9 Things Positive People Do Before 9AM

Whether it’s because you’re running late, didn’t sleep enough, or just didn’t feel like getting out of bed; getting off on the wrong foot in the morning can put you in a negative mood throughout the day. Even if you are not a morning person, a routine of positive tasks in the morning will make you feel productive and ensure that you are ready to take on the day.

Wake up early.
Give yourself an early start so you don’t feel rushed. Feeling rushed can automatically make you frazzled and put you in a bad mood. It’s best to be able to do things in the morning at a your own pace so you feel like you’re in control.

Give yourself something to look forward to.
Do things that will excite you and make you want to get out of bed in the morning, without overdoing it. You will automatically be in a better mood if getting out of bed isn’t a dreadful task.

Prayer and Meditation.
This is the time to reflect on the positive aspects of your life and give gratitude to the things you are thankful for. Mediation or prayer is a good time to take a moment and set the tone for your day. Focusing on positive energy in the morning can prepare you for any challenges that may come your way.

Listen to/Read uplifting content.
Whether it be new inspiring material, or the same old song or book you love; read or listen to something that’s going to put you in a good mood and get you in a positive mindset for the day.

Exercise/Stretch.
Sometimes going to the gym or for a jog at 6am is too much. Doing something as simple as stretching your neck, arms and legs can wake up your body, increase circulation, and get it ready to take on the rest of the day. Studies have shown that simple stretching in the morning can reduce stress throughout the day.

Drink a lot of water.
It is important to stay hydrated in the morning since your body is dehydrated when you wake up. According to Rania Batayneh, MPH, drinking water in the morning is associated with balancing our moods because water supports both body regulation and brain function. This is why you should never let coffee, tea, or any kind of juice be the first thing you drink in the morning.

Don’t Skip Breakfast.
Breakfast is an important meal because it is meant to replenish your body after the hours you’ve spent sleeping. Not eating in the morning will lower your energy level and increase stress throughout the day, according to a study from the University of Texas.

Appreciate the space in between tasks.
Don’t make yourself too busy, take time in between tasks to relax and reflect. Appreciate the down time and make sure to breathe.

Lastly, Ask yourself “What can I do to make today AMAZING?”
Give yourself realistic goals or a loose plan to follow. It’s important to do things you will enjoy, so that your tasks throughout the day will feel like they are worth your while. How your day goes is completely in your hands.

10 HABITS THAT MAKE YOU MORE ATTRACTIVE

When we think of attractiveness, we usually think of things that affect our physical appearance. However, not all attractiveness is external. Being attractive emotionally, spiritually and mentally is just as important for finding the right mate.

1. CONNECT WITH PEOPLE DEEPLY

We are attracted to people like us, and we also find likeable people attractive. Being likeable is easy; be more interested in hearing about the other person than you are in telling about yourself.

Ask probing questions to understand the background behind people’s actions, preferences, and stories. What is this person like when they are at home alone? What are their fears and dreams?

2. TREAT FRIENDSHIPS AS A PRIORITY

Friends don’t let friendships grow apart. By nourishing your friendships, you practice the skills necessary to sustain a happy romantic relationship as well.

Friends make you smile and smiling is always an attractive habit.

3. LIVE IN THE PRESENT MOMENT

In a study of attractiveness in a speed-dating situation, women found men more attractive if they measured higher in mindfulness. This appears to only go one way for the sexes as men in the study did not find mindful women to be more attractive.

Mindfulness is peaceful self-awareness. It is the knowledge that in the present moment, everything is just as it should be. Mindfulness is attractive because we shift focus away from anxiety or depression while we focus on the now. Mindful people tend to be more emotionally balanced.

4. MOVE YOUR BODY

Obviously physical exercise keeps a body in shape, and healthy bodies are more attractive than unhealthy ones. This is especially true of males and females who are looking for healthy partners with whom they hope to raise a family.

When we think of someone who is attractive, they almost always possess grace in their movements. Balance and stretching, as well as mindful movements will help you to present yourself as an attractive partner.

5. NOURISH YOURSELF WITH EXCELLENT FOOD

Nourishing your insides helps nourish your skin. Radiant skin is always attractive and beauty starts from the inside. Think about a potential mate watching you as you eat. Would your potential mate be more attracted to you if they saw you eating some greasy fast food or dining on a gourmet vegan meal that you had made yourself?

6. KNOW YOUR SELF WORTH

Be sure of your value. Be confident in the fact that you are intrinsically valuable as a human being and more so because of your character, intelligence and kind actions. It’s been said before that confidence is sexy, and self-love is the best way to build self-confidence.

Project your value with your head held high. Meet the gaze of others directly and say to yourself ‘I would make a great catch for the partner who is worthy of me.’ Be careful not cross the line into arrogance. Aim for an attitude of self-assurance.

7. HAVE EXCELLENT SLEEP HABITS

Sleep ensures that our bodies are able to replenish their depleted resources. Making a habit of getting good rest also means that you’ll look better physically; your skin looks healthy and your eyes are bright.

Mentally, well-rested people are better able to cope with stress and less likely to fail to manage their emotions. Good sleep is a good self-care habit that can also make you more attractive to your potential mate.

