hot.

Progression is the order of the day. The Important and vital aspect to keep in mind is to “keep moving” and “keep moving forward”. God has designed our legs in such a way to move forward.

Hence, go ahead with your plans to be businessmen or Sales and Marketing Professionals and the rewards are awaiting for you. Should you follow the guidance which is given below, chances are high that your careers in business or sales and marketing will be enriched and rewarded

GOING FOR THE EXTRA MILE:

You should adhere to the following policy in your careers; “Going for the extra mile”. In other words always doing more than what is expected from you by your organisation.

But the majority have a , “thus far, no further Attitude”, like “it is not my job”, “the job performed is adequate”, “why should I do this”, “why should I do more”, “I am not paid well, so let me work for what I get” and these are the attitudes that limit the growth of an employee, organisation, society and country at large. Majority of them always ask or even fight to get a raise in their salaries and other fringe benefits.As Professionals you should not do that rather you should strive for excellence in fulfilling your duties and do more than what is expected from you.let me share what I have done throughout my career for the benefit of you.

EXPERIENCES SHARED & UPLIFTING VALUES:

Always exceed your planned daily customer visits and coverage to areas. Select and meet 1 or 2 new customers daily. Learn from your customers. Make your customers feel delighted with your services offered and for being a partner in progress with your company. Be an advisor to your customers when situation demands. Select and cover a new territory monthly. Ask for references and recommendations from your friendly customers. With experience you could ask it from Any of your customer even from a new customer. Improve the word of mouth promotions. Start 15-30 minutes before your working time starts and call it a day 15-30 minutes after the closing time.

Handle some key tasks of your colleague who is absent from work.

Always strive to meet or exceed your company targets. Once you surpass the target do not stop meeting customers or getting orders for that particular month. Sometimes, once the sales professionals achieve their monthly sales target they hold on to the collected orders and account it to the following month. This is not a good practice. You should not be selfish.You need to be professionals and extend your fullest support to your teams and the company to achieve their targets as well.

Work in the vacant territory due to a colleague leaving the organisation .

Just because you do not like the immediate manager or supervisor do not act in haste by leaving the company. There are instances where within a short period of your change over you will hear that your former manager or supervisor has left the organisation or transferred to another branch or no more responsible to the team that you have worked for. My advise would be “Cut the branches and not to uproot the tree” during crises. Be wise and speak to your manager or superior openly about your issues and if you do not get favourable response from him then discuss the issue with your board of management. Chances are very high that you will obtain the desired response from them.

Plan and organise result oriented “intermediate activities” to meet qualitative and quantitative objectives of your companies.

THE ULTIMATE FOCUS:

Your ultimate focus should be on “quality”. Always keep on improving your “Standards” and strive for “continuous improvement and results” and excellence”.

The work you do and the yeomen services that you render to your organisation and customers should reflect on the “name and fame” of your esteemed organisations. Train the new comers even though you don’t have the title of a training Manager Do not just fill the daily, weekly or monthly reports. Write it comprehensively so that your management could make timely decisions and actions. Always have the Habit of submitting progress reports. When needed do not hesitate to ask for superior ‘s help and advice.

MAINTAIN THE NO.1 POSITION:

Be a strong No.1 for your personality, performance and power.(power of language, speech, knowledge, skills, attitude and character). Let your competitors respect you for your performances and learn from you. Do not look at your competitors as your foes, rather learn from them. Rebuttal your competitors strategies. Be a self starter, think and act independently to carry out your duties.

Be self motivated and inspired and inspire your team mates to achieve the monthly and annual sales targets.

Do not put all your eggs in one basket. Whether it is a task, target, territory or time aspect have the habit of, “Divide and conquer”. Be a student of your company and industry. Help your management by Involving in trouble shooting.

Maintain Professionalism and ethicality in your business practices throughout your career and in life. You need to do all the above voluntarily and as additional services in recognition of the salary and other benefits that have been offered by your company to you throughout even during crises and be grateful to your employee for retaining your services as an employee during tough times.

BEST PRACTICES AND ENJOY UNLIMITED REWARDS:

When you do the above as a routine practice you could reap the harvest of getting double salary, double bonuses, company car, unlimited fuel allowances,foreign travel,rewards, recognition financial assistance to follow your Professional courses, housing loans, fame, popularity, job promotions,power, privilege, honour prestige, higher status and many more such benefits to you, provided that you are working for an ideal company.

In conclusion, there is no limit on what you could do to your customers, colleagues, management and company.

Always do your duty but do not expect immediate results and favours from your organisation. The cardinal rule is,”keep on working ; keep working on the engine”. You will be rewarded sooner or later by your management if not blessed by the Almighty God. By getting any or all above company benefits, you need to be a humble person.In turn you have to Always give your 100% to get a higher growth, revenue and profits to your company and constantly make sure that both you and your colleagues as well your company march forward in securing future businesses including new businesses and business expansions locally and globally. Ultimately and eventually translate your company vision to reality. This should be your ultimate goal and aim. In order to achieve this, always maintain pre-eminence with continuous actions.

Hence, Focus on the new end. Transform your mediocre career in business or sales and marketing to Marvellous career.

Happy Selling! Keep Sailing ! ( Ravindhiran is a Professional Pharma Marketer and Trainer of Medical and Sales Representatives. He has functioned as the Facilitator of “Cardiac Symposium” organised by his former Company involving Sri Lankan Cardiologists, Physicians and General Practitioners in the past.

He was the former Treasurer, Assistant Secretary and Editor of Pharma Promoters Association, (PPA) Sri Lanka).