Phase 1: Order & Request Capture
Email, Phone, WhatsApp, Walk-in, Website Orders
- Email: "Need 500 branded notebooks for Dec 15 event"
- WhatsApp: "Can you quote for 200 t-shirts with logo?"
- Phone: "Urgent: 100 mugs needed by tomorrow"
- Website: New order for corporate gift hampers
- Walk-in: Client wants to see sample products
What exactly? Quantity? Deadline? Budget?
Vague: "Need some branded items"
Clarified: "500 A5 notebooks, full-color logo on cover, delivery to Mumbai office by Dec 15, budget ₹35,000"
Single Action: "Send product catalog to client"
Project: "Corporate gift program for 50 Google offices across India"
YES (Do Now): "Reply to pricing inquiry email" (1 min)
NO (Queue): "Create detailed quote with mockups" (30 min)
• Send product catalog PDF
• Confirm meeting appointment
• Forward supplier invoice
Proceed to Phase 2
Define outcome & next actions
Project: "Microsoft Corporate Store Launch"
Outcome: Functional online store by Jan 15
Next Actions:
- Get logo files and brand guidelines (1h)
- Source 50 products for catalog (2 days)
- Get pricing approval from suppliers (3 days)
- Setup Shopify store (1 week)
- Upload products with descriptions (2 days)
- Configure payment gateway (1 day)
- User acceptance testing (3 days)
Each subtask → Phase 2
YES: Product catalogs, supplier price lists, brand guidelines, vendor contracts
NO: Spam emails, irrelevant newsletters, expired quotes
Google Drive, categorize by client/product
Document: "Google Brand Guidelines 2024"
Location: Drive > Clients > Google > Brand Assets
Tags: #google #brandguidelines #logos
YES: "Explore eco-friendly product line" (market trend)
YES: "Contact about Amazon partnership" (potential channel)
NO: Generic sales spam
Review quarterly
Phase 2: Task Prioritization & Execution
Location, resources, dependencies
At Office: Client meetings, product sourcing calls, team coordination
At Warehouse: Quality checks, inventory management, packing supervision
At Supplier: Negotiate pricing, check production quality, place bulk orders
During commute: Answer WhatsApp queries, schedule meetings
Urgency × Importance
- Shipment delayed, client event tomorrow
- Quality defect found in 500 t-shirts already delivered
- Payment gateway down, orders not processing
- Supplier demanding payment to release goods
- Client calling about wrong logo printed on products
Task: "500 notebooks have wrong logo color"
Delegate to: Operations Manager
Brief: "Client event is tomorrow. Coordinate with supplier for emergency reprint. Use air courier if needed. Budget approved up to ₹50,000. Update me every 2 hours."
Check-in: 2 hours
Monitor progress closely
"Major client (Google) threatening to cancel ₹10L annual contract due to repeated delays. Only I have relationship and authority to resolve. Clear calendar, visit client office immediately."
