Friday, October 01, 2021
Tuesday, September 28, 2021
Why Digital Transformation is Difficult
Why Digital Transformation is Difficult
An estimated $700 billion in Digital Transformation spending falls short of delivering the desired results. Employee resistance and Poor Change Management are driving inertia. (src: VentureBeat)
Impact of Digital on Culture
Monday, September 27, 2021
Saturday, September 25, 2021
Wednesday, September 22, 2021
Saturday, September 18, 2021
Friday, September 17, 2021
Saturday, September 11, 2021
Sunday, September 05, 2021
Saturday, August 28, 2021
Wednesday, August 25, 2021
Why Buyers and Sellers Behave like this ?
Sharing some of the Sales Tips in
tweets from my new book
- A buyer who is emotionless has an advisory tone, impresses upon care and nurture during the discussion, is lazy in communication, often prefers that the status quo is not challenged. Learn why do they behave like this in my new book on #B2B #Sales. #marketing #uxdesign #salestips
- Sellers who are open to grievances but don't address the root cause of the objection because they lack depth & are impulsive, get emotional & angry on too many objections. Learn why they behave like this in my new book on #B2B #Sales. #marketing #salestips #negotiations
- Sellers who are sharp, data-driven, emotionless, driven by the limelight from winning a deal or being seen as visionary often end up making concessions through the bargaining mix. Learn about this in my new book on #B2B #Sales. #marketing #uxdesign #salestips #negotiations
- A Seller who writes email in bullet points, uses action-centric words, likes visuals & slices the data many times, tends to be a rainmaker. Why this happens, learn about it in my new book on #B2B #Sales. #marketing #salestips
- A Seller who writes email in bullet points, uses action-centric words, likes visuals & slices the data many times, tends to be a rainmaker. Why this happens, learn about it in my new book on #B2B #Sales. #marketing #salestips
- A buyer who is stylish and asks a lot of queries like a journalist during sales meeting ends up paying more for a solution. Why this happens, learn about it in my book on #B2B #Sales. #marketing #SalesTips
To learn Why Buyers and Sellers Behave like this? Read in my new book - Sellers from Mars and Buyers From Venus - Elements of Nature Meet B2B Sales
Friday, August 20, 2021
Telecom Industry - Revitalise and Generate Revenue
Telecom Industry - Revitalise and Generate Revenue
Thursday, August 19, 2021
B2B Sales Tips - from my new book
B2B Sales Tips in tweets from my new book - Sellers from Mars and Buyers From Venus - Elements of Nature Meet B2B Sales
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Sellers need to anchor their conversation on Price, Risk, and Functionality only when selling to CIOs in Traditional IT (commodity). #Sales #salestips #IT #B2BSellers need to unpack the information asymmetry across different stakeholders at the buyer's end before articulating a value proposition. #Sales #salestips #B2B #marketing
Sellers need to share commercial insight and educate buyers about it. #Sales #B2B #salestips #B2B #marketing
B2B Persona Mapping enables sellers in navigating other people's mind. #B2B #Sales #salestips #marketing
Buyers trap #sellers through the RFP process as it leaves sellers with no BATNA and minimal leverage in negotiations. #sellers #salestips #B2B #marketing
To sell services in a post COVID and Digital world, building buyers' persona and applying the intelligence is key to success. #Sales #salestips #B2B #marketing
A fiery Seller brings a vision for the future, agility, excitement, data-driven decision making, whereas a metal Buyer is about boundaries, order, wisdom, logical and emotionless decision making. Fire’s energy movement moves up and seek the limelight, whereas metals movement is inward and non-exuberant. Together, they don't connect at an emotional or physical level. In sales, these two find it hard to start a conversation. Both find each other operating at a different tangent. (2/3)Fire’s agility, rapid speech and disregard for boundaries make a metal native to raise a red flag and a signal to stop and leave the conversation. (3/3) #salestips #Sales #marketing
A Seller who acts like a broker, open to making concessions through the bargaining mix and fond of discussion, prefers to keep multiple options in hand like a swiss-army knife. #Sales #B2B #Negotiation #marketing #FunFacts #salestips
Fire requires air as a fuel source to burn & spread; without the supply of air, fire ceases. By governing the speed & supply of air, fire is controlled from being wild to gentle. On the other hand, fire controls the intensity, impatience, & rebellious nature of air by burning it.
