Thursday, November 26, 2009

Re: [prpoint] Attitude of students - Need for good Business Communication skills

 

19 years back, a computer institute franchisee was upset because he was spending too much money on advertising and wanted to stop those big image building ads. I looked into his predicament and found he was paying 20% royalty and the ad-spend was reaching another 20%. I told him him why not look at it this way that your real royalty is 40%. After paying this do you still make money? He said "yes I do". And then he started laughing and went ahead with advertising.

Friends, we are paying (through our nose) many costs and their respective raises that we would not want to pay. Everyone has a ready list of five items that ought to be cheaper. Yet no one can do a thing about it. This issue of "Training" needs to be looked as a "Learning Opportunity" for the Master of the Game. People in PR are good at "Art of Possible". Can young students be brought into this aspect and let them mentally explore it. I assure, those who try would be amply rewarded. Next thing would be use of Positive Pygmalion Effect. Third thing would be to let them find a Positive Purpose in sticking with you. At present they might be driven by Negative Purposes like, getting hold of your contacts, and such other motives. They either fulfill these objectives or move where they think they their purpose will be met.




--- On Thu, 26/11/09, Jai Balakrishnan <krishnan.jai@gmail.com> wrote:

From: Jai Balakrishnan <krishnan.jai@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [prpoint] Attitude of students - Need for good Business Communication skills
To: prpoint@yahoogroups.com
Cc: "Image Management" <image_management@yahoogroups.com>
Date: Thursday, 26 November, 2009, 10:14 AM

 

Dear Friends,
 
I am glad that you have brought the below discussion in this forum. I would also like to share my views on this topic, since I am too much affected by these type of students attitudes.
 
In fact, it does not end up asking for the internship. Even if we give them an opportunity, they really don't show interest towards learning PR. All is that they have to get an internship certificate from an employer.  
I employed three people from the same premier college as a Management Trainee, who did not stick beyond 3 months.
They really don't want to learn Business Communication Skills, even if we guide them several times. They try to ignore it and take the job very easy. They really does not think that it gives a bad impression in front of the client and always will be considered as a Management Trainee by the clients. Here, they themselves are building roadblocks for their career. Finally, when we lose our temper, they tend to quit the job.
 
I am trying my luck on the 4th Management Trainee. PR agencies invest so much time in training these guys, but they don't have a passion for PR, which I have observed in many guys.
 
 
Thanks,
Jaisingh Balakrishnan
 
 
 
On Wed, Nov 25, 2009 at 6:04 PM, Narendran A <naren_vna@yahoo. com> wrote:
 

Dear Friends

Recently we had a dicussion in the group about attitude of students passing out of premier colleges. I wish to highlight an email communication between a student and PR executive

The incident:

A Communication student from a well known Chennai college called our Moderator Mr K. Srinivasan over phone ten days back and wanted a PR internship. Mr Srinivasan asked her to send her profile to his e mail id. The student sent her profile as attachment without any request for internship or covering mail.

Though, her mail had only her profile as attachment, Mr Srinivasan forwarded her profile to me and to Sakthi with a request to help her to get an internship. He also endorsed a copy to her with a request to contact both of us over mobile with more details.

Since, she did not contact either of us for a week, Sakthi sent a mail to the student. I reproduce below Sakthi's mail and her response. I have suppressed the name of the student and the college.

Sakthi's mail to the student:

Dear XXXXXXXX,

This is further to the email sent by Mr. Srinivasan regarding your internship. Have you got any internship or still looking out? pls let me know.

Regards,
Sakthi Prasanna.

The response by the student:

"I havent got a conformation yet. I am waiting for it. I have applied in XXXXXXX & XXXXX. I am also interested in PR. If i can join your company I would like to know my work profile or what will be my work contribution and other details. My contact no is 9xxxx xxxxx."

(The student's mail did not even contain customary words like dear so and so or hi or even regards, as it was official and for the first time. The response also lack politness, when she seeks an internship. She does not even request an internship. It looks as though, she is going to honour the Agency by joining there as intern. Further She has provided her contact number probably expecting Sakthi to contact her and explain the job profile.)

Though Mr Srinivasan had asked her to contact us over mobile, she did not contact for a week. Atleast on receipt of Sakthi's mail, she should have contacted him over phone for guidance.

Nowadays, many of the mails received from the young students lack humility and politeness. I am sharing this communication with all, so that young students should learn to write good letters/mails. They should develop good communication skills when they write formally.

Even the educational institutions should devote some classes to teach 'Business communication skills'.

Request members to share their views.

Best regards
Narren




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