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sophiethewitch1 · 3 months

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What We Want - Prologue

In Which A Romantic Breaks The Universe

(Yandere!batboys x f!reader) 18+ MDNI!

SUMMARY

Another lonely birthday, another empty year. You miss your family. You're late for your bills and rent, and even then, you got robbed last Tuesday.

Still, you buy yourself a cupcake, because you need it. I mean, hey. What's dessert for if not to get over cheating boyfriends and dead relatives?

As you blow out the candle, watching the clock switch from 11:59 pm to midnight of the next day, you make a wish.

And because the world doesn't like to make much sense, it comes true. Your life is suddenly flipped on a dime, and you're stuck trying to catch up with it. Fantasy becomes reality. You're a Wayne now, apparently. Or you used to be. You're loved, you're rich, you're talented and powerful.

Well, sort of. Careful what you wish for, right?

(TRIGGER WARNINGS AND MASTERLIST HERE)

PREV - NEXT

The cupcake is smashed. Pink icing and gaudy star-shaped sprinkles coat the interior of the box, and the pastry itself has devolved into crumbs. You just stare at it. It had cost you seventeen dollars. It was expensive, yeah. But you’d spent the last three months walking past it every morning and afternoon in the bougie cafe’s windows. You’d waited. You’d wanted.

And it was destroyed. Completely. The perfect swirl of the buttercream was no more. The single, delicate flower made of frosting had lost half it’s petals. You weren’t sure how you could eat it. The wrapping had been warped, but maybe a tea spoon would work?

You let your head fall into your hands, a sob wracking your shoulders. And then less than a second later you swallow down the feeling, and stride over to your shitty apartment’s tiny kitchen. You grab a lighter, a plastic wine glass and the bottle of white wine Molly had given you earlier today. You hadn’t told her what happened yet, but she could tell something had. She’d gave you the wine, a hug, and the promise to always be by your side.

Despite today’s circumstances, despite this week’s circumstances, despite this decade’s circumstances, you were going to have a good birthday getting black-out drunk.

You weren’t going to let yourself sink into one of your funks. Even if it was the worst day of the year by far. Even if it was the second worst birthday of your life.

You just don’t. It’s not allowed.

Your phone rings. Sliding it out of your pocket, you stare blankly at the name on the screen. Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.

Malcom. One of George’s friends. You reject the call, block the number, and slide your phone back in your pocket. See? Dealing with things like an adult. Not throwing a temper tantrum, not crying, not… well, destroying your life in an epic meltdown. You’d had a few of those. Still, despite your obvious erraticness, you hadn’t been fired this year. Yay!

You told yourself you were getting better, even as the universe seemingly conspired against your happiness. You were kind of convinced it was.

Turning, you play with the cap on the wine, walking over to your old ratty couch and falling into it. The beast groans at the contact, but you pay it no mind. The thing was probably older than you, and you were celebrating your twenty-first today.

You were an orphan in Gotham, it was not your first time drinking. Molly had dragged you to so many awful parties over the years. But this wine was probably the fanciest you’d ever been given. Scratch that, definitely was. You pour yourself a glass, stick the birthday candle half-hazardly into the largest chunk of cupcake, and grab the remote.

The only true comfort you can get on this day. A woman, a reporter. She speaks, but you can’t really hear what she’s saying. You chug down a glass of the wine, apologising in your head to Molly, and then pour yourself another.

It takes a few minutes, but your muscles relax, and her words tune into focus.

“Today’s memorial, is once again sponsored by the Wayne foundation.”

Yeah, because they’re the only charity organisation in the city. The family of billionaires were debatably the only good ones in existance. Debtable because you weren’t sure if they were good enough themselves. As an orphan who’d known the cruelty of the system yourself, you were a mix of bitter and grateful towards them. Sure, they’d been the only thing that kept you out of true poverty. You were still an awful bitch about it.

You always had been the jealous type. The other kids who got better backpacks or toys or whatever had you seething with fury. The multitude of orphans Bruce Wayne risen out of poverty were not safe from your envy. It didn’t matter if you were… Well, a little bit, just a teeny-tiny-tiddly-little bit… obsessed. Obsessed with them. Kind of manic about it, actually.

You were working on it. Today was a bad day, and you were a little too raw. So, like every little dumb animal on the planet, you went straight to your creature comforts. You pretended you were a roman eating and drinking on their chaise lounge, watching their magnificent entertainment.

Delusional. Your sofa was falling apart at the seems, your cupcake was debris and your entertainment was a memorial service. Wine was good, though.

Gotta focus on the good parts.

You watch the TV screen, the reporter’s voice drifting in and out of focus. There was a family photo of the Waynes and their family friends, all in perfect suits and dresses and pearls and fancy watches. You’d bet that those little accessories were worth more than a year of your rent.

And you lived in fucking Gotham, both the most expensive city to live in, and the worst at the same time. A miracle, truly.

Anyway, they were all stunningly beautiful, even some of the guys. God knows how much the internet went on about Richard Grayson’s long eyelashes. You’d always been enamored with Dick’s good looks. Even Damian Wayne who had only turned nineteen a few months ago and was three years younger than you was already being fawned over by the tabloids.

Gotham’s newest young rich bachelor. Bitterly envious, that was you. You didn’t like that emotion, though, so you turned your attention to others. Namely, delusion.

You let yourself get swept up in daydreams. Of having a rich family, of one so close knit as the Wayne’s. Of having a handsome, loving, kind partner. You don’t let yourself dream about your real family, of a George that was faithful.

You just don’t.

Maybe someone like Tim Drake. Loyal, everyone who knew him described him as loyal. His romances with Bernard Dowd and Stephanie Brown were famous. There were hundreds of papparazzi photos of him with big bundles of roses and a sweet look on his face. You thought someone like Tim Drake would probably be like one of the heroes in your romance novels. Something silly like a meet cute in an airport, or maybe a bookstore or a cafe. He was pretty famous in Gotham’s niche hipster coffee scene, right?

Yeah, you could see it now. Some dumb but cute scene where you get confused and accidentally take his order. You get the same drink, and bond over your shared love of caramel syrup. Like he didn’t live on the opposite side of the city from you, and you probably couldn’t afford whatever fancy shit he drunk. Italian coffee beans versus… well, you didn’t actually know what you bought. You knew it didn’t taste very good, but it was dirt cheap.

