ETYMOLOGY OF ‘ENTREPRENEUR’ OR SIMPLY IT’S POST MORTEM!!

Found an article I had written long back!! Here it is!!

Today we look at the word ‘entrepreneurship‘, literally. We keep on using the word without knowing what it actually means. So, we delve a bit into the history.

George Bush said, ‘ The thing that’s wrong with the French is that they don’t have a word for entrepreneur.’ A complete wrong notion on his part, since the roots of the word entrepreneurship itself is derived from French and Latin and Sanskrit is not far behind to lend it its true meaning and essence .

In French, the verb ‘entreprendre‘ means ‘ to undertake‘, with ‘entre‘ coming from the Latin word meaning ‘between‘ and ‘prendre‘ means ‘to take‘. Entrepreneur also sounds close to a Sanskrit word ‘anthaprerna‘ which means ‘self-motivation‘.

The word now sounds more logical,doesn’t it? Entrepreneurs evidently ‘undertake’ things and they are ‘self-motivated’. It’s quite an elegant word as well ‘ ENTREPRENEUR’, sounds better than before, doesn’t it? 

Minimal Bollywood Posters by Akshar Pathak

A sabbatical from blogging!

But a unique concept of “Art by Akshat Pathak” introduced to me by a Finance Major (or so he mentioned explicitly) brought me back home so that I could share his unique work!

Presenting to you, MBP, no its not Myelin Basic Protein, it is Minimal Bollywood Posters!!

Think of the things you recall when you hear the following:

1. Aati kya Khandala
2. Hotel Decent
3. Mard ko Dard nahin Hota

I don’t think I even need to answer the question for all the Bollywood Buffs (Even those few exception friends of mine who watch only Good Bollywood Films would recall them!)

Link for the Unique Concept - http://www.facebook.com/MinimalBollywoodPosters

Lets see the MBP’s Marketing and Risk Profile!  

Innovative work definitely brings recognition and it has again been proved that Facebook can be used extensively for bringing visibility to your business. In just a span of 4 months, garnering more than 11000 likes may be a small feat for some, but getting more than 3000 people to talk about it definitely requires a differentiator. Its strength lies in the unique idea but this artist sure needs to get new ideas churned out with speed and spread  the word about himself in a bullish manner.

Though he is the first mover, it wont be long before the Fast Seconds plagiarize the idea and come for the face off in the battle zone. Hence, it is now up to him to leverage this first mover advantage. Minimal Bollywood Posters has already started facing problems of its work being posted  without due credit being assigned to artist on his own home turf i.e. Facebook. Hence moving with agility and making Minimal Posters not just Bollywood posters his forte may give him more chances in future to give wings to creativity with ease with no problems in the take off.

May the work of art flourish!!

The Cutest Kid at the Alumni Meet

Venue- Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research

Time- 6p.m. onwards

Star Cast- The Alumni of our School

Amidst all the rush on the Rooftop where we had a bash for the Alumni of our We School, I noticed a little kid, oblivious to all the people around and holding the hands of his “pappa”. It was that kid who simply stole my attention with the sheer innocence in his eyes. His mind off from all the “Reasons” that people come to an Alumni Meet for, his eyes searching for that one thing which could capture his attention. Standing at the F and B (Food and Beverages) counter with his dad, his eyes kept wandering to the Nintendo, X-Box’s installed where he wanted to play the games. His playful nature made me go up to his dad and ask him if I could take him to play!! Such is the power of kids. His Dad denied once, but he too could not say “NO”to his kid, the second time, and there he went off to play with him!!

I was happy that the child was finally in his comfort zone  and I went about doing my work.

Now to the issue that is in controversy now a  days, the issue that is highlighted by the incident just described:

It is that power of persistence of children that is being used by advertisers to convey their message. From selling chocolates, cars to LIC policies, children have come all over the place.

A TV show recently spoke about how Child Right Activists are concerned about children being projected in ads as an aid to decision makers. The advertisement which follows shows a child who is deciding the car he wishes to buy on his 18th b’day

The persuasive power of children is great. But in the advertising world it is a very subjective matter. And according to me the companies should take a call of what they think is correct. And if they make something offensive, well, the Advertising Standards Council of India is definitely there to take care of the complaints!

And to the little boy @ the Meet, I wish him all the success in his life and hope that his innocence remains intact!!

