Monday Motivation for Success from Siva (47): True friendship knows no boundaries

Hi,
Read the news last week that for the first time over a billion people used Facebook on a single day. That shows how much of an urge people have for friendship these days. Why so? Are they deprived of it otherwise? Do they lack true friends in their real life? Why is this craze for a friend whom you have never seen or met or talked to? How can we create and nurture true friendships that are not only meaningful but also joyful. Let us look at this story from The Bhagavatam and see if we can take a cue or two from it to be and remain a good friend. 

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True friendship knows no boundaries 

 As per Bhagavata Purana, Kuchela was a childhood friend of  Lord Krishna. They went to the same ashram of sage Sandipan for their studies. While Kuchela hailed from a poor brahmin family, Krishna belonged to a royal family. However they became good friends and shared mutual respect while they studied and played at the ashram. 

As years passed by, Krishna became the king of Dwaraka, while Kuchela remained a poor brahmin. He got married and stayed in the village itself. When he was unable to feed his wife and children due to his poverty, his wife advised him to go and meet his old friend Krishna and seek his help. 

Having had very little in their home, Kuchela's wife gave him a small bag of beaten rice and asked him to carry it as a gift to Krishna. Seeing his worn-out clothes and poor stature, the gatekeepers at Krishna's palace did not allow him go inside. However, when Krishna came to know about it, he rushed to the gate and took him inside the palace and treated him with utmost respect. As Kuchela was hesitant to give the bag of beaten rice that he brought with him, Krishna himself took the liberty of taking it from his friend's hand and ate every grain of it with a lot of joy. 

Kuchlea felt very happy for the way his friend Krishna received him and treated him but at the same time very uneasy to express about his poverty to Krishna and left the palace empty handed. However, when he returned home, he was very happy to see his hut turned into a mansion and his household filled with all the provisions needed for a comfortable living. 

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What a friendship between Krishna and Kuchela! No sign of any ego at all! Only mutual respect for each other! No barriers of caste or creed, state or status, religion or richness, community or culture, nation or a name!! Only pure love for each other! Let ego NOT break the bonds of friendship. Break-free from the self-limiting domestic barriers. You will enjoy the beauty and joy of true friendship. 

To your continued SUCCESS,

With love,

Siva

PS: Please do post your comments on this post at the comments section below.

Sales Secrets (19): Your eyes and ears can give you the cue

Hi,
It is important to first understand what the customer wants in order to provide right solution that answers his need. How can you know that if you are talking more and more? By talking more without listening, you will risk the danger of losing a sale proposing a wrong solution. Hence, it is important to pay attention to the customer and learn what he or she wants.

This is where there is a lot of work for the eyes and ears. You have to keep your eyes and ears open to be able to capture a lot of cues that the customer offers through his words and gestures.

Ask right questions in the right manner at the right time. And, let your eyes and ears do their job, you can get a lot of answers that will tell you how to succeed in your sales conversation. You have to listen not only with your ears but also with your eyes. And, it is an art. You can acquire it. 

Listen to your customer with your ears, your eyes........and also your heart.

To your sales success,

With love,

Siva

Thought of the Day (63): Are you doing these small deeds that you are quite capable of?

““Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” 
 - Leo Buscaglia

There are many simple deeds that you could do and make life more beautiful for you and also the people around you. Yes, you can do. You are capable of doing them. With just a little bit of intent and a little more appreciation for the value of what you can do, you can do a lot many things than what you are doing. 

Yes, you can do many deeds that may appear simple but have the potential to do miracles. Believe me! Your words count. Your touch matters. Your smile works wonders. Your patience pays. You can make a lot more difference in the lives of people you live and work with and even beyond.

To your SUCCESS,

With love,

Siva

namam no. 244) saadhuh (साधुः) (సాధుః)

om saadhave namah (ओं साधवे नमः) (ఓం సాధవే నమః)

As He does various deeds in order to get what His devotees want without even caring for His status, He is called saadhuh.

Though mediation is not an activity worthy of His status, He went for mediation with kauravas on behalf of pandavas. He even acted a as a charioteer for Arjuna and protected him in the battle of kurukshetra. 

Thus, this namam saadhuh reveals that though He is the paramaatma, He does even the small deeds of labour for the sake of His devotees.

om namo bhagavate vasudevaya!

Saturday Story from Siva (59): The amazing story of a dog called Hatchiko

Hi,

Have you ever heard of Hachiko the dog? 

Hachiko is a national hero to the Japanese! A dog so famous there have been several movies made about him. He has his own statue next to Shibuya Train Station in Tokyo, where every day hundreds of people have their photograph taken with him. Even Hollywood has made a movie about Hachiko!

