Author: Kannan_Kasi

Kannan Kasi is an Entrepreneur with extensive experience in Sales & Marketing, CRM [Customer Relationship Management], Customer Analytics, Customer Experience, Social Media and Digital Marketing. He has thorough knowledge in his domain, has attention to detail, has 'never say die' attitude & an indomitable spirit to succeed.
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People laughed at him!

A young boy, who was just 12 years old, wanted to start his own magazine. When he said that, people laughed at him. 15 years later, in the year 1984, he was publishing a hundred of them. And he had built one of the first Technology Publishing empires.

He was interested in Technology, Science and Computing and he found that these three areas were converging.

7 years after he founded his publishing company, he sold it to Pearsons. Then he moved to United States and started his new company Business 2.0 and reached a market cap of $ 2 Billion at one point.

He founded a non-profit in the year 1996 to “foster the spread of great ideas”.

There was another company which was started in 1984 which was holding conferences dedicated to 3 things. And our young boy attended one of the conferences in 1998 and fell in love with it.

Eventually he bought that company in 2001. But the remarkable turn around came in 2006 when he distributed the talks [in the conferences] online for free. That was a revolution.

I am sure you have guessed it by now.

The company he acquired is TED [that stands for Technology, Entertainment & Design] and the young boy is none other than Chris Anderson. https://www.ted.com/

So, what dreams are you chasing? Did people laugh at you? Are you passionate about it? For all you know you may be creating a revolution in the years to come.

Don’t underestimate yourself. If you are passionate about it and if few people have found use for what you have created, you are on your way to success.

Happy creating!

Happy Starting-up!

Happy Selling!

#startupstories #startup #story

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What’s your plan for the weekend?

Mine is simple. I am trying to finish reading a book that I started a month ago. I think I am reading & grasping like a 6th grade student. I need to improve my reading speed.

I have many books lined up on kindle as well. But I love physical books. That feeling of holding the book in your hand is something that cannot be matched.

As I read, my mind starts visualizing the images and the sequences. I am not sure if some of you also experience that.

I am currently reading “The code of the extraordinary mind” by Vishen Lakhiani, founder of MindValley. Vishen is a rebel. You should read his book too. #vishen #mindvalley

In the comments, please let me know what was the book that you read last or are currently reading.

This can inspire the rest of us to read more, to learn more and to do more.

Happy Reading!!

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My role model & other anecdotes….

There was a senior colleague who commanded respect from clients, principals, resellers and us colleagues. He was there in office every single day before office started for business. He was truly professional, knowledgeable, kept up his promises, always busy, added value to clients as well as partners, a crisis manager, a great people manager and had coffee & biscuits with us every evening after work. The evenings were interesting too.

One day I was preparing a proposal and he advised me to work on the proposals after office hours and not during productive sales time. From then on, all through the day, I was in front of customers talking about a new product or the upcoming workshops or just building relationship or talking about how technology is changing businesses and even lives. I normally simplify technology. It’s quite simple. I don’t get something if it is too complex. So, I question, read, inquire, find out the truth and understand it in detail. And then I simplify it and fine tune it according to the client I meet.

I think I built good relationships over the years with my clients and prospects. Some of them won’t buy anything related to technology without checking with me even if it is something that I don’t sell. Those were the zen moments in Account Management.

My role model has changed with time. Today it is Gary Vaynerchuk. He posted recently where in he taught how to tell a story. He says, if you are a real estate agent, tell me about the town and not just the house you want to sell. If you are passionate about Sales, tell me why you love it, your most interesting clients, biggest challenges etc. In essence, he says, don’t talk about the product / service that you are selling. Instead share the interesting anecdotes around your business. People would love to hear that. The rest will follow soon. Idea is to make things interesting.

Here is the image he had shared:

Happy StoryTelling!!

Happy Selling!!

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Going the extra mile in customer service!

Those were the happy days of my career. I was just then starting off in Sales and beginning to learn the ropes. One thing I was very clear right from beginning was that I would deliver on the promises I made and see to it that the customer benefits from the association. And “business is not always done for profit” is something I truly believed. In every interaction I wanted to provide value.

