Life skill #DodgingShopping

Dodging shopping?

Let me begin today underlining the urgent need when shopping to counter effectively the marketing strategies adopted by the recent mushrooming super-marketeers amidst our own down to earth local retail marketeers who have been there as merchants or tradesmen since time immemorial in every street corners and lanes almost all over the world. In India, the local 'baniya' or 'grains merchant' not to mention of them who apart from appropriately weighing and handing out the ordered grain items would even go the extent of having them ported to our doorstep, accept at times replacement of the ordered items and last but not the least offer to the needy their merchant services on credit. Before the advent of ATM's there were instances when one forgot to keep a check on cash reserves at home on weekends. The banks then would close their business work hours in the afternoon i.e. all Saturdays were to be half days. An urgent need of funds then could be relied on such known grains merchant who always had ready cash on them for their business requirements as we know trading relies more on hard cash rather then believe on cheque payments. I recall one such incident when my father had to urgently borrow money one weekend from our regular grains merchant in our home village and instead handed over a post dated cheque to them that got honored the coming Monday. At times such personal connections would also ensure that one always received the household grain items on time, of the right quality and quantity as socializing has always been more important more than anything else in this world. Any new items surfaced in the market would be informed beforehand and then sold to their regular customers but never marketed with the intention to clear the shelf stocks such that even children could be sent to run errands and learn. In contrast super-markets as well operate as a business entity and yet cannot afford to build up on personal connections and therefore seem to operate rightly on capitalist views when it came to put in practice their marketing policies. To put it in a better way had one a need to go to their outlets it would not be surprising if one would come out with three to four different varieties of 'noodle' when required was only one packet maybe any one among the available choice. A person seeking one noodle packet could come out buying three to four packets of 'pasta' instead. No surprise at all! More outlook on such a capitalist view point would be when one succumbs to the urge to buy items on display that are not necessary but forgets to buy the much needed 'noodle' packet even when without any of the staff intervening. It is this last sentence that the post today intends to highlight and why there is no other alternative but to dodge the hypnotic marketing spells cast on us so that we may reach and buy our intended stuffs ignoring other items at such super-markets.

What is marketing? As we know traditionally marketing has been defined in the books of management as a skill to hold on to and convince a prospective customer so that he may buy the intended item or any others on shelf display and thence extract a feedback for having completed the buying/selling transactions and their experience on the same. Such a cumulative feedback over a time period could help judge the marketing skills of the staff at the shop or the super-markets of today and later on find innovative means to constantly update them in line with changing times. The feedback method could be either a simple verbal discussion or a list of questions as in a written questionnaire. It is this former part of 'convincing the customer' that has although evolved from a mere selling activity to a more important and responsible activity of empathizing with the customer's needs that has although been put forth often in a lot of comic and humorous form yet commands respect in a growing economy e.g. ability to sell refrigerators and air conditioners to Eskimos, combs and hair shampoos to bald people, umbrellas and raincoats during off season, etc. No doubt the above phrases look quiet unreal but these describe the extra-ordinary skills possessed by certain marketing people who have excelled in their ability to 'empathize' and 'convince their customers' not to back out from the sale. I remember one TV serial on Star Television wherein a customer enters a shoe shop glances for sometime at the display windows that contain a variety of good shoes till one of the shop attendant approaches and offers him help. He asks for a pair of good office wear shoes to which the attendant readily offers him one within his expressed budget. Further unsure of what else to buy the customer asked the attendant to proceed for packing and bill the chosen pair. The owner of the shop then busy in conversation with his wife happened to notice that the customer was not content before and now too when the purchase was made i.e. he overheard the conversation between him and his attendant. He told his wife that he has been a marketing person from the very start as selling had always been his passion. He asked his wife to watch him do the sale and know how one could excel in marketing as good as now that he has been. The owner approached the customer, congratulated him for having made this wonderful selection and asked whether he would mind take some time to look at the pair of shoes he had especially for him and reconsider his choice. The customer took a look, admired in awe the wonderful shoes but said no as these were beyond his budget right now. To that the owner asked him whether he would prefer something as this pair of shoes which although a little beyond his budget came with an absolutely free pair of socks or whether he would prefer the pair he had in his hand which was within his budget only to shell out an extra sum for a pair of socks later on; the choice being quiet obvious no doubt. The word 'free' could make anyone go in for the owner's former proposition and that's what our customer fell for and that's how the owner excelled once again polishing his marketing skills that he had been working on since so long. What was not needed was purchased by the customer as he did not want to pay and buy only the pair of matching socks at a later date when he could get them for free now along with the much needed pair of shoes that he came for! In the hypnotic charm of the owner's skill it did not dawn on the customer that the later date could be anywhere from the very tomorrow to maybe even after one year or maybe much beyond that.

