Approach to New Business pitches…

In last couple of years I have had huge opportunities to participate / work along on new business development / new pitches. I have learnt a lot from all those pitches doesn’t matter whether we won or we lost. I thought to pen down how one can approach new business pitches, ya I am no authority on this subject…these are just my some of my learning’s…
I think we can take some inspiration from the 4 Ps of Marketing.
First a bit on the 4 Ps (I know we all know!):
1) Product: A product is seen as an item that satisfies what a consumer needs or wants. It is a tangible good or an intangible
2) Price: The price is the amount a customer pays for the product. The price is very important as it determines the company's profit and hence, survival
3) Promotion: represents all of the methods of communication that a marketer may use to provide information to different parties about the product
4) Place: refers to providing the product at a place which is convenient for consumers to access.
So let us see how each P of marketing can be applied to ‘Pitching for New Business’
1) Product: Absolutely critical this is your core strategy it has to address the brief ‘need of the client’. Get this right. One simple step is get the ‘brief right’ and you will get the ‘right output’
2) Price: Aha! Extremely sensitive but if you do a good job then I think we should link it with Performance!
3) Promotion and Place: Now this is gaining lots of prominence. U got to make use of every moment, every single time u makes a contact with the prospective client you got to ensure excellence. Right from the moment you received the first call, the first mail, the briefing session you attend, clarifications you ask for on the brief, during the presentation, post presentation follow up (HUGE, HUGE, HUGE) every single moment is absolutely critical. Treat it as break or make deal moment. Every moment of contact is THE place, THE opportunity for showcasing your company. It’s Showtime! All the Time!
The last one is ‘Passion’….not sure if they teach you in business schools…Take your passion and make it happen.

Trust plays a massive role in our lives. We decide almost everything basis our trust for that brand. It is interesting to see who the new age media scores on this parameter versus the more traditional mediums. I came across an interesting study from Edelman Trust Barometer 2012. The question asked is 'below is a list of place you might get information about a company. For each please indicate if you trust it a great deal, somewhat...
Here is the outcome...
1) Traditional media continue to have highest scores but online sources scores are almost neck to neck
2)But it is the Social Media scores which are growing fast and catching up quickly with other source’s 75% growth over last year
3) Corporate website shown a decline
In sum: Another reason why brands should start to treat Digital media a lot more seriously.

QR Code

Hi

As a part of my endeavour to climb the rope of Digital Media here goes QR code for my blog.

Hope I blog more regularly than thrice a year!

Cheers!

Web 3.0: The 'Social Wave' and How It Disrupts the Internet - Knowledge@Wharton

A fundamental change is taking place online, from information-based web to "people web"
Interesting article read it...link is below

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=2808#.Th2OJV_iMd8.blogger

Why do people succeed?

I truly believe in this...

WHY HOW WHAT :The Golden Circle!

Simon Sinek speaks at TED about how great leaders inspire. It is quite interesting do go through it. It did make me pasue and answer WHY at two levels... Personal : Why I do what I do???Why should anyone care for me???Professionally The system I work with whats its purpose? I agree with Simon most employees know what they do but very few know why they do what they do : whats your prupose your cause! Lots of time we know subconsciously but its good to pen it down from time to time!

I am trying and I will share it soon.

Many India's

Many India’s, in one and all evolving differently

Much has been said and debated about the heterogeneity that characterizes the Indian consumers. For many years we have been trying to find the ‘holy grail’ of the Indian Market. Let us take a walk into the past where the life was simple and we had the four varnas that would define the makeup of society i.e the way individuals would live and interact with their outside world.

However over a period of times things have got complicated leading to schizophrenic India. Let us see what has lead to this firstly the biradiri, or community, is still an important part of Indian social interaction and does define certain ways of our living and social interaction. Then with India’s achieving Independence we saw emergence of two India’s one as rich and urban the other poor, agrarian and rural. We called them India and Bharat. This period was also marked by two broad age groups of Pre Independence and Post Independence India though both the generations still shared common value and there was not much of so called generation gap. Though with this things did get bit more complicated but were still simple in comparison to what we were about to witness something which will again turn the wheel of fortune for India…Liberalization of Indian Economy.

Liberalization, gave us two new-age cohorts, the first ever generation of liberalization children and the next generation who will grow up in an India that is confident about its new path and has found its moorings.

Though the varnas had defined only a certain set of occupations like the teachers, kings, warriors this got extended to occupations in government sector or worker in factory with very few in businesses and a large chunk continued to be in agriculture. However post liberalization we saw several new occupations coming up and the most prominent one being IT. Had we ever heard ‘VJ’ I guess our beloved Chitrahar had never got one. The call centers completely changed the concept of 9am-5pm jobs. These changes have made social-economic changes in the way India behaves.

While India’s economic structure changed, so did its family structure. Families are rapidly becoming smaller, and even in larger joint families, the nuclear component is becoming stronger. Rarely does a family patriarch take consumption decisions for all family members; individuals are becoming more important and the nuclear unit of a husband and wife is taking decisions related to consumption, savings and investment.