- Develop new supplier relationships in Vietnam
- Create product catalog for 2025
- Negotiate annual contracts with existing suppliers
- Train team on new CRM system
- Build relationship with potential enterprise clients
- Improve warehouse inventory management process
Time-block for focused work
Monday 10am-12pm: "Supplier negotiations - Vietnam factory visit planning"
Wednesday 2pm-5pm: "Product catalog design - review samples, take photos"
Friday 9am-11am: "Strategic planning - Q1 2025 product roadmap"
Mark as "In Meeting" in calendar, inform team not to disturb
High: "Launch Apple corporate store"
Break into:
- Initial meeting with Apple procurement (2h)
- Get brand guidelines and requirements (1 day)
- Source 100 products meeting specs (1 week)
- Get Apple approval on product selection (3 days)
- Negotiate supplier pricing (1 week)
- Setup online store platform (2 weeks)
- Upload products with descriptions (1 week)
- Testing and training (1 week)
"Create quote for 200 t-shirts" (30 min) → Schedule Tuesday 11am
"Update inventory in Vinculum" (1h) → Schedule Thursday 3pm
- Client requesting sample products for evaluation
- Vendor wants meeting to show new catalog
- Generate monthly sales report for management
- Follow up with clients on pending invoices
- Schedule courier pickup for 5 small orders
Set expectations, deadline, format
To: Sales Coordinator
Task: "Send product samples to Microsoft"
Context: "They're evaluating for ₹5L annual contract"
Deliverable: Send 10 samples (list attached), tracking number, follow-up email
Deadline: Today before 5pm
Resources: Samples in warehouse rack B3, courier account credentials in shared doc
Task | Assigned To | Due Date | Status
Microsoft samples | Priya | Nov 5 5pm | In Progress
Monthly report | Rahul | Nov 8 | Complete
Invoice follow-up | Accounts | Nov 10 | Pending
Email Batch: Check and respond to all emails 11am, 3pm, 5pm (not continuously)
WhatsApp Batch: Respond to all client messages twice daily
Quotes Batch: Process all quote requests Friday 2-4pm
Admin Batch: All invoicing, expenses on Friday afternoon
- Excessive WhatsApp group chitchat
- Reading every promotional supplier email
- Attending meetings with no clear agenda
- Over-designing internal presentation slides
- Perfectionism on minor quote formatting
"Explore direct import from China suppliers" → Not urgent now, valuable for cost reduction in 2025
Unsubscribe from irrelevant vendor newsletters, decline non-essential meetings, stop spending time on insignificant details
Task: "Create quote for Salesforce - 1000 notebooks"
Start: 10:00am
Actions: Check supplier pricing, calculate margins, create quote document, add mockup
Task: Salesforce quote
Time: 45 minutes (estimated 30min)
Note: Needed custom mockup, took extra time
Blocker: "Supplier not responding to pricing inquiry"
Impact: Cannot finalize quote for client
Owner: Procurement team
Action: Call supplier directly, escalate if no response by 2pm
Quote: Accurate pricing, mockup attached, terms clear
Product: Quality matches sample, branding correct
Delivery: On time, correct address, proper packaging
✓ Quote sent to client
✓ Saved in CRM (Zoho)
✓ Follow-up reminder set for 3 days
✓ Supplier quote filed in Drive
Update CRM, move to follow-up list
Issue: Client says pricing too high
Action: Renegotiate with supplier, explore alternate products, revise quote
Phase 3: Client & Vendor Communication
Meeting vs Email/WhatsApp?
In-Person Meeting: Complex negotiations, relationship building, product demonstrations, conflict resolution
Phone/Video Call: Urgent decisions, quick clarifications, status updates
Email/WhatsApp: Quotes, order confirmations, simple queries, documentation
Product samples, pricing, portfolio
Client: NVIDIA - New corporate store
Prep (1 day before):
- Prepare 20 product samples (apparel, drinkware, tech accessories)
- Create pricing sheet with volume discounts
- Portfolio of similar client stores (Google, Apple)
- Understand their requirements (budget, timeline, product preferences)
Objective: Secure ₹20L annual contract