What were you doing? Ah, yes, silly daydreams about romance.

But even as you think of Tim, Dick Grayson was so pretty, and he’d had his fair share of partners too. Someone with such an angelic face had to have a personality to match, and the media agreed. Of course you didn’t really know what he was like, this was all just fantasy. Other than numerous tabloid interviews and television, which suggested he had a kind heart and a love for bad jokes you truly knew nothing about the guy. Still, he’d be the golden retriever trope, you think. Or the knight in shining armor, saving his heroine from one of the many disaster’s plaguing Gotham and confessing his love in one big final act. His meet cute would be the airplane one. The blue of his eyes, it makes you think of the sky. You’d take his seat, but he’d be super sweet about it. Like he didn’t have a private jet, and would never be caught on economy.

You think Damian Wayne could play a good romance lead as well. From what you’d seen, he seemed to have a terrible personality, which was perfect for any modern romance. A classic enemies to lovers, with some bickering. Maybe he’d have secretly loved her the entire time, and maybe there’d be a good grovel at the end. So, appreciating his character, he’d have to have a meet ugly. Probably get stuck in an elevator with him or something, and he’d get to display his keen intellect and argumentative nature.

You swirl your wine, nodding your head. Brilliant ideas today, you should talk to Molly more. She’d definitely appreciate your wisdom. She wanted to be a screen writer one day, and all this would be very helpful. She was going to college for it. You couldn’t afford college.

Maybe you were drunk. Maybe you were a genius. It was hard to tell, so you take another sip. That’ll help you figure things out.

“As always, the Wayne families’ faces are morose as they celebrate the late Jason Todd.”

And as always, you felt an odd connection with the dead man. Your lives had both technically ended the same day, in the same grand calamity. Sure, you were still technically alive. Kicking about. But everyone you loved dying in one fell swoop, right in front of your eyes? You felt more like a ghost these days.

Weren’t you supposed to be fighting those sorts of thoughts off? Whatever, it was too much effort anyway.

Your slight obsession with the Wayne family had been initially started by Jason Todd. You hadn’t been thinking about him as much recently with George in your life, but he swung right back into place as soon as George left your life. Like a magnet, or more likely, a compulsion.

But now you were brought right back to the morning after. Seeing the entire city grieving the day after you’d lost your family, your first thought had been ‘Good, I’m not the only one,’ and then you’d stopped being an idiot and realised the city was mourning Jason Todd, heir to the Wayne name. Sure, there’d been hundreds of others who’d died, but that was Gotham. Your family had gotten a plaque filled with tens of other forgotten names, Jason had gotten framed photos hung around the city.

Today, his photo was once again surrounded by thousands of bouquets. Peonies, roses, daffodils, lillies, a rainbow of petals that almost covered his memorial stone. It reminded you of your sad-ass cupcake. When the camera zoomed out, you could see your smaller set of poseys against one of the thirty towering monuments, the tiny names crammed into the rock. Your families name was on line fifty-two, near the bottom. You could only afford the flowers once a year, but you visited once a week at least.

There were other flowers. Other offerings. Other candles. Jason’s dwarfed them all.

You sometimes couldn’t tell if you hated the dead man or were hopelessly in love with him. Obviously it didn’t matter. Even when he was alive he was out of both your league and your tax bracket.

Still, you were absolutely certain of it, Jason Todd would beat up George Lancaster. So fucking bad. To a bloody pulp. He’d be eager to do it, as well. You could hum and haw about how you thought violence was bad but he’d see right to the core of you.

The part of you that wanted George Lancaster to suffer. And he’d do it with a kiss and a promise that he’d make it slow. He’d save you from all your monsters, and he’d do it eagerly. And that was the fantasy of it all, wasn’t it?

You lift your glass, in celebration of your dead parasocial imaginary boyfriend. You hoped he wouldn’t be jealous of your new living parasocial imaginary boyfriends. Hiccuping out a laugh, you swallow down another gulp.

And even then, of course you wanted Bruce Wayne as a father. As someone who has seen the worst of the world, and would protect you from it. As someone who would wipe away the tears, who would save you from your own self. And you wanted Cassandra as a sister, someone to groan over guys with and steal clothes off. You wanted the close relationships they shared with Barbara Gordon and Stephanie Brown, with Duke who’d only recently come into their fold. You even wanted their dog you’d seen in photos, the cat that Damian posted on his instagram, the fucking cow they kept for god knows reason inside the estate. You wanted everything, every part of their lives. You were a jealous person, but more than that, you were a greedy person.

You glance at the clock.

11:57.

You shakily open the candle packet, picking a green one out. That had been Sam’s last favourite colour, but he switched them so often it was hard to remember. You stab it into the pink frosting. Julie always chose pink for her cake. Chasey loved flowers, particularly poseys. The flowers had looked like posesys before they’d been crushed.

You light the candle. It’s tiny flame flickers in the dark room, the warm light overpowered by the cool from the television. You peek back over to the clock.

11:58.

And Mum always made her wish at midnight, because she believed that was when it was most likely to come true.

What would you wish for? You never did, because you never knew what you wanted to wish for. Everything you wanted, everything you could’ve wanted, was gone. It couldn’t come back, it was impossible.

11:59.

You look at the TV, at the blinding forms of the Wayne family. Of their graveyard, with the manor in the background. It’s as impossible as everything else. But that’s what they represent for you, isn’t it?

Something hopeful. Something impossible.

You wanted impossible.

12:00.

You lean over the messy cupcake, and blow the candle out. It disappears in one blow, and you sink back into the couch. You take a few crumbs from the cupcake and sneak them past your lips. In your drunkenness, you probably get more on the couch than in your mouth.

You let your eyes flutter shut, and because only you can, you give yourself the comfort of lies. You imagine loving embraces, whispered platitudes. You imagine that today was a good day, that you’d find yourself tomorrow happy. That you wouldn’t wake up with a hangover, that you wouldn’t have a shitty job, an evil ex, and mountains of debt.

That you’d have people who loved you, who could ease the pain.

And you don’t even care who they are.

