Waste water management – the required way out!

At just 21, he is the youngest among all the IMPALSIANS, but he is the most sought after team member too! He joined us as an intern three months ago but since then has made such a powerful impact with his work that surprised one and all.

Today we are highlighting the journey of our bright Graphic Design intern Aakarsh Raj.

He hails from Bokaro, in the state of Jharkhand, a 2 hours drive from Ranchi, home to one of India’s most successful captains Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Akarsh was the youngest member of the Raj family too, pampered and loved by two elder sisters. He completed his SSC from DAV Kathara and HSC from DAV Swang in the Science stream. He was an average student in school, and his true interest and talent were in drawing and painting from a very tender age even without formal training.

He was only 9 years old when he lost mother who passed away after prolonged illness. Like talent, tragedy doesn’t spare tender aged either, and this loss left a vacuum in his life forever. His sisters never let him feel the absence of their mother though, pampering and showering him with love to the utmost. However, this experience made him self-caring and taught him the lesson in responsibility.

As both his sisters would be out in colleges and their father, who would be out on duty for long hours with his job in coal industry in Jharkhand, he, at times, had to spend with himself taking recourse to his interest in drawing which gradually became finer.

After 12th, he cleared entrance exam for pursuing Engineering, but didn’t feel inclined towards the grinding of Engineering! He found a supportive family in this moment of career decision. He decided to pursue Economic Honours, landed up in the City of Joy – Kolkata, and got admission in Asutosh College, one of Calcutta’s reputed colleges.        
He cleared the first year of Economics Honours, but unfortunately could not clear all the subjects in the first attempt and was not promoted to the second year.  According to the college rule, he was to reappear for the whole first year again as he was from Science stream.

He followed the rigorous process but soon felt de-motivated, and decided to give up on his studies. His family supported him again and motivated him to pursue what likes the best.
He listened to his heart’s call.

He decided to pursue Graphic Designing and that decision brought him to the city of Pune, where he started staying with elder sister who was a working professional in Pune. Akarsh joined MAAC Institute for his Graphic Designing course.

Once the course was over, he was looking for some organizations where he could take up an internship stint to gather some hands-on experience.

He was all set to look out for opportunities, but then a strange thing took place. The guy who was happy go lucky suddenly was embraced by Anxiety disorder. And that too in such a way that he started getting anxiety and panic attacks. His first attack lasted for almost a few hours and which scared him to the core.

At first he was unaware as to what exactly was happening to him but then he started researching about it on his own. For almost four months, he never moved out of his house alone as he was just scared of anything and anyone that came his way. He realized that he was getting panic attacks but was adamant on the fact that he would not undergo any harsh medical treatment for it since the medication could have some different side effects of depression as well. This decision was the true elixir of his life. He reassured himself for a moment and decided that he could come out of that phase on his own.  He read many articles on the internet and found out that Meditation is the key to calm down his anxiety.

He followed a strict regime to come out of this nightmare. Since he was suffering from sleep deprivation in this phase, firstly he started listening to sleep meditation videos due to which he could at least fall asleep. Mornings then started by his meditation by around 4am-5am, followed by pranayam, walking and yoga. Two hours of his day were strictly dedicated to this routine and he saw to it that nothing could obstruct it.

It was his sheer determination that helped him come out of the darkness as per one of his own favorite quotes from the movie Harry Potter: “Dark times lie ahead of us and there will be a time when we must choose between what is easy and what is right”. This truly inspired him and transformed him into a responsible and matured person. The idea of joining internship was still on his mind and he got a chance at IMPALS as a Graphic Design intern. He joined us in January’18 and from that time he was made a lasting impression on all of us by his dedication and hard work. Graphic Designing is his passion and he is well focused on it, come what may. Nothing can deter him from his focus and stop him from getting IMPALSIFIED. This quality of him has grabbed him an opportunity to become a full time IMPALSIAN after his internship period is over.

To throw light on some other aspect of him, he has almost 113k followers on Instagram, on his page “Petrifying Pen”. He posts shorts stories, quotes, designs etc on Instagram on a daily basis. He is a homely person so he spends most of his time in his house with his laptop exploring new trends in his field. His further plans are to complete his graduation through distance learning and get himself a degree.

From “Playing Alphabets” to “Petrifying Pen”, that the journey of our brilliant intern Aakarsh Raj. He is a true inspiration to today’s youngsters and shows us that with strong determination brings fruits of success along with it.

Team IMPALS is proud of you. Keep up the good work & get IMPALSIFIED every day.