8. MAKE IT A HABIT TO HAVE DOWN TIME

Self-care includes some time with no stress or concerns. Make sure to release stress by enjoying plenty of down time. Again, visualize your ideal mate watching you as you relax. Choose an activity that feeds your soul like mindfulness meditation, yoga, or reading.

9. FORGIVE AND LEARN FROM MISTAKES

Self-improvement means constantly learning. Studies that question males and females about desirable traits in a mate show that ‘psychological traits are important in human mating, with both sexes valuing intelligence and kindness very highly.’

Intelligence doesn’t have to mean that you have a degree. You can demonstrate intelligence to a potential mate by learning from mistakes and handling it well when you make one. You can demonstrate self-kindness by forgiving yourself for making a mistake in the first place, then, show what you’ve learned by avoiding the mistake in the future.

10. TAKE IMMENSE PLEASURE IN SIMPLE THINGS

In every moment you have a choice to be happy or to be angry/sad/afraid. Choose joy and gratitude no matter the situation. This moment and the smile on your face could lead you to find the mate that’s right for you and who has their own matching inner and outer attractiveness.

AND ABOVE ALL THINGS, IT’S MOST IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT YOU WILL BE LOVED NOT FOR WHO YOU AREN’T BUT FOR EXACTLY WHO YOU TRULY ARE. THIS LIST IS ONLY MEANT TO HELP BRING YOU CLOSER TO THAT TRULY AUTHENTIC, LOVING, ATTRACTIVE SELF.

9 BEHAVIORS NO SELF-RESPECTING PERSON SHOULD EVER TOLERATE

1. PEOPLE PLEASING

At the end of the day, you just have to do what makes you happy, and go with your gut feeling.Forget trying to convince others; they will only try to tear you down most of the time, and give you 1,000 reasons why you shouldn’t follow your heart. You have to rise above the opinions of others, and instead just do what feels right to you. Any self-respecting person values their own opinion over others’.

2. A NEGATIVE VIEW OF THEMSELVES

“Be mindful of your self-talk; it’s a conversation with the universe.” – David James Lees

If you want your reality to look more positive and vibrant, then your thoughts need to align with what you want your world to look like. If you have a negative view of yourself, the world will look gray and depressing. However, if you have a positive relationship with yourself, you will see endless opportunities and bliss wherever you look. Self-respecting people love and nourish themselves with positive thoughts, relationships, careers, and goals.

3. REMAINING STAGNANT

“A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there.” 

If you look around, the world seems like a pretty scary place, and so many people decide to remain in their safety net as long as possible to avoid anything uncomfortable. However, you can’t grow if you don’t try new things. Self-respecting people love to push the boundaries and see how much they can stretch the limits in order to keep evolving as a person.

4. TRYING TO FIT IN

Again, you can’t grow and learn if you only care about following the herd. In order to really thrive in this world, you must carve your own path and learn to trust your instincts, not the tired, worn-out opinions of others. Learn to feel comfortable in your own skin and truly trust your intuition, and you will see a whole new world open up for you.

5. WORKING AT A SOUL-SUCKING JOB

Unfortunately, most people work at jobs they hate just to pay the bills. However, you don’t have to become a statistic; you can leave that job that drains you and look for something else that will truly fulfill your soul. Self-respecting people dig deep to truly uncover what their soul wants, and then follow that calling unabashedly. Of course, sometimes you just have to tough it out until you find something better, but our point remains that anyone who loves and respects themselves will ultimately leave a job that doesn’t support their mental and emotional well-being.

6. NEGLECTING YOUR HEALTH

Feeling good starts and ends with you; no one else can take charge of your health for you. If you don’t feel well mentally, physically, or emotionally, examine your life to see where you can make some changes.

Change doesn’t happen overnight, but it does happen gradually with actionable steps. Any self-respecting person puts their health first, because they know that without this, they can’t enjoy life to the fullest and bring their best selves to the table.

7. OVERLY CONTROLLING RELATIONSHIPS

If you have friends or a partner who tries to dictate every aspect of your life, then this should definitely signal the alarm bells in your head. You should never tolerate someone who wants to manipulate and control your relationship.

“Toxic relationships can exist in any kind of relationship, and they are bad for your health..”

You deserve friendships and relationships that will enhance your well-being and challenge you to grow and learn. Simply put, if anyone in your life brings you down more than they raise you up, then you need to let them go. Self-respecting people don’t allow anyone but themselves to control their lives, period.

8. BEING LAZY

In the age of technology, many of us have allowed our smartphones, tablets and computers to entertain us the majority of the time. We’ve lost our motivation because it seems easier to sit in front of a screen than actually go out in the real world to accomplish things. However, any self-respecting person will not allow themselves to become complacent; they continue to work hard toward their goals, and know how to use self-control and discipline to their advantage.

9. NOT CHOOSING HAPPINESS

Too many people settle for less than what they deserve in the world today, simply because they don’t value themselves highly enough, or they feel too comfortable in their current situation to make changes. However, any self-respecting person always chooses what makes them the happiest, regardless of what they have to do to get there. They don’t place any limits on their lives, because they know that magic truly does exist in this world, despite what we’ve been led to believe!