MASTERLIST - NEXT

#Series:WWW #yandere batfam #yandere dc #yandere batfamily #yandere batfam x reader #yandere x reader #dick grayson x reader #nightwing x reader #jason todd x reader #red hood x reader #tim drake x reader #red robin x reader #damian wayne x reader #robin x reader

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josefavomjaaga · 2 months

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Dragon!Soult meets Ney (June 1796)

This is another contribution to @cadmusfly's dragon marshalate au. Inspired by an actual event that happened in 1796, Soult's retreat from Herborn, supported by Ney (as detailed in the memoirs of Ney published by his family). I turned it into the first meeting of Soult and his future partner in crime rider, Ney.

Dust and disappointment had settled on the men's faces in equal measures. Now exhaustion added to it, resulting in an overwhelming sense of dread. The chaotic retreat they had executed during the last hours had infuriated chef d'escadron Michel Ney. But there was little he could do, except try to keep his squadron of hussars together and in a condition that might allow them to fight back. If ever that chance arose, despite the current lack of command or overall sense of direction. In fact, this was the first time the French could catch a breath and reunite some of the troops the numerically superior Austrians had dispersed. Routed, truth be told, but Ney did not want to use this term, not even in his thoughts. He watched as some of his superiors, among them general Kleber, in charge of the vanguard, general-in-chief Jourdan and the dragon general Lefebvre, gathered for an impromptu war council. Ney dismounted and led his horse a bit closer, so he could listen in. He immediately noticed that Lefebvre was just as furious as he, his tail angrily snapping through the air, his telepathic voice clearly audible outside the small circle of generals, down to his Alsatian accent. Usually, rather large dragons like him would crouch or lie down on the ground when interacting with humans, to be somewhat on their eye level. Right now, Lefebvre was standing up, despite his visible exhaustion, seemingly unable to calm down, stomping the ground with one or several of his six claws repeatedly. What do you mean I can’t go? I may be tired, true. But I’ll still be able to fly far enough to reach those damned Austrian bastards and kill a few of them. I’ll just drop down on them and crush them when I’m at the end of my forces. I’d gladly get myself killed for that pleasure. "Don’t be foolish, old friend." That was Kléber, again with the Alsatian accent. "This would be a big loss for barely a gain", Jourdan added. "We will get back at them, Lefebvre, don’t you worry. But first we need to regroup, reorganise the troops, give everyone a chance to recover. Then we strike back." Now you’re talking! - Lefebvre now did stretch out on the ground, his large body blocking a part of the road. He didn’t seem to care. - To be honest, I could need some rest. And I’m not sure I still could fly. Not sure I could even only walk back before falling into stupor. "Please don’t do that right now." Kléber rubbed his face. "You’re our only dragon left at the vanguard. We might still need you.« Lefebvre’s head rose from his paws. - The only? Where’s the drakeling then?

"Whom do you mean?" Jourdan shook his head. "We’ve sent all dragon units back to join Marceau. Especially the young, as they were quite exhausted." Why, I mean the boy of course. Little Soult. Jourdan looked at Kléber, he seemed confused. "Are you talking about that maroon dragon who was part of your staff? The one almost your size?" He may be getting close to me in size but he’s still growing, Lefebvre retorted impatiently. - Boy barely learned how to properly use his wings. So, where is he? You had sent him to Herborn with his infantry unit, if memory serves? Where did you tell him to go? A long silence followed. The generals were exchanging rapid glances, several shrugged apologetically, somebody coughed. Are you trying to tell me that nobody told Soult about our retreat? - Lefebvre’s telepathic voice now boomed over the road, loud enough for everyone in the whole camp to hear. - That he is back there alone, surrounded by the Austrians? "Well", Kleber said sheepishly, "I kinda had assumed that you had ..." You know precisely how bad I am with all that organisational and telepathy stuff! That is exactly what I need Soult for! Besides, I only learned about the order to retreat by accident myself! The kid was not even under my command! "Could you reach out to him now?", asked Jourdan. Lefebvre's answer was accompanied by a deep, guttural growl. - As exhausted as I am, over such a distance? No way. I need to focus for this kind of thing, and right now, I can barely keep my wits together enough to not fall asleep.

The awkward silence returned. Finally, Jourdan said: "Maybe he’s started his retreat of his own accord. He and his men might already be on their way to join us." Lefebvre seemed sceptical. - What were his orders? "To hold the position at Herborn in order to cover our left flank." No conditions? No if, no until, no unless? - Then he’ll hold out until the bitter end. The boy breathes hierarchy. An order is an order. If he has not learned of our retreat and assumes that we’re still there holding the line, he will not budge. The generals were about to start arguing again but Ney felt he needed to interfere. Of course he was aware that he was overstepping his boundaries. But what use was a prolonged discussion when it was clear something had to be done? "I can go", he blurted out, taking another step closer. "My men and I had not seen much action yet before we were told to run. We’d love to bash in some enemy heads, maybe save those men and their dragon in the process if there’s still time." The generals looked at him thoughtfully. "They’re most likely already surrounded", said Jourdan. Ney shrugged. "We’ll fight our way through, then." There’s no time to loose! If the redhead wants to go, let him go! At the very least we need to see what happened to them! "Alright!" Jourdan nodded. "Go get what you need to prepare, fresh horses if you can find any. Don’t forget to restock in ammunition, as that of Soult’s men must be quite depleted when you reach them. Then set off, and bring us news. Good luck!"

- It took them almost a day to get back to where the cut-off troops were supposed to be, during which they had to alternately hide from marching Austrian corps too strong for them to fight, and sabre their way through smaller units trying to hold them up. When they finally reached the surroundings of Herborn, it was not hard to figure out where precisely to find their brothers in arms. The sound of cannon fire from a wooded hill close by was a dead giveaway. "They’re still holding out!", one of Ney’s cavalrymen exclaimed. "Those guys are crazy! Anybody with half a brain would have surrendered by now!" From their position on a light slope, they could barely make out the lines of blue French uniforms, hidden behind trees and scrubs, firing at the Austrians coming at them from all sides. And then, all of a sudden, a large dark shadow rose from the foliage, above the bushes lining the forrest, launching itself at a group of Austrians threatening to break through. The white-clad enemies froze in shock, then turned and took to their heels. The dragon did not pursue them but immediately returned into the cover provided by the forrest. In truth, he had not flown at the Austrians before. It had been more of a leap, a pounce. Presumably, he was already too exhausted to fly, or at the very least felt the need to save his strength in order to prolong the fight. His return caused some satisfaction among the men defending the hill, their cheering drifted over to where Ney and his men were holding.

