I, as young gov officer, was driving my mother, Dr. Qaiser Siraj (late) to her ancestral home in Gujranwala about 30y back in our small family car. On GT Road toll plazas, I waived my service card and toll men let me go without Rs 5 toll.
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On last toll plaza, mom asked “why you’re not paying them?”. I said “being gov officer I’m exempt”. “But you aren’t in official car or duty” she rebuffed. I kept quiet noticing her anger. “You never pay any toll when you pass these bridges?” she asked. “Yes” I replied sheepishly
On way back home, she asked me to stop at all toll plazas, went outside, paid few times of toll, told puzzled toll man that her son has been passing through these points without paying anything and she wanted to pay all dues besides apologising.
She said “we haven’t raised you, made you Hafiz e Quran, and gave best education that you go out, cheat people and abuse your official authority”. Embarrassed and ashamed, I wanted to sink in the ground.
That was a life long lesson of honest dealing learnt hard way from mother
She was a tough and busy mother, waking up for Tahujud prayers; spent early mornings in Quranic learning and teachings; and spent weekdays in her clinic healing patients and earning halal income.
She was great preacher, healer, philanthropist and build 2 Quranic Institutes for girls.
May Allah bless her soul at higest ranks in jennah. Ameen.
Super moms build children’s character. Every day is theirs even after they die because their values live forever.
As an engineer, I used to hate selling as I thought it required different personality and mindset. Then later in career, I learnt that tech is perhaps 40-50% of a product/service and 50-60% is selling/marketing and this combination makes an excellent business.
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As a shy rookie, I used to visit prospective customers to present services and inturn, learnt to: make presentations; communication skills; understanding customers requirements; build long term relationships; handle nasty questions and rejections, besides overcoming my shyness.
For entrepreneurs as well as mid to senior level executives, selling and business savviness is needed more than ever. Global tech companies now actively look for business savviness in fresh hires. I’ve seen techies with sales/marketing) skills growing very fast in their career.