Category Archives: Of Interest

Is it easier for bigger companies to do outsourcing?

January 19, 2012 by 123outsource
Categories: Of Interest, Semi-Popular | Tagged | Leave a comment

Is it easier for a big company to outsource or a smaller company?
 
I run a tiny company, and I find it easy to outsource. I am old fashioned and want to meet everybody in person who I work with.  In America, nobody wants to meet you in person anymore which I find to be a deal breaker.  What are they hiding that they don’t want to meet me?  If there is something wrong with someone, it is easier to find out if you are with them regularly.  On the other hand, a person can be very pleasant in person, and then later on you find out that they don’t keep promises.  Putting my personal issues aside, it is easy to get on a plane to India and interview a dozen companies for a particular task to outsource.
 
But, what about larger companies?  My company has two full time people and a few others who do outsourced work like social media, programming, etc.   But, what about a company with 12 employees, or a hundred.  Is it easier for them to outsource?    If you are a manager who has 12 employees, you will have a problem leaving them alone for ten days while you fly to India.  Or perhaps you could hire one of them to fly to India themselves and set up a deal if they are smart and reliable enough.  The question is, would you outsource to another company, or set up your own office in India?  This is a difficult question to answer. If you want to be able to control who works for you, then hire your own staff.  If you want someone else to deal with hiring and firing, and always having people ready to work, then outsourcing to an existing company is perfect.  Or, you could outsource, but ask the boss if they can hire special people according to your specifications. There are many possibilities.   One key factor is that Indians want to work, and are eager to please foreign clients, while American companies are often extremely rigid, and often will not even return your calls or emails!
 
Huge companies seem to have refined outsourcing to a set routine.  They have a standardized method of sending the right people to India to have huge offices built that are  dedicated exclusively to their corporation.  They know how to do market research and find out how to attract the best employees.  Everything is refined to a science for the big guys.
 
My blog is more oriented towards small and medium companies, so my suggestion is to poke your head around and see if you can find the right people to work with overseas.  Be prepared to visit them once or twice a year, or perhaps more!  Whether you are a small or medium sized company, it is time consuming and tiring to fly to India.  Jet lag is terrible, and stomach disorders that you get in India really take their toll.  I feel that it is worth it in the end, but not without it’s price.  If you have a larger company, then your trip to India might get more accomplished in one trip making it more efficient.  But, the bigger issue to me, is learning to refine your travel and business plans so you get the most out of any investment in travel.

Tweets:
(1) It is easier for big companies to outsource because they can create their own office overseas
(2) Bigger companies get more favorable treatment from outsourcing companies purely based on their size!

You might also like:

Mixed-level software teams: a business model that works!
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/10/28/mixed-level-software-teams-a-business-model-that-works/

The 2% rule; Only 2% of companies are worth hiring
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/10/21/the-2-rule-only-2-of-companies-are-worth-hiring/

Outsourcing your personal work

September 27, 2011 by 123outsource
Categories: Of Interest | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

I was watching a documentary on youtube about American workers who outsource their tasks to India.  One accountant has someone in Bangalore do all of his work for him. The American employee still had to come to the office everyday.  He had a nerf-ball which he played basket ball with in his cubicle.  His goal, he announced, was to do as little as possible.  My only thought was, why doesn’t his boss hire the person in India himself?
 
But, outsourcing your personal work could be done in parts too. Some people hire an appointment setter in Bangalore to help them book their appointments, set their dates, and take care of other arrangements.  If you need to send flowers to your wife, your personal assistant in Bangalore can book that for you easily.
 
I’m thinking of all the data entry I do daily, and how nice it would be if someone in Ahmedabad could do it all for me. That would save me two hours a day.  The problem is that I am not good at explaining tasks to people. So, if they do a task incorrectly, it is my mistake half the time for not communicating clearly. 
 
I outsourced my networking to a local company.  They have a young lady who is contacting company bosses throughout the world who will join my outsourcing directory. I do not have the skills  or patience to do this myself which is why I am happy that they are doing this for me.