So why is the Hachiko story so famous you may wonder? Watch this full movie available for free on youtube this weekend and write your comments in the comments section below this blog post:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnTdJFIvoME

To your continued SUCCESS,

With love,

Siva
PS: Please do watch this movie. I am sure you would find it one of the best movies you ever watched. Shall be thankful to you sharing your views on what made Hatchiko a Hero.

Thought of the Day (62): NOW is the mantra, not later.

“I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion."
 - Muhammad Ali

"Even though the future seems far away, it is actually beginning right now."
 - Mattie Stepanek

You have come thus far with phenomenal success whether you acknowledge and accept it or not. You have greatness within you. It is time to unleash it furthermore now. And that NOW starts today, not tomorrow. Start giving your best TODAY in what you do. Your success is guaranteed.

To your SUCCESS,

With love,

Siva

namam no. 243) satkrutah (सत्कृतः) (సత్కృతః)

om satkrutaaya namah (ओं सत्कृताय नमः) (ఓం సత్కృతాయ నమః)

This namam satkrutaaya reveals that He is also revered by those elders. It means that He not only honours them but He also gets worshipped by them with devotion and sincerity.

satkaara means giving satisfaction to the one who is accepted. Lord Vishnu does not differentiate between the offerings of His devotees. He accepts however small the offerings of His devotees is with His kind heart and feels happy about it.

om namo bhagavate vasudevaya!

Sales Secrets (18): MOTIVES matter more; Be mindful of them.

Hi,
We talked about value of intent in the last post. Let us reinforce that thought furthermore and gain a firm conviction of it. 

I would like to reproduce below an excerpt from the book "WHO DARES SELLS" by Patrick Ellis that clearly explains why we need to develop and possess right motives for sustainable success. 

"The recipe for lasting success is provided by basic ingredients: GOOD MOTIVES. People will judge you not by what you have got but rather by how you got it; not by what yo say but how you said it; not by what your family connections are but rather by who you are. Each person is responsible for himself. Whatever the human mind desires and believes it can achieve, by fair means or foul - but what will stand out in the final analysis is your motives." 

Your motives matter more. Possess right motives.

To your sales success,

With love,

Siva
PS: Please post your views and comments in the comments section below. Thank you.

Thought of the Day (61): Keep a track of the things that worked for YOU.

“The few things that work fantastically well should be identified, cultivated, nurtured, and multiplied.“
 - Richard Koch

You are SPECIAL. You have unique skill sets in you designed to achieve greatness. So, certain special things might work for you better than others. Certain ways of doing might be better suited to you. Be conscious of them. Keep a track of them as you move forward. Keep identifying the things that are working for you and make a note of them. Start doing more and more of them. You will soon start seeing things going RIGHT for you more often. 

To your SUCCESS,

With love,

Siva

namam no. 242) satkartaa (सतकर्ता) (సత్కర్తా)

om satkartre namah (ओं सत्कर्त्रे नमः) (ఓం సత్కర్త్రే నమః)

Thus the lord who is the all-pervasive and protector reveres good people (satpurushaas) with an undoubted justice.

The phrase "sajjana prati poojitah' in the Ramayana is a proof of this.

Though Rama treated all people equally without discriminating them as literate or illiterate, rich or poor, He respected vaSishtha, ViSvaamitra, and other elders with special reverence.

om namo bhagavate vasudevaya!

Sales Secrets (17): Your INTENT is more important than your content

Hi,
It is important to give a quality product or an efficient service to your customer. The contents you offer are always important. But more important than the content is the intent with which you offer. 

What is your intent? What is the purpose you are feeling at your heart when you are talking to your customer? Whose benefit is the focus of your thoughts? This is a crucial factor for the success in sales because your customer can feel your intent and see what is going on in your mind even if you don't express it out.

So if you want to be successful at sales, your intent ought to be the following:

1) to help your customer; 
2) to benefit him with an effective solution; 
3) to enrich his experience of your relationship with him; 
4) to give him a sense of security with you beside him;  
5) to solve a pestering issue that is bothering him

A genuinely good intent of helping your customer will take you a long way in building a strong relationship with your customer and make you a successful person. 

Your intent is more important than your content.

To your sales success,

With love,

Siva
PS: Please post your views and comments in the comments section below. Thank you.

Thought of the Day (60): The children are beautiful. Let them lead the way.