"Let’s try to save the madmen", Ney commented drily. "The Austrians are busy running, this might be our best chance to get through." There was some resistance from a unit of Austrian cavalry trying to take them in the flank, but Ney’s men made it. And as soon as the beleaguered French in the forrest recognized the approaching strangers as friends, they attacked the Austrians with such well-aimed gunfire that the enemies hastily turned their horses away. Ney’s men entered the camp, welcomed by another round of cheers. "Who’s in command here?" "The dragon." A man, his grin gleaming white out of a face darkened from gun powder, grabbed the horse’s reigns from Ney with one hand and with the other pointed at a large, dark maroon mass of muscles and scales that was croaching on the ground in the middle of the camp and scrutinizing Ney from behind half-closed lids. "Greetings." Ney decided that this was not the time for lengthy introductions. "General Jourdan and general Kléber sent us to bring you the order to retreat." Glad to see you. The dragon’s voice in Ney’s head sounded dark and somewhat flat, as if deliberately held back. - I had almost feared headquarters had forgotten about us. "Actually, that’s pretty much what happened", said Ney. "You’re the only unit still holding out, the rest of the army is already retreating behind the river Lahn. I’m Ney, by the way." Soult of Saint-Amans. - Presumably, that was the dragon’s name. Or possibly an unknown curse. The situation surely was dire enough to allow the use of profanities.

Did you experience any difficulties in reaching us? Ney heard the dragon’s voice again after a moment of silence. "Difficulties? You’re entirely cut off. I doubt many others than us would have gotten through to you at all. You have enemies on all sides. We barely expected to find you still fighting." The silence returned. This dragon clearly was not of the chatty variety. "So, need any help from me and my men in order to get out of here?" We’re good. - The dragon sounded almost offended by the offer. "Oh, come on." Ney nearly started laughing. He understood military pride but this was ridiculous. "Your situation is desperate. You have gotten lucky so far but as soon as the Austrians attack in earnest, it’s over." What you witnessed on arrival was the fifth attempt by the Austrians to take our position, the dragon informed him matter-of-factly. - According to my calculations we can fight off a sixth and a seventh as well. We could possibly hold out longer. But we only have the small guns of our riding artillery at our disposition, and our ammunition is almost depleted. "Well, as far as that is concerned, we brought some stocks." I see. This help is gladly accepted. - There was another silence, then the dragon’s voice added, almost sheepishly: My thanks. Maybe this was a way of apologizing for his rude tone before. Ney suppressed a sigh. Dragons. You never knew with them. He had been told some were not much acquainted with human behaviour and common courtesy. And some were but didn’t care.

"So, how about me and my men at least create some diversion in order to facilitate your men’s escape?" Ney proposed. "If we cause enough chaos among the Austrians, and if you’re running quick enough, some of you might just be able to reach the main road leading west." I do not plan on leaving any of my men behind. They have fought like lions. They deserve to be safe. "What is your plan then?" To march out in formation, flags flying, and to fend off the Austrian attacks as we have done until now. I regret not having a full band here but the sound of our drums will replace that of ‚Ça ira’. Ney decided that these guys definitely were crazy. "That’s quite a daring plan that might lead you all right into disaster, after you managed to hold out for so long." To the contrary. An organised, slow retreat, if done well, is the only option promising success. At least more pomising than a reckless dash over open territory that might at best save a few but would give the Austrians the possibility to take us out one by one. Ney thought about how the rest of the Sambre-et-Meuse army had been routed. He admitted that the dragon had a point. "Well, I’m looking forward to how your plan will be executed. Any objections against me and my hussars tagging along?" Not at all, I’d even be honoured. - Ah, apparently the dragon could be civil if he wanted to. - You might provide us with valuable information during our march. "Ha. So you do want my help, yes?" There was a tingling sensation in Ney’s mind that accompanied the dragon’s telepathic message, something like the idea of grim amusement. Ney assumed it was the dragon’s way to smirk. Well, to be honest, our situation is indeed pretty desperate.

- They marched at first in a column, the dragon at its head, artillery, baggage and ammunition carts in the middle. For a long moment the enemy stared at them, presumably in disbelief, then they decided to do the obvious, send cavalry at them and sabre these suicidal idiots to pieces. Even Ney and his men in their hiding place sensed the dragon’s commands that, within seconds, as it seemed, caused his men to form a square. By the time the Austrian horses reached the French troops, they encountered a human wall decorated with bayonetts on every side, surrounding in their middle the dragon, the carts and the little artillery they had. Ney’s men had distributed what they could share in ammunition among Soult’s men, and those put the powder and bullets to good use. Bodies in white uniforms, now sprinkled with red, dropped to the ground around the French square, riderless horses ran free. Now would be a good time. That much Ney knew himself, no need for this annoying dragon to tell him. The ease with which Soult managed to convey his orders, and the commanding force that somehow accompanied it, astonished Ney, but mostly it annoyed him. "Let’s go!" he called out to his men. "Let’s show that oversized crossbreed of a lizard and a bat what we can do!" As they broke out of the forrest at a galopp, yelling war cries, sabres flashing, crashing into the flank of the already confused Austrian cavalrymen and sending them to flee for good, Ney sensed another emotion in his mind. And it was not his own. It felt like a bit of piqued pride, mingled with grim amusement and, a heartbeat later, surprise. Had the dragon somehow sensed what Ney had told his men? And had Ney just picked up on the dragon’s reaction to it? It seems so. I apologize, the mental link allowing us to communicate in thought must be stronger than necessary. But your emotions also were really … loud, if you allow me to phrase it like that.

"Yeah, whatever. Just stop talking to me, I have some Austrians to kill here. Smalltalk during battle is highly confusing!" I tend to agree. Both about the Austrians and the confusion. While Ney and his hussars put the enemy cavalry to flight, the dragon took another giant leap over the rows of his men, clawing at some enemies who apparently had not yet got the message. The sight of dragon claws and dragon teeth taught them quickly enough, and they started running as well. Everybody hold formation. Close ranks. We continue our movement. My sincere thanks to chef d’escadron Ney and his hussars. This time, the dragon’s telepathic message seemingly was directed at his men – and somehow at Ney’s, too. Cheering, the hussars raised their sabers in greeting, Soult’s infantrymen answered by waving their muskets. Half an hour and another minor engagement later, they reached the main road. Ney, covering the infantry’s march at a short distance to the side, barely dared to believe it: they actually had broken through the ring of enemies. It’s a first step. We’re not out of danger yet, if the area really is as full of enemies as you told us.