Who Gets Listed How High On 123outsource.net?

September 24, 2011 by 123outsource
Categories: Of Interest | Tagged | Leave a comment

Who gets listed how high on our outsourcing directory?
 
123outsource.net is an outsourcing directory that sorts outsourcers into a dozen or so categories.  The key to getting business is to be near the top of the list in your respective category. But, it is not always so easy to attain a top spot.  Since we are new as a directory, we have a vast majority of free listings currently.  Paid listings get listed higher on the search results than free listings do.  But, how are free listings ranked?
 
Our Preference System
We have a preference system for listings.  If you write reasonably well, and have a nice website, you might get a high placement even with a free listing!  If you send us a logo for your company, or have a Skype number, we might raise your placement a bit for that as well.  
 
Functional Websites
We feel that if you are a professional company, you would have an attractive and functional website. If your website doesn’t load properly, that is a big issue. That means that prospective customers can’t find you. On the other hand, if you have no website, that is a huge issue too. Many companies signing up with us have a website that says, “This domain for sale”.  That is not an encouraging sign!  Web sites that hide contact information are evasive. Customers want to know what country and general area you are located in.  If you have multiple offices, you should list them in your contact us page.
 
Foreign Numbers?
Picture yourself in the United States looking for a company to outsource to. Most Americans do not know how to call India, nor do they want to, even to save their own life.  People do not know how to calculate the 13.5 hour time difference from California to India which changes to 12.5 hours in the Spring and Summer due to daylight savings.  People in America do not understand international dialing codes, and feel alienated when we hear that funny ringing sound that phone lines in India have. You are used to your ring tones, but Americans find it very — foreign sounding.  So, what is the solution?  If you can get a US number, a UK number, perhaps a Dubai number too, and advertise that on your site next to your Skype number, you are making life easier for the foreign clients to reach you.  You will probably get many more foreign clients if you make their life easy, and we will list you higher on our list too!
 
Higher Placement = More Work!
Most companies want work, and as much work as they can handle.  Most companies want to grow and prosper. Being at the top of the list matters.  Please ask us about paid listings near the top of the list.  If you are going to get a free listing, please make sure you have a nicely written notes section, because your notes make a huge impression of how professional you are!

Top employees get poached

May 8, 2011 by 123outsource
Categories: Hiring & Firing, Of Interest | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Top employees regularly get poached

This is a common theme in India, where highly skill employees are a commodity that companies will die for — or poach for.  One of the recent episodes of the television comedy “Outsourced” was based on the theme of poaching call center employees.  Someone got laid off at the call center, and someone new needed to be hired. There was a line of two-hundred people, but only one was well qualified, and was hired immediately.  This new employee was of Indian ancestry, but grew up in Texas and understood the American culture and American expressions well which made him a dream employee.  Unfortunately the girlfriend of the manager of the call center also liked this new employee and offered him double the salary.  The manager, Todd, who first hired this Texas raised dream call center employee decided to get even. Todd and his friend, a manager from American Hunter, found a way to get into his girlfriend’s office, find the resume and  salary information for the new employee, and forwarded it to another fancy company who was in the same building.  The fancy company who had very well trained workers who showed up in suits and had snooty attitudes quickly swallowed this new employee and got him in uniform immediately — a suit and a mobile phone which is permanently glued to his ear.

Outsourced is America’s most interesting and endearing television comedy, but the theme of poaching employees is a nightmare for Indian bosses.  India’s economy is growing so fast, that employees are getting better and better offers by the day.  Its common in places like Bangalore and Mumbai for employees to jump from company to company.  If they have a job at one company in Koramangala at a particular salary, they might jump to another company in Whitefield because they have a nicer looking office, better benefits, or nicer females working there.  If you heard the reasons why employees jump boat in this employees market, your jaw would drop.