Show this thread. In sales, when these two transact in a buyer-seller engagement, they act like friends in a symbiotic relationship. Collectively, they can reduce the sales cycle & create new & incremental revenue growth at both ends. Most closed deals will be short term and high margin because both like to wrap up deals swiftly and end up paying more for a service or a product. Airy natives overspend more than fiery natives. #Sales #B2B #salestips #product #marketing
Buyers who open up in conversations quickly & have no hidden agenda; end up sharing information with the Seller side & makes it difficult for them to leverage the option of BATNA (use an alternative). #Sales #salestips #Negotiation #marketing #product
Tuesday, August 17, 2021
Mistakes Made in Building a Cloud Strategy
Mistakes Made in Building a Cloud Strategy
1. Assuming it’s an IT (only) strategy, not involving business2. Not having an exit strategy
3. Combining a cloud strategy with cloud adoption/migration/implementation
4. “It’s too late — we’re already executing,” redoing everything
5. Equating a cloud strategy with “we’re moving everything to the cloud”
6. Our cloud strategy is our data center strategy/it’s “all in” or nothing
7. Our strategy is by executive mandate
8. We’re a shop so that’s our cloud strategy/we need a single vendor cloud strategy
PS: How to map cloud journey and avoid mistakes in execution
Friday, August 13, 2021
Thursday, August 12, 2021
Telecoms - IT Strategy, Managed Services and Implementation View
Telecom Verticals - IT Strategy, Managed Services, and Implementation View on 1Page.
(source: Gartner)
Hype Cycle for the CSPs Network Infrastructure
Wednesday, August 11, 2021
Post COVID - FY22 Australian Economy Update
Export to China primarily iron ore is bringing Revenue 3 times what was estimated in the budget (from USD $55/tonne to $200/tonne).
Once Brazil overcomes labor supply and Chinese mines open for business in Africa, Australia will see the impact.
While household debt and savings are rising. Frequent and strict lockdown in major cities of Australia means less spending by people.
Australia is still behind other OECD countries when it comes to green energy.
Australian Vaccine rollout is abysmal compared to US, UK, Canada and EZ. This means a conservative approach of the elongated lockdown applied, threatening its economy in a globally connected world.
Frequent and elongated lockdown in major cities of Australia, primarily Sydney and Melbourne threatening FY22 Q1 and Q2 (likely) with downward growth.
Tuesday, August 10, 2021
Friday, August 06, 2021
Vodafone will get a lifeline from Retrospective Tax Withdrawl
Key Players in the Indian Telecom Industry
Vodafone Tax Issue Timeline
Indian Govt Decision on Retrospective Tax
Key Issues and Arguments
- Vodafone acquired Hutchinson/Idea/Max in 2007 - 67% share by $ 11Bn
- Hutchinson Vamco, based out of HKG sold 67% of shares driven by assets in India
- Indian Tax Department called out that Vodafone has to pay Capital gains Tax (calculated as Rs 7K Crore in 2007, today it's Rs 20K Crore liability)
- Vodafone said the transaction was made by 2 foreign entities (Hutch/Vodafone) in a tax haven country
- When challenged by the Tax department, Vodafone went to the Supreme Court (SC) and won the case by saying that assets transferred in a foreign country can be taxed
- FM Pranab Mukherjee was hurt (probably ego) by this SC ruling, and hence he applied his power in the government and legislation to circumvent the SC ruling and prevent the tax from being backdated retrospectively
Removal of Retrospective Tax by the Indian Govt. will give a lifeline to Vodafone India, which is struggling financially in a JV with Hutch/Idea. The tax was ill-conceived by FM Paranb Mukjherjee, even though it was opposed at the time by PM Manmohan Singh and his cabinet colleagues like P Chidambaram and Kapil Sibal (law minister) in 2007. The tax was imposed from the backdate (can claim nearly 60 years) after Vodafone won the case in the Supreme Court (as described by Shekhar Gupta from ThePrint). By rolling out the retrospective tax, FM exercised typical abuse of power, intimidation, and legislative superiority to ensure Vodafone fell in line.