5 Mistakes SMEs Do in Marketing

Marketing makes or breaks a business, reason why big brands splurge on marketing on different platforms. However, just like every decision in business does not yield desired results, marketing too sometimes fail partly or out rightly. Big names or brands, can afford to forgo the wastage of time money in undesired results due to the cushion in budget. But small businesses or SMEs, in particular, do not get that cushion as they run short on time and resources and so there is little margin for error for SMEs.

This is not as much to say that SMEs should not think about using the power of marketing, they should know the right approach to marketing. Much as they need to know what to do in marketing, they should better know what not to do in marketing to avoid the common mistakes SMEs often commit.

If you are an owner of SME business or are mulling plans to start your own business, sooner or later, you should take note of these don’ts that will give your business the boost it needs to become a brand.

Not Believing in the Need of Marketing  

Some small business owners often have preconceived notions such as their business is too small to need marketing at all and they do not need marketing for their products to be sold. Certainly some products and services are strong enough to do that, but not until after people know about them. If you aren’t marketing your business because you think what you have to offer will handle it itself, then you are missing out on opportunities to earn new business, let alone establishing your business a brand.

Some time small business owners think they do not have the required budget to indulge in marketing. This idea stems from the lack of knowledge about or willingness to try new marketing approaches. Digital marketing is the new marketing technique which costs less than traditional marketing campaign and hence is suitable for small business owners or SMEs.

Not Having a Marketing Plan

SMEs often are found lacking in having a proper marketing plan for their business due to lack of clear vision about their own businesses i.e. what their business goals are, how is their business different from that of their competitors.

As a result, many a time, small business owners end up spending too much on adopting wrong marketing techniques. Like every plan in a business, marketing, too, should have a proper layout which is based on the insights about one’s own business and goals.

Not Having Online Presence    

Your marketing starts from having your presence on the internet – that is a website for your business.  SMEs often think they are too small or too local to run an online presence, so they do not require a website at all. But the truth is customers use internet as the first channel to find out products and solutions provider for their needs. So, a website for your business will only add up to the identity building process of your business among customers, both local and global.

Not Targeting Right Customers

The very basic mistake that small business owners commit is that they do not earmark their target customer group and so they target all as their customers. When it comes to marketing you need to narrow down your target to a recognizable group so you can use best use marketing approaches that work more effectively.

A tricky situation that arises here is too often small business owner are some time too blinded by their the idea about target customer segment that they fail to recognize an actually potential customer segment that goes unnoticed.

Not Focusing on Social Media Marketing

Those business owners who are averse to using new marketing approaches show a dull face to using social media marketing. It is true, although, that small business owners often do not have the time to spend in social media marketing. But this platform can be actually be rewarding and an ideal platform for small business owners. Social media marketing is one of the most affordable and effective marketing techniques for business owners who can focus their efforts and maximize their time spent on social media to yield big results.

A key point to remember here is once they start social media marketing they should avoid abrupt absence from it. Since customer these days search online and keep track of your product and solutions online, if a potential customer sees no activity, that often leaves them wondering if you are still in business and they move on to the next company. So, choose your channel wisely and keep updated.

Five points to consider before entering in the Customer Service job

Making your client valuable is the key to success of any business and very important for organizations these days. Building credibility is very tough in today’s era of competition. Business means not only acquiring new clients but also retaining your existing clients. Your existing clients are your ambassadors, who can help promote your business and in turn help you grow. But, this will happen only if they are satisfied with your customer service. In today’s world, client servicing is not an option but a must. You don’t have to struggle for repeat business if your relationship with your existing clients is excellent. Neglecting client servicing means neglecting your business, and that’s why, it has to be taken seriously. It is also one sure way of assuring your organization’s cash register ringing.

If you are in a Client Relations profile, you have to take utmost care while dealing with your customers. Good customer service should come naturally to you and should be a major part of your daily schedule. Below are five guiding principles to abide by in a Client Servicing profile:

1. Effective Communication - both verbal and non-verbal: Communication is an essential aspect of Client Servicing. If you have good communication skills, you will be able to express your thoughts in a much better manner to your clients. This ensures that the information you provide is conveyed effectively to them. Effective communication helps to bind your customer with you for a long term as it is the foundation of any business. The interaction should be personalized, and the clients should feel your willingness to help them. Client relations are effectively maintained if communication is made in a positive manner. Negative communication can make a bad impact on the client. So, communicate appropriately and clearly with your clients.

2. Be a good Listener: Active listening is another important aspect of Client Relations. Listening carefully helps avoid miscommunication as miscommunication can cause us to lose a great deal of business. It helps us in resolving client queries effectively. Active listening makes the client feel that you can relate to their needs. It helps you focus on the problem completely. Show respect towards the client by avoiding any interruption during the conversation. Be focused.