Be safe. Be alive. A sincere request to all my successful friends.

This was 3rd sad news to come.

The 2nd one was just about few months back.

The 1st one was a about a year back.

This friend had a small factory in Chennai and travelling to attend a meeting at 8 AM in Bangalore. He left Chennai at morning 4 o'clock. Was negotiating a turn with a trailer, rammed into it and lost his life. He left his widowed mother and a disabled brother behind him.

Another friend was heading HR for a large Indian corporate and was in mid-forties only.

Other 2 were even younger, possible in their mid thirties.

All 3 met with very tragic accidents and died, one with wife. Leaving their young children orphan and their wives and parents in real sad state.

The pattern was very similar in all 3 incidents.

These were people very successful. They were highly educated. They studied in best schools that the country has.

The root cause seems to be, we all are tired of long hours at work.

We stretch ourselves too much and we have a powerful vehicle at our disposal.

So my dear friends, do not stretch yourselves too hard on the road.

Do not try to over speed just because your car can go at 120 or 150 kmph.

Your family and your relatives are waiting for you at home.

Do NOT compromise on safety at any cost.

Every thing ends when you close your eyes for ever.

Be safe. Be alive.

Marketing Lessons: Govinda Goooooooovinda!

Marketing is amazingly easy to learn. And learn from unexpected sources too - people, products, places....and hell, even from places of worship!

Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam (TTD). How about learning some marketing from the world’s richest Temple authority – the BCCI of Hindu temples, so to speak! 

You know the colossal crowds in Tirupathi Temple every single day. The titanic turnout is a sight to behold – provided you aren’t one among the crowd and only sight it from a distance! From sinners to sincere devotees; from people who come with a request to people who return to payback, Tirupathi is one cosmic ecosystem in itself! While the crowds are a testimony to Tirupathi’s brand pull, it also serves as a turn off!

So, what do you do as a marketer? Simple; you open new branches! When your shop gets huge crowds in a city, you open new outlets. And when it keeps growing, you expand across to other cities. So you get more walk-ins; they go back contended, having consumed your brand; word of mouth spreads; and voila, you increase your revenues!

TTD is doing precisely that. It’s planning to build Venkateswara Temples at various places across the country. New distribution outlets – allow me to say so – are to come up at Navi Mumbai, Kanyakumari and New Delhi. Plans are also afoot to convert the guesthouse and rooms at the TTD’s Chennai Information centre in T.Nagar and convert it into a full-fledged Temple....another branch that is.

Thus, increased footfalls and enhanced market share too!

Now how do you augment revenue – not from new customers but from existing ones? Simple, you go hi-tech, partner with professionals, take the e-route and profit from your existing customers....when they bow in the temple. Literally!

TTD has tied up with MSTC Ltd., the public sector trading house known for facilitating electronic auction of commodities and products – coal, manganese, scrap etc., - to profitably dispose of the huge stock of 471 tonnes of hair, offered by lakhs of devotees.

Raw hair, in general, is cleaned and categorized by local buyers and finds a huge market abroad, mostly for manufacture of wigs. So far, TTD had been selling hair through the traditional auction route. The Internet based e-auction has completely changed the rules of the game. The last sale was effected at a hair-raising (pardon my pun) Rs.133 crore (at approximately Rs. 2,824 a kg). This was 27% higher than the reserve price of Rs. 105 crores set earlier.

And this is set to swell. The last auction did not see foreign users participating directly. But MSTC is hopeful that they would soon take direct interest, raising the hair....I mean the proceeds!

This is just the tip of the icebergian hair growth! TTD is contemplating using the services of MSTC to auction the tonnes of silver and gold that devotees are only too happy to drop in the Temple’s humongous hundis everyday! Read revenues!

And there’s more. The Temple also gets, from its patrons, pots of provisions everyday - grapes, fresh fruits, dry fruits etc., worth Rs. 300–400 crores a year. They are to be auctioned too. The coffers are set to swell.

I think TTD could do much more. How about official Tirupathi memorabilia sold through authorized TTD outlets in and around the Temple? How about selling official Venkateswara merchandise around the country by exploring the franchisee route? How about banded Tirupathi Laddus sold through stores across the country using the distribution might of a company like Levers or ITC? How about Tirupathi and Venkateswara branded screen savers, ring tones, caller tunes.....you name it!

Yedukundala vaada Govinda Goooooooovinda!

Shared from my Master's page !

Words Worth !

Words mean nothing but matter much. More so in marketing.

To mean one thing and to say it with the right word or phrase is a challenge in itself. Finding the right set of words to express your brand’s offering proves elusive at best and counter-productive at worst.

Getting it right or just a wee bit off target could spell the difference between success and failure. Take the case of Horlicks. It once stood for ‘nutrition’; and targeted families. The brand was sicker than the users who were using it!

And then Horlicks decided to target kids and made one small change in the way it described its offering. It replaced the word ‘nutrition’ with ‘nourishment’. It’s been ipaang gupaang japaang for Horlicks, ever since!

