What is life without haiku

I have a lot of respect for Makoto Ueda. A lot. He has done good work, laboriously translating thousands of pre-modern Japanese haiku and senryu and doing a great service for all non-Japanese natives who enjoy this form of poetry. Plus, his English is fantastic so a good balance of keeping as closely as possible to the original meaning and nuances of the poetry while ensuring the translated stuff read properly. I like the other book he produced: Modern Japanese Haiku: an anthology, written in 1976. Should go hunt down some of his original works.

talk talk talk

The ability to identify your best prospects, deliver your message effectively and manage your time will directly correlate with the number of sales you make.

What are the prospect’s needs and desires? How can what you are offering help him? What are his goals and concerns? Forget for a moment what you want and consider what you can offer to benefit each prospect. Satisfy your client’s needs.

1. Identify name and company.
2. State reason for call (offer benefit)
3. Confirm prospect’s name and position.
4. Check if he has a minute to spare.
5. Ask question quickly to involve him in conversation. (Qualify prospect)

Throughout the pitch, keep prospect agreeing with your statements and keep him talking.

MY GOAL IS NOT TO JUST SEND THE JD BUT TO GET THE PROSPECT TO SEND ME HIS CV.

Voice control: volume, vocab, pronunciation, speed, emotions conveyed.

STRATEGIES
1. Dress like a pro.
2. Set daily, weekly and monthly goals.
3. Research on prospects and companies.
4. Mirror.
5. Reward myself.
6. Handle rejection effectively.
7. Develop a 2-way dialogue.
8. Ask for that CV.
9. Deal effectively with gatekeepers. Get them on my side.
10. “Hi, is Bill there? This is Sharon.”

*Slurp*

Another weekend. I am just going to sit around, day dream and rot. What a great way to just relax and not think about anything, like work or where my career is heading. Currently, I am inspired by the thought of keeping myself well-preserved and avoiding letting everything fall apart, like my skin, my WEIGHT (horrors, I am positive that I am pudgier than ever before, despite people telling me otherwise.), how I dress (surely a slippery sloppy slope) and even my panda eyes that I had slowly learnt to ignore (but it's all coming back to haunt me). I must admit I am generally lazy, although I always like to think otherwise. Never really had the stamina to last through any single endeavour big or small. Instead of griping and groaning away, I had better get down to DOING stuff, like whatever I have just said.

Dated..

But the general principles still apply.

To be a good hunter in the recruitment process, you must be both a good judge of character and a good researcher.

If a candidate is not interested in the opportunity you present, always find out why. It may be something that can be dispelled. If not, source him for other prospects. If neither, leave your name and contact. Always try if possible to get info on him for future reference. Always be polite and understanding.

Ask questions during the interview to find out:
1. Problem solving skills
- What kinds of decisions are most difficult for you?
- What major problems have you identified in your current position and what have you done about them?
- What was your biggest challenge in your work and how did you reach a solution?
- What notable successes have you had in problem solving for your company?

2. Communication skills
- How would your boss describe you?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- How do you tell your boss the action is wrong or that you disagree with the direction he is taking?
- In considering important career decisions, what impact does your closest family play in the decision-making?

3. Motivation
- Why are you interested in this opportunity?
- What are some of the major projects that you have initiated that you did not have to do?
- What mission or thinking do you follow when you work?
- What have you done to be more effective in your career?
- What do you consider is the biggest failure in your life and how did you overcome it?
- With regard to your career, where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

4. Interpersonal skills
- In what way do you give your subordinates feedback?
- How do you work with weak or new members of your team? How do you deal with the strong performers?
- What is the toughest communication problem that you have faced?
- Have you verbally convinced someone of an approach or idea? Tell me about it.

5. Administrative skills
- How would your characterize your management style?
- Are there certain tasks that a manager can never delegate? What are these?
- What are the most common challenges or problems you face and how do you deal with it?
- How would you react if your subordinate told you that you were wrong in one of your decisions?

After the interview with the candidate, you should be able to answer 3 crucial questions:
Is he able to do the job?
Is he willing to do the job?
Is he going to be manageable?

References should be from the last 3 companies. You should talk to the closest supervisor whom the candidate reported to.

Reference questions

How long have you known the candidate and in what capacity?
Comment on the performance of the candidate. What were his major accomplishments?
What are his strengths and weaknesses?
Describe his management style.
Why might he be considering a move at this moment?
Have there ever been any domestic, financial or personal difficulties that would have interfered with his work?
What is your assessment of his suitability to the position?
Is there anything else we should know about the candidate?

Tell the CPC to unban this book!

The gap, or rather chasm, between theory and practice. What has gone wrong to result in such stark difference between what Hu Angang has envisioned and what really is happening on the ground? This is real and what is real is always worth a thorough read.

The macro view

For a macro view of China's development trajectory and its vision for a better tomorrow for its citizens, read Hu Angang, possibly the most respected and distinguished Chinese economist at the moment. Even Prof David Lampton says, "I like him (Hu) very much."

Telemarketing tips from A to Z

A major reason business is lost is that no one ever asked the prospect to buy.

Use echo questions to get more info.

Don’t cement a negative or objection. Get details by asking questions. OKAY is not okay.

Prospects never reject YOU. It’s never personal.

Eliminate wimpy words: just, think, maybe, possibly.

HOW TO HANDLE RESPONSES

“I’M HAPPY WITH WHERE I AM.”

Reinforce what he is doing – “I’m just curious, what do you do?”
How my recommendation can complement his career goals – find out about his job scope, career history, his circumstances, what makes him content with the status quo

“I’M NOT INTERESTED.”

“Well, (name), a lot of people had the same reaction when I first called, before they had a chance to hear what this opportunity is all about.”

“I’M BUSY.”

I’ll call you back (when). What is your mobile no.?”

“SEND ME SOME LITERATURE.”

Try to explain over the phone first or call back another time. If not, then send the JD.


We need to behave like professionals if we expect to be treated like professionals.

Use the info he gives me to show why the opportunity is suitable for him.

LEAVING VOICEMAILS
Don’t leave more than 1 voicemail per week per person.
Leave name, company, position, contact no.

Calling a prospect who has already received a call from a colleague – “I’m calling in reference to (name of that colleague).”

THE REAL KEY TO SUCCESSFUL SELLING IS FINDING OUT WHAT PEOPLE DO

Don't anyhow whack

Your number ONE competitor today is the STATUS QUO.

Every time a person says no, you are getting closer to a yes.

Double your income:
Double the number of calls
Get through more often to speak to the prospect
Get more yes to send the JD
Close more – send that JD

You must develop a clear, consistent message that you can use to promote your business.

We overestimate how many people know who we are and underestimate how many people our acquaintances know.

Learn to rethink your existing accounts, while you find new ones. Every single business you work with will inevitably suffer from a downturn.

COLD CALL MECHANICS
Get the person’s attention:
People respond in kind

Identify yourself and company:
Give a short intro of your business

Give the reason for the call:
“I’m calling you because I would like to let you know (company) is seeking a (position).”

Make a qualifying/questioning statement:
Has to flow easily and logically and avoid a negative response from the prospect

Send that JD:
“I’ll send you the JD. What is your email? What is your mobile no.?”

Do not make repeated calls. There are always other people to call.

Smile when you make the phone call. The result is you sound better.
When you stand up and make the phone call, you are going to sound more animated.

Keep a record of your calls:
No. of dials
No. of calls completed
No. of JDs sent

Make every call matter: send out your contact and that JD.

Not so bad

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. - Benjamin Franklin


Although the road may be dangerous and the final destination far out of sight, there is no route which does not come to an end: do not despair. - Hafez