It is expensive to interview, hire, and train new employees.  If an employee is so bad they need to be fired, or jumps boat prematurely, this causes a huge loss to the boss.  It makes more sense for the boss to think ahead.  If you hire someone good, its like having a really good looking girlfriend. You will not be the only one who likes her, and your offer is not likely to be the best offer either.  If the girl is not the loyal type, and girls these days rarely are, then she will quickly wander off with some guy who offers her more.  It makes sense to pamper a good employee.

Get to know them?  Sure!  If you get to know a good employee, and develop a good personal relationship with them, they will feel happier in that environment and be more likley to stay.  This is true with customers too. It pays to get to know your customers.  Don’t spend all day with them, but a simple phone call makes all the difference.  Give them some freedom.  If your star employee needs to have a dental appointment during business hours, let them go!  Just have them make up the hours some other time.  As long as they are on schedule, let them work from home a day or two per week two.  Find out what they like, and cater to them.  It might take a bit of research, but its easier than hiring someone new which costs lakhs in lost productivity! Giving raises every three months makes sense too.  Having regular evaluations costs money, but is cheaper than losing employees to poachers.  Or, giving employees an incentive plan giving them a percentage of their output. If the market is growing fast, their percentage will grow fast too.

Caring for your star employees will reduce poaching by leaps and bounds.  People today are obsessed with numbers and overworking.  This is important.  But, caring about relationships is even more important. Business is based on relationships.  People will spend money on a service provider they know and trust.  Nobody wants to do business with a stranger in any country.  People want to leave business relationships where the personal relationship is not good.  Emotions speak louder than rupees.

The authoritarian culture.  India and Arab countries have a very authoritarian culture.  Bosses often like to treat their employees as lesser and employees traditionally have to bow down to their employers.  As an American, I think that class and position is overemphasized in India.  It seems like it would be more helpful if less emphasis was put on position, and bosses treated their star employees with the same care they might a family member.  I am by no means suggesting that the boss let the employee run all over them, but a caring attitude without compromising authority seems like a super idea to me!

Interesting pages on 123outsource.net

May 2, 2011 by 123outsource
Categories: Of Interest | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Interesting pages on 123outsource.net

123outsource.net is a growing and interesting BPO directory.  The main offering we have is good search results for outsourcing companies in many categories throughout the world, particularly in India.  But, we offer more.  We offer a wide variety of blog posts, a twitter profile, and many resource pages.  This entry will introduce some of our more interesting pages on our BPO directory.

Sign up page
http://www.123outsource.net/user_signup.php
This page enables any company anywhere in the world to sign up to be on our directory.  We scrutinize all applications to weed out those that are not companies. We get many individuals seeking employment, but we regret to inform them that we are not  in a position to hire them (even if they could spell correctly which is never the case).  We generally won’t post anyone’s information unless they have a legitimate web site too.  A company without a web site is a losing proposition in my web-centric mind.

About us page
http://www.123outsource.net/aboutus.php
This page tells about how we started out, what programmers we use, and how I visited India many times to get this operation going.  The about us page of 123notary.com is also interesting as it tells how I got into the web business to begin with.

BPO, KPO, LPO Outsourcing
http://www.123outsource.net/BPO_KPO_LPO_Outsourcing.php
This page not only has a lot of information about BPO companies, but also has many links to additional resource materials at the bottom of the page.

Data Entry Jobs
http://www.123outsource.net/data_entry_faq.php
Find out where you can get data entry jobs, BPO, and call centre jobs. This is a FAQ page, so there is a lot of question and answer material here.

Data Entry Glossary
http://www.123outsource.net/data_entry_outsourcingglossary.php
This section is still in the works as of 4-03-2011, but will be completed at the end of April for sure.  We have definitions of many data entry and transcription terms of which there are many.  I’m not sure if this page will be at all popular, but it is generally good in the web business to have a lot of free resource materials, so you will look useful.

Social Media
http://www.123outsource.net/Social_Media.php
This page explains how to use social media such as Facebook and Twitter to expand your business’ exposure.  The positive attributes of social media including “real time interaction”, democracy, and exposure are discussed.  Find out what makes social media tick.