Why Vodafone is Indispensable
India has a few major players in the Telecom sector. The failure of any key player is detrimental to Telecom and is key to India's IT-driven Service Sector. Besides this, it will cause twin balance sheet issues for the financial sector as Indian Banks will lose their invested capital.
For Vodafone India, on the verge of bankruptcy in FY 22, Rs 20K crore liability will give a lifeline and infuse cash to survive in a capital-intensive industry during these challenging times, when the demand profile has changed.
India has a few major players in the Telecom sector. The failure of any key player is detrimental to Telecom and is key to India's IT-driven Service Sector. Besides this, it will cause twin balance sheet issues for the financial sector as Indian Banks will lose their invested capital.
For Vodafone India, on the verge of bankruptcy in FY 22, Rs 20K crore liability will give a lifeline and infuse cash to survive in a capital-intensive industry during these challenging times, when the demand profile has changed.
In short, this decision by the government is late, but sometimes politics can weaken strong leaders resolute to reform. As Shekhar Gupta (from ThePrint) called out correctly, if a mistake goes long, it does more damage, but it needs to be welcomed if it's corrected.
Credit: Shekhar Gupta from The Print, ET, The Hindu, WSJ.
Update on Liability for Vodafone India is around 60K crore, (share price is around - Rs7).
India's telecom sector is mismanaged by bureaucrats and is destroyed by some of the ludicrous policies on taxation, like AGR for spectrum. The amount of money owed to the government and banks by 3 telco companies (VI, Airtel) is around 1Lakh crore. The government needs to assist this sector, which has laid the pathways for the future. Time is running out before it's too late.
Wednesday, August 04, 2021
Brief Context and Background on Sales
Sales
Origin
Word sale came from the old English word sala - "a sale, act of selling", which originated from a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse sala, which originated from Proto-Germanic source "salo". The use of this word first appeared in texts around 1866, and by 1910 word Sales Representative was defined.
Definition
A sale is an activity between two or more parties in which the buyer receives tangible or intangible commodities, services, or assets in exchange for money. It is a commitment between the buyer and the seller to be exchanged for monetary consideration. When this activity is repeated multiple times for goods, it is defined as a Sale.
Sale is a successful transaction between a buyer and a seller reaching a zone of potential agreement (ZOPA). The interaction between the two individuals or parties underpins the success of this transaction. If two individuals are comfortable interacting with each other, they will transact or do business. In other words, relationships play an essential role in closing a sales transaction.
Sales Today
Today, a sale can be executed in multiple ways through a direct, indirect, electronic, agency, B2B, B2C and other channels. With the rise in technology adoption underpinned by digital enablement, sales in B2B and B2C segment is becoming more technology-enabled and less human-centric. However, buyers in the B2B domain still prefer human interactions for complex and large deals.
In the context of business, sales are the lifeline of any business, and to succeed in B2B sales or convincing others, one must learn how to navigate other people's mind.
Beyond Sales
Today selling has become an integral part of our daily life because we sell every day to others. How to influence and win over others is a skill that is fundamental to success in life and every task we undertake. Selling is everyone's business, and this is something that is not taught in any school. To succeed, the art of sales needs to be learned and practiced from early childhood.
Sunday, August 01, 2021
Friday, July 30, 2021
Australian Fibre Roll Out - Cost Envelope
Australian Fibre roll out for digital enablement across the country (continent) is going to cost $57Billion AUD.