Yamaha has been talking about ‘speed’. But sadly, the bike is fast and sales are not. If only they used a better word - ‘Thrill’. The word ‘Thrill’ encompasses speed, builds an emotional layer to it and thus adds more oomph to the brand’s offering.

See, how one word makes a difference!

It’s not just about English words in advertising; the same applies to our 14-major-languages-and-million-dialects nation as well. The problem and challenges of using the right word or phrase is even more pronounced.

Take the word ‘Love’. Think of an equivalent word in your mother tongue. You probably can come out with five words. But note that each of those words should be used only in specific contexts. The equivalent word for love that describes brotherly love is different from the word that describes love between friends. The word to describe motherly love isn’t the same as the one that describes the love between a boy and a girl.

A wrong word in a wrong context could alter the meaning completely. Yet, in English all those different words gets translated into one catchall word – Love!

Put simply, the use of words matters. The use of the right word matters more. ‘Father’ and ‘Dad’ mean the same. Or do they? 

Read this: ‘Anyone can be a father; but it takes someone special to be dad’. Now, the two words don’t mean the same!

Here is another interesting marketing story that highlights the importance of using the right words to make the perfect difference.

A school in Virginia had trouble filling a course called ‘Home Economics for Boys’. Considering the title, this isn’t too surprising. First, the word economics puts off most students who consider it boring and bereft of bliss. Secondly, the use of the word ‘boys’ is demeaning. Once into their teens, no self-respecting boy considers himself a boy. He sees himself as a man in the making. So, it was to nobody’s surprise that the course ‘Home Economics for Boys’ found no takers.

The school tried everything possible to popularize the course but in vain.

Then they did what most marketers don’t. They put themselves in the consumer’s shoes and thought through the problem using the consumer’s viewpoint. The answer became obvious.

The problem was not the course. It was the title of the course – the words they had used. The school renamed the class ‘Bachelor Living’.

120 boys immediately signed up!

Words cost nothing. But matter much. Weigh your words watchfully. And watch it’s worth work wonders!

This Is the Straightest Road to Success

I have found the secret to success.

Chances are you’ve been to a keynote (or watched one on YouTube) where a guru talked on and on about their “secrets.” Maybe it involved a morning routine. How they conduct business meetings. A really amazing smoothie they make.

All of that advice means nothing. No, seriously. Nothing.

The secret to success is much more simple. In fact, you have it already.

My success is a product of many things. Anyone’s success is. It has to do with skill. Resources. Time. But I truly believe that the number one thing has allowed me to get me to where I am today is how hard I work.

Not how much money. Not how much time. But how hard I work.

I owe an enormous part of that to my dad. If he hadn’t set that example early in my life, I don’t even know if I would possess the ability to think someone could work that hard. It would be unfathomable to me. I work nineteen hour days most days, and that is just the tip of the iceberg of what I get done.

I grew up poor. I sucked shit at school. Working hard was the only gear I had, because I had virtually nothing else. I knew that those obstacles would be extremely difficult to overcome. So I worked. Day in and day out.

I was hungry for success, and I knew that to get there, I just had to give it my all.

The secret to success is this: work harder. When you think you’ve worked your hardest, go even deeper.

Your biggest advantage is to be hungrier than your competitor. Apply your work ethic advantage. If you don’t come, you’ll come up short.

You might have eight hours in a work day. Or maybe twelve. Maybe you’re like me and you work sixteen to nineteen. But the amount of time isn’t the variable here. It’s what you do in that time. You can be working all day, but if you’re not working hard, it’s for nothing. Work five insane hours over sixteen soft ones any day.

This is the straightest road to success. Optimizing your time and working as hard as you can. When you do those two things, good shit happens.

Because working hard does something else too. It strengthens you.

Greatness comes from adversity. It comes from having to look something in the eye and deal with it. Go after it.

Inspire greatness in yourself by never letting yourself back down.

Would love to hear your thoughts! Do you agree? Disagree?

Words worth !

Words mean nothing but matter much. More so in marketing.

To mean one thing and to say it with the right word or phrase is a challenge in itself. Finding the right set of words to express your brand’s offering proves elusive at best and counter-productive at worst.

Getting it right or just a wee bit off target could spell the difference between success and failure. Take the case of Horlicks. It once stood for ‘nutrition’; and targeted families. The brand was sicker than the users who were using it!

And then Horlicks decided to target kids and made one small change in the way it described its offering. It replaced the word ‘nutrition’ with ‘nourishment’. It’s been ipaang gupaang japaang for Horlicks, ever since!

Yamaha has been talking about ‘speed’. But sadly, the bike is fast and sales are not. If only they used a better word - ‘Thrill’. The word ‘Thrill’ encompasses speed, builds an emotional layer to it and thus adds more oomph to the brand’s offering.

See, how one word makes a difference!

It’s not just about English words in advertising; the same applies to our 14-major-languages-and-million-dialects nation as well. The problem and challenges of using the right word or phrase is even more pronounced.

