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Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Sales Pitch

I was formally introduced to this concept by someone from my company's sales team during my assimilation. Although over the period I have realised that everytime we end up selling something, although intangible, but everytime you talk, you want people to buy it, more so true in case of a self-obsessed person like me.

It ranges from formal sessions like interviews, to just a cup of coffee, anytime anywhere. But if you keep in mind that it's officially a sales pitch I think it gives you more confidence. Consider my first and till date only job interview, although I was nervous, I was good in selling my confidence, my passion for loads of other things than "C", my love for Java(which too has disappeared) etc etc.

Few days back when I attended a b-school interview it was another such attempt. But after talking to my friend's sister I realised that it's officially a sales pitch. The panelists are consumers who are looking for the best deal, I am nothing but a salesman who sells himself off. So this time I kept this thing everytime in my mind while giving any answers, it helps quite a lot. Only that thinking of you as a commodity can be demeaning sometimes, I mean I am obviously different from a Parle-G.

Btw, do read the interview transcript, it should be fun.

Coming back to me, I think I am good in selling things, although not the regular shopkeeper stuff but things I have realised for the past few days after giving a thought to what actually interests me. For example I wanted to consider couple of friends of mine for this course at ISI Kolkata that they should do as they are good with numbers. Anyway people dont see much beyond an MBA or MS for higher eductaion nowadays. I just tried to make the pitch exciting by saying that guys from ISI are quite in demand among good looking bengali gals ;). Couple of them really got excited and hope they will apply. By the way Bengali Girls are really quite beautiful J.

You talk to any girl and you will realise that they too are looking for a package deal, so when one proposes it should be Sales Pitch rather than regular proposal. We had a brainstorming session on this one last week and some real good points came up. Although we are not looking at a slideshow for asking a girl something, but a step by step breakdown of things helps. (Maybe, some experiments will be conducted on this theory soon :))

When you talk to your client you sell him your work, when you ask your boss for leave you try to sell the need of taking one, when you talk in appraisal your boss sells you his rating, when you say sorry after doing something terribly wrong you sell your ignorance, when you ask your dad for money to buy a new cell phone you sell your innocence, when you are in a discussion and just want people to buy your thoughts, sometimes ignoring there is something buy from them too.

It's always a buy-sell thing, we trade thoughts and that's how all the humans co-exist, but some people label it sharing, I disagree. It's never sharing because sharing is done for mutually agreeable items, like you can share a pizza or a Mysore pak or a nimbu soda, but you will only buy knowledge when you think its good for you and you can use it and it comes with the minimal cost, the same way you end up buying toothpaste. Cost here though can be a set of multiple parameters.

So just try it out once, whenever you try to talk to someone, think of the items you are selling to him, think of yourselves just as a Eureka Forbes guy and have a go, I am sure it will turn out quite well. Sales Pitch is not as mysterious as this year’s WACA Perth pitch, but again like that it’s sure to give positive results.

Technorati Tags: Sales, Marketing

10 comments:

TheQuark said...

"Only that thinking of you as a commodity can be demeaning sometimes, I mean I am obviously different from a Parle-G."
And how is that! A physicyst would claim you are also same set of particles as Parle-G (G maane Genius!)

You seem to see everything by a sales person's goggles (errr specs). This is not a new phenomenon, economists (at least of the micro type)would go on any length to explain any observation / pattern with the concept of 'Economic Man' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_economicus).

So seeing this point of view everything can be seen as khareed-farokht. Woman sells her body to her husband to get home and hearth, mother sells her love to get assurance in old age. It goes on...

As for Indian MBAs they are a bunch of buffoons shit crazy about money (this is not bad, but just dont say i dont need money) with no aptitude towards business or management taught by over the hills sadistic profs mugging up case studies and all. The best part if when they try and convince I was born for management, the signs:

* I was in organizational committee of my college festival [money swindler]

* I create win-win situations [sucker]

* I am good with numbers [So is suckuntala devi]

* I just know it [now we know too]

They should sit in a North Indian bazaar to _really_ know how to sell, how to know thy customer and all that MBASqueak.

Cuckoo said...

A different perspective but a good one if you see from a salesman pt of view.
Yes, we indeed try to sell ourselves, our ideas. I agree. :-)

Chetan said...

Hi Desh, once again, a thought provoking blog from you..I enjoyed reading this one..and it got me thinking if we have a sales pitch for most of our efforts..i think that in sales pitch, you always have a give and take relationship..you sell something and you get something in return..i am sure there are lot of relationships that are just one way in traffic..that you just sell and dont get anything back..like mother teresa for instance..so in some sectors, perhaps this philosophy dosent hold true.

Malavika said...

hmm...now thts a (long) thought :P

desh said...

@cuckoo

good u agree :-)

@malavika

whom wr u referring to??? anyway just imagine, one thnks so long, hw long will he speak :P

@chetan

yep u r right, my laws apply for the common man...

anyway mayb Mother Teresa was selling her goodwill and love, but on a free offer for years :)

desh said...

@chetan

mayb i am wrong, but Mother Teresa is too great to be affected by stupid theories from ppl like me.

@quark

need time to reply to ur comment :)

Thought said...

The IIM's (if they see this post) will definetly give a thought over it. Btw who are you?

Parul said...

You seem all set for ur MBA...kool...rock on!

Austere Alacrity

finance courses said...

I found your blog very interesting and have read a few of your other posts.You write your articles very well.

desh said...

thnks Finance courses

who r u btw?