Do you think, getting an
appointment is that easy? I guess not. People are not really free and excited
to meet you just like that.. You're not any celebrity. You're a salesperson!
Consider it and move forward to make your first 'sales cold call' for earning
an appointment.
And trust me, it's a very challenging job to get an appointment. Let me share my experience with you, in this context~
"Damn! Those numbers were not valid.."
"Keep trying.. Don't give up! Try these numbers as well.."
"But.. Ma'am!!!"
I returned to my room and sat all alone for a while. Mind was full blank! There were no noises outside-in as well as inside-out. I was suppose to be kinda happy for that.. But I was not! The only sound which was annoying me was of my room's fan, pretty disgusting.. After complaining 2-3 times, those people couldn't fix it up!
I don't know why, instead of putting off the fan.. I increased the speed to the full. And then started thinking of the issue. As soon as the fan geared up spinning faster, my focus get induced; I realized!
- Never be constrained to your Job description, be open to change!
- Last but not the least, develop a bold mind frame to challenge the hardships.
And trust me, it's a very challenging job to get an appointment. Let me share my experience with you, in this context~
It was our SIP (Summer Internship
Program) Phase, people were busy to get their SIP in well-reputed companies.
All day we were busy doing several activities, viz., building contacts,
cold-callings, scheduling our interviews, preparing ourselves for the
interviews, appearing in the On-Campus as well as Off-Campus interviews,
etc.
Meanwhile, many of them had already
made their luck and started working in Big MNCs, some were still trying their
level best to get into a decent company. However, many had thought that it will
be of great learning experience if they would join the start-ups.
While for some, it was just an another good idea for earning some extra pocket
money. Each one of us had our unique objectives and expectations from this SIP.
So, by looking at this scenario, the management and our respective mentors had
decided to take our one-to-one counselling sessions.
It was a hot summer afternoon, and
I was taking my afternoon nap. I don't remember, exactly who made that hustling
sound just after my door and made me awake! You know, at IBA you may
forget to check your sms/ FB messages, but you'll never miss an email, dropped in
your outlook! And if you miss, God should save you.. As because,
you sure-shot gonna be screwed by some or the other concerned person.
And.. And.. You can't even give an explanatory excuse to that, because they
won't listen! Even if, the person is your BFF or only BF! LOL :D
After waking up, I thought to check my outlook.. And I found my mentor's email, dropped
an hour ago. I banged my head! As because, in the email she had mentioned me to
meet her right after. But unfortunately, I was dreaming that time. Now, what
valid excuse I could make??! Sleep in IBA sucks!!
Within 10 minutes.. I reached at
her cabin.. And yes! I got a very nice treatment for being late by 1 hour and
10 mins only! But no issues, as because emotions (related to my SIP) were
high..!
So,
the counselling session began. She asked me, 'what exactly you're
looking from this SIP'? And I started bullshitting traditionally.. "I want
to learn a lot from this SIP.. blah.. blah..!" She stopped me in mid-way,
and asked again, "Please, be specific. And tell me what exactly you're
looking at. I don't want copycat answers.."
"Mmmm.. well.. First, Money;
second, a marketing profile, preferably internet marketing; and third.... money
again!" And smiled back at her very weirdly.
"Hhhmm.. Money? But just now
I heard some 'gyans' on learning experience.. blah.. blahh!" And she
continued laughing gently.
After 40 mins, she concluded the
session. And, now I was in a state to define my goals and expectations
from the SIP. Well, the purpose of the counselling session was to let the
students self-realize their own set of goals and expectations, to
identify and understand their passion towards the specific job role
and to clearly define an expected outcome out of the SIP.
(After a week..)
"I'm getting
restless..." sitting in my mentor's cabin, I commented.
"Relax.. You just need to get
an appointment, with that person. That's all!" ~ She replied with her
charming voice, but still sounds tensed.
"Damn! Those numbers were not valid.."
"Keep trying.. Don't give up! Try these numbers as well.."
"But.. Ma'am!!!"
"Shut up and just do
it!" now she's turning a bit violent, I sensed and said "Cool.. See
ya.." And left that place before she would turn completely violent and
kick me out of her cabin this time!
I returned to my room and sat all alone for a while. Mind was full blank! There were no noises outside-in as well as inside-out. I was suppose to be kinda happy for that.. But I was not! The only sound which was annoying me was of my room's fan, pretty disgusting.. After complaining 2-3 times, those people couldn't fix it up!
I don't know why, instead of putting off the fan.. I increased the speed to the full. And then started thinking of the issue. As soon as the fan geared up spinning faster, my focus get induced; I realized!
From past one week I was constantly putting efforts in getting an appointment for a specific
job profile, but it was't working out! Some
or the other problem was popping out each time. Like, some of the companies
don't offer paid internship, some are offering very low stipend, some are
providing stipend on some specific job functions; some are even worse, no
stipend and work from home.. What the hell!
