Technical knowledge and communication skills - 'The Enablers', Issue VI, Vol. 1 12 December 2010

Dear Friends,

A few days back I was discussing with my friend Mr. Satish Dandekar, Vice President, Ipca Laboratories about the importance of communication and product knowledge for effective in-clinic performance. He made a very interesting and relevant observation.

He said that product knowledge is as important as excellent communication skills for top-class in-clinic performance.  Where else will the medical representatives get confidence to communicate effectively?

I fully subscribe to his views and dedicate this Issue VI, Volume I of ‘The Enablers’ to Mr. Satish Dandekar for bringing out this very important point.

Issue VI, Volume I of ‘The Enablers’ dwells on the subject of the importance of developing product knowledge to enhance communication skills. 

While a medical representative should have sound product knowledge, the depth of knowledge of a first-line manager should be at least three times more. He should easily articulate product knowledge, especially with new products. Off-the cuff remarks and objections made by physicians may be struck down with factual information on the product. Or else, we and our team may fall into the trap of ‘One-Doctor Syndrome’.

Please do let me have your feed-back on this issue of ‘The Enablers’.

With warm regards,

Vivek Hattangadi

079-26601479 / 9376100041

vivekhattangadi@yahoo.co.in / theenablers@gmail.com

Technical knowledge and communication skills

Very recently I was watching a clip on communication skills on YouTube. Darryl Cross, who was making the presentation, was saying that for business and career success 87.5% weightage should be given to communication skills and 12.5% to technical knowledge. I reflected on the   observations of my friend Mr. Satish Dandekar.  Is this weightage appropriate in the context of the Indian Pharmaceutical Market? 

Technical skills or product knowledge gives the medical representative the muscle to communicate with confidence. His body language changes and exudes self-belief and enthusiasm.  It makes objection handling smoother and raises his image and of his organization. Poor product knowledge can negatively affect both- the medical representatives and the company’s image. 

Because of the sheer size of the medical representatives in pharmaceutical companies in India today - with some companies having as many as 7500 medical representatives - the measurement of effectiveness of the field-force personnel is a sound business challenge. A few pharmaceutical companies have realized that training medical representatives on selling skills alone is not enough. Training medical representatives on medical science and product knowledge, in addition to developing their soft-skills can make a difference in the in-clinic effectiveness. 

So the cycle is now complete. In the good old days physicians depended a lot on the medical representatives of companies like Carter-Wallace, Pfizer, Parke Davis, Ciba-Geigy, Hoechst and Roche and a few more (M&As have changed many of these names) for product information. Specialist physicians once again today are relying more and more on specialty medical representatives for product information, because they are knowledgeable.

Knowledge is power. For medical representatives and first-line managers, sound product knowledge can mean a different level of communication which translates into more prescriptions. It is difficult to effectively communicate with a physician if we cannot transmute the product features into benefits.  

Product Knowledge Strengthens Communication Skills

Having a thorough awareness and insight of the products allows a medical representative to use diverse techniques and methods of putting forward the product to physicians. Total communication skills will allow a medical representative to recognize and adapt a sales presentation for the various types of doctors. Strong product knowledge builds intrinsic motivation.   

Total communication 

Communication is total or complete when we smoothly blend our actual words with our non-verbal messages. Sound product knowledge will complement this effect. Communication is truly complete when we display aggressive listening techniques. This will make the physician realize that we are truly enthusiastic and interested in his prescriptions. 

  

Seeing someone completely enthusiastic about his product is one of the best selling tools. As we generate excitement for the product, we remove any uncertainty the physician may have about the product. The easiest way to become enthusiastic is to truly believe in the product. And for this, top-class product knowledge is mandatory. 

What is kind of knowledge should a medical representative have?

1. All the indications for the product including off-label indications i.e. indications not yet approved by DCI.
2. The correct dosage for each indication and for every strength of the product. 
3. The mechanism of action of a drug and of the principal ingredients in a drug, when in a fixed dose combination.
4. The adverse drug reactions and its contraindications
5. Knowing drug-drug interaction is vital, as today the prescription trend is towards fixed drug combinations and poly-therapy.
6. How does the molecule differ from other molecules for the same indications? For instance, what is the difference between fluoxetine and escitalopram in depression or how ramipril is different from enalapril or lisinopril?
7. The pricing structure of the product.    

