Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never
regains its original dimensions.
- Oliver
Wendell Holmes
As I was from economically poor family that lost all the fortunes
mostly for the sense of benevolence its elders had. (financial riches my
parents have lost and the status they had been at, have exactly what made me to
be cautious on the kind of ‘benevolence’ (which I guess, is already a genetic
predisposition in me) I have) I used to never waste money and try saving money
in whatever way I could. I would be very frugal in the usage of Notebooks and
Stationery Items. (Until my II year MCA I used to write only in Ink-pen for it
was just consuming ink only leaving me with reasonable savings)
When I was a kid and eventually a lad, people used to say
that I was charming. (Never mind they should have been lunatic to have
considered me Charming.. Is it not ?(if you have seen me) For about two years
(When I was 8-10 years old) the nearby Grocery Shop owner used to allow me
inside his shop and I helped him in his Business. Many a times, I used to go
and get him his stock over-powering me in weight. But I used to manage getting
the stock in a bi-cycle that was at least twice taller than me at that time.
Fine, this I did only for fun. But I grasped enormous amount of skills from
such an experience. When someone works for, naturally he / she has to stock-in
what he / she observes.
It was in my 9th standard
I had decided to accompany my classmates in a School Tour to Velankanni Chruch
at Nagappatinam, TN. (I am a guy who questions everything and would have that unquenched
thirst until I would find the answer, not just an answer; but the best answer.
So making merry with friends did not make me happy, and hence, I was not that
willing to go on trips with my friends) There were around 45, comprising two
section boys. Right from, yes right from my conception in my mother’s womb, I
think I might have been a hyper-active creature focusing on multiple things at
one time. As it was the case, I
started just walking around the shopping area, when we reached the Church
around 16:00 Hrs.
As you could guess, I had no excess money apart from what I
had for food-expenses. I just had Rs.40/- excess, after taking tentative
expenses into consideration. I thought of investing that for a Cap costing
about Rs.25/-
Conversation at a
Shop.....
“How much does this cost?” was my question to the guy who was
attending to the customers at the counter in a shop wherein Ready-made Dresses
and other gift items were sold.
“It costs Rs.50/- and it is the latest one that can be worn
regardless of whether it
rains or shines” was that guy’s answer (even at that age, I guess I was good in
Marketing and Salesmanship. Please do not ask me how good I am now.) Alarmed at
the tendered rate which was 100% more than what I had thought of investing in a
Cap; I had the guts to ask him, ”Is there any way out that I can get this one for
25 Bucks?”
“Yes you can surely but not this one, take that Rain-Cap” was
his sarcastic reply. “Are you the one, by any chance, who makes the final
decision in this regard?” I bounced back at him with the same degree of
sarcasm.
“My boss is there at the Cash-Counter; but why would you
bother him when you do not have the ability to get this costlier one” was his
sharp answer.
“I agree’, I said to him “but let me go meet him once”. I
replied. There, I resolved to myself that I will take this costly Cap for 25
Bucks, and beyond that as well.
“Hello sir, I from Chennai accompanied by around 40 more
students of Class IX, who are just getting ready for shopping in next half hour,
and I happen to be the Class Leader. Now I wish to get this one, only this Cap and nothing else
and that too from this shop only, even though there are other shops around
yours. Now please tell me how much could this be sold at, to me” I said
squeezing my brain for a creative speech, yet again in an unknown place.
He looked at that attendant and starred at me for a while and
said, “It is priced Rs.50 and I can give it you for Rs.40/- and nothing less
than that.” There was literally no time left, immediately he again engrossed
himself with his work. But I never settled for that answer.
“When I am slammed with a ‘NO’ answer; I do not give it up
if I am sure to transmute that ‘NO’ into ‘YES’. If the issues were of paramount
importance I did never hesitate to stake my life for an ‘YES’ answer”
“Sir consider this”, I volunteered ”If you offer me this Cap
for Rs.25/-, I will inundate your shop with at least 20 of my Classmates, and
they will all purchase from your shop. Being the Class Leader I have a say in
my Class. Once it happens, you can also think about gifting me with anything
you like. But that is up to you. But I JUST WANT THIS CAP TO BE MINE at Rs.25/-
now think about this, you can very well recoup the loss of extra profit margin
by Rs.15, with a at least Rs.100 X 20 worth of purchases.” I stopped to inhale,
I found him gazing on me completely with two more attendants leaving all their
works and just kept looking at me talking all these.
