Professor M. S. Rao’s Vision 2030: One Million Global Leaders

© 2015 MSR Leadership Consultants India. All Rights Reserved. This is a nonprofit blog to share Professor M.S.Rao’s passion and vision to build one million students as global leaders by 2030. The use of this material is free provided copyright is acknowledged and reference or link is made to the Blog http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.in. This material may not be sold, or published in any form, or used in the provision of business services to a third party without permission.

Friday, 17 April 2026

Professor M. S. Rao’s Vision 2030: One Million Global Leaders : How to Fix Profits on Products?—Professor M.S. Rao...

Professor M. S. Rao’s Vision 2030: One Million Global Leaders : How to Fix Profits on Products?—Professor M.S. Rao...: For every businessperson, fixing profits is a challenging task. However, experienced an individual might be there is always possibility ...

Thursday, 16 April 2026

How to Fix Profits on Products?—Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.—21st-Century Philosopher & The Father of “Soft Leadership”

For every businessperson, fixing profits is a challenging task. However, experienced an individual might be there is always possibility for failure in judgment. Let us look at the same in detail.

There is no standard yardstick by which we can fix profit margins on products. However, it all depends on the experience and expertise in the trade. It also depends on the business acumen and gut feeling.

When products are bought every trader expects to sell the entire stock based on intuition and gut feeling. But unfortunately, things do not work out the way one expects. Therefore, it is essential to discount some sales against the estimated and pre-judged purchases. If the gap between the judgment and reality in sales is vast then the stocks would pile thereby becoming dead stock. Profits or margins on the goods have to be set in such a way that the fast-moving products or goods are sold with nominal profits as the goods are sold immediately and also the rotation of stocks is faster thereby having the desired profits against the slow-moving products. In the case of slow-moving products, it is necessary to have higher margins as trading volumes are thin, and also stocks may result in dead stocks.

In the case of seasonal products, it is necessary to keep higher margins as failure to sell the stocks seasonally results in getting dead stocks. On the contrary, the non-seasonal stocks i.e. the ones that sell around the year can be charged with lower profits as there is immediate liquidity and quick rotation.

If the products or goods are not available in the market massively but very few traders hold such stocks it is necessary to fix little higher margins as there is less competition. Similarly if the products or goods or newly introduced, there would be the least sales initially and, therefore, it is advisable to keep decent profits.

Fixing of profits by manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers varies from product to product and from time to time and also depends on the availability of similar products with their competitors. Fixing profits also depends on the frequency of business rotations. Besides it also depends on the rate of turnover (volume). Usually higher the volume lower the margins fixed on the products.

Let us now look at fixing the profit margin for the products where there is a sudden spurt in demand.

Sudden Drop in Sales

Few products would have a fast pick up in sales as the demand suddenly spurts. Such products would have a sudden drop in sales as well. It is very difficult to anticipate the sales for such products. It is in this context there would be a piling up of stocks leading to dead stocks. As a result, it also minimizes the rotation of capital. Therefore, there is a strong need to liquidate the stocks. Overall, the trader has to be cautious in his approach while placing purchase orders as well as in fixing the profits on such items. If there is a monopoly in a specific product then the trader can enjoy higher profits. But in the present business scenario, there is no room for the monopoly of products as the market is wide open, and also every trader has access to information due to the rapidly growing technology and communication services. Hence, it is advisable to strike a balance during purchase to limit the losses. One should not be too greedy to make money as it may boomerang.

A Take-Home Message

Always satisfied customer is an asset to any business. Therefore, the traders have to fix their profits on the products at a reasonable level to have steady sales with steady revenues keeping both the customers and competitors in mind.

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“Things You Don’t Know about Professor M. S. Rao” http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2015/10/things-you-dont-know-about-professor-m.html

Read my ‘Vision 2030 One Million Global Leaders’ URL: http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2014/12/professor-m-s-raos-vision-2030-one_31.html

Note: I had a brain hemorrhage. I was in bed for five months. My right hand has been numb and paralyzed. I am recovering. Thanks for empathizing with me. With gratitude. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFJrSRLHPUk&ab_channel=ProfessorM.S.Rao

Life is great!

Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.

Founder of MSR Leadership Consultants, India

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/M.-S.-Rao/e/B00MB63BKM

Vision 2030: https://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/professormsrao

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See the Light in You: https://www.amazon.com/See-Light-You-Spiritual-Mindfulness/dp/1949003132

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Kindly share your thoughts and comments below. I’m sure someone out there will find your story useful.

This nonprofit blog will share Professor M.S. Rao’s passion and vision to develop one million students as global leaders by 2030. Please do not cut articles from my blog; redistribute them via email or post them online. The use of this material is free, as long as the copyright is acknowledged and a reference or link is provided to the Blog http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com. Without permission, this material may not be sold, published, or used to offer business services to third parties.

