Are Street Smart people better Business Developers?

In this era of cut throat competition where every company wants to increase their client count and lead its competitor’s, business development plays a very important and strategic role. The companies serving the same segment or industry have almost everything in common apart from one or two USP’s but one factor that differentiates them from each other is the way they approach their prospective customers. The initial contact point for the customer or a client is a business development person who is an interface of the company and educates the client about the company and its services. It entirely depends on his communication and convincing skills whether the client would be in or not.

Business Development is one profession that requires a lot of patience, dedication, detail industry knowledge and good convincing and negotiation skills. But the most important aspect of this profession is the art of listening and digesting a “NO” from the client without being discouraged. There are people in this field who have been in the market for a very long time but have been mediocre performers while there are some who have become star performers in the short span of their careers. The only difference they have is in the attitude and the way they tackle the clients. These are street smart people who know what is just right for that moment; they go for it and get it. Having an eagle’s eye for details and prompt in their actions these people are capable of identifying and converting prospective clients. In this case their negotiation and communication skill gives them an edge over the others. In the short run these people can be a plus point for the company, growing the business and reaping profits with the increasing client base but this should not be forgotten that their street smart attitude makes them think and act smarter when it is for their personal growth. One more aspect of their personality is that they are self motivated people who might not be good team players.

The go getter attitude often leads to a “Me Myself” theory that leaves behind the team spirit and the organizational vision and goal at times. According to the day today visible human psychology pattern street smart people are impulsive and quick at decision making which can be dangerous for the growth and image of the company. There is a very fine line between being smart and over smart.  There can be times when these smart people come across smarter clients who if not handled tactfully and with maturity would be lost forever. To sustain in the corporate world in the long run companies have to build strong and stable relations with their clients and cordial relations with their competitors as well.

 Goodwill is the backbone of any company and the business development people carry the brand name of the company to their clients. It is very important for them to be good at interpersonal skills apart from being dedicated and ethical. It is not that street smart people are not ethical or dedicated to their job but at times they might not compromise on anything for a good opportunity and would want to make the best out of it. For them  winning is important and probably that is why they are called street smart because they are smarter or may be smartest in the lot and aim at converting opportunities. So yes, Street Smart people are better business developers but an employer should analyze the permutation combination of their personality traits and decide because for a successful business to sustain in the market it is important not only to attain new customers but also to retain the existing ones maintaining the legacy and goodwill of the brand. 

Presentation and Communication are the pillars of Brand Management

In the existing competitive corporate world a company needs a strong brand management strategy to position itself and mark a difference. Brand Management is a very strong tool to position a company among its competitors. This is what differentiates a company from its competitors. It is an image building process for a company where it projects all its USP’s and benchmarks its achievements. Visibility paves a way for success and with the digitization of the corporate culture it has a striking impact on the breaking or making of a brand name. With all the marketing tactics going digital how a brand is being projected depends largely on the way it is being presented and communicated. Customer being the king it is very important not only to attain him but to retain him as well. In this case it is very important that the presentation and communication of a company should be in sync with the perception level of the client.

For an effective brand management look and feel of the brand image is vital and should be focused on the target audience. Communication is not just an expression of thoughts; it has now become a technical tool to enhance the brand image in all aspects. Communicating right information to the right audience at the right time is a key marketing strategy to excel. Presentation is other critical aspect of brand management as visibility leads to perception. The look and feel of a brand attracts viewers who can be the potential customers.


 A marketing campaign includes brand promotion tactics which in turn include on-line and offline resources. Talking about the on-line promotions we have various social networking sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter that have given a wide platform to the companies to showcase and promote their brand value and brand image. Apart from this there are various digital marketing tools like SEO(Search Engine Optimization),SEM(Search Engine Marketing),PPC(Pay Per Click),SMO(Social Media Optimization),SMM(Social Media Marketing) and SEA (Search Engine Advertisement) that provide avenues for marketing campaigns that in turn boosts brand management.

The wide usage and access to these channels doubles the importance of presentation and communication as the visibility level increases beyond boundaries. Offline promotion also involves a strong and structured marketing plan with effective and impressive communication and presentation for correct brand positioning. Who? What? When? These questions if properly addressed while formulating a marketing plan along with a correct improvisation of communication and presentation prove to be a bang on bingo in the perfect brand positioning.

10 mistakes to avoid while hiring new candidates

Employees are the strong foundation of any organization that contributes to the rising heights of success. Adding value to this foundation paves a way to explore new avenues of success. So right fit for the right post at the right time is the key to success for any organization.