Take the word ‘Love’. Think of an equivalent word in your mother tongue. You probably can come out with five words. But note that each of those words should be used only in specific contexts. The equivalent word for love that describes brotherly love is different from the word that describes love between friends. The word to describe motherly love isn’t the same as the one that describes the love between a boy and a girl.

A wrong word in a wrong context could alter the meaning completely. Yet, in English all those different words gets translated into one catchall word – Love!

Put simply, the use of words matters. The use of the right word matters more. ‘Father’ and ‘Dad’ mean the same. Or do they? 

Read this: ‘Anyone can be a father; but it takes someone special to be dad’. Now, the two words don’t mean the same!

Here is another interesting marketing story that highlights the importance of using the right words to make the perfect difference.

A school in Virginia had trouble filling a course called ‘Home Economics for Boys’. Considering the title, this isn’t too surprising. First, the word economics puts off most students who consider it boring and bereft of bliss. Secondly, the use of the word ‘boys’ is demeaning. Once into their teens, no self-respecting boy considers himself a boy. He sees himself as a man in the making. So, it was to nobody’s surprise that the course ‘Home Economics for Boys’ found no takers.

The school tried everything possible to popularize the course but in vain.

Then they did what most marketers don’t. They put themselves in the consumer’s shoes and thought through the problem using the consumer’s viewpoint. The answer became obvious.

The problem was not the course. It was the title of the course – the words they had used. The school renamed the class ‘Bachelor Living’.

120 boys immediately signed up!

Words cost nothing. But matter much. Weigh your words watchfully. And watch it’s worth work wonders!

Never Give up :)

One day a young lady was driving along with her father. They came upon a storm, and the young lady asked her father, “What should I do?"

He said "keep driving". Cars began to pull over to the side, the storm was getting worse."What should I do." The young lady asked. "Keep driving," her father replied.On up a few feet, she noticed that eighteen wheelers were also pulling over. She told her dad, "I must pull over, I can barely see ahead. It is terrible, and everyone is pulling over!"Her father told her, "Don't give up, just keep driving!" Now the storm was terrible, but she never stopped driving, and soon she could see a little more clearly.After a couple of miles she was again on dry land, and the sun came out. Her father said, "Now you can pull over and get out." She said "But why now?" He said "When you get out, look back at all the people that gave up and are still in the storm, because you never gave up your storm is now over”.This is a testimony for anyone who is going through "hard times".

Moral: Just because everyone else, even the strongest, gives up, you don't have to. If you keep going, soon your storm will be over and the sun will shine upon your face again

Rural Marketing :)

படித்ததில் பிடித்தது >>>

படிக்காத கிராமத்தாரிடம் கைபேசியின் நிலைமை படியுங்கள்.........
“தம்பி இதுல கண்ணம்மான்னு ஒரு பேரிருக்கும். எடுத்துக்குடு” - அந்தப் பெரியவர் தன் சீட்டிலிருந்து என்னிடம் அவரது நோகியாவை நீட்டினார். நோகியா 1100. பலரது ஆல்டைம் ஃபேவரைட் மொபைல்.
பேருந்தில் ஏறும் வாசலை ஒட்டிய, இடதுபுற இரட்டை சீட்டில் நானும் உமாவும் அமர்ந்திருந்தோம். வலது புறம் அந்தப் பெரியவர் அமர்ந்திருந்தார். நான் கண்ணம்மாவைத் தேடினேன். மொபைலில். ம்ஹும். ‘K' வரிசையில் அப்படி ஒரு பெயரே இருக்கவில்லை.

“ஐயா.. அந்தப் பேரே இல்லீங்களே..”
“அடென்ன தம்பி.. உன்ரகூட ரோதனையாருக்கு. நமக்கு அதெல்லாம் பார்க்கத் தெரியாததாலதானே கேட்கறேன்.. ரெண்டு நாள் பேசலைன்னா நம்பர் அவிஞ்சு போயிருமா.... இல்லீன்ற?” என்றார் கொஞ்சம், கோபமும் கொஞ்சம் எரிச்சலும் கலந்த தொனியில்.

“இல்லைங்கய்யா.. கே-ல கண்ணம்மாங்கற பேர் இல்லைங்க...”

“அதெ எவன்கண்டான் கேயாவது ஏயாவது... நல்லாப்பார்த்து எடுத்துக்குடு.. வூட்டுல சமைக்கச்சொல்லோணும்” என்றார்.
மணி இரவு ஒன்பதரை. கோவையிலிருந்து திருப்பூர் சென்று கொண்டிருந்தது பேருந்து. நான் மறுபடி தேடிவிட்டு “இல்லைங்க...” என்றேன். அவர் என்னை மேலும் கீழும் பார்த்துவிட்டு,

உமாவை நோக்கி “நீ பாத்துக்குடும்மணி.. என்ர மருமவப்புள்ள மாதிரி நீயும் வெவரமாத்தான் இருப்ப” என்றார். நான் இந்த நேரத்துக்குள் அவரை ரசிக்கத்தொடங்கியிருந்தேன். உமா சிரித்துக் கொண்டே ‘அந்தப்பேர் இல்லீங்கய்யா.. அவர் பார்க்கறப்ப நானும் பார்த்தேன்’
என்றார். “ம்ம்ம்... அப்டீன்னா பாலு இருக்கான்னு பாரேன்” என்றார்.
நான் ஃபோனை வாங்கிப் பார்த்தேன். Balu K, Bala, Balasubbu என்றொரு நான்கைந்து பாலுக்கள் இருந்தனர். அவரிடம் சொல்லி, கேட்டேன்.

