Outsourcing Selling

An interesting sight took me back to the desktop years of my life. It was a kiosk in front of a computer shop where you could mix and match components of your choice for an assembled computer. It instantly gave you a consolidated price without any involvement by the retail outlet manager. The manager had outsourced some of his job to technology.

For us buying an assembled desktop computer used to be a more interesting experience. And since all the friends bought computers roughly at the same time, trips to the computer shops had become quite common. The process was time-consuming and most of the times finding limits to your decision-making. Even if you clearly had in mind what configuration you want, still the shopkeeper would come up with offers which resulted in greed for more capacity splitting the mind.

Typically, he used to take out a big pad with names of most of the parts that went into making a computer written on it. Then you would discuss each component. He would tell you the price; you would oscillate, trying to balance the price and capacity with offers and counter offers.

The challenge for the shopkeeper was first that of the complexity of multiple customers with highly customized demand. Secondly, he was sitting and spending time with only a 'potential' customer. The buyer would take similar quotes from multiple shops before making the final decision. Afterall it is in our buying culture, specially of expensive items.

But a seller was more successful if he was more involved. One who educated the customer and helped resolve the conflicts. Giving the pros and cons of the components and many times not hesitating to tell that a certain part was expensive and not necessary for the needs of say a college goer. There were other sellers too, who just mechanically jotted down what you demanded and told you the total cost. They thought of you only as potential customer who is here to get one of the quotes among many from across the town. 'Why spend time on him? We will focus more when he comes to actually buy'. But the buying was done from the  person who had 'helped' take us some decisions.

A kiosk is definitely less hassle for the outlet, specially considering that a consumer today is far more knowledgable and knows what he wants. But it is definitely an opportunity lost for up-selling, cross selling and most importantly making a relationship which can help in completing the sale. A recent article in McKinsey says:

Many retailers assume that customers walk into stores for purely transactional purposes: they know what they want and just need to buy it. Yet McKinsey research indicates that as many as 40 percent of customers remain open to persuasion once they enter a store, despite undertaking extensive product research, reading online reviews, and comparing prices on their own.

Twitter in Colleges

So now twitter has entered classrooms too. Some tech savvy teachers are using twitter in class rooms for better interaction with students. In a large class, there are many students who have doubts but are shy of raising there hands in fear of public ridicule. "What will others think of me?", "What if the question is a stupid one?" "After the class they are going to call me names". These are some questions which lead to doubts and hence a hesitation in asking questions. It happened with me and I am sure with everyone at some point of time in their lives.

Twitter has come to the rescue now!! A trending topic can now be created (using "#"), and it can be put up on the OHP where the questions can be put up in form of tweets with the particular hash tag. So the shy students can put up questions without having to raise their hands.

I LOL'd thinking how much more miserable lives of our profs could have been if twitter and this pedagogy been around during our times at college. The imaginative and innovative graffiti and ideas due to which desks had to be repainted after every semester in engineering could have been permanently imprinted on the twitter servers and for everyone to see and enjoy. Twitter would have benefited by using it for trend analysis and targeted marketing. Historians could have recorded the data and years after now could have written papers on how the thinking in colleges have evolved/degraded over the years.

During MBA, we used to give a feedback for each teacher at the end of every trimester. Had twitter been around, the prof could have got a Live feedback there and then!! What fun it would have been. The best thing in any case would have been organizing mass cuts would have been child's play.

Yes, twitter in Indian colleges will be a disaster. In any case, one should be working on getting more confident in college rather than using twitter to contribute your thoughts which may or may not be stupid.

Related MMT

Empty School Bags

My generation of school goers was characterized by heavy bags. I remember many articles in newspapers which focused on reducing the weight on the shoulders. It was considered the Ministry of Education’s job to help this burden. The solution instead lay elsewhere – in technology!

But books and copies offered exciting time. At the start of a new year, fresh copies and books used to be bought and diligently covered with brown paper and plastic paper. A special cupboard was assigned to books with labels put to divide it into different sections. A sketch pen was used to put the name of the subject on the width side of the copies for instant recognition. Then each night bags were packed according to the next day time table. I remember the anxiety and that fear which used to strike when the wanted notebooks could not be found – may be given to a friend or when there was a sudden realization that some homework given had not been done.

But now, all that is set to get over. The advent of Kindles, iPads or the more local Pi’s is set to change the students – not only at school but at all levels study. School Bags will now carry a digital reader to store all the syllabus books and a digital notepad – to take notes.

There will be no need to pack bags at night, waste cupboard space, fear of losing copies full of notes right at the end of the year with exams approaching. It will also be easier – it actually already is to just copy the homework from a friend.

The only thing that will perhaps not change will be the tiffin box which will still offer a suspense of what has been packed, with a hope that there is maggi inside.

Idiotic Ideas !!

3 idiots, the latest buzz in town is also getting released on You Tube, though some 8 – 10 weeks later. Raju Hirani, the director says that people are anyways going to download the movie from the internet, why not earn some revenues from it. I think this is an excellent idea.