Warming up the cold calls!!

Warming up the cold calls!!

What happens when a tele caller calls us?

We pick up our calls (used to do that earlier, after the directive of having 140 at the start of numbers for tele callers, we refrain from doing that too, except when its accidently), say we are busy if courtesy permits and just keep the phone down. A tele caller has just 5 seconds in the start to hold our attention, and if that’s done, then even if we don’t like it, we might end up listening to the entire insurance etc. that he/she(generally ‘she’ if common notion is to be beieved) was trying to sell.

Cold calling is a complete turn off to not only the person making the call but also the prospect. It is a derided concept in the field of Marketing and Sales so it’s time to rethink the cold calling strategy?

Is warming up those cold calls necessary? Well, to know the answer let’s look at a general cold calling script which is considered to be effective

(Opening Conversation)

Hello. Is this ___________ (Name of the person)

       Yes

I am calling from ___________ (Name of the company)

Would this be the right time to speak to you?

    Yes/No

State the reason directly for calling which would capture the attention

Analyse the need of the prospect

Complete the talk

Exchange pleasantries in the end

But this is what all cold callers do, isn’t it? Generally, everyone follows the same script so what would differentiate you when you make a so called cold call? 

It is the warmth in the voice, the genuine concern coupled with a fast analysis of the prospect’s need. This need analysis should give a solution to the caller/seller to take into consideration the needs of the prospect and then offer the solution. It is the thinking on one’s feet that is required to convert that cold call into a warm one. The reading between the lines and understanding the unstated needs by the tone of the voice which is the only saviour on phone are very important cues. It also means that you have to know the content inside out to be able to be able to strike up an intelligent conversation. The word to be ‘observed’ here is ‘conversation’. People generally tend to speak one- way during a cold call and undermine the fact that being a good listener is very important because that gives us insights about the thoughts of the other person

There will still be many who will respond roughly on phone, but then, well it’s their loss. They have lost a chance to speak to one of those few cold callers who well aren’t cold at all!!

Television – A rehab for Popularity?

Watching Sanjay Dutt on Aapka Farmaan, I wondered what led a seemingly out of Rehab actor to come to a television show.  Why is television shows becoming an escape for actors wanting to build their broken reputations or remaking their careers if their films bomb on Box Office(Exceptions – AB, SRK, Salman- as of now) . An actor who is trying to woo the audiences by dancing and being sweet to the contestants, I don’t think trying to transform your image on a television show is a very good option though with Indian gullible audiences it still proves to be useful time and again.

Lets check out the famous examples:

Shilpa Shetty - Did a Big Brother in UK and she got the respect that she would have never imagined (literally), a Richard Gere incident and thankfully she didn’t attempt much of a clean up act later.

Salman Khan- Yes, he’s always been loved, but just as a spoilt kid who’s always pampered by everyone no matter what his mistake. (Not to belittle any of his successes. The best commercially viable actor right now – though sustainability needs to be viewed with a critical eye)

Sanjay Dutt- Right now, Well his movies aren’t working or I can’t recall any of the latest ones.

And who can forget the music directors, singers, choreographers who come on shows for well, popularity, but talent speaks! Why is the war of words necessary? All falling prey to the mischievous role of PR managers for the most coveted TRPs

As a few would say, “Love me or Hate me, You cant ignore me” is the name of the game

But where does this leave the TV audiences. A question that few would bother to think about. Is TV morally or socially responsible? (That’s another question which will take another page to discuss)

According to a KPMG report,, the average time spent on TV is still low in India with 2 hours in a non metro market and 3 hours in a big metro market because in smaller towns capability and willingness to watch TV exists but supply of power is an issue.

Yes the time spent is not substantial as compared to other countries but then with emotions playing high with the Indian audiences and their guile nature in which they regard the Bollywood actors in the highest pedestal, even this “little” time is enough to influence them. This especially becomes a problem because, not all watching “the TV” in India realize that the reality TV is not actually real- well not always (to put it diplomatically)!

Is it correct that Television become a rehab for popularity of the stars and the non stars? TV viewing is self censored as can be argued but why is it that the onus of responsibility is put on the viewers only.

Should there be a Social Responsibility award given to the Reality Shows who manages to get the stars without a ‘Rehab or out-of-work or increasing popularity because the movies are not working’ mission to fulfill? (There can be a few exceptions to this view, but as can be noted, the exceptions are generally Few)

Relief from World of Theory!