“That’s looks pretty fine, now this Cap is all yours, take it
and get those students, I will also gift you; if are successful in that!”. The
shop owner himself answered.
I was rather not happy, as my next goal was to own one artistically
designed T-Shirt showcased in the same Shop. Took that Cap and just looked at
that attendant who was scoffing my inability to own just that Cap, for a second and whispered to my heart, “THIS
IS ME! I WILL BE BACK” and left that shop with some plan.
Being triumphant of my financial crunches over this Cap
purchase, I was determined to get that gift from that shop owner. I knew as
early as a Child that not all dreamers will be doers of actions and that every
dream has its own price.
While all of the other boys were busy getting variety of
snacks around this shop, I used that 30 minutes of time in going around to
different shops offering ready-mades and T-Shirts. (I certainly did not have
the luxury of stuffing delicious snacks. All what might remain with me has been
put into the purchase of the cap). I collected some statistics on the T-Shirt
product pricing.
After sometime, organized all the 20 of my class students and
told them with confident voice that they needed not go to any other shops,
spending more money. I asked them what they intended to buy, to which most of
them replied that they wanted to buy T-Shirts. I said to them that I knew a
shop very well where I could get them Good T-shirts at reduced price.
When they asked about the price, I said to them that I had
asked all the shops and the minimum price was Rs.120/- I told the whole lot of
them that I could get for 100 Bucks They were wondering as to how I could do
this with 20 Bucks difference. I also said to them that I could further get a
5% reduction in whatever items they would buy from that shop.
I lead this team of 20 lads into that shop within 90 minutes
from accomplishing my first goal and only I knew that I was working at my
second goal.
Now came the time to talk to that owner, who also kept the
minimum transactional price for a T-Shirt at Rs.120/- He was pretty disturbed
to make the sale happen at a unit price of Rs.100/-
“Sir, why do you look at that small portion of amount? Just
think about the total sales we can make for you only this evening. From what I
observed, I am very sure that the actual cost of this T-Shirt should not be
more than 40-50 Bucks, meaning at least 100% profit even when selling at
Rs.100/-” I continued “Not only this, in the next week 90 of our English Medium
Class IX Students will be here. I will tell those three Class students to come
only to your shop. I think they all know me very well as I am very famous in
School. When they come, you should offer them discounts and can make a huge
sale. Again, it depends whether you want to sell one product at 150% Profit Margin
and make only Rs.80 or sell many products at 50% Profit Margin and make
thousands, it is up to you decide.”
Petrified with the way I spoke to him, “Ok let all of those
boys get T-Shirts at Rs.100/-“ the shop owner declared.
I collected 100 Bucks from those boys who purchased T-Shirts.
It so happened that most of them wanted me to look for a Quality and Stylish
T-Shirt. I totally tendered around Rs.1800/- (two guys opting out of T-Shirt
purchase).
“With flooding-in this much of sale and possibly more sale in
the next week, I think I deserve a gift! Sir, what do you think?” I just
mesmerized him.
“What do you want?” replied him.
“I would prefer to take that T-Shirt as my remuneration for
having generated this sale” I pointed out the T-Shirt which I wished to own
just 90 minutes back without even a penny in my pocket. He not only gave that
to me happily by inviting me to his shop every time I visit Velankanni Church;
but he had to say this:
“IF ONLY YOU START A BUSINESS, YOU WILL SOAR TO GREATEST HEIGHTS”
I could
work for someone in his business, earn his trust and learn a lot as early as
when I was 14 years old. And, I could stump off people in their stand /
position / decisions they would have already taken through certain skills. I am
now well into my early 30s. Have I started any business and grown to greatest heights?
The
answer is a simple no. It is not that I could not; is that I volunteered not to
and chose a different path, earnestly believing that such path would give me a success-foundation
gravitating me towards it effortlessly.
What is
that success-foundation gravitating me?... (Oops, time-out!! I got to go on,
with something else in my schedule for today. I surely will get back to this
success-foundation funda later…)
Be spectacularly great!!
“Pain is
the greatest teacher”
- Swami
Vivekananda