Rhodora M. Garcia, TRAINEE JOURNAL

"I listen and I forget, I see and remember, I experience and I understand" - a Chinese proverb

 

July 14, 2012

To                    :           Sir Jorge U. Saguinsin

From                :           Rhodora M. Garcia

Subject            :           TRAINEE JOURNAL  

I.                   What Did I Learn:               

During orientation / training, there are more things I have learned. Some of these are the following:

·         The Poem entitled “The Secret”:

a.      I promise myself to be so strong that nothing can disturb my peace of mind

b.      To look at the sunny side of everything and make my optimism come true.

c.       To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

d.      To wear a cheerful expression at all times and give a smile to every living creature I meet.

e.      To give so much time to improving myself that I have no time to criticize others.

·         I commend the principle of 5 ‘S and I quote the mottos for cleaning:

-          I will not get things dirty

-          I will not spill or scatter things around.

-          I will clean things right away.

-          I will rewrite things that have got erased.

-          I will tape up the things that have come down.

-          Start shine by graphing out the individual areas of responsibility, there should not be any undefined, unallocated areas. 

·         Culture of Execution:

K – Know your people and your business (Communicate, Communicate, Communicate)

I  -  Insist on Realism (Vision, Mission, Beliefs and Principles)

S – Set clear goals and priority (Sales and Collection)

F – Follow through (to ensure that progress tracks to the plans: work schedule and marketing             activities)

R – Reward the doers (Commission for Agents and Incentives for Office Staff)

E -  Expand people’s capabilities (Making clear of their duties and responsibilities / Training)

K – Know yourself   (personal mastery through learning, training, seminars and reading books.)

·         2 Types of Customers:

o   Internal customer – employer and co-employees (Marketing Staff, CMO, Financial Controller and BPI Staff)

o   External customer – Clients, investors, suppliers, landlords, and lenders.

·         Mulat Isip

There are questions that ought to ponder:

1-      How effective is the communication?

2-      Do people listen / Do people believe?

3-      Do we repeat quite often?

To be part of the organization, one must have foundation through listening, faith and delivery by having proper training and orientation. Like a tree, one must be rooted through our mission, vision, beliefs and principles, one must take it to heart like a trunk, one must grow that serves as its leaves. And without leaves, there are no branches that represents new ideas / products.

·         COMPONENTS OF BEING FAITHFUL

S—Start small

B—Be on time

D—Do the hardest job first

O—Organized your life

W—Welcome Responsibilities

A—Accept Correction

P—Practice self-denial

·         In our Morning Talk on July 3, 2012 which is entitled   E-Mail Prayer, I am reminded of the importance to let your friends and loved ones know that you are praying for them. I quote, “Do you have friends or family members who need your prayers of encouragement right now? Besides letting them know that you’re praying for them, try sending a written prayer as well.”

                                                                                                  — Dennis Fisher

“Lord, help us be encouragers

By praying for our friends in need;

And give us opportunities

To show them love in word and deed. —Sper

Praying for others is a privilege—and a responsibility.”

·         In our Blog, I have read the post entitled Lesson on frugality from Arch Bong

We had a guest on entrepreneurship class, Arch Bong Zuniga.   He is now a multi-millionaire.  He used to ride the jeep and his wife used sell sandwiches in her office in the bank to make both ends meet.  He worked in a bank before as a bank branch construction manager, but still could not earn enough. Now he owns a resort near his house which delivers, 8t a day, 7 City State Condo that brings him l2 per month in rent each, aside from the AP office.  Yet he has been frugal. 

      ** I share and would like to maintain the same lifestyle such as:  He buys and wears cheap clothes, Lives simply and no luxuries.   

·         In our Blog, I have read the post entitled Strategy VS. Tactics which is more applicable for me as a Marketing Staff.  Here are some of the Success Habits that I currently need to do:

o   Habit #2 - Be a constant learner, change and evolve as required. > This means attending seminars, reading, and listening to audio books.  By making learning a habit, this could be one of your competitive advantages.     

o   Habit #8 - Nurture a network.  > Reviewing the address book, keeping in touch with people and trying to add value to them. The more we nurture this company, the more we can get things done.

o   Habit #9 - Fail often, fail fast, fail cheap.  > In order to move forward, sometimes we have to fail. Don't let failure stand in the way of trying to move forward. You are not a failure if you fail; you are a failure if you don’t try.   

v  I have learned in this post the difference between Strategy and Tactics:  

Strategy is the thinking aspect of planning a change, organizing something, or planning. Strategy lays out the goals that need to be accomplished and the ideas for achieving those goals.