Web Design Information
http://www.123outsource.net/web_design_resources.php
This page has basic information about internet jobs, and what web design involves, picking a company, and more. At the bottom of the page, there is a link to even more information.

Data Entry India
http://www.123outsource.net/1data_entry_india.php
This is our fastest growing page.  We get more data entry companies signing up with us, than any other category. Some prefer to be listed on our BPO India page, but most stay on the data entry India page.

BPO India
http://www.123outsource.net/1bpo_india.php
This is our second most popular content page on the directory.  India is the most popular country to look for a BPO, so if you run a BPO company, sign up with us on our BPO directory ASAP, so you can get exposure to find new clients!

Diary of a Night Owl Who Enjoys Outsourcing

December 18, 2010 by 123outsource
Categories: Of Interest, Semi-Popular | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Diary of a Night Owl Who Enjoys Outsourcing
 
The night is young from a night owls perspective and the Indian programmers have already finished installing ten new pages with meta-tags, meta-titles and links.  The night owl says, “Wow, this is the way to do business — I didn’t even go to bed yet, and the work is done…. lets assign more”.  A feeling of relief that the Indian Software company in Pune is so fast on the draw, that the entire stack of emails that have the information for five dozen new pages will be done soon.
 
I’ve been writing customized SEO pages for dozens of pages for my new site for a few weeks now.  They are going online one by one, and google is responding generously to my hard work.  But, its so nice that with my odd schedule, I can find companies that are in full function, when I am in full function with my Leo schedule.  Its hard doing business with Americans.  By the time I get out of bed, have my mocha, finish my emails and other pressing matters, its too late to call the East Coast, and the West Coast only has a few hours to go. 
 
India is perfect.  If only we could move it to Australia, then it would have the perfect time zone for my schedule, but I’m not complaining, its excellent already. If only all companies could be like Indian Software companies!   Emails are the way I communicate these days.  Sure, a phone call is easier if there is a lot of back and forth in the communication.  But, emails are best for straight instructions and perhaps one or two quick questions for what the work entails.  Its amazing for me to get back and forth at 10pm when I’m in full swing, and America is unconscious.
 
My schedule is only normal when I take my break and go into the redwoods.  Its a six hour drive to Santa Cruz from here and the various state parts are waiting for me.  There is a feeling of peace there in any of the redwood forests, especially when there is a slight drizzle.  The earth is so soft as its composed of disintegrating pine needles.  Thats the only time I wake up as a civilized hour.  Last trip up North I woke up at 6am the last day and went hiking near Felton, CA at Henry Cowell state park.  I save all of my hundreds of business calls to the East coast for when I go on my trips.  Thats the only time I’m not a night owl.  Its up North that I do my welcome calls for new clients, and reminder calls for existing clients.  I wouldn’t be able to call India from there because I fall asleep at 10pm when India has just gotten to work since its +13.5 hours.
 
If you are a night owl who is in a software business, Indian Software companies are a dream to work with.  Try it!

Doing the unknown in business

September 29, 2010 by 123outsource
Categories: Of Interest | Tagged | Leave a comment

Business is sometimes scary. People want to make millions overnight and sometimes ignore the fact that they have no idea what they are doing and have no experience. On the other hand, conservative types want to avoid doing the unknown at all costs. In business, a certain amount of risk taking and doing the unknown is necessary. Large companies often buy 100 smaller companies per year, not knowing which one will do well. Often it is only one or two that become stars, but the revenue from those is fantastic. I am not an investor, except for very stable stock. However, I realize that there are many new types of things you have to do in business. There are new people you have to hire, new tasks you have to undertake, and new things that you have to do where the outcome is unpredictable.

My suggestion is not to avoid the unknown. It is to try the unknown in small doses in a way where a bad outcome won’t ruin you. You can do test experiments on dummy assignments (which are not real, or that don’t matter much) and see how you do with a new employee or new way of doing the task. Try the unknown — just try it in a safe way. Once you get to know what you are doing, and have refined your methodology, then you have a new way to make money or save money, and it could be huge!