A first-line manager should be at least three times more knowledgeable that the medical representatives. For instance he should have conclusions / results of landmark trials, more so, if it is a new product. To quote an example, a first-line manager who works for a company marketing ramipril should know about the HOPE Trial like the back of his palm.  He should also equally conversant with such clinical trials for competing molecules. He should know about the ATLAS Trial for lisinopril. 

There is no limit to this. Someone has rightly said, I think it is John Kennedy,: “The greater our knowledge increases the more our ignorance unfolds.”

Reflections

·         Darryl Cross gives 87.5% weightage to communication skills and 12.5% to technical skills. How much weightage would you give to product knowledge and total communication skills and why?

·         Why should a first-line manager have at least three times better knowledge than the medical representative?

·         Try to discover more kinds of information which a first0line manager can have to distinguish himself from the medical representative.

Quotable quotes

Information is not knowledge. - Albert Einstein

The doorstep to the temple of wisdom is knowledge of our own ignorance. An investment in knowledge pays the best interest. - Benjamin Franklin

Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance. – Confucius

True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing. – Aristotle

The software for success for a first-line manager - 'The Enablers', Issue V, Vol. 1 12 November 2010

Dear Friends,

At the outset, I wish you a very Deepawali!

I also wish a Happy New Year to my friends from Gujarat whose new starts on 7th November!

The 5^th issue of ‘The Enablers’ issue brings you the second part of the article from Mr. Atmanathan S. who has been dedicating his time towards development of First-line managers in the Indian pharma industry. For more details, please do refer our 3^rd (i.e. September 2010 issue).  Also all past issues are available on the blog: http://theenablersnewsletter.blogspot.com.

In this issue, Mr. Atmanathan S.  writes about the development of application software for the First-line managers and how important these managerial soft skills are.

Please do go through it and feel free to express your candid comments and valuable feedback on this article. I welcome your suggestions to further enrich this e-newsletter. 

Of course, you have every right to transmit this issue to the First-line managers and other related field staff in your organization.

You can write to vivekhattangadi@yahoo.co.in or the enablers@gmail.com.

With warm regards,

Vivek Hattangadi

Ahmedabad 

079-26601479 / 9376100041  

Congratulations! Now, you are an Area Sales Manager!

The software for success (Part 2)

By: Atmanathan S.

In my previous article in the September Issue, I had stressed upon the importance of mindset. You will recall that mindset is similar to the operating system of a computer.  Operating system is an interface between hardware and software in a computer system.  Without an operating system, a computer would be useless. For effectiveness of a computer, apart from the operating system, many more application softwares are necessary.

Similarly, for the effectiveness of a First-line manager many such application softwares are a must. These are the behavioural aspects of a practising manager which is closely linked to ‘mindset’. We shall discuss a few of them here.   

Remember, all these application softwares can work smoothly only if the operating system namely our mindset is precise and appropriate. There are some commonalities too.

Application software for First-line managers

Self Awareness for self development: A manager should be aware of his own qualities – his strengths and his improvement areas (generally called weaknesses). One of the important awareness is to understand our social needs. These needs are called ‘need for power’, need for affiliation’ and ‘need for achievement’. A manager should introspect regularly and understand which need is dominant. A balance of these needs is ideal. Do a SWOT Analysis regularly.  High level of self discipline that leads to effective habits and practises. Self-discipline is the ability to get ourselves to take action regardless of our emotional state. Some components of self-discipline include hard work, willpower and persistence. Self-discipline is like a muscle. The more we train it, the stronger we become. Practising self-discipline will raise our esteem and respect before all. 3.    Principles and value centeredness:  Any manager who practises high principles and values can earn respect of others. Preaching principles is far easier than practising.   4.    Clear personal and professional goals:  If a manager has clarity in his personal and professional goals, he will be the ‘torch bearer’ to his followers.  This is one important competency that a manager needs to develop. 5.    Passion for goal achievement: If we have a passion, this positive quality will spread among our team members. 6.    High energy and enthusiasm level: Enthusiasm is extremely contagious and spreads rapidly.  High energy and enthusiasm levels in the manager can motivate everyone. 7.    Conviction & Commitment: In whatever we do, we should have 100% faith, belief and conviction. Do not indulge in any activity in which we do not believe nor should we ask others to do. 8.    Determination, resilience and tenacity:  In life success and failure are common. How strongly we follow our goals without getting disheartened is a great managerial quality. 9.    Managerial Maturity: It is the ability to control anger and settle differences without hostility towards any one. Managerial maturity means patience. It also means perseverance. A mature manager has the capacity to face unpleasantness and frustration, discomfort and defeat, without complaint or collapse. He is full of humility and is courageous enough to say, "I was wrong." And, when right, does not derive satisfaction by saying, "I told you so."  10. Interpersonal Skills: Interpersonal Skills are essential to build an achieving team. Any team is built on the platform of:                i.        Openness and Transparency              ii.        Mutual Respect and Mutual Trust             iii.        Positivity If all the 3 things are in place, then the Manager, through his interpersonal skills, can build an achieving team.  Interpersonal skills consists of (a)Effective observation & listening ability (b)Sensitivity & behavioural flexibility (c) Empathy (d) Supportiveness (f)  Broad mindedness and magnanimity (g)Responding rather then reacting