Tactics are the meat and bread of the strategy. They are the “doing” aspect that follows the planning. Tactics refer specifically to action.

II.                 Relationship to what I Know: 

·         The Poem entitled “The Secret”:

a.      Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.   -Philippians 4:6-7

b.       Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 

 - 1 Thessalonians 5:18

 c.    … I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do:  Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead   -Philippians 3:13

       d.    A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.  -Proverbs 17:22;   A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit. -Proverbs 15:13

      e.     And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.  -2 Corinthians 3:18

*** The word transformed is synonymous to Changed, I desire to continuously grow in the knowledge of Christ to be changed every day.  In my job, one of our beliefs is Change, the only constant thing.  We will change always to be better and very competitive.

•          I commend the principle of 5 ‘S:

a.      Through laziness, the rafters sag; because of idle hands, the house leaks. -Ecclesiastes 10:18

b.      I quote  “Cleanliness refers not only to the way we tend to our hygiene, but also to the care we take to maintain and cherish all aspects of our environments (inner and outer) within our control.

Cleanliness is often a daily ritual in the house and soul of setting things to rights, whether they are dishes, tools, or conscience. It may refer to purging ourselves of the clutter and other impediments that prevent us from moving forward with our work and play. The act of being cleanly does not refer to being “spotless”, but to the art of moving through the day making choices that increase the well-being and functionality of ourselves and those around us. “

·         Culture of Execution:

“Execution is the great unaddressed issue in the business world today. Its absence is the single biggest obstacle to success and the cause of most of the disappointments that are mistakenly attributed to other causes.”

                                                                                                     ― Ram Charan

·         2 Types of Customers:

Dealing with internal customers is like dealing with our immediate family while dealing with external customers is like dealing with other people outside our home. The way we treat other people is an extension of our good relationship inside our home.

·         Mulat Isip

“…take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”  –James 1:19

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. “ –John 15:1-2

·         COMPONENTS OF BEING FAITHFUL

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?” – Luke 16:10-12

                                                                                                     

·         In our Morning Talk on July 3, 2012 which is entitled   E-Mail Prayer,  I would like to relate this song entitled  Promise My Prayers by Rachael Lampa:

I'll cover, I'll cover you,  I'll cover  /  Hey now you know it's true / After all that we've been through You can count on me / When it comes down to the end / I will always be your friend / No matter where you go /  I want you to know now / Chorus:  I promise my prayers, I promise my heart,  I'll be thinking of you, Wherever you are, When the daylight is done, When the night is so dark, When I cannot be there, I promise my prayers /  Down each road we take / We're joined together when we pray / No matter where life leads /  I will lift you up / You'll be covered by his love /  The angels will find you / I'm here to remind you now / Chorus / I'll cover, I'll cover you, I'll cover /  Beyond our understanding /  His hand is moving and we stand amazed /  I pray His love will guide you /  I know He's there beside you always / Chorus

*** Praying for the surviving family of the deceased is a genuine help in their times of grief.

·         In our Blog, I have read the post entitled Lesson on frugality from Arch Bong

I do appreciate a booklet entitled  "Ang pera na hindi bitin" by Eduardo O. Roberto,Jr. Being frugal takes self-discipline and part of maturity. Learning how to manage your money wisely is a portion of progress. I quote, "O God, I beg two favors from You before I die. First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. For if I grow rich, I may deny You and say, “Who is the LORD?” And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name. PROVERBS 30:7–9 (NLT). We may not have the luxury in life, let's be thankful for having our daily needs. As God provides for us, let's also be a channel of blessing to others as well, not overlooking the needs of others. Frugality is identifying the difference of wants and needs.   

   

·         In our Blog, I have read the post entitled Strategy VS. Tactics, in relation to my research from Donna Marcella,

Marketing strategy: The marketing strategy section is where you actually spell out how your business is going to address an unmet need in your target market , by setting goals and high-level strategies. Set goals typically for at least one year.  Make them realistic, achievable and measurable. 