There was an account, a Public Sector Bank, which I wanted to break into. [No, not as in “I wanted to break into a bank”.] Jokes apart, it was pretty difficult. Then an opportunity came by. I did everything I should and won the order. It was an order for a software with multiple licenses, one for each location. That must have been during the year 1996. The Software was available on CD but this client requested for floppy disks. Well, we had an option for 3.5″ disks. But the client had only 5.25″ floppy disk drives in all locations. I committed to the client that we will deliver the software in 5.25″ media that can be installed. Of-course after checking with my tech support executive.

Going the extra mile to satisfy the clients.

I was fortunate to have had colleagues who would back me up and deliver on the promises I made to the clients. One day rather one night, the tech support executive and I stayed back in office. My colleague cracked it and created a installable copy on 5.25″ floppy media. All I had to do next was copy that set onto blank 5.25″ floppies. Though it was a very laborious task, I did that. We must have been awake till about 3 or 4 in the morning that night. Finally we delivered on our promise.

Do you have such stories to share? Please let me know in the comments.

Happy Selling!!

#customerservice #salestips #sales

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Sales professionals are positive thinkers!

I am passionate about Sales. I truly believe that Sales is one profession that is unlike any other. No business can survive if Sales does not perform and perform well. Come to think of it, all the sales folks across industry verticals share some common traits. They are all performers. They all think they are born to win, lead, educate, help, bring about a smile, change the way anything is done, change the world. They all generally treat people very well. They trust others. If you look closely at Sales people, they will not discourage other sales people. I answer my phone with courtesy and talk with enthusiasm to the caller and answer her questions in the most polite manner even when I know that I have no use for what she is trying to sell – be it a personal loan or a credit card or a car loan. It is a frame of mind. Positive one at that. If you are a true sales professional you will get what I am saying. That positive frame of mind is what makes us different. That’s what makes us go out in the market, do prospecting, meet clients, build relationships, build trust and finally truly help customers achieve what they want to. No pitching. No “Sales”. No hype. No “Marketing”. What I am good at is what I will do. And leave the rest to the professionals who are experts in the respective areas.

Now you know why I love Sales.

Let me tell you a story. Week after week I was projecting a very big number from one particular account in my reports. My manager asked me not to project it. But I continued projecting it. That was a time I wouldn’t listen to anyone. And speed did matter to me as well. Usain Bolt wasn’t known then, else I would have considered him my role model. In this particular account, things were moving at the speed of a tortoise. But I wasn’t ready to give up. We had a meeting with our Principals [whose products we were selling] and I continued my projections even in that meeting without naming the account since there were other competitors. So much so that the Country Manager asked for a meeting with me and my colleagues after that session. Obviously, when the number I quoted was far higher than the sum of all the other numbers quoted by all of them [present there] put together. I was confident. I was asked what was my plan, how will I make it happen, how did I break up the numbers and what are the billables. I answered them all. Our Principals promised to work with us in that account. Eventually we won that order. It was huge. One of a kind. Record breaking during those days.

The message I am carrying with me all these years is this: I am a successful sales person who strongly believes in helping customers. There is no other sure shot smart way, I can think of.

Hope I pumped up your energy levels. You have it in you. Don’t forget your past successes. There lies the recipe for your success. Feel the raw energy in your veins. I listen to peppy music. I keep a hand grip on my table and keep pressing it from time to time. More importantly I keep a list of accounts on my table that I have won so far in my career starting from my first job. That inspires me a lot than anything else. Try it out for yourself and let me know.

Happy Selling!!

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Get your hands on this book

People are talking about a new book they say will revolutionize the way small businesses approach growth and marketing.

If you haven’t already heard, Wall Street Journal best selling author, Josh Turner, just released his new book, “The Trust Equation”, this week. 

This book will change the way you see the lead generation and sales processes. It will change the way you get leads and clients.

An instant classic.

I’ve taken a look already and Josh Turner has proven he knows what he’s doing. He’s sharing it all with you in his book.

He told me publishers aren’t happy he’s jumping the gun here – but he wants you to have a copy before it even goes to print – at no charge. 

Get your free copy of The Trust Equation book here.

(Just to clarify – this is not an “eBook” – this is a full length, 150+ page book. And it’s free for just a limited time.)

Note: On the link above, you’ll also find a video overview of the most important elements of the book. So before you dive in and start reading, I suggest watching the video first. 

In it, Josh does a great job of setting the stage and it will help jump start your results. 