One of the greatest delights of learning is the Eureka Moment when the practical applications are self explanatory and the theory ceases to exist as the verbose text!

Since my childhood, I have come across a variety of teachers, but the Language teachers have always left a mark on me. Reflecting back, I realize, that language teachers always give examples while teaching, they engage you in fun activities which makes studying a child’s play(then and now too).

Business Communication! A subject which sounds like a theory overdose but surprisingly in my Management School, it has become the most awaited lecture! What makes this subject so interesting is what you would think?

Lets begin a Business Communication Lecture taken by a very happening teacher who resembles a lot of Language teachers I have had in a way that she engages me but is very unique in a way that no other can be:

Duration - 3 Hours

Target Topics- Learning to communicate effectively

Lecture:

What would be your reaction when a Professor tells you to pick up a chit, which has a word written on it and tells you to blabber off for 2 1/2 minutes!! This test was performed on “6 sample students” of our class who agreed to volunteer and showcase to the class the mysteries of human mind!

The History Professor in our class stole the show with his description of the sky!! From associating sky with purity to spirituality to linking the colour of the sky to our moods, he in a very distinct way presented to the class the broad dimensions of a single topic. After the “sky” came the chit which announced “Mumbai Roads” and this in true sense showed what could happen to a topic which was not well thought of( I got this chit)

But still, the process of associating and linking a topic at the very moment made me realise the potential of Human Brain to wander of and which is why we need the base of a strong intellect (Refer books by Parthasarathy)

But, was the motive of the very happening Professor to showcase the breadth of the topic?

No! It was to tell us, how unfocussed we can be, if we go unprepared any time. Our communication should always have an essence to it. A take back value !!

And thus, our Prof. left me with a very important lesson for life!

Each word that we say carries a certain weightage. When we speak to someone, we should think twice, because words once spoken can never be taken back. Our mind can wander off with “beautiful associations” but, it is the responsibility of our intellect to make sure that we keep our tongue in check!

Words, Words, Words…… They remain words when spoken thoughtlessly but these same words become meaningful expressions when nurtured with care and thought!    

 

Sifting through the female handbag!!

There was a time when I agreed to the statement in the movie HumTum. The dialogue was:

“Tumne mera bag Khola? Tumhe nahin pata ladkiyon ka bag nahin kholna chahiye!”

But today, after my tryst with the female handbag which I so tried to avoid earlier, but started using it, I decided it was an entity which was worth a look, inside out, by everyone around (every marketeer)!

Beautiful Bag, isn’t it?

But there’s a lot more to this handbag than what we think! This bag is a marketeers delight!

No, not because it opens up avenues and channels for designer handbags to enter the market and brands like Baggit and Esbeda to rule the roost.

Not because it allows a line of shops outside the Bandra Linking Road and the Colaba Causeway to do brisk business, which is a haven for regular handbag hunters.

It was because of the contents of the handbag! The contents which no female can do without, the contents which presents a host of opportunities for many mini versions and handy products to be used while travelling! Because, Oh boy, these are some things which have to be carried even if it creates a market for doctors for the back and shoulder pain! So why not, relieve us, females of the stress!

Sifting through a handbag, a female handbag, you will find everything from a chocolate to a cosmetic item and this area has been very well used by the companies to create different samples of the products.

For an example, let us consider the most basic thing, soaps:

It started with the soaps. But is it feasible to carry soap in a handbag?

No.

Then, there came the face washes which were a better way of carrying soaps.

So, then a different form of soaps were created! Those which could be disposed off easily! We had paper soaps coming in! We can still see a paper soap being an integral part of travelling anywhere in India.

But, was that enough! What if you want to use that paper soaps while travelling, say in a local train or on the street?

You can’t do that right!

So, then there came the handy face wipes!

For, the more cleanliness buffs, we have hand sanitizers etc.

A hand bag reduces the size of the things which are to be carried! Say, for example we would have a smaller talcum, a smaller deodorant, and a whole lot of cosmetics in a travel friendly version being carried by women.

In fact, in Mumbai, with women using the local trains, every marketer should once for all analyze the local train compartment. The hosts of things being used from small, easy to carry eatables which do not mess up the hand bag to the cosmetics to of course the handbag itself, is immense!