0-10min: Introduction, understand needs
10-40min: Product demonstration, show samples
40-60min: Discuss pricing, timelines, customization
60-75min: Address concerns, negotiate terms
75-90min: Define next steps, timeline
Agreed: Launch store with 50 products by Feb 1
Next steps:
• Send formal quote by Nov 8 (me)
• Get brand guidelines by Nov 10 (client)
• Schedule design review Nov 15 (both)
Send summary email within 2 hours
Target pricing, volume commitments
Vendor: T-shirt manufacturer in Tirupur
Objective: Reduce per-unit cost by 15% for annual contract
Strategy:
• Current: ₹180/unit
• Target: ₹150/unit
• Walk-away: ₹165/unit
• Leverage: Commit 10,000 units/year, quarterly payment
1. Review current relationship and volume
2. Present annual volume commitment
3. Request revised pricing for 10,000 units
4. Discuss payment terms, quality standards
5. Finalize agreement, sign contract
Final Price: ₹158/unit (12% discount)
Minimum Order: 10,000 units annually
Payment: Net 30 days
Quality: 2% defect rate max
Delivery: 15 days from order
Contract Duration: 1 year, renewable
Type: Weekly operations review
Duration: 30 minutes
Agenda:
1. Order fulfillment status (10min)
2. Inventory alerts & reorders (5min)
3. Client escalations (10min)
4. Next week priorities (5min)
Operations: 15 orders shipped, 3 pending quality check
Sales: 8 new quotes sent, 2 orders confirmed
Procurement: Reordered notebooks, t-shirts arriving Friday
Blockers: Courier delay for Mumbai delivery
Action: Escalate courier issue to logistics partner
Decisions, action items, follow-ups
Meeting: NVIDIA Corporate Store Discussion
Date: November 5, 2024
Attendees: Roger (Hourglass), Sarah (NVIDIA Procurement)
Decisions: Proceed with 50-product store, Feb 1 launch
Action Items:
• Roger: Send formal quote by Nov 8
• Sarah: Share brand guidelines by Nov 10
• Both: Design review meeting Nov 15, 2pm
Feed back to Phase 1 for processing
"Hi Rajesh, quick question: What's lead time for 200 ceramic mugs with single-color print? Client needs by Nov 20. Thanks!"
Not: "Hi" (then waiting for response before asking question)
To: Microsoft Procurement Team
Subject: Quote for 500 Branded Notebooks - Ref: MSQ2024-11
Context: Following our discussion on Nov 3 about corporate gifting program
Quote Details:
• Product: A5 hardcover notebooks
• Quantity: 500 units
• Branding: Full-color logo on cover
• Unit Price: ₹285
• Total: ₹1,42,500 (includes GST)
• Delivery: 15 working days
Next Steps: Please confirm by Nov 10 to meet your Dec 15 deadline
Attachments: Product mockup, detailed quote PDF
Order ID: HE-2024-1156
Client: Google India
Items:
• 1000 × Cotton T-shirts @ ₹450 = ₹4,50,000
• Branding: Screen print, 2 colors
Delivery: Google Hyderabad office by Dec 1
Payment: Net 30 days from delivery
Production timeline:
• Artwork approval: Nov 8
• Sample approval: Nov 12
• Bulk production: Nov 13-25
• Quality check: Nov 26
• Dispatch: Nov 28
• Microsoft quote: Sent Nov 5, follow up Nov 8
• Google artwork: Awaiting approval, escalate if no response by Nov 9
• Supplier payment: Due Nov 7, payment initiated
Set reminders in calendar/CRM
Phase 4: Continuous Review Cycles
Check orders: 5 orders need processing today
Email scan: 12 new emails - 2 urgent client queries
WhatsApp: 8 messages - 1 supplier, 3 clients, 4 team
Deliveries today: 3 shipments going out
• T-shirts for Google: Production 80% complete, on track
• Notebooks for Apple: Delayed 2 days, need to inform client
• Mugs for startup: Quality issue reported, need replacement
1. Resolve mug quality issue - arrange replacement
2. Inform Apple about 2-day delay
3. Follow up Microsoft quote (sent 3 days ago)
9-10am: Handle mug replacement (call supplier, arrange courier)
10-11am: Client calls (Apple delay, Microsoft follow-up)
11am-12pm: Process new orders and quotes
2-4pm: Warehouse visit (quality checks, inventory)
Location: Office, after team leaves
Tools: Zoho CRM, Excel tracker, email inbox
Duration: 60 minutes
• Email: 38 messages → Process using Phase 1
• WhatsApp: 45 unread → Respond, delegate, or note
• Zoho CRM: 12 pending tasks → Update status