"“A young child is a leader to an elderly person once his purpose has a faithful, sincere and trustworthy influence on people. Leadership is not restricted to position and age; it is self-made and influencial. Everyone has this self-leadership quality.” 
 - Israelmore Ayivor"

“Children are the world's most valuable resource And its best hope for the future." 
~ John F Kennedy

One of my most favourite songs ever is "The Greatest Love of All" sung by Whitney Houston. It begins with the lyrics "I believe that children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way. Show them all the beauty they possess inside." It is a sheer melody that you can feel and enjoy to the core of your heart. 

To your SUCCESS,

With love,

Siva
PS: Pls click on the link below to enjoy the song "The Greatest Love of All" sung by Whitney Houston.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYzlVDlE72w

namam no. 241) viSvabhugvibhuh (विश्वभुग्विभुः) (విశ్వభుగ్విభుః)

om viSvabhugvibhave namah (ओं विश्वभुग्विभावे  नमः) (ఓం విశ్వభుగ్విభవే నమః)

The earlier namam viSvasrut revealed that He creates all the living entities without any bias. The two namams viSvabhuk and vibhuh reveal that He spreads within all of them and becomes their protector soon after creating them. 

Here the word vibhu tells about sarvavyaapti - spread in all. The word viSvabhuk reveals His rakshakatvam - the ability to protect.

Though the sky is a sarvavyaapi, it doesn't have the rakshakatvam. The emperors may have the rakshakatvam but not the ability of sarvavyaapti. The paramaatma is the only one who possesses both of them, as revealed by the combination of the two words in one namam.

om namo bhagavate vasudevaya!

Sales Secrets (16): It is your words that can make or break...so

Hi,
In today's scenario, the most powerful tools that you possess to win a sale are your words. They can make a good relationship stronger or even break it. Once a word is spoken, it can not be taken back. So, you gotta be careful in choosing right words at the right time.

It is good to be enthusiastic for a salesman. But with that enthu, if you exaggerate using words that might attract suspicion and some kind of disdain, your customer may lose faith in your words and stop trusting you. So, be careful with your words and speak with genuineness.

Some questions of your customers might irritate you or some of their own words might provoke you. But you have to have a control on the words you choose to respond in those situations. Your words in such situations can save a relationship if you are careful with your words. Else, they could break a beneficial bond.

Use your words as a short-cut but not as a short-circuit.

To your sales success,

With love,

Siva

Thought of the Day (59): Your belief that you can counts...a lot!

"It's the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.
 - Muhammad Ali

Be careful about what you are saying to yourself. It could soon become your belief and then actually a fact of life. So make sure you tend to think positively about yourself and your future. Think of only good things happening to you to your advantage. After all you are a good person and only good things can happen to you. 

You have been endowed with so much of capability that you can surely reach your goals and get what you want to get. Yes, you can. Believe me. Believe in yourself. Because, your belief that you can counts...a lot for YOU!

To your SUCCESS,

With love,

Siva
PS: An additional quote for all those who believe in agriculture
"Agriculture is not crop production as popular BELIEF holds - it's the production of food and fibre from the world's land and waters. Without agriculture it is not possible to have a city, stock market, banks, university, church or army. Agriculture is the foundation of civilization and any stable economy."
 - Allan Savory

namam no. 240): viSvasrut (विश्वसृट) (విశ్వసృట్)

om viSvasruje namah (ओं विश्वसृजे नमः) (ఓం విశ్వసృజే నమః)

This namam viSvasrut means that He is the one who creates the entire universe without caring for any deficiencies of all the living entities owing to his nature of daakshiNyam (kindness).

The word dakshiNa has 2 meanings: 1) capable, and 2) equal feeling for all.

The lord, due to his nature of daakshiNyam, creates the living entities by giving them the flesh, blood, and body without considering the deficiencies in their character. He creates and recreates all without any bias such as creating only those who worship him and not those who do not.

om namo bhagavate vasudevaya!

Sales Secrets (15): The 7 most powerful tools of a salesman

Hi,

Stumbled upon this morning an excellent sales success article "7 Most Powerful Sales Tools" written by Geoffrey James. I thought I should share it with you too. He enlists and explains how the following 7 are powerful tools of a salesman: 

1. Patience
2. Commitment
3. Enthusiasm
4. Curiosity
5. Courage
6. Integrity
7. Flexibility

So true! They are indeed very powerful tools which you need to sharpen on a daily basis. They come handy at all times in all situations. With them in your kit, you can enjoy greater success in selling and helping people transform their lives.

To your sales success,

With love,

Siva
PS: You can read the complete article "7 Most Powerful Sales Tools" by Geoffrey James at the link given below:
http://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/7-most-powerful-sales-tools.html