Let us consciously work on these application software’s and strive to make them flawless. We have to work on ‘Hardware’ too, which we will discuss in the next article.

Stimulators

1.   1. Have you ever done a SWOT Analysis? If not done so far, do it on a regular basis and discuss with your immediate superior.

2. 2. What is the first step to ensure self-discipline in your team?

3.3. Which application software will you develop for your career progress?

Pearls of wisdom from some great people

“Self improvement simply means improving your overall personality- physical, mental and spiritual- through your own efforts. It is a continuous process”. - Anon “Confront the dark parts of yourself, and work to banish them with illumination and forgiveness. Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing. Use the pain as fuel, as a reminder of your strength.”  - August Wilson “Be a first rate version of yourself, not a second rate version of someone else”. - Judy Garland

Management by Exception - 'The Enablers', Issue IV, Vol. 1 15th October 2010

Dear Friends,

May this Dussehra light up for you

The hopes of happy times

And dreams for a future full of smiles

Wish you all a happy Dussehra!

In this special Dussehra Edition it is our endeavor to take the First-line managers to a higher plane – helping them to prepare for the future.

We are introducing them to the principles of ‘Management by Exception’, which encourages the management to devote its time to study only those situations in which actual results are at significant variance from planned results. This will be a good management skill to acquire and apply.

Towards the end, we have the stimulators and managerial quotes.  

Your valuable suggestions and inputs are solicited.

Vivek Hattangadi

Editor

E-mail - vivekhattangadi@yahoo.co.in / theenablers@gmail.com 

Telephone – 079-26601479 

Management by Exception

Time management is a very crucial for senior managers. Managers who use time management techniques routinely are professionally very successful. Those who use these skills will be able to function exceptionally well, even under severe pressure. Managers can then say goodbye to the often intense stress of work overload. At the heart of time management is a vital shift in focus - Concentrate on results, not on being busy.

Management by Exception is powered by trust and is in deep contrast to micromanagement. Micromanagement is a management style where a manager minutely observes and controls the work of their subordinates. Generally, it used as an uncomplimentary term. Instead of giving general instructions on smaller tasks, while supervising larger concerns, the micromanager monitors and assesses every step. They do this because either they are control-obsessed, or do not trust their people. Micromanager’s can disempower their subordinates and can ruin their confidence, hurt their performance, even frustrate them to the point where they quit.

Micromanagers start by correcting minute errors instead of looking at the big picture. Some may even take back delegated work before it is completed if they find a mistake in it. Micromanagers dissuade others from taking decisions without consulting them.

Management by Exception was a principle conceived by Fredrick Taylor in 1911. He wrote: “Under the exception principle, the manager should receive only condensed, summarized and invariably comparative reports covering, however, all the elements entering into management and even these summaries should all be carefully gone over by an assistant before they reach the manager.”

Why is management by exception different? Management by exception is a process by which top management can do away with routine and irrelevant information. It initiates a system of feedback and reporting any extraordinary situation or circumstance that would be out of the scope of the juniors who may lack the expertise in important matters. Only information that indicates a substantial deviation of actual performance from planned results is brought to the management’s notice. The objective is to facilitate management's focus on really important tasks.

In other words, management by exception is a management style where managers only intervene when subordinates fail to meet their standards of performance.

Management by exception is now very popular concept with effective managers. Undoubtedly the reasons are clear to all. This is a management style where managers do as little as possible, instead they delegate it to people below them - only to step in when they absolutely necessary.

This concept is based on the fact that our managers should not be babysitters, but devote time in going only into those situations in which actual results differ significantly from planned results.

This raises an important issue: What should managers be doing when they are not looking into situations that diverge considerably from planned results?