Professor M. S. Rao’s Vision 2030: One Million Global Leaders : Be Optimistic like Obama and Be a Leader like Linc...

Professor M. S. Rao’s Vision 2030: One Million Global Leaders : Be Optimistic like Obama and Be a Leader like Linc...: “ You have worked hard to live up to that great hope and trust placed in you by the American public.” —Dalai Lama The world is exci...

Be Optimistic like Obama and Be a Leader like Lincoln —Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.—21st-Century Philosopher & The Father of “Soft Leadership”

“You have worked hard to live up to that great hope and trust placed in you by the American public.” —Dalai Lama

The world is excited to hear the victory of American President, Barack Obama. It shows the trust and confidence Obama enjoys in the hearts of Americans. His victory raised aspirations among ordinary citizens and minorities that an ordinary person especially a black can aspire and occupy the highest office in America. It also indicates the true heart of Americans who welcome all communities in their fold with magnanimity. Zindzi Mandela, the daughter of Nelson Mandela said, "I think that the symbolism of having a black man occupy the highest office is something that can make my children very aspirational to know that this is possible, you know, in their lifetime."

Obama secured a narrow majority in the popular vote as well as a wide majority of electoral votes. He made it happen despite several odds stacked against him. Obama's first win was due to the change the Americans craved as they were against Bush and his miscalculations in Iraq. However, the second win was due to the hope he raised among the Americans despite being in turbulent times. Here are the reasons for his victory:

Obama’s Branding and Leading

Obama branded himself as the messiah of middle-class people due to his humble origins. He made use of social media effectively to position and brand himself. His wife Michelle Obama and two daughters Malia and Sasha stood by him, and he publicly admitted it. He built a successful team around himself and aggressively campaigned to ensure his victory. This is all about his branding. When we talk about his leadership achievements, he successfully eliminated Osama, ensured the pull-out of American forces from Iraq, and handled the Libyan issue effectively. He enhanced employment in America; built consumer confidence; and improved the housing market. He took the reins of a sinking American economic ship from his predecessor – Bush and kept it floating although he could not sail it smoothly to the shore. Americans voted for him again with the hope that he would sail the American economic ship successfully to the shore.

Respect People’s Verdict

Obama's win also shows that Americans don't want to change the President to make the change happen smoothly. In addition, Americans are aware that it would take four more years to recover from the challenges. Obama doesn't have any magic wand to address all the challenges within four years. Hence, Americans voted for him again so that Obama could deliver the goods effectively. Above all, in democracy, it is the people who are the Gods as they decide the leaders and the destiny of the nation. Hence, let us respect the people's choice.

Challenges Ahead

Presently Obama has several challenges ahead. He must be careful during his second term as some of the second term Presidents could not do well and ended up in a fiasco. Hence, it is more challenging for Obama to live up to the rising expectations of Americans. Despite the decline in employment problem, there is still employment problem as roughly 3.6 million Americans are without work for a year or more and are still looking. Approximately 20 percent of the people between the ages of 25 to 54 don't have jobs in America. Hence, Americans want him to enhance employment opportunities; check recession; and revive the American economy. The global citizens want him to bridge the gap between the developed and the developing countries. They want him to address global warming and ensure ecological balance. They want him to check global terrorism to ensure a peaceful and tolerant world.

Make a Difference

Obama has nothing to lose as there is no third term for him. He has to be assertive in addressing various issues to make America and the world a better place to live. He has four years at his disposal to deliver the goods. Since he won with a thin margin, he should take feedback and act aggressively to address several challenges at home and overseas. He has to pull up his socks to make a positive difference from now onwards. He must walk his talk. He must emphasize less on rhetoric and more on performance. He must convert his charisma into performance and translate his vision into results. Above all, he must make a difference in the lives of global citizens.

Usage of Media by American Presidents

Some of the American Presidents made use of media for their political campaigning. Here is the statistical evidence of how they used to impress their citizens and win their presidential elections:

In 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt gave a series of 30 evening radio speeches between 1933 and 1944.
In 1961, John F. Kennedy became the first president to hold a live televised news conference.
In 2008, Barack Obama created an effective campaign on the web. He has been dubbed ‘The First Internet President’.
In 2008, Obama reached out to a younger audience and used free advertising on the internet. The videos posted on his YouTube channel received 14.5 m hours of viewing: equating to $47 million of pre-internet TV spending.
In 2011, Obama organized the first 'Twitter town hall meeting' answering questions from the public on Twitter.

