How not to loose in the BoB race !

Taking(probably stealing would be more appropriate here, but I will stick to my first choice) the baton from the winner, I thought of giving a shot at documenting the steps needed to run a flying lap in quest for the gold in next year's event.

Before I go into the nitty-gritties, I should tell you very honestly that I never planned this post. Forget planning, I had not even imagined I would be writing something like on these lines. But you guys have made me to - by voting for me. I know some of you changed sides at the last moment(and that's why I still have to crave for that iPod), but I forgive your sins. But make sure this is your last mistake, because even He can tolerate uptil a point, I am after all just bio-degradable flesh. Irrespective of whether you voted or not, thanks to you all of just dropping by my webome.

Ok, now back to more important matters. Let's begin the list of steps:

1) Remember, people at the institution are also people, so write stories that touch their heart, or make them laugh. Atleast try. Only then will they choose you over another blogger who has got the same number of votes and writes as elegantly(or pathetically) as you do.

2) Show your love for the people who will read your stuff and those who will judge it. Your initial attraction to the institution was because of a reason, so tell them the reason. Pay them a visit, send them some flowers, write a sonnet, do what you can to demonstrate that fuzzy feeling you safely keep inside your heart.

3) Consider each blog post as a one-minute commercial. You have to make the most of it under the given constraints. And as much as you would think that people read blogs casually, believe me you are wrong. Many in our community have way too much time(I would wisely leave out the details of HOW), and your stuff gets read more than once. They refer your blog to other friends, and they discuss your blog over beer(ok, not always, but sometimes). Your blog posts tell your story - so tell a story you want to tell, and make sure it is appealing to everyone who will probably read it. In short, know your audience well.

4) Write honestly - people like that. If you have to lie, lie - but remember to be honest about that lie somewhere in your next blog post. People like people who acknowledge mistakes(even if the errors were intentional), it shows character(weirdly contradictory, hunhh?) and the desire to improve. Whether you actually improve or not is a debatable story for another day.

5) Love what you are writing - believe me, it shows up. Fine - even if you dont believe me, just give it a shot. It wont hurt, the next BoB is a year away. Be passionate about what you write, and be smart enough to ensure that the passion within is visible in your blog posts. Our community likes to think that they are a passionate lot, so this trick would immediately connect you to them.

6) Dont write about all MBA stuff. If you for some reason have to, mix up your stories with anecdotes from your personal life, your childhood, your siblings - anything that will spice up the boring cliched material. But be careful to tie your thoughts to a central theme and your USP. You are building a brand here - so make sure you get all forces to act in the right direction.

7) Make sure you edit your posts and cheque for speling misstakes. See if your post has a rhythm, see if it flows like the stream on the hillock. If not, tweak it, modify it, rewrite it(do anything and everything you can) - because if it aint good looking to you, how are you gonna convince the world that's its the most beautiful thing they can ever see. After all, we arent Milton or Hilton, that whatever we write(or wear, or probably not wear) looks good.

8) Open out your stuff for the smart ones to read. Some of them will be kind enough to be critical - listen to what they say. You would need time to make improvements, so make sure you are not in a hurry. Sharpen the edges, and fine-tune the settings. You are almost there, but dont be hasty to finish it off just yet.

9) Network with people who have been there before, and have seen the world. Discuss your thoughts with them - see if they believe your posts will be entertaining yet believable to the celebrities and hoi-polloi alike. Once you have collected the suggestions, consider those during your regular lonely Saturday afternoons. But in the end, take your call, because its your story, and you got to believe what you wanna say.

Last but not the least, please be reminded that even Ethan Mathew Hunt cannot plan everything to perfection, so hedge your bets, and keep a back up plan - just in case you dont get that iPod. I bought a Samsung Yh-J50 !

[ edit 1 ] - I stumbled upon this link on "How to tell a great story" and thought it will go well with this post.