Wednesday, July 28, 2021
Difference Between Fire and Water Type Seller
Fire Seller
Fire signifies charisma & brilliance it removes the darkness by brightening our surroundings. Similarly, #sellers with charisma & brilliance attract others & enlighten them with their brilliance & action. They are persuasive & convince others easily with their thoughts and vision. These #Sellers love to have an audience, like how Fire brings people together during the evenings in winter. They attract buyers with their charisma and energy. They prefer to use an audience to position their offering #Sales #salestips #B2B #product #marketing
Water Seller
Water has depth, like an ocean or a silent river. When water starts flowing from the mountain top, it has purity, crystal clear visibility, and is drinkable. The sound of flowing water mesmerises everyone, which implies that these #sellers are honest and pure at heart.
Besides, watery #sellers think at a very deep and philosophical level, pay attention to detail, and have a sweet voice that captures other people's attention.
Among the five elements, Water is the least mobile after Earth because it prefers a horizontal position. Therefore, these #sellers like to lie down on the couch or bed, speak and walk slowly, and take a lot of time to act. They are best described as a turtle in action (slow-moving). #B2B #Sales #salestips #product #marketing
Tuesday, July 27, 2021
Sunday, July 25, 2021
Sunday, July 18, 2021
How to Identify Buyers Persona and to Sell Them
My upcoming book - Sellers from Mars and Buyers from Venus - Elements of Nature Meet B2B Sales outlines a unique way of identifying Buyer and Sellers Persona, and how to apply them in various scenarios across Buyers Map.
Excerpt from the book
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Persona Mapping with Elements - Buyer and Seller
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In the world of business to business (B2B) sales, the buyer and seller relationship plays a significant role in winning or losing a transaction. Creating and nurturing these relationships across multiple stakeholders is a challenging, lengthy, and time-consuming process.
One of the critical activities and constituents of a sales plan is to build the buyer's stakeholder persona that will assist in the relationship-building process. Mapping of these stakeholder personas reveals the type of levers that can be used to develop and nurture long term relationships with the intent of winning and expanding the sales pipeline. Without the intelligence of the buyer's persona, the sales execution effort will be challenging and profoundly inefficient and ineffective.
Besides, it addresses the risk of losing a sales representative because by capturing and documenting the buyers' persona, you can ensure that gathered intelligence and levers applied in building relationships and influencing negotiations are not lost with a change in guard at the sellers' end.
The framework for creating and destroying five elements is applied to overcome the challenging task of mapping and building the persona. The inherent attributes of each element are used to map and develop the personality of each stakeholder at the buyers and sellers end in different scenarios.
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Saturday, July 17, 2021
Saturday, July 10, 2021
Friday, July 09, 2021
Tips on B2B Sales
Sharing some tips on B2B Sales from my upcoming book - Sellers from Mars and Buyers from Venus
- Emotional people are not best suited for #sales. They are better suited for HR roles. More on this in my upcoming book on #B2B #Sales
- A buyer who speaks sweetly listens calmly with patience, constantly observe the opposite side, pays attention to detail & use empathy to impress upon & don't like to take control, they are primarily price takers in negotiations. #B2B #Sales
- A buyer which is agile with a short attention span and lives in the present state and has polished behaviour and style, prefers short term engagements, positioning a long team deal is futile. Positioning a high margin short term deal will be a winner. #Sales #B2B
- Buyers which are good at building and maintaining relationships with friends & family members are collaborative and gel with others easily. They prefer bottom-up engagement, their risk appetite is low and the status quo is their mantra. #Sales #B2B
- Sellers who are data-driven, action-oriented, use strong and action-centric language and bring money into the business. They are best suited for Hunting. #Sales #B2B
- Sellers who are, well-disciplined but lack patience, speak rapidly with conviction and respond swiftly and timely, employ intellect and style to impress upon will make multiple offers to close a transaction. #B2B #Sales #FunFacts
- A Sponsoring Executive (Buyers end) who is action-centric, futuristic, data & visual driven, like an audience & connecting with higher authorities will reach out to innovative & agile suppliers, or internal teams for selling the biz. case. RFP is the least preferred. #B2B #Sales
More tips can be found here at this handle
Thursday, July 08, 2021
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