I play with the unknown in social media. I try new types of blog entries. I have no idea how they will do. I try new social media platforms. Right now I am doing a lot with Google+. I have no idea what the long term of this will be. I can only guess. It will be fun to find out, and in a year, I might be one of the really big players on Google+. It’s all a big experiment to me. But, if I win, I will learn something. I just go about my business growing my mediums. I try to measure my success at different stages along the road. To know what will happen if I invest a lot of time in social media, I need to invest a little time and see if anything happens.

Have fun experimenting, and realize that success in the outsourcing business requires being good at experimenting. So master this art!

Is Twitter for People With Attention Deficit Disorder?

September 28, 2010 by 123outsource
Categories: Of Interest, Social Media | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Tweets, little snippets of written conversation stripped of grammar or punctuation, would have been unthinkable for adults ten years ago — and certainly would not have earned a passing grade in school. But who remembers that far back? And who besides college students these days takes the time to focus on a whole paragraph?

It is true that a segment of our society is actually suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)… and cannot focus on more than a Tweet’s worth of information. Some reports say 11% of the population has ADD or ADHD (includes attention problems and hyperactivity), doubled from 5% decade ago…but the real numbers may be even higher. It seems that everyone is highly stressed and low on concentration compared to the years when we were growing up (if we ever did, that is).

Is Twitter merely fun–a powerful tool to convey information in a concise and clever, brief format–to stimulate further communication? Or is it a product of our ADD-prone culture and inability to communicate in complete thoughts for an extended period of time? Is it good for us?

Common symptoms of ADD are inability to concentrate, being disorganized, forgetful, late all the time, always in a rush…and there is evidence that our impersonal, fast-paced work environment promotes ADD. Instead of solving the problem through patience, education and training, our culture has catered to the level on which many people function, reducing the amount of information people take in or provide at one time. According to a March 31, 2013 NY Times article, ADHD (essentially ADD with hyperactivity and inability to focus) has increased 41% in the last decade (some sources say the increase is as great as 66%); sales of drugs to treat the condition doubled in 2012 to a record $9 billion.

Does continually using sites like Twitter–or beginning to think in Tweets–help people focus and concentrate? Does it give them the patience to become good writers? What is the effect of a daily diet of Tweets?

Tweets are thought-provoking, short, quickly written statements that convey a main idea. The push to communicate briefly to so many people in so little time may harm our ability to communicate well for longer periods of time–and to a very few people. Unless they are aphorisms written by masters of the English language (Emerson, Thoreau, Atwood), Tweets are easily forgotten…and will they save the world? What does our addiction to Twitter say about our ability to communicate and our interest in forging real adult relationships?

Maybe Twitter should create a site called Sing it to Me Slowly…for those who want to take more time and have more to say?

Tweets:
(1) Some people tweet about business, life, or love. But, I tweet about Twitter
(2) Tweets, little snippets of written conversation stripped of grammar or punctuation, would have been unthinkable for adults ten years ago
(3)
Tweets are thought-provoking, short, quickly written statements that convey a main idea.

You might also like:

How to attract clients to your call center – presentation
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/03/29/how-to-acquire-clients-for-call-centers-presentation/

Optimizing your Twitter PPC campaign
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/12/10/optimizing-your-twitter-ppc-campaign/

Running ragged? Overworking and losing your head?

September 27, 2010 by 123outsource
Categories: Of Interest | Tagged , | Leave a comment

It is happening to me. I normally bathe once a day, and maintain a semi-normal sleep schedule. Sure, I go to bed late and wake up late, but that is normal for me because I’m a cat in a human body! I’m a Leo for those of you who are astrology fans, although I don’t know what my Rashi is because I’m not Indian!

