By Jaisurya Das
Ladies and Gentleman, it’s lovely to have you back with us, this bright and sunny day of April 2016!
Well, this is about how profound I can get… !
Somedays are unique. Landmarks in your life, if I can say so. Today was one, as far as I am concerned. Interesting to say the least, and hence the obvious attempt to detail it for all of you.
Earlier today, a great friend called and asked me ‘What is your USP? Or don’t you have one?  I need to know what is special about you, if at all..’ This hit me like a cold slap on a winter morning…
Do I really know why I exist ? Who am I? Is there a USP at all? Why should you expect the world to talk about you? What’s special ? Flummoxing to say the least.
Almost as bad as trying to decipher the fruits and peels in a plum cake! Fattened for Christmas and yet ignorant of what made it all up…
This is the brutal truth. More often than once, we do not even know why we exist. We believe we live in this utopian world, where we exist within a glass domem  and yet remain unaware of our inherent strengths or weaknesses.
My friends, we have it all in us! Spend that little time to introspect and work towards bringing the finest of our qualities up- front lest we are faced with embarrassing questions that we may have no answer to!!
Yes, we have made a difference and continue to do so, but unless we figure what we do right, we fall short of replicating the good. Ask yourself those embarrassing questions and derive the answers from all over. You can be rest assured that this will come in handy sometime, be it career or life itself.
Do not rest easy on your laurels, my friends! Walk that extra mile and keep that trophy shelf to the brim. We dare not forget that we are not meant to perish with our trophies. They exist to give us that extra adrenalin to perform beyond norm..
And, yes, don’t make the mistake of believing you’re the best thanks to all the rubbish I say, because before you realise it, Galileo’s wisdom will be thrown at you…
“ I do not believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason and intellect has intended us to forego their use “
Amen.
Enough of this. Cut to the meat now… !
Questions from the cities of Mumbai, Lucknow, Hyderabad and Pune.
I have the option of choosing between South and North India for my final placement as a Management Trainee in the spaceselling team of a leading news media organisation. I have time till May end.
Sir, what should I choose?
West India? Oops, that’s not an option is it?
Jokes apart, Western India is a great place to start your career in media sales. It’s probably the most active advertising region in the country and its constituents like Mumbai and Pune account for a significant share of the revenues that media houses acquire.
Having said that, I must add that all markets are good, provided you are in the right organisation and have the right leaders guiding your career. At this stage of your career, it’s best to focus on equipping yourself with the right skills rather than worrying about one market or the other!
Don’t overthink this my friend. Pack your bags and step into the Sun
Sir, I have been in media buying for over six years now with a leading agency conglomerate and I find that the quality of sellers have really deteriorated especially at the lower and medium levels. The older lot don’t seem as interested either. Why is this happening ? Is screening and quality training a forgotten necessity ?
Thanks for writing in with a very pertinent question!
Yes, there is a noticeable fall in quality and sales prowess among the media sellers of today. It would be incorrect on my part to point fingers at any one reason for this.
I think this can be attributed to the entire system today, starting from screening candidates to the training they receive (if at all!) in their early months.
The focus now is so skewed to performance and business metrics that, refined sales process and skill is a forgotten virtue!
Well, as far as the older lot is concerned, it’s the typical burn-out syndrome. It’s unfair to expect the same performance excellence 25 years down the line from the same individual.
Contrary to what some may think, age does play a part in cognitive function and overall fitness doesn’t necessarily guarantee above optimal cognitive ability. Memory lapses, slower analytical thinking, irritability etc all set in as the years go by.
Hence, it’s advisable to keep sharpening neuron function through mental exercises and the like. This will keep us cognitively relevant no matter what age we may be at.
Coming back to your question. The need for careful screening and a rigorous ongoing training calendar is essential to develop talent in the industry.
As I have always believed, the larger the brand, the faster the salesman will perish!
Hence, it’s critical that high levels of motivation keep the younger sales staff on their toes with both skill and dedication to purpose. There’s little option really if you’re aiming for growth beyond organic levels.
Last week, I contracted a cold and later a viral because one of my colleagues had got it. I spoke to my HR department and have said that people who have a viral/ bad cold shouldn’t be allowed to come to office and spread the infection. What is your view, Sir?
Bless you! My understanding of medical science is fairly decent and hence I can risk asking you as to how you are so sure about contracting this from your colleague?
Is it the proximity of workstations (I need to know if this is an interior design flaw) ? Or is it something else ?
Ok, on a more serious note, yes air-conditioned offices are known to be breeding grounds for bacteria! The common cold (apparently a virus !) is airborne and hence enclosed spaces tend to be catalysts for cross infection.
However, this isn’t school and hence it’s difficult for the human resources department to really issue a stricture on all this. I strongly believe the onus is on the employee who is ridden with a viral/ contagious infection to stay away from office and prevent cross infection.
Onus is also on the leaders who must reassure their employee’s that it’s fine to take a day or two off to recuperate, rather than suffering and infecting the other colleagues in such a situation.
There is no known prevention in allopathy for the common cold, influenza and viral infections as far as I know, and hence caution is advisable.
Brave the storm my friend. It always passes to reveal a bright sunny day so despair not. Be well.
In my organisation, car parking is available only to senior staff. But senior staffers have their drivers, I can’t afford them. How can we prevail upon our HR and admin to allow even junior staffers to park their cars in the office parking?
Ah ha! Now this something most of us have faced at some point in our careers and I more than sympathise with you on this…
Yet, corporate policy is something we have little option to experiment with and more so when we are a constituent ourselves. Do remember, the chauffeur is most often pushier than his boss about parking in the reserved slot ! They have their own pride of place.
However, I must add that this is more prevalent in smaller office spaces. The large corporates often have both reserved and first-come, first-served slots where other colleagues have the option to park.
Finally it all really depends on what you are looking for ….
A great company with no parking, or a huge company with parking and yet no heart when it comes to people and their work !
No offence meant. You can have the best of both worlds in many organisations, yet the larger picture is about what you really want from a career….
And yes, if good parking is the priority, a mall would be great place to work ! Amen.
And with that we come to a close to this week’s Dear MxM, India’s premier counselling column.
Have a fantastically funny weekend with much beer, food and good cheer !
Let the hair down, party hard, drive safe and be good. Or at the least, be sensible !
And yes, do keep writing in with your questions on editor@mxmindia.com with ‘Dear MxM’ and your ‘City’ in the subject line….
For the moment however, it’s time for me to say Sayonara !
Jaisurya Das, the maverick media-evangelist eats, sleeps and romances brands !
His cerebral consulting interventions are aimed at making brands powerful and sustainable. Â Incidentally he is also Contributing Editor of MxM India. For more information on his work, visit www.xanadu.co.in The views expressed in this column are his own.