According to the principles of management by exception, they should spend their valuable time concentrating on the more important things such as shaping the company's future strategic course and strategy execution. Rather than roam the floor watching each and every person with an eagle eye, they should hire trustworthy and mature adults who do not need constant supervision. Instead they can utilize their time determining the best direction for the company to take in the future.

At the risk of being repetitive: rather than controlling and monitoring every move of their subordinates, a manager should encourage, and set a direction, then only step in if there is a big deviation from it. In the meantime, they should be planning future paths for their employees to follow.

Deciding what constitutes an exception is an exercise in itself. It means selecting the key events and measures which will show up good, bad or indifferent results and indicate whether or not the performance is going as per the plan.

How senior and top managers can make the most of their time

Utilize time in forward planning - deciding what needs to happen in the future; next month, next year, over the next 5 years, etc. and generating plans for action. Spend time in organizing - making optimum use of the resources required to enable the successful carrying out of plans.  Look into staffing - job analyzing, recruitment, and hiring individuals for appropriate jobs.  Take initiatives and lead - determining what needs to be done in a situation and getting people to do it.  Control and monitor - check progress against plans, which may need modification based on feedback.  Motivate – stimulate, inspire and excite his people to take actions that will accomplish the desired goal of the organization. Prepare a data bank of people better than us – we do not know when we may require them

To conclude if the people employed are responsible enough to move forward, and work toward company goals without constant prodding and supervision, then Management by Exception is an excellent choice of style.

Stimulators

1. How will you respond when ‘good performance’ itself is an exception?

2. How will you use this principle for self-development?

3. Please do share your experience after using this principle.

Pearls of Wisdom

“The secret of joy in work is contained in one word – excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it.” – Pearl Buck “Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do better.” – Anon “Excellent firms don’t believe in excellence – only in constant improvement and constant change.” – Tom Peters “If you want to achieve excellence, you can get there today. As of this second, quit doing less-than-excellent work.” –Thomas J. Watson

Reprogramming the Mindset - 'The Enablers', Issue III, Vol. 1 12 September 2010

Dear Friends,

I am truly elated at the response to this e-newsletter ‘The Enablers’. The basic purpose of this e-newsletter is to carry out a social responsibility.

For Issue 3 Volume I of September 2010, we have an eminent personality from the pharma industry as the Guest Editor – Mr. Athmanathan S. He brings with him his 25 years of experience in this industry. From a medical representative he evolved himself to a competent Management Trainer and writer. He was with Sun Pharma as a trainer for over a decade and later headed the training departments of some leading pharma companies like Alembic Ltd., Cadila Pharma and Morepen Laboratories. He is now a free-lance trainer and is also a part of the training team of ‘The Enablers’.

In this article Mr. Srinivasan emphasizes the importance of the First-line managers in our industry. His article talks on changing ‘mind-set’ for effectiveness.

Mr. Atmanathan S. dedicates this newsletter to the first time managers of our industry.

At the end are stimulators for the First-line managers.

I also share with you a few thoughts on First-line management by Tom Peters

Please do let us have your comments on this newsletter.

Thank you

Vivek Hattangadi

Editor

E-mail - vivekhattangadi@yahoo.co.in / theenablers@gmail.com 

Management Article – Reprogramming the mindset

By Atmanathan S.

Many top managers in our industry have risen from the ranks, starting off as Medical Representatives. Their earliest promotion as First-line Manager and success at this level might have greatly contributed to their future professional achievement. First line managers play a crucial role for success of an organization. A well trained First Line manager is an asset to the organization.

The lucky promotees get the right kind of guidance and their transition to managerial position is smooth; some do not and they falter. Getting oriented in the right direction under the guidance of ‘people of wisdom’ will help them succeed.

What is the secret to become a successful First-line manager? The first and foremost secret is to reprogram the ‘mind-set’ which is the true operating system. This operating system, our ‘mind-set,’ is made up of attitudes, beliefs, values and principles acquired from various sources. It needs to be updated and made appropriate to the current reality. 

