Success | Personal Development | Self-improvement // Ranjan Bassi

Thursday 10 March 2016

Expert Speakers explains how to Outline a Powerful Speech

Preparation is essential to your ability to deliver a powerful speech. The more you plan and prepare, the more confidence you will have when you finally stand up to speak.

The P-R-E-P formula is an extremely effective preparation technique that some of the best speakers in the world use all the time.

P - Point of View - This is where you state your thought, idea or fact in the beginning of each talking point. For example you could say "More people are going to make more money in the next 10 years than in the last 100 years.

R - Reason - State your reasons for holding this point of view or idea. For example you could say the number of millionaires and billionaires; most of them self-made in one generation has increased by 60% in the last 5 years and the rate of increase is accelerating.

E - Example - Illustrate or use an example to reinforce and prove your point of view. For example you could say in 1900 there were 5000 millionaires in America and no billionaires, by the year 2000 there were 5 million millionaires and more than 500 billionaires, by 2007 according to Business Read magazine there were 8,900,000 millionaires and 700 billionaires worldwide; most of them first generation.

P - Point of View - Restate the first P (Point of View) to emphasise your idea further. For example you could say there have never been more opportunities for you; the creative minority to achieve financial success that exist today, except for tomorrow and years ahead.

You use these elements of P-R-E-P formula to build out and organise the key points of your talk.

Source ~ Brian Stacy

Monday 29 February 2016

9 Things to do in your 20s to become a millionaire by 30

Tuesday 9 February 2016

7 unusual success tips from a 23 year old who just got acquired

It was just 10 months ago that I was working with Directi; and just one year before that I was in college. Not one of the most popular guys; but the most geeky? Yes. Today, when I go to sleep I am surprised at the things that have happened and how I got to where I am. Two profitable ventures. One acquisition. All at the age of 23!

I always knew this was going to happen and I always had faith in myself but isn’t it ironical that the same batch mates, who used to frown upon me in college, are still stuck at Infosys, and I make that much money just through a Youtube channel that I started in college?

What makes me or any entrepreneur different? If I had to give my two cents on how to be successful — well I can’t say whether I am successful – I would say be happy and do what you want because that is what exactly I did. Of course, I won’t be telling you how to build a good product. You figure that out yourself.

What are the things that will take you towards success? Here’s my two bit.

1. Be shameless: Most people are afraid. Afraid to do anything unconventional. Afraid to ask the girl out. Afraid to write what they feel like. Afraid to follow their dreams or whatever bullshit they want to do and then they try to convince themselves with excuses. ‘Oh! I couldn’t do it because I was going through a breakup or family event or academics or health or whatever crap.’ I usually had the habit of converting ideas into action. I learnt this from Richard Branson. Go read his book it’s a good read. And yes, ask that girl out, if you don’t ask, the answer will be 100% no, but if you ask you never know what may happen. It’s good to get some action once in a while, apart from your company which will definitely fuck your brains out.

2. Read: Blogs, books, whatever. You got to read every day. The mistakes that you will be making have already been made by people who were successful before or in fact in your time. Read something inspirational, read a biography, read something fun or fiction. It is never late to read ‘Harry Potter’. So go grab a copy or in fact if you are above 23 and you promise me that you will read ‘Harry Potter’, reply in the comments section (last date 1st July) and I’ll buy the book for you. I am serious.

3. Handle your emotions: I can recall at least 10 times during the last one year when I was like, ‘fuck it, who cares. I am still going to make a lot of money even if Flat.to fails.’ But remember these thoughts are temporary and they will go. When you hit rock bottom, when you are going through a breakup, when you have a big fight with your co-founder, my advice is, whatever it is that you are going through, sleep over it. Handle your emotions and tackle the situation properly. The passion or the enthusiasm will be back the next day when your head is clear. You know what is the only difference between successful people and the unsuccessful ones? They can handle emotions well, they can be strong in their worst times. And that’s why they succeed. Here is what I did when I hit rock bottom.

