Touch Stone – A Story with Wonderful Massage

When the great library of Alexandria burned, the story goes, one book was saved. But it was not a valuable book; and so a poor man, who could read a little, bought it for a few coppers.The book wasn’t very interesting, but between its pages there was something very interesting indeed. It was a thin strip of vellum on which was written the secret of the “Touchstone”!

The touchstone was a small pebble that could turn any common metal into pure gold. The writing explained that it was lying among thousands and thousands of other pebbles that looked exactly like it. But the secret was this: The real stone would feel warm, while ordinary pebbles are cold.

So the man sold his few belongings, bought some simple supplies, camped on the seashore, and began testing pebbles.

He knew that if he picked up ordinary pebbles and threw them down again because they were cold, he might pick up the same pebble hundreds of times. So, when he felt one that was cold, he threw it into the sea. He spent a whole day doing this but none of them was the touchstone. Yet he went on and on this way. Pick up a pebble. Cold – throw it into the sea. Pick up another. Throw it into the sea.

The days stretched into weeks and the weeks into months. One day, however, about midafternoon, he picked up a pebble and it was warm. He threw it into the sea before he realized what he had done. He had formed such a strong habit of throwing each pebble into the sea that when the one he wanted came along, he still threw it away.

So it is with opportunity. Unless we are vigilant, it’s easy to fail to recognize an opportunity when it is in hand and it’s just as easy to throw it away.

it’s a story by anonymous. I am just taking an opportunity to share this as an instrument. Hope it will touch and turn the life of all the readers in to The Gold.

Management Lessons From The Movie – Rocket Singh Sales Man of The Year

Recently I watched a movie named Rocket Singh (Salesman of The Year). I enjoyed it. Besides having fun I also perceived that there were some lessons that could be actually distilled from Rocket Singh’s acting world and can be made applicable to actual corporate world of business.

“Buzurgo ne farmaya ke apne pero pe khade ho ke Dikla o….” That what is the real picture of an individual. After passing out from the college enters in to a practical real world. The one thing that continues is that “Exams” that’s why I choose to call it “A Practical Learning Collage affiliated to Life University”.  From HP’s success & experience, Lets learn and get Master Degree from Life University and Live the Work Life to the Fullest.

Lesson: 1 Dream Big yet Be Simple

Harpreet Singh Bedi (Ranbir Kapoor) is a mediocre student with big dreams of making big bucks.  So what does a chap who is not an engineer or doctor do to make money? Sales! Selling things to people who don’t need those things is an art that fascinates Harpreet. He starts his work with whole heartedly.

Test: Principles of Life(Honesty, Integrity etc.) vs. Principle of Business(Boss)    Question is that what to choose?

Harpreet Singh Bedi/ Rocket Singh Role is not just played in the film but All of us have it in us – a young adolescent salesman who believes in integrity, honesty and fair play. showing a huge amount of honesty and integrity. He is a B. Com. graduate with a passing mark, who with difficulty becomes a salesman at a well-known computer company, At Your Service (AYS). During his first sales call to a client, he is asked for a bribe. The outraged Singh is red-faced and files a complaint with the company, only to earn himself public humiliation at his workplace as well as a demotion.

Each of us has faced this dilemma at some point in our careers, when faced with a choice where we can stick to the ethical high ground or take the easy way out. Although honesty and integrity does not work for Singh in the short run, in the long-term, his moral fibre allows him to build relationships with his clients, and inspire trust in his dealings.

Based on these values, he begins his own company by selling computers at a cheaper rate than AYS from within the company! This I thought was rather filmy and done for dramatic effect, especially when his own boss has a conversation with the CEO of ‘Rocket Singh Corporation’ who happens to be in the other room. Nonetheless, this does not detract from the learnings in the movie, as the employees have to agree to a hostile takeover as well as spend some time in jail in recompense. Moreover, despite the morally grey ground that he enters, Singh keeps an account of resources such as printing and phone calls and attempts to give compensation to AYS.

Summary: Life is cyclical. So be patience and stick to the principle values of life(To be honest, humble, dedicated, sincere etc.) In case of Rocket Singh, his good character gives him way to 360 degree turning to his upside down world, and made his career right side up.

Lesson 2: Present movement is the right time to act upon.

Test: When to take first step? What to do?