"Are you still reading my mind?" I cannot read anyone’s mind. I can only answer to what is directed at me. "I did not fucking direct anything at you! Why are you still in my thoughts?" Why do you keep dragging me in? Just close your mind. "How?" How would I know? Do what you did before. As far as I have learned, if you didn’t expect me to answer to your thoughts, if you did not in some way direct them at me, I would never be aware of them. This was the first time I sensed your thoughts since we came out of the combat against the Austrians, so I guess this was the first time you directed a thought at me. "I fucking didn’t!" Why would he, after all? Why would Ney care about the opinion of some stupid dragon general? I do not know but I’m glad you seem to do. After all, it is only reasonable to coordinate our movements. "Get. Out. Of. My. Thoughts." Ney could clearly sense that the dragon was still there, that he had indeed heard him. He even believed to sense something that was probably the dragon equivalent of a deep sigh. But Soult did not answer, so Ney could at least pretend that he had won the discussion. "Sir?" One of his hussars looked at Ney quizzically. "Are you feeling alright? You were talking to yourself, it seems." "I’m fine." Ney turned his horse around und clapped his spurs to it, signalling his hussars to follow suit. ‚We’re scouting the region ahead’, he thought. Pointedly.

If I am allowed to answer this time, I’ll call that a splendid idea. Thank you. Ney refused to answer or to even acknowledge the dragon’s reply. Instead, he tried to get as much distance between himself and that annoying winged reptile as he could, hoping this would break the link. It seemed to work. Or maybe it was the fact that Ney had to focus on other things. Like, not being detected by Austrian patrols, of which they saw several, though none of them were very strong. They returned to the marching infantry. Dusk was approaching, Soult’s men were setting up camp at a short distance from the road, hidden behind some hedges, in an orchard. The returning hussars could easily have missed it but as soon as Ney started wondering about where to find Soult, he again sensed the dragon’s presence in his mind. This whole dragon business was crazy as hell, he thought. May I ask if you have ever worked closely with one of my kind before? "Not really. I’ve met Lefebvre a couple of times, but only for brief interviews." Were there no dragons where you grew up? "In Saarlouis? Not that I’m aware of. Surely not in our quarter." I see. Would you prefer to come here so we can discuss matters directly, in each others’ presence? It might seem more natural to you. "We’re on our way already." -

Ney’s horse was grazing while its rider had his "talk" with the dragon, audibly crunching tiny green apples between its teeth that had fallen off the trees and now hid in the lush grass. Soult was quite happy about the information he received. I only wish we had a better grasp on the overall situation. You and your men are our only eyes and ears. Without you, we’d be marching blind into territory probably controlled by the enemy. "We’ve been doing our best but we cannot cover a larger territory. The horses need rest, at least for a couple of hours." So do the men. You have done much for us already. We shall wait until dawn. Ney hesitated. "Why don’t you do it? Scout the area, I mean. You’re a dragon. You can fly." I could. If I was not so exhausted myself. Flying, lifting a body as large as mine into the air, takes a lot of strength. I’m trying to save mine for battles. "But if we knew about Austrian troops on the road between us and our main army, we could probably avoid the battles entirely. No need to save your strength then." Soult seemed to ponder that. - You may be right. But dragons do not make the best scouts. In my opinion.

"What are you on about? That’s what they’re most often used for." And not always with satisfactory results. It’s quite easy to overlook or misinterpret things from above, especially when you at the same time need to focus on navigating thermals, wind gusts and air currents. That’s why most often, dragon scouts are given a rider. He looked at Ney quizzically, his head slightly tilting to one side. Ney put one fist on his hip. "Is that an offer? Or a challenge?" You have come to us through enemy territory, you are obviously daring. You also seem to be quite attentive and intelligent. So unless you have bad eyesight… "Nothing wrong with my eyes. I’m game if you are. How does this work?" We brought a harness and a saddle with us for such occasions. "Wonderful", Ney said. He did not feel quite as bold as his tone indicated but he would rather be quartered than admitting that in front of the dragon. "When?"

It will soon be dark. Let us take some rest and set out at dawn. - Climbing into the saddle he felt a bit awkward, and the sudden jolt as the dragon spread its massive wings and took to the air made Ney cling tightly to the saddle until his knuckles turned white. But once he had gotten used to that, he was mesmerized. He had always loved riding. The rush, the speed, the sheer power of a horse at full galopp – but what were they compared to this? "My god, we’re flying! We’re really flying!" That was the plan, yes. Wind forcefully tugged at Ney's hair. He saw the camp getting smaller under him. He had imagined he’d feel uneasy about that but he’d imagined wrong. This was not only not scary – this was great! This was the best thing he’d ever had! I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself but could you focus on the task at hand?

"Sure! Can you go higher?" I could but it would be contrary to the purpose of this endeavour. "Oh, come on, don’t be such a tightass. Just a little. And can you still go faster?" I try to organise my forces. "Go faster. We don’t need to linger here, my hussars have scouted this region already." Maybe Soult was not completely unimpressed by Ney’s enthusiasm. Or he wanted to show off. He did rise higher and he did go faster. Not much, but still. Ney loved it. Could you please start looking for Austrians now? Ney did. They followed the main road almost to the river Lahn. The bridge was still in the hands of the French, as the tricolor over the barricades clearly indicated, and Ney estimated the infantry would be able to reach it by afternoon. The road seemed to be mostly free. Except for a unit of white-clad soldiers that Ney discovered forraging in a village close to the road when he and Soult were already on their way back. "Go down! We can take them on!"

Why would we do that? "Why not?" It’s only a small forraging party, they’re unlikely to try bothering our march. "So? They could still alert their superiors and bring back the main army to block our way. Let’s attack them and teach them a lesson." But then they will surely alert their superiors and come after us. "Not if we scare them enough. Besides, they’ll probably think we came from the other side of the river." When Soult still hesitated, he leaned forward and dug his heels into Soult’s sides like he would have done with a horse. "Oh come on! I need to get some revenge for the way they routed us!" Stop fidgeting about! And don’t kick me, I’m not a mule! Also, hold on to the saddle. We’re going down.