Okay.. Now, at this point, I would like to highlight few things here:
- Never presume things, which are not in your control!
- There is no such 'perfect' job profile in the market, you have to be fungible as well as adaptable enough to ace the league.
Anyways..
“Fortune favors the Brave!” as it says. After struggling from past one week, I finally got a good list of contacts and by my past ‘failed’ experience, I shortlisted few. But still.. I was resistant to make a call! Why? My past experience of failures were coming into my mind which was resisting my casual approach towards making a ‘cold call’.
"Yes, it has to be a proper cold call.." ~ I kept chanting in my mind!
Frankly speaking, for getting an appointment, for a decent internship, you really don't require to know the rocket science of making a 'cold call'. What you all need is to remember some basic rules in mind while dialing the number:
Rule 1: What is your purpose of making that call? ~ The Prime Objective
Rule 2: Can you communicate your objective clear to the calling person?
Rule 3: Do you know exactly how to initiate and direct your conversation?
Rule 4: Most importantly, have you taken a trial or two before making the final call?
Most of the time, we fail to set a specific objective before making a call and hence we don't know how to direct the wave of conversation. Also, people often get stuck to make a further move when the immediate motto seems to have accomplished, like:
- We've got the exact contact details we were looking for.. Now what?? We gonna cook it up?! And, we become so overwhelmed with our short-term success that we forget what our prime motto is, and that results into our casual approach while making the calls. On the contrary, many of us, got so over excited/ over confident that we ignore the issue of making the call, and starts exaggerating about what is not at all required to talk about!
- Another problem is that we exactly don't know what to say and what not to say. This refers to our behavioral terms. Why? As because, nobody taught us! Whenever we make a call to mom/ dad/ a close friend, we don't even require to think for a while about what exactly to be conveyed. It's very obvious as because we are used to it over years! But calling an unknown person for meeting certain objectives is difficult to handle.
- Most of the problems arise when we think too much about the issue. Our mind is a very funny thing, it cannot resist the gap of uncertainty; so it fills the gap with it's self-framed data. And that is why, when we hear of something regarding a Company's work culture, we start presuming things with lots of subjective factors which have no actual existence, as because these data are not yet verified by us! So, while making the call, these subjective factors get over us, which results in lack of confidence while having a conversation.
It is tough to manage people's decision, whether s/he is willing to give you an appointment or not. But unless and until you work upon throughout, it would really be difficult for you to make one!
(to be continued...)
“Fortune favors the Brave!” as it says. After struggling from past one week, I finally got a good list of contacts and by my past ‘failed’ experience, I shortlisted few. But still.. I was resistant to make a call! Why? My past experience of failures were coming into my mind which was resisting my casual approach towards making a ‘cold call’.
"Yes, it has to be a proper cold call.." ~ I kept chanting in my mind!
Frankly speaking, for getting an appointment, for a decent internship, you really don't require to know the rocket science of making a 'cold call'. What you all need is to remember some basic rules in mind while dialing the number:
Rule 1: What is your purpose of making that call? ~ The Prime Objective
Rule 2: Can you communicate your objective clear to the calling person?
Rule 3: Do you know exactly how to initiate and direct your conversation?
Rule 4: Most importantly, have you taken a trial or two before making the final call?
Most of the time, we fail to set a specific objective before making a call and hence we don't know how to direct the wave of conversation. Also, people often get stuck to make a further move when the immediate motto seems to have accomplished, like:
- We've got the exact contact details we were looking for.. Now what?? We gonna cook it up?! And, we become so overwhelmed with our short-term success that we forget what our prime motto is, and that results into our casual approach while making the calls. On the contrary, many of us, got so over excited/ over confident that we ignore the issue of making the call, and starts exaggerating about what is not at all required to talk about!
- Another problem is that we exactly don't know what to say and what not to say. This refers to our behavioral terms. Why? As because, nobody taught us! Whenever we make a call to mom/ dad/ a close friend, we don't even require to think for a while about what exactly to be conveyed. It's very obvious as because we are used to it over years! But calling an unknown person for meeting certain objectives is difficult to handle.
- Most of the problems arise when we think too much about the issue. Our mind is a very funny thing, it cannot resist the gap of uncertainty; so it fills the gap with it's self-framed data. And that is why, when we hear of something regarding a Company's work culture, we start presuming things with lots of subjective factors which have no actual existence, as because these data are not yet verified by us! So, while making the call, these subjective factors get over us, which results in lack of confidence while having a conversation.
It is tough to manage people's decision, whether s/he is willing to give you an appointment or not. But unless and until you work upon throughout, it would really be difficult for you to make one!
(to be continued...)
