Legendary Coach John Wooden Would Use This Phrase To Motivate His Teams Growing up I often heard my dad say; “Be quick, but don’t hurry.” He was quoting the famous UCLA men’s basketball coach, John Wooden, who won a record 10 national championships in 12 years. I would have never guessed it at the time, but this lesson at an early age has proven foundational for all aspects of my life, especially when it comes to sales and customer relationships. These words echo in my mind today as I think about how my dad tried to impart to my brother and me the value of a strong  work ethic  and persistence. It rankled him to watch a job done poorly just because someone was lazy and inefficient. He loathed a rushed process, cut corners, or when people scraped by doing the bare minimum. Quick Communication Versus Hurried Responses Effective communication is key to customer relationships. It is what makes the difference between going quickly and h...

White goods players are turning up the volume in an attempt to boost online sales A fter a sudden rise in the consumer’s preference towards e-commerce platforms, the makers of white goods such as TV, AC, washing machine and other home appliances are deciding to make their presence felt in a big way on these platforms. Companies such as Sony India, Videocon, Whirlpool, Godrej and the likes are either in talks or have formed alliances with various e-commerce portals. “We welcome online sales. Our current sales through the online platform is not even 1%. But we aim to reach 4-5%,” says CM Singh, chief operating officer, Videocon. The company, which is currently selling various products on websites such as Snapdeal, Amazon and Flipkart, is aiming to set up separate models for online sales as well. “Yes, we are interested in the proposition but this can be done only when we cross the online sales by a certain percentage,” adds Singh.  Opening a new channel Though it constitute...