And then they went down. - Neither Ney nor Soult ever learned about it, but their action this morning occasioned a rather distressed report two hours later, given by the Austrian forraging party to their superior officers, once the Habsburg soldiers had dared to leave their hiding places. "Yes, a dragon … a pretty big one … clawing and biting at us … and some red-faced, red-haired lunatic on his back, screaming at the top of his lungs and shooting his pistols and swinging his sabre left and right … even the dragon told him to stop that because the madman put the dragon’s wings at risk… frankly, I do not know which of those two was scarier..." - By that time, Ney and Soult had long rejoined their men. Whom they found already on the march, with Ney’s riders scouting ahead like the day before. Both units greeted them with the obligatory cheers. "Did they set out on their own?" No. I’d given orders. Right before you felt the need to attack those hapless Habsburgs.

"You really can just give orders with your thoughts to anyone like that? At such a distance? I must say I am impressed. A bit." I’ve become quite good at it. I worked and practised a lot. I used to be Lefebvre’s chief-of-staff. - The dragon sounded really proud of that feat. Ney also noticed how Soult’s breathing grew somewhat heavier as the dragon prepared to land next to the marching soldiers. "You alright?" I’m tired. I told you flying would take a toll on me. And that was without taking an utterly pointless fight against Austrians into account. Ney felt a bit bad but didn’t quite want to admit it. "Come on now, that was fun. I’m sure you enjoyed it, I could feel it. Also, I always imagined dragon powers were boundless." I wish they were. Hold tight to the saddle. - There was a big thud as the dragon somewhat clumsily touched ground, then Ney felt the dragon wings brush beside him as Soult folded them close to his body. - Alright. We made it. I’ll need to take a long nap once we’re safe with the main army.

Merde. Exhausting Soult to this point had not been Ney’s intention. He just had felt so powerful, almost invincible – there had been no way to resist that! Still, there was something in his mind that resembled a bad conscience. "Will you be able to get to the river on foot? Do you want me to get off so you don’t have to carry my weight?" To the contrary. Please stay. - The dragon hesitated once more, as if he, too, did not quite want to admit something. - I feel like your … great enthusiasm may actually help me. Also, if you ride on my back I could eat your horse in order to regain some of my strength. - Before Ney could protest, he added: That was a joke. "Good. Because you as much as look at my horse too closely, and you have my sabre in your neck. That was not a joke." Soult made a deep, rumbling sound that could or could not be a dragon laugh, and Ney turned to one of his men. "Claude? Take my horse and keep it safely at a distance from this scaly monsieur here. I will not need it for the rest of this trip." He proudly sat straight. "I’m riding the dragon."

#napoleon's marshals #dragon marshalate au #marshals as dragons au #marshalate dragons au

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nthflower · 10 months

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My girlie in fallout is such a Mary sue etc. whatever buzzword for op character and I love her.

She was a stay at home young newly still mother with law degree, who slept for 200 hundreds years then wake up and see her son is kidnapped her husband is killed. And world she know is gone.

Then she killed a deathclaw and become generall of minutemen first day of her waking up. Them she just established 20 towns, (with trading and social communities also) found boogeyman organisatios secret base, joined their enemy spy organisation and become a heavy top agent, killed their most dangerous man, joined one of most powerful factions of entire wasteland and also become and important member, killed a god, become a literal superhero with sidekick and costume and shit, helped a vault and become welcome in their vault, fucked with best singer of commonwealth, last standing minute man is very in love with her, also bad boy major of goodneighbour has a crush on her, and of course best paladin of brotherhood too, and paper girl, and bad mean girl too, also french robot scientist girl turned human too.

Also evil organisation is directed by her own son who is older than her. And everybody is so respectful in evil organisation too like their top elit murderbot admires her they always thank and praise her. Also radio host of biggest city talks about her and her achievements goodly because she helped him.

Oh also popular fave character synth detective is becomes her best friend/partner and he knows half of the commonwealth population he is very old and she is only in his life like for two months. He literally currently see her as an icon. Because she helped him to solve his biggest life problem. Also saved him.

Oh also if she didn't killed god she could have infinite immortality too. But now instead employed and kinda part of his kinda immortal rich family.

And this is only short lists of what she done. She is also good looking according to some people she killed.

Anyways support your 200 hundreds years old girlboss lawyer general knight agent superhero local legend polygamous pansexual Immigrant newly widowed mercanary hacker major MILFs with evil sons and fucked up polycules.

#you know sometimes i can see they were prepared this story for male sole survivor/nate #power fantasy angsyy father military member with death wife #but being female sole/nora is more fun #my sole had a turkish mame tho my sister gave her a name from her cartoons #so she was an immigrant in America in my canon 🥰#fallout 4 #sorry i can see why people hate or dont like this game because story anf other things and bugs frustrating sometimes yes #but also its so fun #so idc #geym

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nathanielaaron · 5 months

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Slovakia will not be entering into any international pandemic agreements with WHO, Prime Minister says – The Expose

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pinkchunder · 4 months

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#free palestine

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msclaritea · 9 months

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Meet my new favorite dude, Apostate Alex. He's from the UK and does research on the international finances of the Church of Scientology. It seems that not only do they have debt 5 times greater than their annual revenue, COS is registered in Australia, operate in the UK and all the money goes to the U.S. OOH WEE!! Apparently, there is a $100 million debt problem.

#Tom Cruise #Mission Impossible

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kiwidavid1 · 3 months

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dorfrock · 3 months

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In der Cybersicherheit ist es unerlässlich, dass Fehler und Misserfolge offen und konstruktiv angesprochen werden können. Nur so können Organisatio...