But, recently, I’ve been trying to finish up on projects. I’m so glued to my computer that I forget to eat, and am only bathing once in two days which is abnormal for me. My mind is not focused. I’m losing at board games which I am also playing online. I’m spending too many hours in front of a screen and it is harming my eyes and brain. I need a vacation and a hot bath, but let me finish a few more blog articles first.

Studies have shown that those who try to over do it lose their efficiency. I can vouch for the fact that I am so distracted that I am not working anywhere near peak efficiency.

My bird-brained-ness from overworking caused me to do something insane yesterday. I went to Whole Foods. I purchased a few items. I picked up the salmon, ate it outside, and then it was time for chocolate. I noticed that the chocolate was not in the bag. I checked my receipt and I had not been charged for it either. So, I went back and asked the lady cashier what happened to the chocolate. She said she didn’t have it and didn’t see it. I asked her to hold my bag (I held on to my receipt because I’m a smart bird-brain, not a dumb bird-brain) and went to get the chocolate. Two minutes later I was back in line, bought the chocolate and asked for my bag with the wine and macadamia nuts.

The girl claimed that I never gave her a bag. I told her the story about how four minutes ago I gave her the bag because I needed to get the missing chocolate. She didn’t remember that at all. I started raising my voice and demanding a manager. The girl doing bagging at the next counter said that I had purchased this from the girl two registers to the left. I walked over there and there was my bag. The two girls looked somewhat similar — similar enough that if you were a distracted bird-brain who stared at a computer twelve hours a day and didn’t sleep enough, you could easily confuse them. What a nightmare.

The moral of the story is, keep an eye (a bird’s eye view preferably) on your workers. If you notice them becoming like me, try to have them take some time off, take a bath, get a massage, take a walk or a hike, and relax. There is a limit to how much a human being (or a cat) can do (or a bird.) Give people the exact amount of time off that they need to be the best cat, bird or bird-brained human that they can be!

5 Tips from Entrepreneurs For Starting a Business!

September 25, 2010 by 123outsource
Categories: Of Interest | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Many experienced business people wish they could start again: they would make better decisions overall, factor in social media and a stronger advertising budget, and maybe even plan for more family time. So– if you are starting from the beginning–you have the opportunity to get it right the first time! Here are some tips from entrepreneurs who wish they had done what you have the opportunity to do right now:

1) Create a written business plan–before you do anything else. This just means writing down all the business ideas you spend time telling your family or friends. The most brilliant entrepreneurs fail to have a written business plan, and this causes them to just shoot from the hip too much of the time. The plan does not have to be tedious or boring; it can be simple and practical–a big ‘To Do list’–that includes clear and measurable goals for each 6-month and one-year period, and 7-10 ways you propose to achieve them. Then, from there, create your marketing plan (who are your customers?), a plan for finding the right employees (what exactly do you need them to help with, and where can you find them?), and an advertising strategy (where will you be able to get in touch with those customers?). If you take some time to put this down in writing and discuss it with friends or mentors who are in business, you will know exactly what you need to do and spend each step of the way. “Focus on strategy,” says Ari Tulla, Co-founder of BetterDoctor, a site that helps people find and make appointments with doctors. Then, you can revise your plan as you discover more routes to success, more products, and new marketing tools and social media avenues. Sample business plans are available on the web; many good ones are available at score.org, the website of the Small Business Administration (U.S.).

2) Choose very carefully the people you work with and hire. The people you have around you will set the tone for your business and will have a profound effect on your thinking. Motivational speaker Jim Rohn asserted, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” So look for your employees, mentors, and sub-contractors from among people you know and trust. Screen them carefully and get to know them and their circumstances before you hire them.

3) Use time effectively; if you do not have good time management skills, develop them–or you will not last in business. One business owner admits, “When I began working from a daily ‘To Do’ list, everything changed. I was really smart, but I guess I couldn’t remember everything and I would get off track. Now I don’t take on any tasks or meetings unless I finish my To Do list first. Make and implement a To Do list every day…and you will make more money the first year of business!”