4. Be an asshole: This is not to say that being an asshole will make you successful. But an unwillingness to occasionally be one is an almost certain road to failure. You want some examples? Nah, I will be an asshole and not give any. But remember, if you are not pissing someone off, you anyway probably aren’t doing anything important, read more here. Quoting Oliver Emberton,
Most of us fear upsetting the emotions of others. When we upset people, we’re compelled to justify ourselves. We yearn to win over our detractors. We seek everyone’s approval. And just one criticism among a hundred compliments burns into our brain like a cigarette. That’s actually a good sign. It means you’re not really an asshole. Just don’t be afraid to act like one where it matters.

5. Be a salesman: So you are a developer? You don’t like going out? You just like sitting on your bean bag and pushing code? Well if you are a co-founder or a stake holder of the company, you are the biggest brand that the company can have. The way you can convince or sell someone your idea will be better than any other salesman you hire even if you are hiring MBAs from ISB or IIM-A. And trust me if anything works more in a sales pitch it’s nothing but passion. So go out sell to the investors, sell to the people who may potentially acquire you, to the customers, to the clients, to that cute girl you saw while coming to your so-called startup office. Remember Varun Agarwal? From Alma Mater? I would like to quote him here, “At some point, I realised that the best marketing is not outbound it’s inbound, after my book was published I was getting paid to get my company promoted and not the other way round.”Hats off to you Varun. And it doesn’t matter if your social skills are not good or you are an introvert, in fact one thing I have realised is that developers make for the best sales people too, because they know what they are building inside out, you cannot compare the passion they have with others. And yes, find at least one person who will pay for what you have built even before you build it.

6. Have good mentors: Let’s put it this way, had I not had good mentors, Flat.to wouldn’t have been acquired. We may have done something or the other like raising more money but something as good as working together with the CommonFloor team wouldn’t have been possible if not for my mentors. Sumit, CEO of CommonFloor, has been my mentor for eight months; we both share a common mentor Sameer Guglani from Morpheus, and I am lucky to have both of them as mentors. Even though we were competitors, I haven’t seen such a humble person as Sumit who gave me advice patiently or cleared my doubts. And I thank Sameer and all my other mentors for being there and not letting us make the mistakes we would have made without their support.

7. The daily practice: Contrary to what mainstream media says, I think it’s very important to have discipline while running a startup. I mean yes growth hacking and crazy ideas are fine but for you to not become insane you need to also do stuff everyday which keeps the mind and body fit. And how do you do that? By following the daily practice. This new app called, Lift, works for me well.

Source : http://yourstory.com/2014/04/success-tips-acquisition

Tuesday 29 December 2015

7 Ways 'Fearless' People Conquer Fear

You may believe that brave and courageous people have no fear. Wrong. Courageous people are as afraid as anyone else. It is actually their fear that makes them courageous, not the lack of it. But they manage their fear differently. It’s not a stretch to say that people who truly have no fear are either sociopaths or have severe brain damage. For the rest of us, being "fearless" means knowing how to leverage fear. How do fearless people do that? How do they become fearless without being thoughtless?

1. They respect fear.

Fearless people are not afraid to be afraid. They are comfortable acknowledging their fear. They know fear is hardwired into our nervous system and therefore impossible to shut down. They understand that the role of fear is to warn and protect, not to scare and prevent. For them fear is not an enemy. It is an ally that guides them through high-stakes situations and ensures goal achievement.

2. They understand the mechanics of fear.

Fearless people recognize that fear is a complex experience made up of interactive physical, emotional, and mental components. They know that fear goes beyond feelings of worry and dread, and that their own thoughts can exacerbate their fears by making things seem scarier than they really are. They understand that their own actions can determine the degree of impact fear will have on their lives.

3. They explore the origin of their fear.

When fear arises, fearless people don’t let it linger. They want to know what is causing it. Fearless people realize that fear is not so much about what scares you but about why it scares you. And there are 3 main reasons why something scares you:

Biology: You are designed to be scared of it. There are a number of things that we are genetically predisposed to be afraid of—snakes, for example.
Past experience: It (or something very similar) scared you a lot in the past. Fear can be learned and conditioned. If you have been in a bad car accident, you may become afraid of driving.
Forecasting: You worry about the future. Fear emerges when you expect that your predicament or your actions could have serious and harmful consequences for your life, your health, your freedom, your relationships, or your self-esteem.