However in the super-markets of today we find a self service facility similar to a buffet dinner hosted instead of the usual personal attention from the market's staff as described above wherein one could simply walk around, seek the items that one needs and also feel free enough to get the touch experience before proceeding to the billing counter. Here one could override the assisting staff's suggestions to fulfill one's own wish of enjoying a true buying experience. However none of the staff need bother you in a super-market as the new trends of packaging items scientifically that have set in blended within an environment so amicable that the staff need just to go on with the show and rest assured any customer would be psychologically tempted to experience this new marketing phenomenon of today. The color, size and texture of the packaged items so appropriate to the surroundings as well as for the contained product that the mere sight of them appeals to one's eyes unlike the experiences with the ordinary transparent plastic wraps. Anyone would get attracted to them and even though not needing them go out of the way and buy the packed items. The scientific basis adopted to attract customers through enhanced product visibility and affordable prices enchants all because research confirms that certain color combinations awaken ones cravings for owning material possessions. Of the many sensory organs in a human body it is the eyes that seeks to fulfill such cravings through slackening the hold one has on oneself that allow to loosen up a bit the inhibitions stored in all of us and helps be one with oneself. Hence a travel to the super-markets after a tight scheduled day at the workplace helps one remove the reservations that one maintains about oneself and of others too thereby making thoughts free of the workplace and other worries too. Hence the reason why people go on binge-shopping to lift their moods as compared to any other therapy because such a method seemingly happens to give people a unique experience of having come out of a world of congestion and conformity where one needs to fall in line duly with the scheme of things established as does a machine without asking questions into a free world wherein one could exercise one's free will with no one to question or restrain their buying actions.

But as with any habits such shopping could burn holes in our pockets had we to lose control over our actions. Even the rich in society have faced this peculiar behavioral problem; a disease called Compulsive Buying Disorder (CBD). Yes we know that basically people with such disorders have been identified to be psychologically disturbed yet find themselves at ease when confronted by a similar psychological leveled marketing strategies in the form of packaged and at times well decorated items at shelf display in the super-markets unlike any other known medical therapy. The rich may not feel the pinch at an early stage but those with reservations on their income would find themselves at the receiving end what with the everyday price rise, inflation issues and climatic disorders becoming a way of life. Such people as mentioned would on impulse come out of the super-markets with three to four different varieties of 'noodles' when required was only one or find more appealing to buy instead a packet of 'pasta' or a case wherein such people could not resist the urge to buy such items that were not necessary but forgot to buy the needed 'noodle' packet. Getting mesmerized and indulging oneself on random buying in heat of the moment not only causes wastage of hard earned money but a rise of the daily garbage in the house on account of unwanted items having encroached thereupon and making their presence felt which most times remain unused or rendered unusable at any later date. The world today happens to be on the verge of generating garbage estimated to exceed way high above ten million tonnes a day by the year 2100 implying skyrocketing costs imposed on governmental and environmental bodies. These may be forced to shift their focus towards such issues rather than for upkeep of food grains, consumable goods and other things because the economics then for cost allocation towards resolving issues of garbage disposal may tilt against the much needed food production and health globally.

