Aras Geylani's Blog

Aras Geylani’s Inkeo Memo mission is to help readers achieve excellence.

October 18, 2011

Foresight: Half of Customers Resist Change, Half Don’t, Both Can Be Profitable

Regardless of economic circumstance, 50% of customers will resist changing the way they work to fit your offerings, and 50% will not. Had this ratio been any different, it would make sense to pick and stick to one way to attracting and retaining customers, but it won’t. For example, many Americans tend to resist mapping their business processes to software, while East Europeans often choose the same software with little and no change as long as they receive proper training specific to the product.

What about your experience in this regards? Comments are welcome on my blog.

Food for Thought: Science is always wrong: It never solves a problem without creating ten more. –George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950).

Copyright Aras Geylani 2011, all rights reserved.

http://inkeo.com | http://arasgeylani.com

Aras Geylani’s Inkeo Memo mission is to help readers achieve excellence.

October 11, 2011

Foresight: Engineer This

A key to the success of many of companies is the use of some form of engineered business: a consistent, repeatable, and measurable way of getting things done. For example, an engineered sales process can have all sales reps access a centralized point of information, if the sales pitch needs changing, then change is made available to all the reps at once. If a change in pricing or contract terms and conditions is needed, these are made available without forcing the rep to contact and find out others. The same idea is applicable to marketing, customer support, order fulfillment, and other operations. By having a consistent, repeatable, and measurable way of prospecting and qualifying leads, understanding customer needs, proposing options, implementation, and post-sales support.

If you have a consistent, repeatable, and measurable way in doing things, please share your thoughts by commenting on my blog: http://arasgeylani.com

Food for Thought: The person who makes a success of living is the one who sees his goals steadily and aims for it unswervingly. —Cecil B. DeMille (1881-1959), film director and producer.

Copyright Aras Geylani 2011, all rights reserved.

http://inkeo.com | http://arasgeylani.com

Aras Geylani’s Inkeo Memo mission is to help readers achieve excellence.

October 4, 2011

The Lunacy of Unpaid Volunteering
Producers of Oscar-winning movie “Black Swan” got sued by volunteers who helped take out garbage, fetch coffee, and do errands for star Natalie Portman. The law says, at least in America and Canada, “productive work” must get paid. “Productive” is a broad term which can mean any benefit to the employer but it is lucrative to get work done free, especially when a famous person or brand is involved. Who is at fault here? Is it employers who want to exploit opportunity and even hide behind the excuse of “bad economic times” to cut costs at any cost? Or is it employees who do not value themselves high enough to take a stand and avoid such a situation in the first place?

Food for Thought: Temet Nosce (Know Yourself). – The Oracle in “The Matrix” played by Gloria Foster, written by Andy and Larry Andy Wachowski.

Copyright Aras Geylani 2011, all rights reserved.

http://inkeo.com | http://arasgeylani.com

Aras Geylani’s Inkeo Memo mission is to help readers achieve excellence.

September 28, 2011

Foresight: Was today the tomorrow you worried about yesterday?

Blunders and craziness no doubt find a way into your day: you get jolted from a sound sleep by an innocent or an idiot; at work, an imminent deal moonwalks to zero faster than Michael Jackson; at home, someone pads apple sauce onto your iPad. No matter, a new day is less than a day away. Seize tomorrow with too big a zest to be slowed down with today’s nonsense.

Food for Thought: Living is the process of going from complete certainty to complete ignorance. -Richard Dreyfuss

Copyright Aras Geylani 2011, all rights reserved.

http://inkeo.com | http://arasgeylani.com

Aras Geylani’s Inkeo Memo mission is to help readers achieve excellence.

September 20, 2011

Foresight: Getting To Know You…

Inspired from works of French writer Marcel Proust, here is an interview-style questionnaire that can help you get a unique insight into the personality of people you meet–something often neglected by sales professionals:

1. What is your most favorite word?
2. What is your least favorite word?
3. What turns you on?
4. What turns you off?
5. What sound or noise do you love?
6. What sound or noise do you hate?
7. What is your favorite curse word?
8. What profession, other than your own, would you like to attempt?
9. What profession would you not like to do?
10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

For your curiosity, here are my own answers: 1. Love, 2. Impossible, 3. Laughter, 4. Stupidity and indifference, 5. Sound of a solo instrument, especially when least expected, 6. Awkward silence of opposite person, 7. F**k, 8. Film director, 9. Executioner or soldier, 10. Here is an idea.

Food for Thought: Learning is its own reward.  Nothing I can say is better than that. – Michael Hart (1947-2011), inventor of eBooks (1971), founder of Project Gutenberg.

Copyright Aras Geylani 2011, all rights reserved.

http://inkeo.com | http://arasgeylani.com

Aras Geylani’s Inkeo Memo mission is to help readers achieve excellence.

September 13, 2011

Foresight: September 13, Business as Usual.

About September 11: with my respect for the dead, everywhere, I ponder on one question: for every person killed in New York ten years ago, how many would have to die in Iraq and Afghanistan?

About September 12: my sincere best wishes on the Moon Festival, observed by Chinese, Vietnamese, and other Asians.

Food for Thought: Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet. — Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

Copyright Aras Geylani 2011, all rights reserved.

http://inkeo.com | http://arasgeylani.com

Aras Geylani’s Inkeo Memo mission is to help readers achieve excellence.

September 6, 2011

Foresight: 10/90 Rule for Success

A key obstacle on the road to excellence is the habit of neglecting the 10% good in something and getting overwhelmed by the 90% bad:

• In sales, the 10% of customers that generate the highest income out of the other 90%;
• In programming, the 10% of  good code out of 90% of bug-ridden mess;
• In management, the 10% of employees that outperform the other 90%;
• In education, the 10% of great teachers overshadowed by 90% mediocrity;
• In life, the 10% prevention that spares 90% reparation.

Food for Thought: In an argument when no one has any facts, the person with the stronger personality wins. But, when one person has the facts and the other doesn’t, the one with the facts always wins. - Larry Ellison, CEO, Oracle.

Copyright Aras Geylani 2011, all rights reserved.

http://inkeo.com | http://arasgeylani.com

Aras Geylani’s Inkeo Memo mission is to help readers achieve excellence.

August 30, 2011

Foresight: Good Habits Die Hard

Here are some habits that opened more doors than others: I generally don’t answer a call from an unknown caller, that’s why we voice mail, if I answer, I always start with “Hello, can I help you?” Before going into any meeting, I research the person or organization on Google, Twitter and LinkedIn, regardless if they are known around the world or just around their cubicle. When people first contact me via email and include hashed URLs (example using http://bit.ly) I perceive them as tech savvy. Wherever I go I always have something to write with (it can be as small as a pocket notebook and pencil in my wallet), and something to read. The more frequently someone changes their house or car or gadgets, the less likely they control a budget or an organization. Every time I meet an interesting person or organization I diligently record them in my low-tech Filofax, cheap Android phone, and in my CRM system, VARMaxx, it’s a great system. Therefore, when people speak to me, I am able to listen to what they don’t say, which is often what they really need or intend.

Food for Thought: Dig inside yourself. Inside there is a spring of goodness ready to gush at any moment, if you keep digging. – Meditations, VII. 59, Marcus Aurelius.

Copyright Aras Geylani 2011, all rights reserved.

http://inkeo.com | http://arasgeylani.com