4) Speaking of hiring a staff– Don’t just hire people you may have to fire later on. Try a combination of subcontractors, employees, and BPO outsourcing. You need people around you whom you can trust, but you also need fewer expenses and less bookkeeping. Make a list of what work you really need done. Then, make a list of pros and cons–expenses, how much control you have over the process, flexibility of the people you want (hours, ability to multi-task and take on a variety of roles, wages), reliability…and come up with a system that fits your needs. One employer we know made sacrifices to keep his employees…but had he hired a few temps or subcontractors instead of actual employees, he would not have made other bad decisions based solely on his belief that employees would not negotiate about their hours or salaries.

5) Make time to talk to your customers, and really listen to their feedback. Ask them what they like about your business, and what could be better. If your company does not always answer the phone in a professional manner and this annoys potential customers– do something about it. If customers have feedback about products, prices, or customer service issues–listen, respond, and send them a Thank You email. Then, look into the problems. Customers like business owners who are in touch with what people want. One entrepreneur admits, “I always thought some of my customers were complainers who just had nothing else to think about. But one time, someone reported a glitch in the online ordering system, and it turned out to be something far more important than was evident on the surface. Now, I have regular talks with customers and even call them just to chat once in a while. I also send out surveys to get feedback, and they appreciate the attention and refer business to me.”

You might also like:

6 strategies for growing your outsourcing business fast!
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/10/16/6-strategies-for-growing-your-outsourcing-business-fast/

Networking meetings are a great way to grow your business!
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/10/03/networking-meetings-are-a-great-way-to-grow-your-business/

Self-confidence arises from your internal thoughts and image

September 24, 2010 by 123outsource
Categories: Of Interest | Tagged | Leave a comment

I am reading Jeffrey Gitomer’s sales blog where he talks about confidence. But, it is sounding like what a guru would say, not a regular person. But, his statement is true. Your confidence, and your ability to arouse confidence in others does depend on your internal thoughts and image. So, if you feel that you can’t do something. Find a way to make a small success, and then build on that. Make a slightly bigger success after that, and then a little bigger. Soon, without realizing it, you will have the confidence of a moose with very large antlers.

It is interesting. I can look at someone’s picture and know if they have confidence. What does your picture say about you — besides that you are having a bad hair day.

If you have a poor self-image, start working on that today. A poor self-image starts with the thought, “I can’t”. It arises from a mind with limitation. We all have perceived limitations. But, you need to expand your mind. That is the real solution to poor self-image.

The greatest success is when your self-image is not dependent on what others say. I have people tell me how annoying and stupid I am on a daily basis. I think it is really funny. Because, I think I am annoying and smart. I regard being annoying as a positive trait. I work with people who don’t do what they are supposed to unless you annoy them constantly. So, I developed the trait of being annoying. Luckily, that train comes naturally to me! The minute these nitwits start doing what they are supposed to, I will have no more reason to be annoying. Then, I will have a problem — who will I annoy?

See your negative traits as positive. Do you get angry? Anger is good — to a point. Sure, don’t get mad and kill someone. But, anger can wake peopel up if they are doing the wrong thing. If you are a nice Hindu and tell someone in our nice gentle tone of voice that what they are doing is destructive, they might ignore you. Get angry and tell them, “Knock it off buddy”. You might get better results. So, don’t feel bad about yourself because you are angry sometimes. Anger is good.

What if you are not intellectually astute? This is also not a bad quality. If everyone were smart, there would be so much competition for smart-people type jobs, that smart people wouldn’t be able to get them most of the time. Think of the damage to society if everyone were smart. So, being a blockhead is not a bad thing. Someone has to be a blockhead. Just say, “I am a knucklehead, and that is okay!”

So, to sum things up. Think positively about ALL of your attributes. If others think you are a terrible person, learn to think that is funny. Your attachment to what others think can kill you internally. Also, think of all the positive things that are happening and that could happen. Follow my suggestions, mix with water (if you live in India, then filtered water), and then you will have unlimited confidence — guaranteed!