4. They focus on building confidence.

There is no better antidote to fear than self-confidence. The more confident you are about your ability to handle what scares you, the more secure you will feel. Building confidence is a result of acquiring knowledge, mastering a skill, and gaining experience. Getting the facts lessens the intensity of fear by making things seem less scary and more preventable. Mastering a skill, whether public speaking or job interviewing, shifts your focus from fear of failing to active coping. Finally, the more experience, direct or vicarious, you gain, the less of a barrier to success fear becomes.

5. They overprepare without overreacting.

Fearless people don’t spend time worrying about the worst-case scenario—they preparefor it. They make a plan, and they have a backup plan. They overprepare without overreacting, obsessing, or ruminating. In Chapman University survey, more than 50% of respondents stated that they were very afraid they would experience a natural or manmade disaster in their lifetime, and 86% believed that preparing ahead of time (e.g., putting together an emergency kit) would increase their odds of survival significantly. Yet, only one in four had actually made any efforts to prepare for such an event. Imagine how much more scared those three out of four people will be when the Weather Channel outlines the path of a powerful hurricane.

6. They take action despite their fear, not because of it.

Ultimately, what determines the outcomes you achieve in life are the actions you do or do not take. And fear will interfere. Fear-engineered actions range from tackling what scares you head on to working through it despite your fear. Fearless people strategize. They plan and evaluate their actions. They know when to push forward and when to pull back. They know what risks are worth taking and which ones they should avoid. And when things get out of hand. . .

7. They are not afraid to ask for help.

Despite its incredible evolutionary value, fear is not a fun feeling. It is an inherently unpleasant experience that causes physical discomfort, emotional distress, and mental turmoil. When a person doesn't deal with fear properly, it can become pathological. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, almost one out of five adults will suffer from an anxiety disorder in a given year. The psychiatric literature reports over 100 phobias, disorders which manifest in a persistent and irrational fear of objects or situations. Fearless people know when to seek help. When a worry becomes excessive and anxiety interferes with daily life, it is time to consult a professional.

This is the last of a three-part series on fear. Remember to read Part One andPart One as well.

Thursday 22 January 2015

Interesting Articles | Must Reads

Wednesday 21 January 2015

Understanding Business Processes

Sunday 18 January 2015

Two Skills That Are Incredibly Rare, yet Important for Employees !

Doing what you tell people you will do

If you can teach your kids a useful skill that will always help them with their career: teach them to be reliable -- to do what they say they will do. (It is harder than it sounds.)

If you consistently do what you say you will do, you will almost certainly be someone people desire to have on their teams. It is so rare that when you work with someone who is reliable, you never ever want to work with anyone else. You will do anything to keep that person on your team.

Doing what you say you are going to do starts with setting the right expectations. If you tell someone you will get them the deliverable by Tuesday, you need to understand that it can actually be delivered by Tuesday. If you are good, you are probably factoring in slack in case someone in corporate slows you down or your child gets sick.

And so if your boss wants something done Monday and you think it cannot be done until Wednesday, you need to be up-front. Because once a date is agreed to, you're on the hook for accomplishing it.

On the less-skilled end of the job spectrum, many people cannot commit to showing up to work consistently and on time. There are many external factors in their life that make even these commitments hard to achieve.

So do everything you can to be reliable -- because there are very few people that one can rely on.

Keep track of yourself

The corollary to being reliable is to make sure you manage yourself.

If you can manage all your tasks and deliverables without reminders, you will be treated like the golden child.

If your boss or colleagues never need to remind you about a project, deliverable, an answer to an email, etc., they will be able to take a load off their mind and be allowed to focus on other areas. And they will appreciate not having to have the uncomfortable conversation with you ("where is that item that was due yesterday?").

This takes a lot of hard work and organization, but most people can do it. You don't need a PhD (or even a college degree) to be on top of everything. You just need to be organized and prioritize its importance. Of course, while most people CAN do this, most people DON'T do this -- so doing it will be a huge differentiator for you.

The underrated skills
If all you do is be reliable and keep track of yourself, you will be indispensable to any company.