I am super pumped Josh is letting me help get this out to the world! Honestly, it’s something that is long overdue. It’s going to be a complete game-changer for you, I’m certain of it. 

Happy Selling!!

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Words to use in your Marketing copy

I am amazed at some of the emails I receive. They inspire me to take action. They get me interested in whatever the vendor offers. Quite inspirational stuff. I was thinking how was all this possible?

The magic is in the words that they all use. Words have power they say. How true?

Let us take a look at some of these words, these marketers cleverly use:

  1. Definitive
  2. 10x
  3. Comprehensive
  4. Hacks
  5. Best Selling
  6. No. 1
  7. Proven
  8. Money back Guarantee
  9. Final Call
  10. Life-changing

Does your marketing copy have such words. If not, start using them right away. I “guarantee” you that such a “powerful marketing copy” will produce a “never-before” success.

Happy Marketing!

Happy Selling!

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What’s your Ikigai? And how to Ikigai?

In a TED Talk, Tim Tamashiro delights us with the Japanese secret to Happiness. It was such a pleasure listening to Tim. He says it takes work to find your Ikigai. First, let us understand what is Ikigai. Before that how to pronounce it? It is pronounced as Eeky-guy. You lift your cheeks like you are smiling and say Eeki-guy, he says.

C’mon, say “Ikigai”. That’s Good.

Tim was a Jazz musician who finally found that his Ikigai is “to delight people” and he does that perfectly well. If you don’t believe me, go here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk-PcJS2QaU

Ikigai, he says, is like a treasure map. It can help you find your way to finding wonderful things about yourself that you can share with the world and the world will say “Thank you” for it, he said.

He says, Work is different from Job. A Job is something that you do as a regular form of employment where you get money to pay for your house, food and things like that. On the other hand, Work is something that you do to achieve a result, something like a product or a purpose, he says.

Ikigai comes from Okinawa, where the world’s most 100 year olds live.

Iki = Life

gai = Purpose

Ikigai = Life’s Purpose

Ikigai’s Directions:

Do what you love
Do what you are good at
Do what the world needs
Do what you can be rewarded for

It is the intersection of the above four items.

Best Wishes to you for finding your Ikigai!!

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Best investment advice!

What is the best investment advice you have ever received?

“It is not stocks or bonds or mutual funds” says Dave Kerpen. Now who is Dave Kerpen? I will come to that in a bit. Let us first finish what we have on our plate.

He says, your best investment may not even be starting your own business. It’s virtually free to invest, takes just a few minutes of your time, and the payout is HUGE, he says.

“It is GRATITUDE”, says Dave Kerpen. Yes, that’s the best investment advice.

Dave Kerpen is the Co-Founder of Likeable Media, a Social media marketing firm, and founder of Likeable Local.

Now, List down what you want to be Grateful for, today. You will then realize how blessed you are.

When you are grateful for what you have in your life, you have made your investment. And your investment doubles, triples, quadruples. There, you got it.

As a Sales professional, I am thankful to my clients, for the business they do with me, for the opportunity I get to serve them. Thank you.

Start making your investment today. What better day to start than today?

#inspiration, #gratitude, #investment, #thanksgivingday

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We are what we experience!

This happened in my life long ago.

I was not married then. I had just started my business in Bangalore. One night, I went to a Darshini [that’s what an eatery without tables & chairs is called] about 2 kms away from my home for my dinner. After dinner, a strange thing happened.

I suddenly felt giddiness & fell down. I quickly managed to get up without any help & started walking few steps.

Then, I squatted near a car that was parked there. One couple came near the car. They too had come to the same eatery & had just finished dinner. They were probably heading back home.

I didn’t own a bike or a car. I used to hire an auto. Also, I wouldn’t mind walking 2 kms one way.

This couple came to me & asked if I needed any help. I said “no”. But they still said they will drop me home. I didn’t want to take the help. Since they insisted, I told them where I stay & they said their home was also nearby & don’t mind dropping me home. They advised me to consult a doctor & dropped me in front of my home.

Now when I look back at that event, I thank them profusely for their act of Kindness. Such a Grace & Kindness are really very rare.

I wish to carry that grace & kindness forever with me in my life.

We are what we experience.

#kindness #grace #compassion #experience