All this coupled with multi social-cultural regions, multiple languages is leading to a schizophrenic India.

It is high time to make better the existing Socio-Economic Classification used to define and understand Indian consumer. India is a multi-tiered, multi-layered market and needs a multi-pronged strategy, tools and techniques that helps us to decode and understand schizophrenic India.

“In religion, India is the only millionaire…the One land that all men desire to see, and having seen once, by even a glimpse, would not give that glimpse for all the shows of all the rest of the globe combined” – Mark Twain (American Author, 1835-1910)

Amsterdam - Lonely Planet Travel Video

Lonely Planet author Erin Richards lived, worked and even got married in Amsterdam. It's a lot more than the lure of the red light district and the business hub. Relax like a local, spend hours by ...

Gone to Goa: A kick-back weekend in India's coastal paradise | CNNGo.com

Miss the Goa Carnival in February? Not to worry, Goa has more than enough on offer to occupy a weekend getaway in this weeks 52 Weekend getaway. Relax with the Goa hippies, sleep on the beach, eat out at the numerous restaurants and motorbike through the countryside. Read more: Gone to Goa: A kick-back weekend in India's coastal paradise CNNGo.com

Relooking at ways of defining Audience

Many India's, in one and all evolving differently

Much has been said and debated about the heterogeneity that characterizes the Indian consumers. For many years we have been trying to find the 'holy grail' of the Indian Market. Let us take a walk into the past where the life was simple and we had the four varnas that would define the makeup of society i.e the way individuals would live and interact with their outside world.

However over a period of times things have got complicated leading to schizophrenic India. Let us see what has lead to this firstly the biradiri, or community, is still an important part of Indian social interaction and does define certain ways of our living and social interaction. Then with India's achieving Independence we saw emergence of two India's one as rich and urban the other poor, agrarian and rural. We called them India and Bharat. This period was also marked by two broad age groups of Pre Independence and Post Independence India though both the generations still shared common value and there was not much of so called generation gap. Though with this things did get bit more complicated but were still simple in comparison to what we were about to witness something which will again turn the wheel of fortune for India…Liberalization of Indian Economy.

Liberalization, gave us two new-age cohorts, the first ever generation of liberalization children and the next generation who will grow up in an India that is confident about its new path and has found its moorings.

Though the varnas had defined only a certain set of occupations like the teachers, kings, warriors this got extended to occupations in government sector or worker in factory with very few in businesses and a large chunk continued to be in agriculture. However post liberalization we saw several new occupations coming up and the most prominent one being IT. Had we ever heard 'VJ' I guess our beloved Chitrahar had never got one. The call centers completely changed the concept of 9am-5pm jobs. These changes have made social-economic changes in the way India behaves.

While India's economic structure changed, so did its family structure. Families are rapidly becoming smaller, and even in larger joint families, the nuclear component is becoming stronger. Rarely does a family patriarch take consumption decisions for all family members; individuals are becoming more important and the nuclear unit of a husband and wife is taking decisions related to consumption, savings and investment.

All this coupled with multi social-cultural regions, multiple languages is leading to a schizophrenic India.

It is high time to make better the existing Socio-Economic Classification used to define and understand Indian consumer. India is a multi-tiered, multi-layered market and needs a multi-pronged strategy, tools and techniques that helps us to decode and understand schizophrenic India.

"In religion, India is the only millionaire…the One land that all men desire to see, and having seen once, by even a glimpse, would not give that glimpse for all the shows of all the rest of the globe combined" – Mark Twain (American Author, 1835-1910)

Will Budget Bring Consumer Confidence Back?

India was never in recession most of the Economic Surveys predicted healthy GDP growth rate - however the Indian Consumer Sentiment were, as per some of the latest Consumer Confidence study - Consumer confidence in India has been dipping over last couple of months with signs of picking up in between. It was not the ability to spend but consumers desire to do so that got dampened. The country's recently found predilection to spend got tampered. We saw more & more Indians (even the ‘carefree’ Gen Y) exercising prudence.

Keeping these low sentiments into perspective it will be interesting to see what the latest Budget will offer.

However before we get into what to expect here is an interesting factoid about the origin of word ‘Budget’. One of the several stories that explain the word is that it borrows from Latin word ‘bulga’ meaning ‘a leather bag’. Within the bag one’s monetary resources were kept. In the 1880s the word began to be used as a verb to describe one’s expenditure and the attributive meaning of “inexpensive; suitable for someone of limited means” was as late as 1958.