The Outsourcing Boat

September 24, 2010 by 123outsource
Categories: Of Interest | Tagged , | Leave a comment

It was a Thursday afternoon, or at least that is what I though in the dream. I was rowing my boat around San Francisco out of the bay and into the ocean. I rowed under the Golden Gate Bridge. There was a huge ship out there. It didn’t seem to be going anywhere. It just sat there — floating. What could it be? I rowed closer and closer. Remember that this is a dream, and I row fast in dreams. My boat glided at what must have been 40 miles per hour with very infrequent pulling on the oars. In about 20 seconds, I made it to the boat. It was in international waters. There was a dotted line in the ocean demarcating where the international lines were. In real life, it would have been a lot further away from land — thank god for dreams!

The boat had lots of people from India and the Philippines on it looking over the railing. They sent down ropes to hoist my boat up. Once I was on deck, I asked what they were doing in the boat. They said, “Oh, this is the Outsourcing Boat, we do outsourcing here. We couldn’t get our H1 to work in America, so we do all of our work in international waters here in this boat. Our clients can come visit us here if they want. They like the comfort of knowing where we are and who we are and meeting all of us.”

I said that it was good that people knew where they were, otherwise they might be thought of as a fly-by-night operation.
Sujata corrected me, “No, we are not a fly-by-night operation… we are a row-by-night operation.. this is the Outsourcing Boat, not the Outsourcing plane.” I said, “Wow, it is sort of like the Love Boat, except you do outsourcing!” Sujata once again corrected me and said, “Well, we love doing outsourcing!” Maybe it should be called the Love Outsourcing Boat or the S.S. H-1.

So, I was given a tour of the boat. The deck was for relaxing and eating, not to mention meeting with clients. I saw many bosses from American companies who were given a complimentary motorboat ride from the docks to meet project managers on the boat. They were enjoying this stylish way of getting their work done. I ordered a lemonade while on deck. Sujata instructed me to call the 800 number to get my lemonade. They didn’t have waiters on this boat, that job was outsourced to their call center downstairs.

Me: “Hi, I would like one lemonade”
Call Center: “No problem, one lemonade coming up”
Me: “Do you need to know what table I am at?”
Call Center: “No, my phone system shows that you are at table 41.”

Then, a guy with a gps-tracking device found my table and delivered my lemonade. Wow! They outsourced a waiter’s job!
Next, Sujata showed me what was going on below deck. We went into an elevator, and went down one floor. This was the IT floor. There were hundreds of smaller rooms filled with geeky looking people staring at computer screens. There were meeting rooms, server rooms, and even a few small kitchen rooms. After that, we went down another floor. That was the outsourced Accounting floor. There were chartered accountants from India specializing in U.S. taxation, payroll, and other bookkeeping tasks. The next floor down was getting closer to the boiler room (no pun intended). This was the call center floor. I met Anna. She was from a small island in the Philippines where they eat rice, fish and coconuts all day long. She wanted a more interesting life, so now she lives on a huge boat. Anna was the one who took my order for a lemonade. The next floor down was the actual boiler room.

Sujata said that every day she looked at the land and wondered what it would be like to step onto land in America. I told here that America is huge and there are so many vastly different places, each one of them very unique. Then I was driving through the desert in New Mexico. This is what happens when you dream — there is no logical connection between different parts of the dream.

When I woke up, I went to my dream journal and documented my whole adventure. I thought that maybe in real life someone should invent something like an Outsourcing Boat. It is a great way to get around the red tape of visa restrictions. Think of how much stronger the American economy could be if anyone could come and work here with no conditions! No more waiting forever for the plumber to come! The next day, I actually needed a plumber — I called the 800 number and the voice who received me said, “Hello, thank you for calling A1 Plumbing, this is Sujata, may I help you?”

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If you hire happy people to interact with your staff
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/05/29/if-you-hire-happy-people-to-interact-with-your-staff/

Casual day at a call center in India
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2011/03/31/casual-day-at-a-call-center-in-india/