That leaves one with a question as to what could be the option available such that one could reach the super-markets, fetch the items needed, be educated and disciplined enough to dodge through the flashy spells cast by the packaged items, reach pay counter, pay the bills and leave without much to bother as to what else are there on shelf display? Could one change the method of functioning of the super-markets or could one demand from them to be more sober in their ways of marketing their products so as not to let people be carried away with such technology enabled ruse? However to ask for such would be highly unacceptable in a society driven with globalization and liberalization views. Hence the only option that remains would be to discipline oneself such that one knows beforehand what to seek from such outlets and what to seek that only be remembered to buy ignoring the other items no matter how appealing they may be but still remembering their availability when a need may arise to have them for future consumption or use. So let us seek, analyze this problem viz. to remember 'what one needs now and those that are not needed now' and how we could go about solving this and how far would it be practical to pursue the same as a skill development? Consider for now that at this instant one needed a packet of good quality 'noodle' and no matter what brand that could be. We know that super-markets thrive with a variety of the same product; each package unique with the same product. Therefore one need to make up one's mind beforehand as to which variety to select from the available many. In addition there could be other food products that challenge the good old noodles as a 'make it yourself' snack. That leaves one to again make up the mind as to why one should opt for selecting the noodle packet and reject anything else equally good; maybe there could be also something new awaiting in the shelf that was never tried out before. So a decision to buy specific items alone and with a firm mind reject all others seemingly good need confirmation. But such a workout as planning to buy, remembering and taking firm decisions, etc. seems to be unlike any home activity and sounds more of a workplace activity and the home now seeming to be an extension of one's tense workplace. Hence craving to relax ought to get more thrusted upon by the time one reaches the retail therapist i.e. super-market. But the fact is that the charm and soothing environment of the super-market that welcomes all, most probably one would likely forget what items one intended to buy unless of course one had them jotted down on a piece of paper. This implies that 'not to forget' may be an art that obviously requires polishing and practice because today all are somehow in face-off against the new scientific methods being adopted as marketing strategies to keep the inflow of customers as good as possible and not just inflow it would be expected from them to indulge in buying activities too. If that were not so then under such circumstances after a tiring day at work one would need to stiffen one's jaws and avoid the relaxed environment of the super-markets and behave in a manner so irrational that one would deliberately try to miss out all the other good items on display and like a robot reach out to only those that would be needed which would be from any point of view unlikely to be a learned life skill when shopping but more so of dodging shopping!   

Let us now conclude the above discussion with a query; how often have we been to the public gardens and enjoyed the beauty of the flowers; they blooming in all their freshness and different colors; butterflies appreciating them most. Maybe this same experience one gathers on seeing the beautifully packed and decorated items on display shelves. It would be unnecessary to pluck the flowers to help relax our moods when spending time in a garden as the very sight of such beautiful greenery all around suffices one to partake in the nectar nature has to offer i.e. peace of mind. So could one apply the same philosophy through practice and skill upliftment when visiting the super-markets and learn the art of simply experiencing the beautiful exhibition of modern packing technology that soothes the eyes and nerves but avoid the temptation to pluck them from the shelves and do so only whenever in a need to buy the same. Could one learn to restrain oneself from that impulse to pick up what one does not need right now and yet maintain ones equanimity when having to let go off the things not needed inspite of them being so very tempting and heart filling. It seems that a little assertiveness and will power one could achieve so not in a single day but gradually and change ones behavior to become eventually truly adaptive even to the whims and fancies of the ever changing surroundings. Then learning restraint as such puts one back in track without imposing any residual stresses on self and to learn daily would mean changing everyday till one felt that one had mastered this skill of not submitting to binge-shopping. Further to expect technology to stop its innovative approaches to enhance marketing means would be a big folly. Before was a period when sales people mesmerized one into buying, today it is the packaged items and tomorrow something new and hence ones so called transformation now may seem insignificant then unless one updates self. Hence one need to go to the super-markets, experience such innovative changes adopted for marketing and learn restraint every time so that one remembers easily what one needs to buy in a leisurely manner (very important that our body language too exhibits the same) because learning new every time amounts to updating upon this skill. The life skill development as described above helps one to be open minded and such a mind set promotes goodwill in oneself and when interacting among others.

So still dodging shopping? Yes! No problem but please go through the post again as the above life skill surely outweighs dodging shopping.                                                                  

                      

           

           

Life skill #mobilephonemanship

Coining 'mobilephonemanship'

Some twenty years back I remember one incident that happened with me late evening in my native home. There were no mobiles then and the vintage black landline telephone was the only way to communicate with faraway friends, relatives and others because the next faster communication media was the telegram service at the nearby post office. So an urgent official call requesting a postponement of my job interview dates due to unavoidable circumstances were to be conveyed not later than that day but the post office was closed by then as also the company's office. No one would have picked up the phone had I attempted to call on them that left me thinking on what could be done now? It was then that a gentleman arrived and using the same telephone he managed to send a telegram via. a service called 'phonogram' highlighting my present inability with a request for any available dates in the coming near future. Such a service was available and we in our family were in the dark about its existence maybe in heat of the moment.

So the moral of the story rather the actual incident was that had it not been for the gentleman's 'presence of mind' I would have never ever been able to connect with the company and present my request for the change of dates. It is obvious from above that a timely connect could result in a positive outcome but that however is not so important! In my personal opinion what matters more in today's age is the ability to connect oneself, enable one's voice to reach the right person at the right place and most important at the right time because such an initiative when taken positively helps one to allow that little space for destiny to take over and decide on the probable outcome from the other end. Somehow a 'presence of mind' in today's context on such communication tools viz. the mobile phones, the variety of them with their available variety of features that help to deal with our day to day life activities seems to be quiet misplaced as many people buy them seeking the needed features i.e. you could buy a mobile phone and a suitable plan that fits into your scheme of lifestyle unlike in the old days when the big black telephone ruled the roost. If suited either one had to buy it or forget it! 

