SOURCES: http://blog.xertini.com/
Selling Combs to Monks
There is one company "manufacturing combs" which intends to expand its business and therefore, the management needs to employ a new Sales Manager.
The company ADVERTISED the vacancy in the newspaper. Many people turned up for the interview daily....adding up to almost a hundred interviewees in just few days.
The Company now faces the problem in choosing the right candidate for this position. So the Company’s HR manager sets out a task to those who wanted to come for the final interview.
The task: Selling Combs To Monks In Temples
Only 3 applicants are willing to stay on for this Final Interview challenge:- A, B and C
The HR manager instructed: "Now I want three of you to sell these wooden combs to the monks in the temples. You only have 10 days to do it and report to me."
After 10 days, they reported.
The HR manager asked A: "How many have you sold ?"
A answered: "Only One."
HR manager asked: "How did you manage to sell one ?
A answered: "The monks in the temple scolded me when I showed them the comb but on my way downhill, I met a young monk who bought it to scratch his head due to dandruff.”
The HR manager then asked B: "How many did you sell ?
B replied: "10 pieces. I went to a shrine and noticed that many devotees' hair were in a mess due to strong winds outside the shrine. The monk listened to my advice and bought 10 combs for their devotees as a mark of respect to Buddha."
Then, the HR manager asked C: "What about you ?"
C replied: "1,000 units."
The HR manager and the other 2 interviewees were astounded.
HR manager asked: "How did you do that ?"
C replied: "I went to a famous temple. After observing for a few days, I discovered that there were many tourists. I then told the Chief Abbot there. "Sifu, those who come here are very devoted. If you could give them a gift, it will be more elating to them. I told him that I have a bulk of combs here and asked him to put his signature on the combs as a present to these visitors. He was very delighted and immediately ordered 1,000 pieces."
MORAL OF THE STORY:
HARVARD UNIVERSITY did a research:-
1) 85% of success is due to attitude and 15% is capability
2) Attitude is more important than intelligence, specials skills or luck..
In other words, professional knowledge only constitutes for 15% success factor while 85% is due to self-cultivation, public relations and adaptability.
Still remember the story of Selling Shoes to Africans?
When 2 Salesmen were sent to Africa, one of them reported: “Cannot do it. No one wears shoes over there!”
The second salesman said: "It is good to market. A lot of opportunities."
Success and Failure is dependent on how we face problems.
Remember, when the economic is good, there are people going bankrupt.
When business is bad, there are many new millionaires as well. So apply the 85% of the right working attitude fully.
With this story, we learn to "think out of the box" and even with 15% capability, we are confident to solve problems as long as we have the RIGHT WORKING ATTITUDE, COMMITMENT, DISCIPLINED, DEDICATED and DETERMINED.
DO NOT FIND EXCUSES NOT TO DO THE POSSIBLE BUT INSTEAD, FIND WAYS AND MEANS TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE. That's the right working attitude !
The company ADVERTISED the vacancy in the newspaper. Many people turned up for the interview daily....adding up to almost a hundred interviewees in just few days.
The Company now faces the problem in choosing the right candidate for this position. So the Company’s HR manager sets out a task to those who wanted to come for the final interview.
The task: Selling Combs To Monks In Temples
Only 3 applicants are willing to stay on for this Final Interview challenge:- A, B and C
The HR manager instructed: "Now I want three of you to sell these wooden combs to the monks in the temples. You only have 10 days to do it and report to me."
After 10 days, they reported.
The HR manager asked A: "How many have you sold ?"
A answered: "Only One."
HR manager asked: "How did you manage to sell one ?
A answered: "The monks in the temple scolded me when I showed them the comb but on my way downhill, I met a young monk who bought it to scratch his head due to dandruff.”
The HR manager then asked B: "How many did you sell ?
B replied: "10 pieces. I went to a shrine and noticed that many devotees' hair were in a mess due to strong winds outside the shrine. The monk listened to my advice and bought 10 combs for their devotees as a mark of respect to Buddha."
Then, the HR manager asked C: "What about you ?"
C replied: "1,000 units."
The HR manager and the other 2 interviewees were astounded.
HR manager asked: "How did you do that ?"
C replied: "I went to a famous temple. After observing for a few days, I discovered that there were many tourists. I then told the Chief Abbot there. "Sifu, those who come here are very devoted. If you could give them a gift, it will be more elating to them. I told him that I have a bulk of combs here and asked him to put his signature on the combs as a present to these visitors. He was very delighted and immediately ordered 1,000 pieces."
MORAL OF THE STORY:
HARVARD UNIVERSITY did a research:-
1) 85% of success is due to attitude and 15% is capability
2) Attitude is more important than intelligence, specials skills or luck..
In other words, professional knowledge only constitutes for 15% success factor while 85% is due to self-cultivation, public relations and adaptability.
Still remember the story of Selling Shoes to Africans?
When 2 Salesmen were sent to Africa, one of them reported: “Cannot do it. No one wears shoes over there!”
The second salesman said: "It is good to market. A lot of opportunities."
Success and Failure is dependent on how we face problems.
Remember, when the economic is good, there are people going bankrupt.
When business is bad, there are many new millionaires as well. So apply the 85% of the right working attitude fully.
With this story, we learn to "think out of the box" and even with 15% capability, we are confident to solve problems as long as we have the RIGHT WORKING ATTITUDE, COMMITMENT, DISCIPLINED, DEDICATED and DETERMINED.
DO NOT FIND EXCUSES NOT TO DO THE POSSIBLE BUT INSTEAD, FIND WAYS AND MEANS TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE. That's the right working attitude !
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The headquarter of Thailand's largest monastic order and Vipassana Meditation centre, Wat Mahathat is an important centre for the study of Buddhism and meditation. Although most programmes are in Thai, there are some in English and the temple has become a popular place to learn the Vipassana meditation method.