• Physical papers: 8 quotes/invoices → File or action
Completed: 12 orders delivered (₹8.5L revenue)
In production: 8 orders (₹12L value)
Quotes sent: 15 (₹25L potential)
Follow-ups needed: 6 quotes aging > 7 days
Action: Call all 6 clients next week
Monday: Supplier payment reconciliation
Tuesday-Wed: Focus on quote follow-ups
Thursday: Warehouse inventory audit
Friday: Microsoft store planning meeting
• "Expand to Bangalore corporate market" → Research in Q1
• "Launch eco-friendly product line" → Still relevant, monitor trend
• "Partner with event management companies" → Activate next quarter
When: Last Friday of month, 3-5pm
Prep: Pull Tally reports, Zoho analytics, bank statements
Revenue: ₹45L (Target: ₹50L) - 90%
Orders: 48 orders (avg ₹93,750/order)
Top clients: Google (₹12L), Apple (₹8L), Microsoft (₹6L)
Margins: 32% (Target: 35%)
Outstanding: ₹12L receivables (15 days avg)
Action: Follow up on 3 invoices > 30 days
Hot products: Notebooks (+40%), tech accessories (+25%)
Declining: Traditional drinkware (-15%)
Client mix: 60% repeat, 40% new (good balance)
Geographic: Bangalore 55%, Hyderabad 25%, Mumbai 20%
Action: Expand tech accessory catalog, target Mumbai market
Tirupur T-shirts: 98% on-time, 1% defect rate (excellent)
Mumbai Notebooks: 85% on-time, 3% defect rate (need improvement)
Delhi Drinkware: 70% on-time, 5% defect rate (find alternative)
Action: Meet Delhi supplier to resolve issues or switch
1. Implement artwork approval tracking in Zoho (reduce delays)
2. Create quality checklist for warehouse team
3. Automate payment reminder emails (improve cash flow)
When: Last week of quarter, half-day
Prep: Full quarter data, market research, competitor analysis
Q4 Achievements:
• Revenue: ₹1.2Cr (exceeded target by 15%)
• New clients: Signed 3 enterprise accounts
• Product expansion: Added 25 new SKUs
Q4 Misses:
• Supplier quality issues caused 2 escalations
• Warehouse inventory management needs improvement
Q1 2025 Focus:
• Revenue target: ₹1.5Cr (25% growth)
• Launch eco-friendly product line
• Implement Vinculum WMS for inventory
• Expand sales team (hire 2 BDEs)
Trends: Sustainable products demand up 40%, tech accessories growing
Competition: 2 new players in Bangalore, need differentiation
Opportunities:
• Corporate wellness products (yoga mats, bottles)
• Remote work accessories (desk organizers, lamps)
• Premium executive gifting segment
Goal: ₹5Cr revenue
Progress: ₹3.8Cr (76% - on track for year-end)
Goal: 10 enterprise clients
Progress: 8 clients (need 2 more in Q4)
Goal: Launch 3 major corporate stores
Progress: 2 launched (Microsoft pending)
Team: Hire 2 BDEs (expand sales capacity)
Systems: Implement Vinculum WMS (Q1 2025)
Warehouse: Lease additional 2000 sq ft space
Suppliers: Add 3 new suppliers for product diversity
ROI: Estimated 30% productivity increase
• Google corporate store: Complete, active
• Apple merchandise program: Complete, ongoing orders
• New product catalog: Complete, distributed
Archive documents, update knowledge base
What's working? What's not?
Working well: WhatsApp for quick client responses (avg 30min response time)
Bottleneck: Artwork approval process (avg 5 days delay)
Root cause: No clear approval workflow, multiple email threads
Solution: Implement Zoho approval system with 24h SLA
1. Setup artwork approval workflow in Zoho (1 week)
2. Train team on new process (2 days)
3. Update client communication templates (1 day)
4. Measure approval time reduction after 1 month
Expected result: Reduce approval time from 5 days to 2 days
Lesson: "Supplier quality issues cost 10x more than upfront quality checks"
Evidence: Delhi supplier defects led to ₹1.2L replacement costs + client relationship damage
Application: Mandatory pre-production sample approval for all new suppliers
Document: "Order Processing SOP v3.2"
Changes:
• Added artwork approval workflow with 24h SLA
• Mandatory quality check photos before dispatch
• Client notification at each production milestone
• Supplier evaluation scorecard (quarterly)
Effective: January 1, 2025
Apply learnings to all future projects