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video-production-leeds · 5 months

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Christmas Video Marketing: Tips for Businesses

During the holiday season, businesses have a great opportunity to engage with their audience through Christmas video marketing . Videos are a powerful tool for capturing attention and conveying messages effectively. In this article, we will explore some valuable tips for businesses looking to leverage video production and marketing during the festive season. Video marketing during Christmas can help companies create a strong emotional connection with their target audience. By incorporating festive elements and themes into their videos, businesses can tap into the holiday spirit and evoke positive emotions in viewers. One important tip is to plan ahead and start early. Christmas is a busy time for everyone, so it’s crucial to begin the video production process well in advance. This allows companies to ensure that they have enough time for brainstorming ideas, finding actors or staff to be in the video, scripting, getting costumes, location and props ready, filming, editing, and any necessary revisions, as well as sorting a marketing strategy around this so that your target audience will see the video. Another top tip is to focus on storytelling. A compelling narrative can captivate viewers and make your company video memorable. Consider incorporating elements such as heartwarming stories, humour, or even showcasing how your products or services bring joy during the holiday season. We’ve also seen businesses create parodies of their favourite Christmas films or books, which work well to make their audience laugh and engage with the content. Additionally, it’s essential to optimise your videos for various platforms and devices. Ensure that your videos are mobile-friendly since many people access content on their smartphones or tablets. Also, consider creating shorter versions of your videos for social media platforms where attention spans are typically shorter, such as YouTube Shorts and TikTok. Shorter videos tend to do well on these platforms and can create quite a buzz if your SEO is effective. Furthermore, don’t forget about promoting your Christmas videos effectively. Utilise social media channels, email newsletters, website banners or pop-ups to reach out to your target audience and generate excitement around your content. Get your staff to share the video on their own platforms or even create a competition around it to produce more engagement and promote your video, products and brand. Lastly but importantly; make sure that your company’s branding shines through in the videos. It’s important that the audience knows they are watching your content. Incorporate your logo, brand colours, fonts and values throughout the video while maintaining a cohesive visual style. As experts in video production, we have created a variety of Christmas-themed videos for businesses across the UK. One of our favourites is a social media comedy Christmas skit for La Romantica Beds, a mattress manufacturing company based in Yorkshire. Watch the skit here . We wanted to create a video that would engage and humour their target audience. The skit is a comedic short film and showcases some of their staff and their workplace, which creates a more personal feel for their audience. As you can see from the video, limited props, people and costumes were needed in order to create the social media skit, showing how simple it can be to make an engaging brand video for Christmas. Will you be creating a Christmas video for your organisation this year? These tips for Christmas video marketing strategies tailored specifically for businesses can elevate your brand presence during this festive season, while connecting with customers on an emotional level, therefore increasing website visits, leads and sales. Looking to commission a Christmas video production for your business? Our video production packages offer affordable video content for businesses across Yorkshire. We’ve created a variety of videos for organisations with this digital content package , including funny social media skits, Christmas parodies, event videos, case studies, inductions, meet the team videos, promotional products videos and loads more! Watch some of our example videos here . Contact us today to find out more about how we can help: +44 (0)113 288 3245 | [email protected] Your Industrial Story Starts Here Press the button. Make the call. Transform your media. +44 (0)113 288 3245 [email protected] Contact Us

#Business #Film/TV #Video Production

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wachendlichauf · 5 months

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Hamas und Samidoun - Deutschland: Razzien gegen radikale Palästinenser | krone.at

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epitome-the-burnkid-viii · 5 months

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learnthingsfr · 6 months

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#LearnThings

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pragatileadershipindia · 6 months

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Corporate Leadership Development Programs: Establishing a Harmonious Learning Environment

Many leaders mistakenly believe that they can facilitate their companies' learning by merely establishing a vision and periodically conducting training workshops to ensure absorption. However, in today's rapidly evolving and highly competitive business environment, this approach falls short of what's truly needed.

This is why corporate leadership development programs are necessary. Building future leaders means having a workplace where learning is encouraged. It’s about experimenting, learning from slip-ups, and growing from them. To do this, we need everyone on board and to include corporate leadership development training to inform processes that contribute to organisational efficiency. Setting up this learning-focused way of working might take some time and changes, but with corporate leadership development, the outcomes are rewarding.

At Pragati Leadership, our leadership development program equips present and upcoming leaders with the skills needed for today’s and tomorrow’s business challenges.

Ready to dive in?

What does learning culture mean in the context of corporate leadership? It’s an environment that emphasises values and practices geared towards professional growth, and personal development. As a business deeply invested in helping shape new-age leaders, we have posited our corporate leadership developmenttraining on continual learning. This emphasis on learning is a foundation for the company’s decision-making process, effectively refining its operations. To put it in a nutshell, learning culture constitutes approaches and activities undertaken to support knowledge and skill acquisition attuned to the goals of the organisation and personal growth.

How to Create a Positive and Supportive Learning Environment Encourage Knowledge Sharing One of the foundational steps in creating a learning-focused organisation is to offer avenues for team members to share their expertise. This can be through weekly meet-ups or digital platforms with resources that benefit all.

Spot Knowledge Gaps To cultivate a supportive learning environment, evaluating your existing resources and identifying what’s missing or which areas need more attention is vital.

Embrace Targeted Training Gone are the days of generic, one-size-fits-all training. Embrace the move to more specific online learning modules.

Involve Team Leaders Managers are instrumental in building a supportive workplace culture. You ensure that learning becomes a collective endeavour by involving them in the learning process, setting up spaces for knowledge exchange, and motivating teams to join training sessions.

Refine Hiring Practices Hiring practices can be a game-changer in fosteringa positive learning environment. When interviewing potential candidates, gauge their enthusiasm for continuous learning to ensure they align with the company’s learning objectives.

Offer Regular Feedback Feedback is the pulse of a learning environment. Regular check-ins, celebrating progress, and guidance on improvement areas help maintain focus on learning, ensuring that everyone remains on the path to growth and development.

Final Word Corporate leadership development programs, like those at Pragati Leadership, are reshaping businesses in cities like Pune, Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi (NCR), Gurgram, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Visakhapatnam. We promote learning and adaptability, benefiting both the individual and the entire team. No matter the location, successful leadership is about creating an environment where everyone grows together.

Unlock Your Team’s Potential with Pragati Leadership‘s Corporate Leadership Development Programs! Join us in creating a Positive and Supportive Learning Environment for your organization’s growth. Contact us today to embark on a transformative leadership journey.

FAQs Why is corporate leadership important? Corporate leadership provides strategic direction and shapes organisational culture. Effective leadership ensures operational efficiency, nurtures an environment of innovation, and positions the company for sustainable growth in competitive markets.

What are the key qualities of a corporate leader? An adept corporate leader showcases foresight, confident decision-making skills, and the capability to drive team performance despite constantly changing circumstances. Additionally, they are willing to explore new ideas, think on their feet, and share power and accountability.

