Editorials

by Rajen Kumar

No Escaping Social Media

Running a magazine concentrating on issues of small and medium enterprises and managing with limited resources is a like living life on the edge. In this rush of meeting deadlines,...

Special Reports

Apr 2012

EMRC, Brussels Associates with SME WORLD as its New Media Partner

EMRC has promoted business partnerships with the developing world and has organised dozens of business forums in key decision-making cities, such as Amsterdam, Rome,...

Focus

Selling for Winning

Manisha Gupta
Oct 2010

Whether you can sell or not, whether you can win or not, but definitely you can be honest. It's perhaps the easiest of all tasks. And you don't require any self-help book to guide you through. For starters, forget being honest to others, be honest to yourself just listen to your conscience.

Surely talking about honesty in this day and age and in this country has touched a raw nerve. What with corruption making headlines on front pages and integrity or value-driven decisions pushed to small fillers in the back, people have their priorities right. They publish what sells. We do have loads of such stuff, what with Common Wealth Games having provided enough fertile ground and opportunity.

Whether it's falling of a foot-over-bridge or false ceiling of a newly renovated stadium (probably because it was “false”), exorbitant rentals of games equipment like treadmills, umbrellas or pricey tissue-paper rolls, every detail is available. From the unhygienic toilets in Games Village to Delhi's pathetic condition, you get to know all. But, contrastingly, the same newspapers also publish, alongside all this, a call from the Central Vigilance Commission, to contribute to a “Corruption Free India”, saying this is not a distant dream and invite public response on a “National Anti-Corruption Strategy” draft. Reason? “The primary requirement of any credible anti-corruption effort is to have an effective and coordinated approach- a national level strategy against corruption”. How sweet! Well, seriously, this is the best reaction it evokes from me.

While this CWG corruption episode floats “magnanimously” on the flooded capital, we “once upon a time” proud Indians hang our heads in shame. Perhaps, The Great Power above all the powers that be too is moved……to tears. Unstoppable tears that are just drowning the nation's chances whatsoever of hosting the October event.

Amidst all this confusion of the dug-up Capital and inspite of the heavy rains, heavier traffic and threat of Dengue & H1N1 hovering, attended a session by Shiv Khera yesterday. The author of “You Can Win” and “You Can Sell” surely can sell and has won……...over people worldwide with his motivational speeches. One thing he emphasized struck me as most relevant for SMEs. He said one shouldn't try to become a seller but a supplier, and should aim at getting clients rather than customers. The difference being, a seller sells once or twice but a supplier does sell, but for all times. A customer buys a few times but a client is one who becomes a loyal customer forever, he said.

The essence of the whole issue is establishing a long term relationship. For what else is it between an enterprise and a client! Business is all about building relationships. Long term and long lasting ones! And relationships are all about honesty and integrity. Business is therefore more about practicing honesty and not so much about selling or marketing. It's also more about building trust rather than making tonnes of money. Do I see a few raised eyebrows trying to “huh…huh…” this simple little tenet? But correct me if I'm wrong. Isn't a brand nothing but a relationship between a supplier and a client? A relationship of trust! And what, pray, is the foundation of trust? Honesty.

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