“எந்த பாலுங்க?”

“என்ர மவன்தான்”
உமா சிரித்துவிட்டார்.

அவர் பார்க்கவே, ஜன்னலோரம் முகம் திருப்பிக் கொண்டார்.
“அதெல்லாம் இதுல இல்லீங்கய்யா.. என்ன பேர்ல பாலுவை நீங்க இதுல பதிவு செஞ்சிருக்கீங்கன்னு தெரியணும்” என்றேன்.

“என்ர மவனை மொதல்ல ஒதைக்கணும். இந்தக் கெரகம் வேணாம்னா கேட்டாத்தானே..” என்று கொஞ்சம் உரக்கவே - சொல்லிவிட்டு “கொஞ்ச நேரம் முந்திகூட கூப்டான் கண்ணு...” என்றார்.

“அப்டீன்னா இருங்கய்யா..” என்று சொல்லிவிட்டு ரிசீவ்ட் காலை சோதித்தேன். பாலு.கே என்றிருந்தது. அதை டயல் செய்து ‘பேசுங்க..’ என்று அவரிடம் நீட்டினேன். என்னை ஆழமாக முறைத்து.. ‘இப்ப மட்டும் எப்படிக் கெடச்சுதாம்?’ என்று கேட்டுவிட்டு

‘அடே பாலு.. வூட்லயா இருக்கியா தோட்டத்துலயா?...’ என்று உரத்த குரலில் பேசத் தொடங்கியவர் ‘ பாலு... பாலு.... இதென்ன அவன் சமாட்டீங்கறான்..?’ என்று என்னைப் பார்த்துக்கேட்டார்.

நான் ஃபோனை வாங்கிப் பார்க்க ரிங்டோன் போய்க் கொண்டிருந்தது. இன்னும் அவர் எடுக்கலைங்க’ என்று சொல்லச் சொல்ல எடுத்தார் யாரோ. அந்தப்பெரியவரிடம் நீட்டினேன். அவர் மகன்தான். இரவே திரும்பிவிடுவதாகவும், அதனால் மருமகளை சமைத்து வைக்கச் சொல்லியும் கூறினார். அதற்குள் நான் என் ஃபோனில் Angry Birds விளையாடஆரம்பித்திருந்தேன். அவர் ஃபோனை வைத்துவிட்ட கொஞ்ச நேரத்திற்கெல்லாம் அவருக்கு ஒரு அழைப்பு வந்தது.
எடுத்தவர் பேசத் தொடங்கினார். இப்போது அழைத்தது அவர் மருமகள். பேசியவர் முடிவில்.. “அவன் தோட்டத்துல இருப்பான். உன்ரகிட்டயே சொல்லிடலாமுன்னு பார்த்தா, இங்க ஒரு தம்பி இதுல உன்ர பேரே இல்லைன்னுடுச்சு” என்று என்னைப் பற்றி புகார் வாசித்துக் கொண்டிருந்தார்.

ஃபோனை வைத்துவிட்டு ‘இப்ப பேசிட்டேன்ல? படிச்சவனாட்டம் இருக்க.. இத்தாத்தண்டில போனை வெச்சு நோண்டிகிட்டிருக்க.. பேரில்லைன்ற” என்று அவர் சொல்லவும், ‘இங்க குடுங்கய்யா’ என்று அவர் ஃபோனை வாங்கி ரிசீவ்ட் காலைப் பார்க்க ‘Gannama”
என்று இருந்தது. “ஐயா.. கண்ணம்மாக்கு கே தாங்க வரும்.. இதுல
ஜி போட்டிருக்கு. அதான் தெரியல..” என்றேன். “அந்தக் கெரகெமெல்லாம் எனக்குத் தெரியுமா.. படிச்சவனுக. உங்களுக்குதான் தெரியணும்.. “ என்றவர் “சரி விடு... என்ர மருமவன்கிட்ட பேசணும்...
சுப்புன்னு இருக்கும்பாரு... எடுத்துக் கொடு” என்றார்.
நான் 'A' விலிருந்து தேட ஆரம்பித்தேன்.

Marketing Errors Around the World !!!

Below are fine examples of what happens when marketing translations fail to reach a foreign country in an understandable way.

Coors put its slogan, "Turn it loose," into Spanish, where it was read as "Suffer from diarrhea."

Clairol introduced the "Mist Stick," a curling iron, into German only to find out that "mist" is slang for manure. Not too many people had use for the "manure stick".

Scandinavian vacuum manufacturer Electrolux used the following in an American campaign: Nothing sucks like an Electrolux.

The American slogan for Salem cigarettes, "Salem-Feeling Free", was translated into the Japanese market as "When smoking Salem, you will feel so refreshed that your mind seems to be free and empty."