He started his business with strong thought that I am successful, here in film he executed suddenly during a phone call lead to buy computers. As if he has fully established business. Then gradually with words and action he developed his business.

Summary: To sum up i would like to quote Warren Buffet’s words. He said that I always knew I was going to be rich. I don’t think I ever doubted it for a minute.

Lesson: 3 Everyone is important. Everyone is born with Great Potential.

Test: To form a company you need a crew, who could be they?

Every employee has good qualities of Rising in career. Recognizing the skills is an important task.  Here he finds the skills of Technical person to peon and from immediate boss to telephone operator. So the Receptionist at AYS becomes the Customer Relations Executive at Rocket, while the chai-walla becomes a computer assembler. As soon as the chai-walla begins to be called Mr. Srivastava, he learns a new state of self-respect and worth. Every person in an organization should be similarly respected. Attitudes will make one ‘sky’s the beginning’ type.

Summary: Even Zero has value if kept it at the right place and at the right time. It magically multiplies the value.

Lesson: 4 Make your Crew member Responsible & Valuable

Test: To form a company you need a crew, who could be they? What kind of profile be given to them?

Give it to other which you want to have. The process of empowerment brings out the best in employees. Thus, by making other employees equal co-owners in his company, Rocket Singh acquires a loyal, dedicated and hardworking team who work day and night to build the company. By making the receptionist, the chai-walla, the corrupt salesman and the lazy computer technician his partners as well as the co-owners of Rocket Sales Corporation, he ignited the passion to have worthiness. Ultimately resulted in to responsible & dedicated teammates.

Summary: Developing Co-operative Spirit & Responsibility increases power.

Lesson: 5 When you lose, Don’t loose the lesson.

Test: can’t sell?

Rocket Singh’s failure to sell computer, thought him that it is asking people is pre-requisite to become a great salesperson. If you are hesitant to break the ice, start conversations and ask for help and guidance and engage people in discussions, you then need to cultivate people skills. Great salespeople come one step forward, after saying hello, they confidently say, “Can you please help me”?

Summary: Fear, suspicious behaviour & shyness should be abolished completely to be a great salesman.

Lesson: 6 Walk an Extra Mile… Business then, is not about cutting prices but about creating value for the customer.

Test: whom to sell?

Sales should be about people and not numbers; numbers must always follow people. Business then, is not about cutting prices but about creating value for the customer. By the strength of focus on customer service, integrity and transparency in pricing, and a genuine approach to sales, the Rocket Singh Corporation fast overtakes the business of AYS. The hefty bribes offered by AYS fail in front of the superior service offered by Rocket.

Summary: Businesses today are now defined by a focus on services. Delighted and satisfied customers are your ambassadors and their referral can generate more business than you can handle.

Lesson: 7 Risk Management

Test: should one need to take risk? If so, what should be the strategy?

From the starting of selling of his first computes sales to the success of Rocket sales Corporation, Singh has worked out his abilities and going through the details, he also took the risk quiet often. He was also ready to sale of his scooter at one point of time.

Summary: Do not become paralyzed because of risk. Ask yourself this questions and clarify yourself. Check out what are the risks involved? What is the worst thing that can happen? If something goes wrong what can be done? Begin with the End in Mind & Remember that Spiderman also takes the risk.

Lesson 8: Code of Conduct at Company & Never indulges in personal aspect.

Test: How to convey to be in discipline?

Rocket Singh start his work with team mates and shared high moral. Being A Lead he behaves in the same healthy manner and others were just following the same. At one point of time HP warn his technical associate to behalf well with receptionist.

Summary: Fight without Fighting. Preventive actions are the symbol of clear thinking.

Lesson: 9 Mergers & Acquisition aspect

Test: An ability to handle properly.

Some of the most relevant learning’s from the movie for businesses today are the reasons why Mergers and Acquisitions are often unsuccessful. A hostile takeover of a smaller company on the strength of a ‘cheque’ book by a larger organization makes it generally difficult to assimilate into the larger organization. Furthermore, cultural assimilation is the most important factor for two organizations to merge. The culture of corruption and bribery at AYS could not merge with Rocket’s culture of integrity, hard work and honesty.

Summary: A friendly win-win situation needs to be created for all parties.

Finally, one of the more personal lessons that one can learn from this film is that it not only pays to be honest, simple and truthful in the long-term, but that this can also help you to improve your public image – and even help you ‘get the girl’(life partner) in the end!:)