The kind of reprogramming necessary for professional success

What kind of reprogramming is necessary for professional success? Reprogramming is done through introspection – examining our thoughts, feelings and our behaviors after promotion. When we introspect ‘Why we wanted our promotion?’ we may feel that we had a ‘burning desire’ for recognition.  For some, nevertheless, there is another ‘need’. David McClelland calls it as “Need for Power.” The only source of power we knew as medical representatives was ‘positional power’ or ‘authority’. Once we get promoted, it is natural to exhibit our positional power. We may not be even aware that we resort to such authority since it emanates from our subconscious mind. This can be our first grave mistake that can cause serious consequences. Normally we need not use it. Positional power needs to be used sparingly.     Getting respect is another desire. Earn respect through exemplary performance rather than ‘demanding respect’ as this will not work. Change in mind-set: Instead of having an attitude that our team members are working ‘under us,’ modify it to working ‘with us’. What is the difference? When we say that people work ‘under us,’ we feel superior which gets reflected in our behaviors. This can create a barrier with our team-members, reduce transparency leading to conflict. We may also unknowingly indulge in counterproductive behaviors like discounting others. This subconscious thought can become a strong dismantler of our team.  Changing our mindset this way will do miracles.  To establish our ‘credibility’ and ‘credentials’ is essential for our success. It means establishing that we are genuine and trustworthy individuals. Keep in mind, whether we like or not, we are being watched and evaluated continuously by our team members. Magnanimity and broadmindedness is an important mind-set. Our broadmindedness will help us abdicate ‘psychological games’ like ‘fault finding,’ ‘blaming others,’ ‘passing the buck’ and ‘grabbing the credit’. We need to be magnanimous to give due credit to others as well as ‘own up’ our slip-ups. Remember what Ken Blanchard says in “One Minute Manager” – Catch them doing right! Sincerity, honest and integrity in our behavior can help us earn respect. Altruistic behaviours like self-sacrifice and least selfishness too helps us earn respect.   The so called smart moves like pep talk and goody-goody behaviour are counterproductive. Instead of playing tricks with people, let us prove that we are dependable and reliable. Credentials follow credibility. Credentials come out of our competence, habits and practices. Our team-mates keep on testing our competence and share their evaluation within them. To stop such activities through our positional power is not possible. We cannot work against natural flow of human behaviour. Remember that one of our responsibilities is ‘On the Job Coaching & Training (OJCT).’ Therefore, it is of paramount importance to upgrade our knowledge, skills, habits & practices. It becomes very important for a First-line Manager to transform himself through attitudinal changes, knowledge enhancement and skill building – a true change in mind-set.  A sincere effort to learn, realize and gain insight on various aspects of management through introspection is a must - this is called 'experiential learning'. There is a need to work on rebuilding character through self learning and efforts. Otherwise, there are chances that we can be perceived and treated as 'senior medical Representatives'. It is best to seek the guidance of an accomplished trainer and coach. Once the operating system software called mind-set is modified, we can focus on the next application software called ‘behavioural modification.’ We will learn on ‘behavioural modification’ in one of the future issues. Wish you all the best. A. Srinivasan  Stimulators Why are the First-line managers considered to be the backbone of an organization? What are the steps we should take for self-development?  Write down you career goal 5 years, 10 years and 20 years down the line. Am I on the right path? If not what corrective actions should I take? What Tom Peters has to say on First-line managers? ·         The selection process for 1st-line managers (1LMs) should be as rigorous as that of, say, vice presidents. "360" evaluations are a must. Perhaps a selection committee should be appointed, which includes other 1LMs. ·         New hires should be selected in part on the likelihood of subsequent promotion to 1LM, and this goal should be formally emphasized from the start of their tenure. ·         1LM slots that are open should not be filled until an appropriate (superior beyond a shadow of doubt) candidate is found. 1LMs should be given long probation periods—perhaps 6 months Quotable Quotes “We are the masters of our destiny, because we are the masters of our ‘attitudes’. We translate the ‘thoughts & attitudes’ we hold in our mind, in to reality that decides our destiny” Lesson: Let us keep on checking and validating our thoughts and attitudes.

Think Big to Be Big - 'The Enablers', Issue II, Vol. 1 15 August 2010

Dear Friends,

I have the pleasure of presenting you the second issue of ‘The Enablers’, an e-newsletter aimed at developing the First-Line managers in the pharmaceutical industry.  

The mission of ‘The Enablers’ is to unlock the concealed potential in people, convert their dormant inherent strengths into actuality, leverage their latent energy to achieve their goals and dreams and enable them to emerge as winners.

This issue deals with the benefits of 'Big Thinking'. It addresses how First-line managers in our industry can overcome the major challenges facing for achieving goals that are big, visionary and bold.

Towards this, I have always been inspired by Late U.N. Mehta’s (founder of Torrent Pharmaceuticals) profound statement: “It is pardonable to aim high and miss, but it is not pardonable to aim low”.