Hiring a new candidate is like including a new member to your family. A family that has a set of common values, principals, ethics but different people with individual approach. Selecting the right candidate is a very crucial aspect of people management as on boarding, grooming, training demands a lot of time which in turn is a cost to the company.Best hiring services in India that are adapted by majority of the companies to attain quality manpower have some key points in common. These key factors that should be kept in mind while hiring a new candidate are as stated below.

10 Mistakes that can destroy Employee Engagement

Employees are the backbone of any organization. For any organization to fly high in the horizon of success it is important that they have a strong foundation of manpower support. A channelized effort of all the employees towards accomplishment of a common goal leads to success in a short span of time. But any association, be it personal or professional requires care and commitment from both the sides mutually. A satisfied employee is a secured employee and a secured employee would be dedicated and productive and would surely align his activities towards achievement of the organizational goal. Certain key points that should be taken care of by the management companies in India to retain the employees and align their efforts towards company’s vision are as stated below.

•  Personal Connect: The HR department should make an effort to build a personal rapport and connect with the employees as it would boost up their dedication level. If the management values the personal interest of its employees to some extent and stands by them in their good and bad times, it helps promote a good work culture. Celebrating birthdays and any other special days related to them will make them feel important and recognized as individuals and not just an employee. In this case small efforts have a big impact on the mindset of the work force that increases aligned productivity.
•   Rewards and Recognition: An effort made is an effort waste if not recognized on time. The motivation behind good work is the rewards and recognition attached to it.Unless and until there is a driving force behind any work assigned people might not put in their best efforts. Efforts and good results of the employees should always be recognized and rewarded on time. This keeps the motivation level high and acts as a lever for the driving force to perform better every time. A sound rewards and recognition policies help the company in attaining and retaining valuable talent and enhance the goodwill and brand value of the company.
• Communication Gap: A strong communication network aligns the management and the employees towards common goal. The employees should be well aware of the communication channels and should feel free to speak their heart out if they have any concerns. A two way effective communication system gives clarity of thoughts to both management and the employees and helps them know and understand each other better. Communication gap leads to disparity in the thinking process which in turn hampers the trust factor and work culture of the company.
• Proper Metrics for Grievance Handling: Trust is a basic attribute of any association. An employer employee relationship built on trust has a strong foundation for long term future endeavours. Employees should be well aware of their rights and correct channels to address their concerns. There should be a well maintained link with all privacy settings intact to address grievances of its employees without highlighting the person concerned.
•  Regular Interaction:There should be regular interactive sessions between the employees and the management specifying the short term goals and the milestones achieved. This gives a bigger picture to the employees and helps them associate their individual targets to that of the company. These regular interactions can be in the form of Seminars, Webinars or Hi-tea corporate get together where ideas can be exchanged and employees get a platform to share their input on important matters related to the organization. This boosts the initiative and participation level of the employees and involves them more in the organization.
• Cultural Respect:With the changing market dynamics companies have adapted a cosmopolitan culture where people from various religious and cultural backgrounds work together. The companies should be well aware, respect and inculcate all respectful values in its workforce for these diversified cultures. All the festivals related to these cultures should be known and celebrated to respect the feelings and beliefs of employees belonging to them.   
•  Mundane work Culture: If an organization sticks to a work structure where employees are expected to work continuously without any recreational activities being included in the work schedule slowly the productivity level goes down. In such a work culture after a point of time the employee reaches a saturation level and is bound to leave the organization or is accused of poor performance. Recreational activities like team outings, company get together celebrating family day or various festivals together keeps the employees happy and motivated. At times it also helps reduce the attrition rate for the company.
• Security: With so many women entering the corporate world it becomes the prime responsibility of the organization to take care of their security needs. With the need of the hour at times they have to be away from home traveling, or working late night.In such cases it becomes the prime responsibility of the company to take all possible measures to provide them with a safe work environment. There should be a quick and firm action with regard to their safety issues if they have any.
• Hygiene of the work place: Employees have to be healthy to perform and give their best. A hygienic and neat work place is required to keep the employees healthy and hearty. An organized and messy work station kills the motivation and decreases the productivity level of the employees. Proper cleanliness should be maintained at the work place that includes the dining and wash room area also. A properly lit and airy workplace lets the positive energy flow in and keeps the employees spirits high.
• Work Timings: Work timings should not be unnecessarily exaggerated as it might at times be difficult for the employees to cope with it. This aspect should be taken care of especially for female employees.People work for their families and have to balance both these aspects at the same time. After the scheduled work time if the employees are asked to stay back and work on a regular basis they are bound to feel disconnected and would start looking for other opportunities. This might lead to high attrition rate in turn hampering the image and goodwill of the company in the market. 

         Article originally posted on Article base