Coming back to budget - Even though the consumer confidence has not been high lately but our economy seems to be gaining steam – GDP is set to expand more than 8% next fiscal year compared with 7.2% this year – the big question is will the government use this leeway to remove some accommodative steps it took to bolster business activity and consumer spending. Probably the answer is yes our Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is likely to re-embrace fiscal discipline. However as Mr C. Rangarajan, chairman of Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council said “Exit measures should be calibrated in a manner that stimulus in the economy should continue. At the same time, some adjustments will be made to bring down the fiscal deficit,”

In short run this may not go down well with few classes but controlling of fiscal deficit, inflation will bring a smile on wider set of audience; which brings us to the other big challenge of ‘Inclusiveness’

Our President’s speech has given clear signals that the government firmly believes that the benefits of welfare should reach the aam aadmi. She say “My Government will aim at a growth rate of above 8% in 2010-11…”, and goes on to add that “We’ll ensure that the growth process is equally sensitive to the concerns and the well-being of the weaker sections of society”.

In short we will have to find stability through growth and not choosing one over the other. So the coming budget will need to balance factors like growth-inflation or populism-macro economic factors or excessively rewarding the present over the future.

"There are three things not worth running for - a bus, a woman or a new economic panacea. If you wait a bit, another one will come along." Derick Heathcoat-Amory – British Conservative politician

You can read it on: http://www.bestmediainfo.com/HomePage/Main.aspx

Jimmy Choo interesting insight! Tks Mr Vir Sanghvi

Vir Sanghvi

Vir Sanghvi

Vir Sanghvi

Annual Conference 2010 Pattaya

Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.

We at LMG do go out every year for our Annual Conference like to Jaipur or Hyderabad last year. This year too we went…to พัทยา - Pattaya!

Like all annual conferences there was a lot I got to learn and experience! It all started with day when it was announced we will be going to Pattaya. I saw individuals helping each other in terms how to apply for passport etc there was discussions happening around what to see about the city the culture resulting in loads of bonding across teams. I could feel the positive vibes and see the excitement on my colleague's faces and every time people would be down with work just the mention of Pattaya would bring smile on their face and am sure it will continue to do so for rest of our lives!

During the workshop there was much to learn of how in team work we got to keep each other's strengths and weakness in perspective. Of course there is always hidden talent amongst all of us which we should try to bring out (saw how during the skit some individuals performed). In short I saw individuals coming together a lot closer and highly motivated; overall I had a great time with loads of stories to tell my family and friends. Cheers!

We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open." – Pandit Jawaharal Nehru

Hope we all enjoyed the ride!

Rohit Bal as the Grand Finale Designer for WIFW 2010

Rohit Bal as the Grand Finale Designer for WIFW 2010, originally uploaded by WillsLifestyle.

Way to go for Wills Lifestyle!
I wish I could attend the Grand Finale!
Anybody there!

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WWF Passport - Take action online for the environment

WWF Passport - Take action online for the environment

WWF Passport - Stop the madness of wasteful paper consumption

WWF Passport - Stop the madness of wasteful paper consumption

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WWF - Mekong Dolphins on the Brink of Extinction -

WWF - Mekong Dolphins on the Brink of Extinction -

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Travel Smart

Whether you go to the beaches of the Mediterranean or the pristine landscape of the Arctic, if and how you travel can have a huge impact on the environment.Follow our simple guide and make an informed choice about your journey...
1. Ask yourself whether you really need to make that trip

When you travel you are contributing to emissions of climate change causing carbon dioxide. Therefore the best solution is to try to avoid travel where ever possible. Ask yourself whether your business meeting could be replaced by talking over the phone or using video conferencing (you can even organize a Climate Care Day in your company). If you are going on vacation, think about visiting locations that are closer to home.

2. If you do need to travel, choose the most environmentally friendly option available

Sometimes, of course, travel can't be avoided. The WWF Travel Helper therefore helps you make the right choices, so you can find the travel option with the lowest carbon footprint and also offset the environmental cost of the journey. By offsetting with Gold Standard carbon credits, you will be investing in projects that reduce the equivalent amount of greenhouse gas emitted into the atmosphere by your trip.
3. Choose the right place to stay

Make sure you choose accommodation that recycle, have effective waste treatment systems, are energy efficient, and, where possible, use environmentally friendly energy sources such as solar energy or hydroelectric power.Also look out for hotels that participate in WWF's Check Out for Nature programme. Participating Hotels will add a Euro (or its equivalent value) to your hotel bill when you check out at the end of your stay, which will be used to support our conservation work around the world.
4. At your destination

Once you arrive at your destination there are lots of things you can do to reduce the impact of your trip. The money you spend helps determine the development and direction of tourism. So make sure you use your money to support reputable, conservation-minded tour operators and suppliers. Find out more about what you can do whilst you are away.
5. Coming home

Some souvenirs could end up costing a lot more than you paid for them. Think twice before you buy any products made from any endangered species, including animal hides and body parts, tortoise-shell, ivory, or coral - they could be illegal. Visit WWF-US's Buyer Beware website for information that can help you say "no" to illegal wildlife products. And check out our tips; Ten things not to buy for Christmas.

Source: http://www.panda.org/how_you_can_help/greenliving/travel/