Many people will still prefer going the free way – downloading from torrents or getting it from friends. But there will be some who won’t mind spending a few bucks getting it “legally”. Human mentality is at work. If it is really cheap vs free, people will have tendency to go for the real cheap because it frees them from the guilt of piracy. It is something similar to what Chetan Bhagat books did a few years back. Everyone used to get the pirated books to get them cheap. E.g. a Rs 300 book is easily available for anything between Rs 80 – 120 at any roadside vendor. By pricing the book at 100 bucks (which now has become a trend with new authors), people went in for the original because it was real cheap. Why not buy an original for 100 rather than a duplicate for may be Rs 60 – 70 and be guilt free.

Moreover, it also helps in creating a buzz which is especially useful for a new movie. Say the movie is available for download for Rs 100, one who downloads it will definitely put it up on twitter, facebook etc encouraging the circle of friends to go for it.

One potential problem can be the payment on the internet. Many people are still wary of internet payments and many users will be of the age group who may not possess bank accounts or credit cards.

I am eagerly waiting to see how this strategy of 3 idiots goes through!!

Rekindling the Future

Few moments have passed in the past 3 years when there was a laptop in front without it being plugged into the vast cloud of internet. But the last 5 months were exactly opposite. Getting an internet connection here in Jammu was a project in itself. But, as they say everything has a brighter side. Lack of connectivity on the laptop meant getting GPRS activated on the mobile.

Once I was a net addict and now I became a mobile net addict. With laptop, you still had times – travelling, in the class or in general where there was no wi-fi available. But with that small piece in hand and it being connected to the world meant the addiction was waiting to happen.

So now after around 5 months on surfing through the mobile, I am having trouble concentrating on the big screen of the laptop when it has been finally found purpose. Checking mail on the mobile is much easier, though replying back is not (It can be made easy if you have a qwerty keypad. But can’t complain much as I am using a high(est) end mobile phone that too given for free by Lalit, which also had a major role to play for my mobile-net addiction given its huge screen).

Recently, I have also been reading books on mobile. Well !! From paper to laptop to mobile. With the emergence of Kindle (and some other e-readers), a debate has been sparked on what is better – a traditional book or reading on some e-reader like Kindle.

Well most of the arguments in favor of books have been emotional – that smell, filling up the racks with a rainbow of collection, getting cosy with a book in a corner with a cup of coffee on a lazy Sunday etc etc.

Yes those things make you nostalgic and difficult to toss the books aside. But thinking rationally, for me, books always meant less concentration. It is easy to lose track after some time, especially if you are reading a tough book.

I read books on speed reading and am still struggling to reach the enormous reading speeds which these books make you dream about.

I find it much easier to read swiftly on a mobile or on a laptop – without any speed reading guides.

Though I am yet to experience Kindle but I am pretty sure that I will like it. The only problem that remains is that of High prices. As of now, it is out of reach but that is the best thing about technology. I am sure it will be ‘pocketable’ in no time.

Addicted

In shackles!!
I knew this problem was prevalent. But today I got a chance to see how widespread it is with me being a part of it. The addiction is the internet.
We, a group of 10 started a journey for Bangalore last night from Mumbai. The last moments before leaving the campus were on the net. A 24 hour train journey followed. Thanks to the ubiquitous mobile towers, we were well connected on the mobile. Some technological constraints like battery running out did exist but that can be largely blamed on to the Indian railways – for not providing charging facilities.
But 1 thing that was missing was the access to the internet. Though technology has advanced to provide us the facility but we, generally used to the constancy of Wifi in our college and home are not adapted to the data cards as of now. It was around 11.30 PM when we reached our hotel after a long tiring journey. The news of internet being freely available in the hotel was a news that brought life to all the dead tired faces and in no time each one of us are in their respective rooms on their Gtalks. Freshening up, tea/coffee/dinner – all can wait. The priority is getting plugged to the world – to return to the matrix.
Strange – our lives have become - the same lives which we lived without even mobile phones till a few years ago. With what I experienced today, it feels that the physical existence is starting losing its significance. Its feels almost the same sitting at my table in Mumbai or some hotel here in Bangalore. Wonder where we are headed. For now it is just a sense of addiction with some long term implications.

Amazing Effects of Technology..

