Branding strategy - TAJ

Branding: one of the hot words in the corporate board rooms. I was reading through the article about the strategies of Indian hotels company in today's newspaper and thought of sharing some points which you might have missed reading. In that, Indian Hotels co.’s MD & CEO, Mr.Raymond Bickson was explaining the strategy of TATA on its hospitality business.

One of the main things which i was so impressed with is, their long term strategy. They are foreseeing the market for another 30 to 40 years and describes how its been sealed from competition in the coming decades.

In the next five years the group is planning to have 200 hotels and 24000 to 25000 rooms. that is a short term plan ( for five years )

Their branding strategy is nicely balanced with different brands in the basket.

1. Two star Economy - GINGER
2. Upscale segment - The Gateway,
3. Four Star segment - Vivenda by Taj
4. Five star segment - Taj Hotles.
5. Resort - Taj Exotica ( you have to pay $1000 a night )

This is how Indian Hotels co. cover all segments of Hotel business area.

Another strategy is to have presence in different geographical locations that it doesn’t affect from any geographical vulnerabilities like, Tsunami or chikungunya. Mr. Raymond bickson is of the opinion that, by keeping geographically scattered, they have protected at least 1/3 of their revenue.

They already have 16 properties overseas and planning to add up more to in the coming years.

Mr.Bickson states that, They have 25% market share in india, and they are the largest player in india, in all the segments they operate.

Teamwork - a story from nature

I was on a nice journey through the NUTS - ( one of the most famous book on Southwest Airline's success story) spotted one interesting story about teamwork, which we all can inculcate in our life. lets dash through the story without wasting much time.

This is the actual story from nature, by naturalist Milton Olsen's work on the behaviour of geese.

This spring when you see geese heading back north for the summer flying along in "V" formation, you might be interested in knowing what scientists have discovered about why they fly that way. It has been learned that as each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following.
By Flying in "V" formation, the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own.

Basic truth #1. People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are travelling on the thrust of one another.
Basic Truth #2. There is strength and power ( safety, too) in number when travelling in the same direction as others with whom we share a common goal.


When the lead goose gets tired, he rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point.
Basic truth # 3. It pays to take turns doing hard jobs-with people or with geese flying north.

These geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.
Basic trough #4. Those who are exercising leadership needs to be remembered with our active support and praise.

Finally when a goose gets sick or is wounded by gunshots and falls out, two geese fall out of formation and follow him down to help and protect him. They stay with him until he is either able to fly or until he is dead, and then they launch out on their own or with another formation to catch up with their group.
Basic truth #5. We must stand by those among us in their times of need.

Lets learn from these real time stories and implement at least points from them.

Is CRM Suitable only for LARGE Enterprises ?

CRM stands for "Customer Relationship Management" whether it is a large organization or Small one. As the word clearly mentions, CRM is completely related toCustomers and their needs,Customers and their profitability,Customers and their advocacy,Customers and their choice of products or services,

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Do you own a small business ? how to grow effectively ?

Its always been a worry and concern for all the small business Entrepreneurs. All aim for high, and only few achieve the same. Depending on the industry you are in, you can figure out your challenges ahead to full fill your dream. But there are few basic points which may take you to new heights.

1. Positive Energy : all have heard about positive attitude, positive mind set... but along with all these, you should have a positive energy to achieve your goal in your life. This Positive energy can transform in to the main force for achieving your goal if used effectively.

2. Willingness to work hard with out looking only for rewards : Rewards will surely come to you. You should not be adamant that the reward should be there for each every activity you perform. Work hard to you fullest - i will say , tune yourself to work on 200% of your ability.

3. Keep aside your false ego : Human beings are born with an optimum ego, which helps them to achieve thier destination. But the society plays a big role in making the useful EGO to a False Ego. You should be careful enough to ascertain your EGO level, and try not to exceed the limits which will become negative force in your life.

4. Think Globally : If you want to achieve your goal, you must think big. Thinking Globally is the ultimate, where a man can extend their business. (If you can do business with Aliens, do think beyond the Globe also. :-). )
Thinking globally make you prepared to face the biggest challenge.

5. Reach out to people : Business is ultimately comprises of few people. if your connection is more with other fellows , your chance of becoming successful is more. Try to keep a circle of people who is a well wisher of yourself, and request their help.

Sales definition Launched

My dream project sales definition - An on demand Sales Force Automation product was launched its beta version on 14th of April 2007. With the launch of sales definition, Winds online is scouting ahead on fulfilling its mission to be a respected organization providing E business solutions to growing companies.



Sales Definition has been officially trade marked and planning to register for international trade mark.

check out www.salesdefinition.com. A fully functional Sales force automation tool developed fully in India, and looking forward to brand it in a good way.

We have activated a discussion forum too in salesdefinition
which will help all the clients to clear out their doubts.

How to improve Sales Productivity ?

Organisations have all the infomraiton they need to improve sales. What most of the lack is insight in to that information.

With SFA applications, organisations automated the slaes process and managed data. The managers should have a clear picture of what works and what doesnt. They need this informaiton to tmake intellignet , proactive decisions, not two weeks after the quarter ends.


Mangers are challenged to determine such basic data points as sales by channel, cusotmer and territory or projects of revenu by product and sales rep before the end of the quarter. How these interdependent dynamics influence eaach other and how they can be tweaked to boost sales performance is often mere guessowrk.

In a recent study on sales effectiveness conducted by Accenture, out of 178 senior executives polled, th emost often cited sales performance issues were related to leads. Accoridng Accenture, " Along with problesm with qualifying and managing leads effectively, the lack of performance metrics, inadequate cusotmer data, and lack of capabilities ofr analyzing customer data rounded out the list of top permormance challenges." The study reported that a total of 55% of respondents found it difficult to assess which leads were qualified.

Thats where analytic application come in. Sales analytics can play a key role in driving greater productivity and efficiency, especially during periods of slow sales. Many organisations have realized they need to go beyond simplyaauotmating current sales operations. These companies are enhancing their sales operations and promoting shorter salescycles by providing the field with an intelligent, 360 degree veiw of their customers.

CRM market in INDIA

How matured is CRM marketing in India ?

The CRM market in India is already worth Rs 377 crore (2006). However the market continues to grow at an astounding 53% per annum.

China, India, and Malaysia can be characterized as the markets with the greatest growth potential. India's CRM market is dominated by call center technologies, although this will change and become more balanced in the coming three to five years. The Malaysian market is small, but many vendors have cited its growth potential, good infrastructure, increased liberalization, and high levels of education to justify planned investment.

Its for sure that, india is emerging as one of the dearest market place for CRM, and if the industry is grown without bias, India will witness a revolution