With warm regards,

Vivek Hattangadi 

theenablers@gmail.com

vivekhattangadi@yahoo.co.in

079-26601479

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Swami Tejomayananda of Chinmaya Mission says: “That which is needed foremost from the modern youth is right thinking, leading to a clear vision of life. We should remove all barriers of pettiness and THINK BIG! Big things are achieved in the world, first, by daring to conceive them in our mind. Man dared to think that he could fly like a bird - and the first flying machine was invented! He dared to think that he could reach the moon, and lo! Man landed on the far away moon! Nothing is impossible for the one who thinks. Our thoughts alone bind us and make us small, and thoughts alone can free us. Break this bondage of narrow limiting thoughts and THINK BIG!

“As long  as you are going to be thinking anyway, THINK BIG.” - Donald Trump

The vibrations of big thoughts which we pick up get embedded within us. These vibrations modify our behavior and actions to turn us into successful human beings. Sure enough, success means different things to different people. It may mean personal prosperity for some, prestige, recognition and status in society for others. For many it could mean leadership in business and social groups, fat pay cheques, comfort, luxury social and financial security. Whatever is our connotation of success, ‘Thinking Big’ is the key. Thinking big is thinking of how we can become the best, the finest and the greatest in everything we do. Be the finest First-line manager in our organization, be the finest communicator amongst our peers, be the one to have the greatest market share of our key brands in our Area. Be the one with the lowest rate of attrition but without compromising on the integrity of people and their output.

What does Thinking Big mean to us in our industry? Richard David Bach in his widely acclaimed book Jonathan Livingston Seagull says: “Don’t believe what your eyes are telling you. All they show is limitation. Look with your understanding, find out what you already know…” The eyes can show us the horizon, the boundaries and our constraints - but when we see with our mind, they go out of sight.

When salespersons see with their eyes they only see their sales goals and incentive earnings capabilities, but miss out on the true potential of the product or the market. As a result the focus is only towards achieving targets and not towards realizing the true potential of the market. If we have to grow in our career, we need to have an entrepreneurial mindset. We need to think like Dhirubhai Ambani or Narayana Murthy. For an entrepreneur, achieving sales goals is only a journey, not the destination. The destination would be to maximize the market share.

How do we think big?

Every option we have made has led us to where we are now; every option we make now will set up our future. Here are a few tips to THINK BIG. THINKING BIG also means DREAMING BIG. Use imagination to dream about our ambitions and aspirations.  Dream that we are accomplishing the great things in the future and doing things that are seemingly improbable to perform. Some of the greatest human accomplishments started with a big dream; Narayana Murthy dreamt of making India the hub for IT. He, with six people, started a venture in 1981 with a capital of just `10000. Narayana Murthy articulated, designed and implemented the Global Delivery Model which has become the foundation for the huge success in IT services outsourcing from India. THINKING BIG also means having a vision. What is vision? Vision means “having an end goal in sight, and then working backwards from there”. Our vision is where we shall be heading! Let us write our own inspiring personal vision statement. For a few moments close eyes and visualize our big future ahead. Now, open eyes and see our future time in the present, through those eyes. This stirring personal vision statement will provide the direction necessary and guide our future course of action. Our personal vision statement is the light shining in the darkness toward which we turn to find our way. Our personal vision statement can illuminate our path. THINKING BIG also means thinking how to beat competition and how to become bigger than them. THINK BIG yet use little techniques that will make us stand out. Look beyond sales goals and perk up our market share. Do not get overwhelmed by stronger competition. Upgrade and add new improvements in communication and closing techniques. THINK BIG, beat competition and stay ahead.   Finally, THINKING BIG also means shedding complacency - the feeling of tranquility and acute contentment to the point of causing loss to ourselves. When we attain success in a particular field, we can reach a saturation point in our efforts. This is the point when we becomes self-satisfied and do not care much about things happening around us. Remember the hare from the Aesop’s fable ‘The hare and the tortoise’? The hare was complacent and he lost! He was insensitive to things around him.

“Believe Big. The size of our success is determined by the size of our belief. Think little goals and expect little achievements.” - David J Schwartz, Author and Motivational Guru

___________________________________________

Stimulators for First-Line Managers 

• Set your own personal vision and discuss it with your mentor or intimate friend.
• Decide the course of action to achieve your personal vision.
• Have you thought of a contingency plan if somewhere along your path to big success, you have missed your track?