A Purchase Order for An Idea

Been at it, getting an order has not been easy, especially in the segment, renewables, where everybody thinks its about getting some electrical wires together to fit.

The approaches have been many, and they fit in tightly into a model, that I call SCALA.  New product development means the following :

1.  Simplicity

2.  Convenience

3.  Accessibility

4.  On the Ledge product

5.  Affordability

People come to me and say, "Oh ! you still at it, what have you achieved in 6 months, no bank balance, what is the point of being in this field."

I have been often disturbed by these thoughts, enough to trash the whole idea of renewables, yet I have hung on, "I totally totally believe in this thought and will carry on.

I tell them, " My journey to renewables started in 2001, when my life went through the biggest turmoil ever, I was 32 then, I required all the help that I needed and yet I was too Khuddar to give in."

Mr Behl, touched his long beard and told me, " Khuddari chodd aur hamarey pass aa ja.":

#Leave your self respect behind and come with us, we will make money#

I had then seen the bees and the birds decide when it would rain and when the sun would shine, the trees would talk to me, and the moon would shine in the night if I ever got caught up in darkness during my walks through that forest, I still remember.  The waters of Rishikesh had lifted this dead soul, who had no strength to walk, and the rapids had given me the courage to see the next few years.  I would not and did not give in, to Mr Behl or his likes.  Money earned without satisfaction gives, no pleasure nor hope.

After all these years of wait for a big break, it came today, a call from Saudi Arabia, suggesting that there was a need to install 2KW/3KW/5KW systems on the rooftops in Iraq.  When Ranjan called, and I have known him for near 20 years, big shot in some telecom firm in Dubai, my first thought was, "Am I being pulled into something I don't want to get into ?"

My soul refused to believe that good things could finally happen, after all it had been 10 years of wilderness, but the thought was overpowering enough for me.

"Yes Ranjan, I am game."

I have known Ranjan for 20 years but he has really got to know me in the last 6 months, know me enough, to give me the first hand information about the order  and suggesting that I meet him on Wednesday/Thursday the coming week to discuss this order when he lands from Dubai.  I understand there will be cultural differences, but then we are nothing if we don't talk about it.  I always talk nowadays and try and figure out whats going on, sales is about the ability to convince stakeholder, normally I listen for the first 5 minutes, before I begin to talk which is about 15 minutes or so, then take some questions and that is after I have reached a conclusion with the talk.  Most of the questions are about discounts and leverages on the price, I don't bother too much about them, a 5 percent discount is as good as 10 percent to me, I am here to build a bond not talk money with a client which in any case the client will pay as long as I give him a SCALA product.  We are trained to always think leads, while we should be thinking prospects.  Hard work happens in trying to convert Suspects to Prospects, that is where the big game is, the smart work happens in converting Prospects to Leads.

Suspect -------> Prospect ---------> Leads -----------> Orders -----------> Paybacks

"Am I on the right track? " I asked myself today scratching my flowing hair, which I leave loose nowadays.

"Damn right," she said.

Life, she talks to me lately, and Mandy listens.

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A Bushel and a Peck

A Bushel and a Peck

Abstract

What troubles businesses is a very intriguing and mysterious thought “what are we working for, what are we in it for.”  See, the very thought that we are commercial entreprises may seem to be toughest concern, making new money and cultured progress do not go hand in hand.  The more I think of it more and more, it becomes obvious, modern long lasting businesses survive on the following few things :

1                 1.      Values.

2                 2.      Concern for each other.

3                 3.      Thoughtfulness.

4                 4.      Standardizing all the above.

The ruthlessness that we saw in the way erstwhile organizations like British Petroleum and other petroleum giants approached the energy business saw them thrive for a few 50 years or so, however it caught up with them and within no time they have been demolished and decimated. 

Values are easy to talk about and difficult to implement in an organization, unless it is linked to the customer and the money that he pulls in.  Think of it this way, all customers bring in money, some less some more, a few customers along with them bring in their values, their thoughtfulness and one look at them and it is easy to fall in love with them.  Remember, the thought in a previous case study of mine that we don’t fall in love or hate the customer, its just a job to be done.  However its hard to ignore a good customer, cause you want him to come back for more.  A fundamental change that I implemented in my outlook to build a lasting business was “Prototyping” and “Countertyping”.

Prototyping as anyone would understand is the concept of creating a demonstration model before it goes into mass production or to the factories.  I always create a prototype of what I want to do, draw a roadmap before embarking on a project that we need to sell to the client.  If I was for example asked to state clearly how many kWs there in an 1 HP driven motor, the answer would lie in the prototype.   Theories apart a prototype is very important, in this case study we will discuss the prototyping of a marketing plan and how we did it.

I would also explain how to utilize countertyping to get to a very innovative and creative solution, this is explained by understanding that established norms that run through commercial enterprises work however may not be the best solution.  Sales and Marketing is best understood by the way companies like Honda and Toyota have restructured their manufacturing and taken advantage of best practices before standardizing the same.  S&M  countertyped is an interesting case study and I am sure you will enjoy reading this.
So how may many bushels in a peck asked the customer, and I said “come to me come to me.”

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