Let us now take the example of our three close friends whom we had met when reading this blog's Home page. They are but a carefree type of youngsters ever waiting for a chance to play truant; very typical of today's generation. One of them has approached his college early in the morning to seek the calm environment of the library and study for the exam to be held in the day's afternoon session as a quick revision and practice would always help clear the exam. But on reaching the college to his utter bewilderment he finds that the exam is scheduled now in the very morning session and not afternoon to which he whips out his sword I mean his mobile phone but finds the battery is very low. Now should he call up his other two friends and ask them to leave their houses immediately and come to college for they all had made a serious mistake in interpreting the exam time table put up days before on the notice board. On second thoughts should he first charge his mobile and then talk but talking later would be futile and talking now would render his mobile switched off dead and thence become unable to receive personal calls that could be urgent. So we have a very bad situation for our friend what with a mobile phone available in hand, battery low and no time to charge. The situation demanded a sacrifice of good friendship had he to decide on not inform them about the actual exam timings as against his own personal needs or maybe at the instant let go off his personal issues on a priority basis. A mental agony as this to decide what to do in the face of an unexpected looming exam session that went overlooked would be the last thing a student appearing for an exam would need; enough for anyone to remain tensed the whole day. One may even be tempted to throw away in anger the mobile in hand a scene quiet often depicted in films that showcases the irresponsible behavior of not acknowledging the statically positioned old telephone's development today to becoming mobile with our own mobility and it of becoming a part of us just like the clothes we normally wear. Clothes protect us from excess sunlight, dust, dirt and so should be analogically expected from the mobile phone. Such instances of our friend above seems quiet harmless unless one has had to experience something more bitter than their situation thus qualifying the coined word 'mobilephonemanship' as an in-demand skill awaiting recognizance. So what could be this word 'mobilephonemanship' that could cut across all age, gender, race, etc. in society today? Read on to find more!

Do we ever wonder how and why we still find ourselves at loss when an important call is to be made and our mobile phone's balance shows nil or the phone is not charged up or the charger is there but no available electric points. The worst part although very unlike to happen would be to forget the phone either at home or elsewhere. Summing up we have today the mobile phone as similar to a sword donned by the knights in the days of yore especially found from the folk tales prominent among western countries but no books on ancient knighthood history would ever mention a swordsman riding the countryside and putting up with duty on a borrowed sword because his own needed sharpening. No books either would mention the greatness of the sword wielded rather than the charged flesh that wields it. Finally no history books would ever mention a knight claiming helplessness for having forgotten to bring his sword with him. A swordsmanship has therefore meant to be the skill of the swordsman to make best use of his sword at all times seconded by many a philosophical books that have equated the sharpness of the sword to the purity of the mind and soul.

So how should we manage this God gifted tool as a mobile phone; a tool that helps reach out through spoken words and messages, pictures and videos, any social media tools such as Twitter, Facebook, etc. not just leisurely to our families and friends but also timely to fulfill our duties towards the societal brethren in the event of such a need arising. Did the ancient swordsmen not commit any folly in their upkeep for their swords and if not then how could we become like them ever ready with their ready swords and ever more ready at any time to be present at the call of duty? The very sight of such sword wielding swordsmen come to their relief earned them respect among the rural peasants. This was obvious because of the display of confidence and fearlessness emanating from their horse mounted selves. With the mobile have we ever been so confident with ourselves so as to earn the much needed respect from our elders at home or from our bosses at work or from our family members and well wishers at any social get together? How often have we been unable to inform our near and dear ones the sudden change of travel plan, a mishap, a traffic chaos, task delay, happy tidings and such events that may have been pleasant and at times unpleasant? How often in our workplace had we to face our mobiles not charged thereby unable to completely partake/convey official information? Inability to do so could have serious implications on our career on account of misunderstandings and incorrect decision making resulting every now and then a chaotic workplace environment highly unfavorable for HR growth. No matter how unpleasant at times a conversation be, our very voice heard could offer solace to the ones who have been impatiently awaiting to hear from us and hence in this context how could we ensure a cent percent connectivity? We know technology on its part has offered this mobile phone that seems to be as good as custom made for us in this modern age but nothing more to offer other than the uninterrupted service (let us assume call drops and such technical glitches as negligible in our discussion here) provisions for it and hence manning the mobile phone alone appropriately would be an in-demand skill to be learnt.