When Gerber started selling baby food in Africa, they used the same packaging as in the US, with the beautiful baby on the label. Later they learned that in Africa, companies routinely put pictures on the label of what's inside, since most people can't read English.

An American T-shirt maker in Miami printed shirts for the Spanish market which promoted the Pope's visit. Instead of "I saw the Pope" (el Papa), the shirts read "I saw the potato" (la papa).

In Italy, a campaign for Schweppes Tonic Water translated the name into "Schweppes Toilet Water."

Pepsi's "Come alive with the Pepsi Generation" translated into "Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave," in Chinese.

When Parker Pen marketed a ballpoint pen in Mexico, its ads were supposed to say "It won't leak in your pocket and embarrass you." However, the company mistakenly thought the spanish word "embarazar" meant embarrass. Instead the ads said that "It wont leak in your pocket and make you pregnant."

The name Coca-Cola in China was first rendered as Ke-kou-ke-la. Unfortunately, the Coke company did not discover until after thousands of signs had been printed that the phrase means "bite the wax tadpole" or "female horse stuffed with wax" depending on the dialect. Coke then researched 40,000 Chinese characters and found a close phonetic equivalent, "ko-kou-ko-le," which can be loosely translated as "happiness in the mouth."

Also in Chinese, the Kentucky Fried Chicken slogan "finger-lickin' good" came out as "eat your fingers off."

When General Motors introduced the Chevy Nova in South America, it was apparently unaware that "no va" means "it won't go." After the company figured out why it wasn't selling any cars, it renamed the car in its Spanish markets to the Caribe.

Colgate introduced a toothpaste in France called Cue, the name of a notorious porno magazine.

If you try to please everyone

An old man, a boy and a donkey were going to town. The boy rode on the donkey and the old man walked. As they went along they passed some people who remarked it was a shame the old man was walking and the boy was riding. The man and boy thought maybe the critics were right, so they changed positions.
Later, they passed some people that remarked: "What a shame, he makes that little boy walk." They then decided they both would walk!
Soon they passed some more people who thought they were stupid to walk when they had a decent donkey to ride. So, they both rode the donkey.
Now they passed some people that shamed them by saying how awful to put such a load on a poor donkey. The boy and man said they were probably right, so they decided to carry the donkey. As they crossed the bridge, they lost their grip on the animal and he fell into the river and drowned.
The moral of the story? In Marketing, if you try to please everyone, you might as well...
Kiss your ass good-bye.

The Marketing Manager :)

A software manager, a hardware manager, and a marketing manager are driving to a meeting when a tire blows. They get out of the car and look at the problem.
The software manager says: "I can't do anything about this - it's a hardware problem."
The hardware manager says: "Maybe if we turned the car off and on again, it would fix itself."
The marketing manager says: "Hey, 75% of it is working - let's Ship it!"

A boat race

The Marketing Departments of two rival American and Japanese companies decided to hold a boat race. Both teams practiced hard and long to reach their peak performance levels until both teams felt they were ready to demonstrate their prowess.
The big day arrived, and the Japanese won by a mile. The American team was discouraged by the loss. Morale sagged. Corporate management decided that the reason for the crushing defeat had to be found, so they hired a consultant to investigate the problem and recommend corrective action.
The consultant's finding: The Japanese team had eight people rowing and one person steering; the American team had one person rowing and eight people steering. After a year of additional study and millions spent analyzing the problem, the consultant firm concluded that too many people were steering and not enough people were rowing on the American team.
So as race day neared again the following year, the American team's management structure was completely reorganized. The new structure: four steering managers, three area steering managers, and a new performance review system for the person rowing the boat to provide work incentive.
Again the big day dawned, the race began, and the Japanese team won by TWO miles. Humiliated, the American corporation laid off the rower for poor performance and gave the managers a bonus for discovering the problem.

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Literally lateral !

One of the many joys of collecting articles, notes, reading materials etc., and filing them under different folders is finding something when you least expect it. As is this discovery today – an old but interesting list of questions that requires you to think laterally if you wish to solve them.

There are five questions here. Don’t look at the answers immediately after each question but try answering all of them and then scroll down for the answers.

Good luck!

1. A woman had two sons who were born on the same hour of the same day of the same year. But they were not twins. How could this be so?

2. A murderer is condemned to death. He has to choose between three rooms. The first is full of raging fires, the second is full of assassins with loaded guns, and the third is full of lions that haven’t eaten in three years. Which room is safest for him?

3. Can you name three consecutive days without using the words Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday? (or day names in any other language)

4. A man is wearing black shoes, socks, trousers, coat, gloves and ski mask. He is walking down a back street, with all the street lamps of. A black car is coming towards him with its light off, but somehow he manages to stop in time. How did the driver see the man?

5. Why is it better to have round manhole covers than square ones? (This is logical than lateral, but it is a good puzzle that can be solved by lateral thinking techniques. It is supposedly used as an interview question by a leading software company for prospective employees.)


Here, are the answers….