Parallels and Differences between Lincoln and Obama

Let us look at the parallels and differences between two American Presidents—Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama who won the second term:

Both Lincoln and Obama came from Illinois and served in the Illinois Legislature. They were authors and lawyers with little experience before becoming President. They won fame through their inspiring oratory. Douglas Brinkley, a Professor from Rice University says, "Lincoln and Obama shared a love of words, a belief that rhetoric and oratory could change people's minds, and the way they would express things, the confidence they would have in a debate—not by fiery oratory, but by a calming presence, a reasoned argument^¹." Both Lincoln and Obama are speech writers and gifted orators who have magical powers to move the audiences. They were born in poverty and raised by women other than their mothers as Lincoln was raised by his stepmother and Obama by his grandmother. Lincoln's mother died when Lincoln was a child while Obama's father left when Obama was a child. They accept criticism politely and take feedback for their improvement. The differences between Lincoln and Obama were that the former was a Republican while the latter was a Democrat and the former had little formal education while the latter had a good education in law.

Be Optimistic like Obama and Be a Leader like Lincoln

Barack Obama is a symbol of hope and optimism who rose from humble origins and showed the world that everything is possible in the world. His optimism persuaded the Americans to win the second term although there were doubts about his victory. Abraham Lincoln also rose from humble origins and underwent a lot of failures during his lifetime and ultimately became the first Republican President and 16^th President of America. He led from the front by managing two challenging issues such as the unification of America and the emancipation of slavery in America. And he succeeded as a leader. That is the reason most Americans look back to Lincoln for lessons whenever they face leadership challenges. Hence, be an optimist like Obama and be a leader like Lincoln to have the cake and eat it too to achieve all-round success.

Abraham Lincoln's Ten "Cannots^²"

"You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift."

"You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.

"You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

"You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.

"You cannot help the poor man by destroying the rich.

"You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.

"You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.

"You cannot establish security on borrowed money.

You cannot build character and courage by taking away man's initiative and independence.

"You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves."

Share if you care!

“Things You Don’t Know about Professor M. S. Rao” http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2015/10/things-you-dont-know-about-professor-m.html

Read my ‘Vision 2030 One Million Global Leaders’ URL: http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2014/12/professor-m-s-raos-vision-2030-one_31.html

Life is great!

Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.

Founder of MSR Leadership Consultants, India

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/M.-S.-Rao/e/B00MB63BKM

Vision 2030: https://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/professormsrao

Substack: https://professormsrao.substack.com

X: http://twitter.com/professormsrao

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ProfessorMSRao

Meta: https://www.facebook.com/Professor-MS-Rao-451516514937414

See the Light in You: https://www.amazon.com/See-Light-You-Spiritual-Mindfulness/dp/1949003132

Thanks for reading!

Kindly share your thoughts and comments below. I’m sure someone out there will find your story useful.

1 http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/127534.html accessed as on November 22, 2012

2 http://www.illinoishistory.gov/facsimiles.htm accessed as of November 22, 2012

Friday, 10 April 2026

Professor M. S. Rao’s Vision 2030: One Million Global Leaders : A Blueprint to Build Resilient Communities Globall...

Professor M. S. Rao’s Vision 2030: One Million Global Leaders : A Blueprint to Build Resilient Communities Globall...: “ Life is like a game where you seek to overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of achieving your goals. You get better at this game...

Thursday, 9 April 2026

Professor M. S. Rao’s Vision 2030: One Million Global Leaders : Do You Want to Become a Consultant or a Contractor...

Professor M. S. Rao’s Vision 2030: One Million Global Leaders : Do You Want to Become a Consultant or a Contractor...: Consultancy is catching up globally with the rapid growth in technology. Although technology is a boon in bringing comfort to humankind,...

Do You Want to Become a Consultant or a Contractor?—Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.—21st-Century Philosopher & The Father of “Soft Leadership”

Consultancy is catching up globally with the rapid growth in technology. Although technology is a boon in bringing comfort to humankind, it has also brought out several changes and challenges. As a result, the aspirations and expectations of the clients are rising. In addition, it resulted in the mushrooming of more specialized areas. Several consultancy firms have come up to provide solutions in a focused and systematic manner for all these challenges. Here is the list of a few top global consultancy firms: Bain & Company, Boston Consulting Group, McKinsey & Company, Booz & Company, The Cambridge Group, and Deloitte Consulting.

Who are Consultants?

Consultants are experts in a particular area. Opinion leaders, thought leaders and seasoned experts in a field or industry often become consultants to have freedom of work and to share their experiences, ideas, and insights. They provide their expert knowledge to find solutions to problems. Having worked for several years, they have thorough knowledge in their domain. They are networks, domain experts, communicators, and leaders. They are creators, innovators, researchers, and advisers and go by the road less traveled. They are risk-takers with a flexible mindset to fit into unfamiliar corporate cultures. They are smart at soft skills, business acumen, spontaneity, and tact apart from strong hard skills. They are knowledge workers who are going to lead the future.

Management Consulting

Management consulting is the process of diagnosing problems and providing solutions for improving the performance of employees and also enhancing organizational effectiveness and excellence.