Wrap up the strategy section of your marketing plan by outlining the particulars of your business offering - in marketing parlance, you'll be defining what are known as the "four Ps" for your business:

Product – description of your product or service, including features and benefits

Price – initial pricing strategy

Place – distribution channel for your product or service, i.e. where you’ll sell

Promotion – the methods and channels used to reach customers and let them know about your product or service

Marketing tactics:  To take your marketing plan to yet another level of detail, you’ll dream up some tactics to actually meet the goals you set in the previous section.  Common marketing tactics include advertising (print, online, radio, etc.), trade show or event attendance/participation, public relations, grassroots and viral marketing campaigns and email marketing.

As you choose your tactics, summarize what it is, why you should use it, what you expect to get out of it, and how much it’s going to cost.   Finally, set a timeline for each tactic and pick a team member to champion getting it done.

Marketing budget and timeline

Wrap up your entire marketing plan with a bow by summarizing your costs and timelines from the previous section.  And then measure, measure, measure.  Check your marketing budget at least monthly, and determine whether you’re getting the return you expected from each tactic.  It’s never too late to make some changes to your marketing plan.

Your marketing timeline can help you understand if your tactics are driving any sales.  Compare sales during timeframes when you’ve done some marketing activities and check for any growth to see if there was an impact.

Writing a marketing plan should become at least a yearly ritual for your business.  Not to mention that it’s probably a good idea to revamp your marketing plan when you are releasing new or significantly changed products or services.  Just remember that writing a marketing plan is time well spent for any sized business, because it’s the process for thinking honestly and thoroughly through how you’re going to connect with your customers.

*** Some comments I heard from other Agents and Clients is the lower price of our competitor here in San Fernando, La Union so I was compelled to search and learn the strategy of Starbucks. “Their coffee, even if priced slightly more expensive than expected, is notorious for satisfying customers with its rich, delicious taste and aroma.”            

Points to Learn from the Starbucks Marketing Strategy

Every business can learn from another, especially if a particular business is one that has displayed tremendous success over the years. The Starbucks Corporation and its successful marketing strategies are definitely something that anyone interested in business can learn about. What sort of techniques did the company use, and how were these able to reach out and attract millions of people worldwide? Some of their best strategies are outlined below.

 “Perfect Cup of Coffee” – Starbucks history has shown that they place a huge emphasis on product quality. Their coffee, even if priced slightly more expensive than expected, is notorious for satisfying customers with its rich, delicious taste and aroma.

 “Third Place” – From the very beginning, the Starbucks marketing strategy has focused on creating the “third place” for everyone to go to between home and work. Creating this unique and relaxing “experience” and “atmosphere” for people has been very important for the company as they have realized that this is one of the strongest concepts attached to the company, to which customers have been strongly attracted.

“Customer Satisfaction” – Customer satisfaction is a very important issue with Starbucks. From entrance to the store to the very last drop of their coffees, it is a must that customers feel the uniqueness of enjoying their Starbucks coffee experience. Without a doubt, Starbucks Coffee Company knows the answer to the question, "Why is customer service important."

“Creating a Starbucks Community” – The Starbucks marketing strategy has even expanded to create a community around their brand. On their website, individuals are encouraged to express their experiences with Starbucks history, and the company strives to “personally” join in the discussions. This technique was cleverly pointed out by Webolutions: The Strategic Marketing Agency in their “Starbucks Marketing Observations” article.

“Smart Partnerships” – Starbucks Coffee Company has been known to create strategic partnerships that demonstrate the fact that another way to grow your business is to partner smart. Over the years, the Starbucks Corporation has greatly increased sales just by using this strategy.

“Innovation” – Through the years, the Starbucks Coffee Company has been known to think up creative and innovative ideas to add to their products or services. They’ve added different flavors to their coffee, more food on their menu, and even became one of the firsts to offer internet capability in their stores.

 “Brand Marketing” – The Starbucks marketing strategy has always focused on “word-of-mouth” advertising and letting the high quality of their products and services speak for themselves. For years, this has been uniquely Starbucks, and it has played a huge part in making Starbucks Coffee Company a success. The definition of viral marketing speaks to this new word of mouth that Starbucks has run with, and made their own.

                                                       *****