3. Understand the Customer Needs: Try to understand the needs of your customer and act promptly. Think from the clients’ perspective and try to offer them solutions accordingly. This ensures the clients’ trust in you. It makes your clients feel that you care for them and their business. For this, you need to thoroughly understand your clients’ business, as you can offer solutions as per their needs. You have to regularly interact with your clients to know the current trends and to know any future developments at their end. Knowing about your clients can help you anticipate what you can offer them. This gives you a better edge over your competition.

4. Know-how of the Service Catalog: Strong know-how of your organization’s service catalog is another attribute of the Client Servicing profile. Knowing your services completely can help you map the customer’s needs more effectively. Because of your strong know-how of the services, you can eventually spread your footprints in the customer landscape. You can be more confident while dealing with your clients as you can address any query immediately.

5. Patience - A crucial factor for customer servicing Patience is the key to relieving all the problems. Be patient with your clients, especially when they are angry or irritated with you due to any reason. Empathize with them and give them extra attention to understand the problem. Try to keep calm and cool, when dealing with a dissatisfied customer. Being patient helps to avoid any impulsive decision and also plays a major role in winning the client. As it’s said, patience is a virtue, so have lots and lots of patience.

Client servicing is all about how to know the pain areas of your clients, take feedback from them, and provide them solutions promptly as per their needs. There many more attributes to a Client Relations profile, apart from the ones mentioned above. Client servicing is not a one-time job, but it needs continuous improvement. The more you improvise, the better you get at it. Your style of customer service can leave an impression on your clients’ mind for quite a long time, and your client will start recognizing you as the face of your organization. 

Lastly, remember that great customer service is an art and can help you to maintain a long-lasting relationship with your clients. Make your customer feel valuable and increase the chances of your organization’s growth. 

How Content can play as your hidden sales force

Your product or service may be something to write home about. But it is the content you “write” about that product or service that will drive your sales target “home”.

Yes, content marketing is the new strategy that has become inevitable for your overall marketing strategies or plans.

Content as a concept has moved from its prevalence in just lead generation process for a business, and has gained immense importance in processes beyond.

Erstwhile content driven sales qualified leads pass into the periphery of the sales team whereas in the subsequent stages of sales, the content passes into almost nothingness.   

This often leaves the potential customers or buyers in a maze of indecision due to lack of answers for his/her corollary questions once the interest about a product or service is generated. This is resulted from the lack of coordination between sales team and marketing side, results in a long and cumbersome sales process and buyer or customer mulls over the value your product will add or whether he/she needs that product.

Here comes much decisive power of your content that can actually assure your customer about the value your product and service will add or guide your customer or buyer in his or her decision making, conveying the answers that customers or buyers seek. So, how to fully unleash the potential of your content to boost your sales force.

The answer is simply creating content for each stage of sales process. No doubt, the companies have realized the important role your content can play at each stage of sales process, making it faster for your potential customers and your company.

What more, scope of content marketing can be manifested through traditional as well coming of age medium such as Social media, blog articles, websites, videos etc. 

To generate content that can make impact on sales better coordination between marketing and sales teams is a prerequisite. Content is invariably considered to be a creation solely for marketing purpose. Yes, it is. But creation of a good content takes into account the perspective of customers and sales team equally.

Often sales team members are found lacking in keeping a track of the content created by the marketing team that is available for use to them, and often even if they need content customized content for their sales strategy, the marketing side is found lacking.

Sales and marketing may be independent of each other but when it comes to the question of creating content that can seal the deal, the sales and marketing teams must put their acts together.

Inputs - such as sales insights, target audience, questions they face upfront from customers – all can from the sales team can help marketing team create precise content for every step of sales and a buyer’s journey with the company. This will also help unraveling gaps in your content, identify questions at each stage of the sales cycle and weather doubts about the products via content.

Creating content with these inputs will give you the opportunity to address them and if your sales people didn’t see the content beforehand, they are now armed with relevant content that they can use to help close the deal.

It is a continuous process which is refined with the changing company goals and market dynamics.

Now, with equal measures, content can be better synchronized with potential buyers or customers, their needs and ways to reach them.

Identify your target customers or buyers, followed by identifying their needs and their sources or channels for accessing information related to products and service that fulfill their needs. Accordingly, the platforms can be used for delivering customized content laden with right information that they need. 

Customer experience is of utmost importance in a business which starts from a potential customer or buyers’ interests in your product and services but continues with the product life cycle. Hence, delivering right value right through is a commitment which starts with delivering right content. Selection of content options (Website, Blog, White papers, Infographics, Social media, Conferences, Case studies, PR, Sales sheets, Videos) based on target audiences and platform plays a key role. These exercises will surface the best content options to drive your business forward, and make it easier to decide what to focus on.

Right content, created in tandem with sales insights can make great impact on target customers or buyers to drive your sales performance.