Making Choices ?

"Burn Ships" or "Make Safe Bakeup Plans" ?
Somebody tells you A bird in hand worths 2 in the bushes and some other person will convince you that (future) Better is the Ennemy of (present) Good.

Keep this current job till u shall have another CONFIRMED job or Keep this current job and you shall get more and more indulged into daily activities...Losing your Focus, your Motivation...

Upon college graduation I chose First Come/First Taken: Editorial Position in Bucharest. Moved from Iasi, rented an apartment, started new life. New Friends, new colleagues, NEW EVERYTHING.

Didnt think too much in terms of long term career.
Also didnt imagine im gonna remain for 1.3years in that position.

When you reach a certain age (25) you start asking yourself all sorts of questions...
Recognition? Expertise? Money? Family maybe? KIDS????
How? 9 to 5? SelfEmployeed? Further Studies?
Usually society needs some Tools in order to promote you: diplomas, certificates, 1way career track.
You are craving all these? How else will you keep your good self-image? your self respect?

Ultimate Reason: The NEED to be Important!

India and Romania

What these two countries might have in common?
Nothing much at first glance...

Thats only until the courtain is lifted and there, on the scene you see 2 actors: him and her.
She is Romanian, He is Indian.
Their story started in Paris, France few years back.
At that time they never thought cultural differences might have Yell! Give Birth to Questions, Doubts, Re-shaped Identities...

For me, India is a Fascinating place...
Starting with my first hindi movies when i was a little kid,
with my first tears after seeing "My friends, The Elephants", sarees, bangles, shy modest girls, continuing with dreams about Maitreyi, Romanian Mircea Eliade's Love Story during his stay in India, during Highschool, history lessons about the caste system, and later on,
as young adult...
with pictures of poor people in India, female infanticide in India and other arabian countries, honour crimes, male dominated society, housewives, arranged marriages...untouchables... 60% Poor Rural Population, 200Millions middle class, Mumbai slums, Mumbai Financial Hub, Young Bright Engineers, BPO/Call Centers, Corrupted Politicians and Businessmen... Burning of Bodies in front of entire family instead of Burials...
till my first visit to the Indian Embassy,
my first interaction with real indians...
their social status driven mindset...First Question: "what do you do"
their shyness and loyalty...After tying the Knot the two partners are together for the next 7 lives.. No Divorce allowed...
their open heart...
their "obsession" for parents, family and obeying to social norms

......
These things came into my mind gradually and modified my perceptions, my ideas, my power of understanding...my in/tollerance....

.....
All my intercultural studies in college still dont give me enough power when it comes to really, plainly challenging my own beliefs... my sense of normality... my most basic values...

:)

So, often I struggle, I play fights within my mind...I ask people...I want reasons...I need to understand...so I could escape the pain...this harsh process of NOT understading why....

Eventually, after the dilemma gets consumed I find my peace... but something in me changed... I became less Romanian and More Indian... I interiorized something from "that normality"...

Now... everytime my ears reach sounds like: India, Indians, Hindi, my heart starts beating Faster, I feel adrenaline being released into my blood... Strange Happiness and Peace comes into my Mind... a strange feeling like being at Home...

Yes I pay my respects to this Fantastic and Magical Land...to its Incredible People and Ravishing Diversity...

These thoughts are written at a time when I havent reached India yet...

Clientul Monarh / Clientul Fluture

Ce deosebeste un client monarh de un client fluture?
Fluterele zboara din floare in floare, de la o firma la alta, de la un magazin la altul, exploreaza ofertele cele mai noi, cele mai bune preturi, cele mai avantajoase dealuri. Indiferent cat de mult te straduiesti tu ca si om de marketing sa il pastrezi, sa il faci fidel, sa ramana cu tine... el te va parasi la cea dintai noua directie de vant.
Monarhul dimpotriva...este loial, te cunoaste de mult timp, iti stie punctele forte si slabiciunile, te intelege, te recomanda si altora, iti atrage atentia cand gresesti si vrea sa ramai acolo pentru el.

Care este elementul comun al acestor doua patternuri de comportament?
Raspunsul e simplu si de bun simt: Increderea!

Tot mai multi dintre noi isi pierd increderea in promisiunea unui serviciu de calitate...in reclamele care fac multe si glamuroase invitatii... in cartile de loialitate care te recompenseaza cu puncte ori iti dau 5%reducere, in afisele cu 50%reducere cand reducerea este la marfurile proaste ori de slaba calitate, in promotiile cumperi 2la pret de unul... etc etc.

Despre serviciul cu clientii s-au scris milioane de materiale, se tin traininguri, cursuri de formare, campanii...si totusi...desi este primul si cel mai important lucru care aduce un ROI considerabil unei firme, cel mai grav neglijat.

Mentalitatea comunista domina inca in societatea romaneasca in multe sectoare.
Chiar si in cel de lux.
Clientul trebuie sa inghita, sa o accepte si pe asta. Pentru ca na... asta e normalul.

Si totusi? Poti sa oferi Tot Timpul un serviciu High Standard?
Nu sunt si acei salariati oameni la randul lor? Cu probleme, emotii, nivel energetic limitat, ore lungi de stat in picioare, atentie limitata?
Cat de realist este sa Promiti Luna de pe Cer fara sa iei in calcul astfel de considerente?
Si cat de uman este ca Tu ca si Client sa ai asteptari "sisifice": tot timpul zambet sincer, primire calduroasa, tratament de rege.

Cum spunea Aristotel, adevarul e la mijloc.

Vouchere Versus Cash

Voucher. Salon Cosmetica. MoodSpa. Romania. Bucuresti. End Februarie. 2008.

Cat de multa incredere ai tu intr-un serviciu asigurat de un Voucher comparat cu cel platit cu cash.
Si ce perceptie au angajatii magazinelor/firmelor in care mergi sa folosesti acel Voucher? La fel de important ca un client care da banu' jos?
Am ajuns sa imi pun aceste intrebari dupa ce am trait urmatoarea experienta: Moi, impreuna cu o prietena, inarmate cu 2 vouchere, am batut la usa unui salon cosmetica, numit el MoodSpa, Bucuresti cu dorinta evidenta de a ne face frumoase zeite.

After: manichiura facuta in 3.5 minute, rani de la foarfeca, pielita netaiata complet, lac de unghii intins peste margini.
Atat mie cat si persoanei care ma insotea.

NU mai am INCREDERE in astfel de instrumente de marketing.