1. They were two of a set of triplets (or quadruplets). This simple puzzle stumps many people. They try outlandish solutions involving test-tube babies or surrogate moms. Why does the brain search for complex solutions when there is a much simpler one available?

2. The third. Lions that have not eaten in three years are dead!

3. Sure you can. Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow!

4. It was day time.

5. A square manhole cover can be turned and dropped down the diagonal of the manhole. A round manhole cannot be dropped down a manhole. So for safety and practicality, all manhole covers should be round.

THE TOP TEN DO'S WHEN STARTING A BUSINESS

1. Live frugally and begin saving up money for starting your business.
2. Learn your intended business by working for someone else in the same business first.
3. Consider the benefits of starting a moonlight business.
4. Consider the advantages of operating a family business.
5. Objectively measure your skills and training against potential competition.
6. Consider subcontracting to low cost suppliers if you're manufacturing a product.
7. Test market your product or service before starting or expanding.
8. Make "for" and "against" list describing the specific business you are considering.
9. Talk to lots of people in your intended business for advice.
10. Make a comparative analysis of all opportunities you are considering.

Top Ten Mistakes Made in Starting a Business

People fail in business because they make avoidable mistakes. Start-up entrepreneurs are possessed with enthusiasm and confidence but too often are unaware of potentially fatal business potholes that lie before them. All it takes is a single mistake, one false step, and a business can be history. Here are the top most commonly made mistakes:

1. Not picking the right business to begin with.
2. Inadequate prior experience in the business.
3. Quitting job security too soon, before adequate plans are laid
4. Not having a progressively updated written business plan.
5. Inadequate cash flow management (running out of money.)
6. Opening a business in the wrong location.
7. Inadequate protection in business documents including leases.
8. Failed partnerships.
9. Lack of selling and marketing know-how.
10. Expanding too rapidly before adequate testing.

Stop a nuclear disaster

Hi ,

Our government is churning out one hazardous bill after another. This time it is a bill called the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage, and it's coming up for a vote in a couple of days.

The bill lets U.S. corporations off the hook for any nuclear accidents they cause on Indian soil. They'd only have to pay a meagre amount, and Indian taxpayers would be stuck paying crores for the nuclear clean up and to compensate the victims.

Without any public debate, the Prime Minister is appeasing American interests and ignoring our safety.

Greenpeace is launching a petition asking the PM to hold a public consultation before introducing the bill.

I have already signed this petition. Can you join me?

http://www.greenpeace.org/india/stop-the-vote2

Thanks!

creativesaran@gmail.com

You are receiving this email because someone you know sent it to you from the Greenpeace site. Greenpeace retains no information about individuals contacted through its site, and will not send you further messages without your consent -- although your friends could, of course, send you another message.

Customer Service or "Disservice"

It’s increasingly becoming fashionable for marketers and marketing students to talk about customer service. If you were to sit in any of the hundreds of boardrooms across this country or if you were to attend a marketing class in any of the thousands of B-schools that dot this nation, you can’t help but think there is an overriding obsession with customer service among the past, present and potential marketers of India.

Is it true? Are we obsessed with customer service?

We are not even close. When it comes to customer service, we are light years away. We are probably better than we were during the socialist era of the past but we still have miles to travel.

Let me list two examples here. These are not run-of-the-mill brands that I am talking about. These are India’s most respected. If this is what the best of India has to offer when it comes to customer service, you can work out the math yourself about others.

These examples are not figments of somebody’s imagination. They are as experienced by yours truly!

Tata Sky: If you were to add a new package to your existing list of channels, all you have to do is just SMS from your registered mobile to Tata Sky customer care centre. A piece of cake you say. But wait till you wish to drop the same package and you would realize the shenanigans of Tata Sky. Nah, you can’t just SMS, you have to call only. It would take an eternity to reach a customer care representative. And till you reach that abominable snowman, the Mr. Big foot, be prepared to listen to hours of bilingual barrage promoting Tata Sky’s scintillating subscription packages and promotions.

HDFC Bank: Okay, you need a loan; all of us do and there are these modern and magnificently customer-oriented private banks that would come running if you care to just lift the phone and call. A representative would come home, assist you in filling the forms, help you with paperwork and have your demand draft delivered in less than 48 hours flat. Great, isn’t it? Only till you wish to prepay the loan. Try calling him and he would only ask you to visit their regional office that could be across the town, if you are lucky or could well be in another city. Travel there and your travails have just begun. You might have to wait in queue for hours, if not days. And the best part is when you ask the teller after repaying your loan what happens to your post-dated cheques that you had submitted. With as much expression as a corpse you would find him or her say, “Some post-dated cheques might still be presented for payment, and if it happens do go and talk to the concerned branch.” And before you try reasoning with the teller you would find him/her say, “Speak to the enquiry counter, not here; next. “

Before I sign off, I would like to share with you what I read long ago about a department store in Michigan U.S. Apparently the store has a plaque right at the entrance of the store that serves as directions to its employees and as an advisory to its customers. Here is what the plaque says:

Marketing Rules Here:

Rule No.1: The customer is always right.

Rule No.2: If you think the customer is wrong, read Rule No.1