What is a supportive learning environment in leadership? A supportive learning environment in leadership entails structured opportunities for professional development, coupled with mentorship and feedback mechanisms. It cultivates a culture where individuals are empowered to enhance their skills, contribute ideas, and grow within the organisational hierarchy.

#Leadership Development #Corporate Training #Learning Environment #Positive Workplace

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saleforce · 8 months

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9 tips to maximise your CRM implementation using the Salesforce implementation checklist

Success resources The greatest method to boost your sellers’ productivity and efficiency and help them advance is to install Salesforce. Businesses all over the world use Salesforce Consulting Companies and other CRM platforms to gather, store, and accumulate enormous volumes of sales data that can then be accurately used to enhance focused sales activity and boost revenue growth.

Common CRM issues Numerous difficulties, like slow onboarding, time-consuming processes, and disjointed workflows, can arise from the complicated architecture of smart platforms like Salesforce. These issues may jeopardise your CRM system’s ability to increase productivity, have a negative effect on your sellers, and slow down your sales velocity. However, with the appropriate strategic implementation, firms may achieve all of their objectives while making the most of priceless CRM software.

Salesforce is a very detailed and complex platform, especially for firms with a lot of customers and no prior experience. It requires weeks or months of setup effort in addition to the original purchase in order to fully realise the benefits.

A comprehensive checklist for using Salesforce To help you make the most of your CRM, we’ve developed a 9-step Salesforce deployment checklist.

1.Goal-setting Understanding why you are using Salesforce and CRM solutions in the first place is the first thing you need to accomplish when deploying them. You can set clear, quantifiable goals by asking yourself the following questions:

With your Salesforce implementation, what do you hope to achieve and why? What specific issues do you expect Salesforce will help you with? What problems can Salesforce specifically help with? Your objectives should all be doable, attainable, and measurable. The SMART framework, which assists you in defining specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound goals, is the ideal way to accomplish these goals.

The easiest way to break down specific project goals into manageable, cross-departmental units that can be easily accomplished is to use this framework.

2. Examine implementation dangers There are some installation risks, just as with any CRM solution. There will be bumps on the road, and firms should plan for them and make every effort to stay clear of them.

The following are the main dangers of implementing Salesforce CRM:

wasting time on pointless things that don’t further the main objectives gradual adoption User-unfriendly solutions

3. Select your target audience. To ensure the continued success of your sales teams, it is essential to identify the ideal end user for your Salesforce implementation.

Cross-functional team collaboration will be streamlined by determining which team — the sales team, marketing team, or finance team — will profit most from the project. This will also assist to tie up any loose ends that would otherwise go unnoticed.

It’s common for numerous departments to require the implementation of Salesforce CRM solutions, thus it’s critical to ascertain each department’s precise needs.

4. Create a schedule Setting up a practical schedule for your Salesforce adoption process is essential. You’ll want to avoid overlapping or interference because sales-based firms often have ongoing concurrent projects.

The Salesforce CRM implementation procedure will cause the least amount of disturbance to your company activities if a thoroughly developed schedule that accounts for the risks of related projects is used.

5. Specify quantifiable measures for your objectives Once the initial implementation stages are complete, it’s time to evaluate the outcomes and decide whether the proposed solution is working or not. Before any significant adjustments can be made for key users, performance indicators in Salesforce implementation must be completely realised.

Metrics not only aid in setting sales goals, but they also make it easier for organisations to manage and lead a successful implementation. Additionally, it enables firms to give clarity, focus, and inspiration to fulfil CRM management goals. Over time, technology silos dissolve and organisations gain a comprehensive understanding of how customers engage with their brands, goods, and services.

6. Create a team The following crucial individuals should make up Salesforce implementation teams:

Executive sponsor: accountable for the Salesforce project’s overall success

Owner of the project is in charge of overseeing the implementation team.

Project manager: Monitors the project’s progress and holds team members responsible.

System administrators are in charge of setting up and administering major systems.

Power users are in charge of giving important feedback and drawing attention to problems with the system’s requirements for senior management and end users.

Salesforce consultant — Promotes client-specific deployment and continuous system upgrades to help firms achieve their sales goals.

7. Ensure sufficient instruction It’s simple to overlook important elements during the Salesforce implementation process, which can lead to a loss of efficiency and potential. This implies that each team member must receive adequate education and training prior to, throughout, and after implementation.

Don’t rely entirely on documentation and online sources. Instead, put your attention on high-quality employee training that gives teams practical skills and a thorough understanding of Salesforce’s intricate systems.

A fantastic method to speed up the process and reduce risks is to enlist the help of a Salesforce implementation partner and have them join your team. A Salesforce implementation partner may also aid in streamlining your specific business requirements and maximising the performance of your solution.

8. Organise your info The proper administration of data resources is a vital component of any Salesforce CRM deployment checklist. Without sufficient high-quality data, sales teams will be unable to boost user adoption, spot problems, and take prompt corrective action.

To ensure you make the most of your priceless data-driven resources, use the checklist below:

Check to see if the data sets you presently have align with your long-term objectives. Check your data for flaws and integrity issues, and assess its strength. Identify whether further data needs to be gathered and examined. Place some data sets with higher priority than others, and ignore irrelevant information. Ensure successful data movement while maintaining complete data integrity.

9. Interact with customers The final item on our checklist emphasises the need of good communication with cherished end consumers. After launching your Salesforce toolset, you should make an effort to continuously collect feedback to ascertain whether the current iteration is appropriate for your company’s requirements. When problems occur, IT professionals must be accessible to assist users and respond to any concerns they may have, all the while making sure that requests are processed swiftly and effectively.

Conclusion Any firm can find it challenging to integrate Salesforce CRM, even those with a lot of resources and scale. In reality, it becomes more difficult to properly install a solution that enhances user engagement and facilitates digital transformation the larger the firm is and the more customers and workers it has.

In summary, using this Salesforce implementation Services checklist will help your business go in the correct direction and provide you the tools you need to create a planned strategy for CRM adoption. It will provide your business the best chance of boosting sales, cutting costs, boosting customer happiness, and acquiring more insightful data and analytics and connect now Cloud Analogy.

#Salesforce implementation services #Salesforce

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