I have had some really nice birthday experiences in the past 24 years. But nothing was like the one I had this time on the silver jubilee celebration.
It used to be the landline phones at one time where you waited at 12.00 AM to pick it up quickly so that every one else at home is not disturbed. Then came the mobiles where many times it happens that while talking to someone you see a call waiting and later on you have to dial out to your friend to ‘get’ the wishes. Not that I am complaining. Just that it happens. Sms’es also form an important part. If you are feeling sleepy and your friends phone is busy for long time, just sms him(so that he knows you waited till 12) and then call him in the morning. Well, all that has happened over the years.
But another aspect of communication was added this time. We 4 – 5 friends were chatting across geographies in a conference call through Skype. The call started at around 10.30 and at 12.00 a countdown was marked and a nice Happy Birthday to you song was sung to me by Makhan, Sardar and Trainn…Guys, Thanks very much and 1 suggestion – never try your hands at Indian Idol. Hahahaha..
So in this way technology invaded in my life in one more aspect.
We went on to chat till around 2.30 AM. And guess what we did? All of us got on to the Google Maps and Makhan showed all of us his apartment and office in Dallas. Then we came to India and paid a visit to Sardar’s home and School. Then we carried on to our college and had some samosas in the PEC Market. Well, see the benefits of technology. 4 guys - 2 in Chandigarh, 1 in Gurgaon, 1 in US, visiting college together at 2 in the night. Thank You Google !!!!


Highlight of the Day..err Night..
A Happy Birthday to you song from an old movie was put on repeatedly by Train.
Well, I guess the reason I mention this will only be understood by the 4 guys who happened to be in the conf.

Joke of the Night – Side effects of too much technology
Tanny, a first time Skype user was trying to join the conference call. But Train who was hosting the call was having his dinner so Tan was not able to join the call. Moreover he didn’t have a mike also. So in a different chat window, Sardar and I told Tan to call Train on Mobile and tell him to add Tan in the conf. Tan’s reply came “But I don’t have a mike and I am new on Skype. How should I call him?”
So we said, “Bhai. Call him from your Mobile and tell him to add you”
Tan said “OK”. But then after some time he again asked, “But Train is Offline. How will I call him?”
So sardar and I had a BIG laugh and again wrote, “Tan, call Train’s Mobile Phone from your Mobile Phone. Forget Skype for a moment.”

I don’t know how many of you will find it funny, but we had a ball over this.

'Photo' Stat

Recently I have written quite a bit on college days and how times have changed now. The main reason has been my cousin brother who has joined my alma mater this year.
So constant interaction with him keeps me updated on the happenings in the college.
From Anuj I came to know about the serious intrusion of Information Technology in the lives of Pecobians.
And recently I also came to know how mobiles are being used to their full potential.
Exam time was quite often socializing time - almost whole of the college was to be found at one place – Photostat shop. A God sent messenger was there in every class. He used to make notes through out the semester and provide his notebook for copying one day before exam. It was a boom time for the owners of those copier machines. But now times are changing. These days with mobile cameras, what is the need to get the notes, go to the shop, wait in the queue, get Photostat, and spend a hefty percentage of your pocket money? This is chill age dude!!
Get the notes, take out the 2 MP camera, click photographs of notes, transfer to your laptop and if needed make an e-book out of it. And maybe go ahead and put this eBook on your website/blog. The rest of the class will be more thankful to you than the poor chap who painstakingly wrote the notes in first place.
If this all sounds far fetched, see the images below. The source for these images and the idea which is mentioned above is my brother who as you can well imagine has sessionals starting soon.

P.S: While I was writing this, many more things came to mind which I had initially included in this post but later realized that they need a separate post so coming soon will be “Analysis of LTA”

Wi Fi'ed

Last evening, I went to my alma mater PEC which has seen unprecedented changes since my graduation. The whole college has got wiFi connectivity now. So you just go, open your laptop and start googling and orkutting and downloading songs or movies or software. As my cousin(who belongs to the present generation of pecobians) sat downloading 1 thing after other, I couldn’t help getting amazed at how far pecobians have come. In the lunch break during winters, you can see people sitting on the grass, in the sun with their cool lappies with DAP (Download Accelerator) working overtime. Hostellers have made separate rooms dedicated to online gaming. In the canteen, movies are floating in the air from 1 table to the other. Guys are just ‘pinging’ their friends in the class to ‘maaro’ their proxy. What a cool, hi-tech life – for all us pass outs to be envy!!!
Our time was different, you see. In the winters, under the sun, we just sat on the scooters in the parking, or on the grass in big groups, chatting and chatting and chatting. Add to it the occasional bursts of boisterous laughs. I struggle to remember what was there about which we could sit and talk whole day.
There was no dedicated room for gaming in the hostels but yes cricket and football used to be carried out in full enthu in the grounds just outside the hostel.
In the canteen, live music used to float around with a cool guy in the center with a guitar entertaining everybody, from KK’s yaaron to Nirvana’s Dive. Or else, drawing sheets were made (those are ideally meant to be made in drawing halls with drafter, scale etc.. but .. well.. ideally) which quite often ended up having oils marks of samosas or red marks of the sauce!
And proxies.. ahh! the proxies. Well ‘generally’, it was not needed to inform friends that they had to maaro proxy. They knew that if some one has not come and the proxy is possible then it has to be done (Sometimes at the expense of one’s own attendance)
Can’t resist to tell an incident when Singal sitting on my left said “Yes sir” and “Present Sir” in 3 different voices to consecutive roll numbers before me. I was laughing so hard that I missed mine!! But what the hell.. have we ever cared??
So, I don’t really envy the generation of today. Need I???