Pros and Cons of Consultancy

The job of consultancy is replete with highs and lows where consultants may have too many assignments at a time or no assignments at all. It is a highly challenging profession. When you become a consultant, you venture into unchartered territories. You cannot be assured of regular pay check and your financial position fluctuates depending on the assignments you get. Although you have initial hiccups financially, you will consolidate your position over some time and stand out as a consultant if you proceed with passion, perseverance, and persistence.

Challenges for Consultants

The challenge for consultants is that there is no job security and they constantly have the fear of drying up their work. You must keep your financial reserves ready for a rainy day. It might also happen that you get all clients at a time as business cannot be predicted. Therefore, it is essential to network with new clients and be involved in sharing your ideas and thoughts in various forums to get noticed. It builds your brand besides opening new opportunities for consultancy. It keeps you engaged and makes your presence felt. It helps in building your brand consistently and constantly.

Myths about Consultants

It is a myth to think that consultants are old people and people pursue this career in post-retirement. The truth is that there are young people who are consultants. The only qualification is to have competence in a field or industry for some time.
Consultants are supermen. It is another myth as the fact is that consultants are ordinary individuals with extraordinary knowledge in specific areas of interest and expertise. They are passionate with an uncanny ability to diagnose and resolve problems.
Consultants have to be a jack of all trades. The truth is that they have to be masters in a specific domain. However, being aware of various domains is an asset.

Internal versus External Consultants

Companies can look for consultants from outside as well as to deploy internally. The internal consultants know the system better and are focused on ground realities. They also know the organizational culture and climate. They come out with solutions with pre-conceived ideas and approaches. At times, the internal consultants may be under pressure to cover up inherent weaknesses and limitations. They may also be involved in organizational politics for their survival or to settle scores with others. However, the external consultants are not concerned about petty organizational politics, and their main concern is only performance and paychecks. They approach the problems on a clean slate without any fear or favor and bias and come out with solutions. They are thorough professionals in their work and approach and provide solutions. Therefore, both internal and external consultants come with their challenges. Finally, the onus lies with the organization to consider either the internal or external consultants or blend both to get the desired outcome.

Choosing Consultants

Check the credibility and credentials of the consultant through references, check the kind of projects and assignments previously handled, and their takeaways. Check for professionalism.
Don't get trapped with the wrong consultant. If you hire the wrong consultant, you lose money, and waste precious energies and efforts and the outcome is disastrous. Check for authenticity and background.
Check the expertise and experience of the consultant at length, breadth, and depth. Find out what is so special about the consultant and what makes the consultant stand out from others.

Consultancy as a Career

Consultancy is a lucrative career if you have the potential to perform with your domain competence. You must be willing to travel widely as per the client's needs. You will be your boss. You must be a networker, communicator, creator, and leader. If you have all these ingredients you can excel as a successful consultant. Few educational institutions offer consultancy as a specialization in their MBA and other courses.

To be successful as a consultant, discover your hidden talents acquire the relevant skills, and explore something new to get noticed. You must be a good networker and out-of-the-box thinker. You must be computer savvy with a global mindset. To excel as a consultant, get into related associations and clubs to get noticed. Deliver free speeches to have a foothold and acceptance as an expert in your domain.

Becoming a consultant changes your lifestyle. You will have more control over your life and pursue your passions. Usually, consultants are paid on an hourly, day, and project or commission basis. There is a lot of freedom and flexibility in consultancy as you don't have to work regularly except for the duration of the project or assignment.

Conclusion

Contractors are often the people who are involved in unskilled and semiskilled activities. They are narrowly focused. In contrast, consultants are skilled workforce and knowledge workers who are highly focused and advanced. Consultants have wider and larger roles to play than contractors. Consultants look beyond the role of contractors. The future belongs to the people who work smart and wise, but not hard. The future belongs to consultants, not contractors. Therefore, become a consultant, not a contractor to make a difference in the lives of others and organizations.

Share if you care!

“Things You Don’t Know about Professor M. S. Rao” http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2015/10/things-you-dont-know-about-professor-m.html

Read my ‘Vision 2030 One Million Global Leaders’ URL: http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2014/12/professor-m-s-raos-vision-2030-one_31.html

Life is great!

Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D.

Founder of MSR Leadership Consultants, India

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/M.-S.-Rao/e/B00MB63BKM

Vision 2030: https://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/professormsrao

Substack: https://professormsrao.substack.com

X: http://twitter.com/professormsrao

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ProfessorMSRao

Meta: https://www.facebook.com/Professor-MS-Rao-451516514937414

See the Light in You: https://www.amazon.com/See-Light-You-Spiritual-Mindfulness/dp/1949003132

Thanks for reading!

Kindly share your thoughts and comments below. I’m sure someone out there will find your story useful.