Hence the answer is in building up mobilephonemanship skills akin to the swordsmanship of the gone by ancient days. The swordsman survived by his sword. He who neglected his sword forfeited his worthy good self too. So also the mobile phone today is no better than an inseparable working tool and negligence on our part even to a simple thing as forgetting to charge up the phone could someday render our phone to be a mere box weighing heavily with the already built up guilt of not able to reach out and connect appropriately to the right person at the right time. So any of the ways one adopts here to sharpen one's skills on mobilephonemanship goes without saying that if one forgets to breath in air it is an OK but forgetting the everyday upkeep and readiness of the mobile phone is but a big NO. The mobile phone literally has become next only to the air that we breathe rather it has become our oxygen cylinder meaning we today give more importance to continued connectivity via. our mobiles that round the clock we are continuously communicating and somehow have forgotten to breathe, eat and sleep properly or rather to live properly. The motivational force behind such a 'keep in touch' attitude has arise of late due to the need for posting one's status update regularly on social media as also pursuing career excellence at the cost of unhealthy living lifestyle. Unhealthy living is stressful living offsetting the invention of the mobile phone which was mainly to ease our ongoing lives. However elaborating more on this drawback which is a bitter truth for us civilized people is beyond the scope of this post and hence reserved for a later date as presently more important are knowing the art of making the best use of one's mobile phone at all necessary times especially when technology and infrastructure for the same are available at hand and quiet encouraging so that we may pursue in this direction to achieve such a status update in the near future. The coined word mobilephonemanship hence speaks for itself as learning the art of successfully manning the mobile phone either when at home or when away from home traveling to a distant place such that there never would occur an incident when one felt the mobile phone as an necessary burden. Learning the art would imply 'mobilephonemanship' as a skill that awaits sharpening so as to be perfected and mastered. Perfection and mastery as we know happens to be a never ending process as there always would come a 'scope for improvement' in every success that one may achieve implying that such success would become a relative factor when our eyes face someone who has achieved a much higher level of success.      

Finally what could be the many ways one could adopt to sharpen one's skill on mobilephonemanship? The answer goes without saying; our clothes and their upkeep! We are all dress conscious irrespective of our income slab. Unlike two decades back when one had limited varieties in clothes wear, today we have ample for different occasions. The varieties too come in different colors and designs. However one common thing still persists today and would forever i.e. cleaning and ironing those clothes befitting for the particular occasion may it be a family or a social one. So developing a 'presence of mind' to attend our mobile phone's upkeep and charging at the same time as when done for our clothes could help levitate in the long run the problems we face because we are again basically dress conscious. Hence practicing acceptance of our mobile phones as an extension of the clothes we wear not just from the 'color' or 'size' matching point of view but also for readiness to use becomes a skill awaiting recognition and improvement. But again could this work out when traveling far away from home because when away from home one could always arrange for a pair of extra clothing from the nearest shop or at the least through a local tailor for the period of travel. But in case of mobiles are we assured of availing electric connect points for the mobile charger wherever we travel. In cities and towns this matter may not be serious but if for any reason whatsoever one happens to be in a rural area; an area of frequent power cuts, very common among most Asian countries then how would one use the mobile phone? It would not be wrong to put the analogy of the swordsman who ventured into unknown territory without his sword. Such actual life happenings are usually experienced by most news reporters when reporting from remote backward areas with dearth of basic facilities and also areas that have been facing blatant misuse of human rights and other social issues that may have communication facilities but you never know when they may malfunction to be unusable. Hence to be on the safe side one need to assess and cross check the alternate routes to reach one's destination that could provide not just mobile connectivity but also charging facilities en route as a review of such alternatives beforehand especially when traveling far away from home is a right call for polishing our 'presence of mind' and not act hurriedly. The knights too had been known to ready themselves beforehand in the event of a probable face-off with unknown enemies in unknown territories through appropriate pre-investigation and association with the local rural folks. If the review should confirm unsuitability of mobile use during such a travel then the least one could inquire would be the good possibilities to reach out for the good old post offices with their working vintage telephones and not adopt a procrastination attitude to this issue with a belief that one could always find a good Samaritan or two who would readily lend their own mobile phones to strangers.  

To conclude one may adopt any innovative methods or strive to plan for the same that suits them best, eases their daily life routines and helps echo such practice to others too in their vicinity thereby help justify the need of today for such in-demand skill development.