Lessons from Entrepreneurship: 3. CARPE DIEM, Strike the Iron!

Disclaimer: I do not claim to know it all but I do hope to share it all. This is a series of 11 lessons that I have learnt dealing with Entrepreneurs and being one myself.

I think all my friends know that while I am a movie buff, I am a big time Sholay fan. This epic movie from ‘70s seems to have a dialogue written for all situations. There are just so many small anecdotes and simple dialogues delivered with so much style and passion that their messages become that much more hard-hitting. One such moment is when Thakur, Jai and Veeru are making their strategy to catch Gabbar. They get to know that an arms supplier to Gabbar has just arrived and is meeting him at a certain place to do the deal. Thakur, in his inimitable style says, “loha garam hai, maar do hathoda!”  (translated: Iron is hot, strike it).

Timing is everything. You cannot be too early or too late with your idea. You have to be ready with the answer when the question is raised. You have to grab the deal when it is on table. You have to put your body in, when you have got the foot in the door.

Sale Closure, learning from the job!

Ask any star sales man and he will tell you that the most important thing in a deal is the quick closure. These star sales men are always looking for that small window of opportunity to close the deal.

 One of the first things that I learnt as a sales person was to communicate really well but never in a hurry. Take your time in a meeting, in fact, take a lot of time. Tire the buyer and close the deal.

In my original business I used to go for meetings with customers setting up a big hotel, needing multiple F&B facilities. All bidders were mostly called on the same day for a series of meetings with a team of 4-5 people.

Having done a few of these meetings and their analysis I figured that the person who got the order was usually the one who spent most time in the meeting.  So my prerogative became to talk more in a meeting. I talked about my company, myself, my history, our history, about the hotel, the market, the project, the city, the food and while doing that I would find connections. My stories and connections built trust.

 In the mean time I would figure out the decision maker, influencer and nuisance makers. Having done that, I would wait for their issues, their problems and their fears.  By this time, they would be mostly convinced about my knowledge, our company’s capabilities and would have all the trust in me to do the job.  I had already fitted into the jig saw puzzle with the last bit of discount remainig. That would normally close the deal.

I heated up the iron and struck at the right time. Well the timing was not always right but then, lets say mostly!

Sachin Tendulkar’s debut

Here is a little story of the little master. This is from his debut series in Pakistan when another great Waqar Younis also made his debut. This incident was on the 4^th day of the 4^th match of this series being played on a green top Sialkot wicket.

India were 38/4 when the young boy named Sachin walked in to join Navjot Singh Siddhu. Shortly after, Sachin was hit on his nose by a Waqar bouncer. He was bleeding when even Imran Khan offered him to go to the dressing room and return later, “chhote chot lag gayi hai, chalo baad mein aa jana”. However, even at that raw age Sachin knew this is where he makes his mark, this is where he has to rise and this is where he seizes the opportunity. He told Siddhu, “mein khelega!” (I will play). Sachin made 57 in that innings and helped India draw the match on juicy green wicket.

A Star was born. Imagine had he opted to go back and nurse his nose.

Opportunity of a lifetime

There will be times when you will feel dejected and frustrated in your work life. You might even start to put pressure on your personal relations because of that. You will be clueless, looking for answers. Some of us turn to God, some to Godmen. Some to palmists and others even to past life analysers!

They may find some answers and be satisfied with it. However, the game is not about finding the answers or hoping for favourable circumstances but about actually making them.

This life itself is the big opportunity. Seize it. Set your goals. Stay Focused. If circumstances do not allow, change them. Look for circumstances you want, if you can’t find them. Make them!

Carpe Diem stands for “seize the day”. I first heard this term in another one of my all-time favourite movies called “Dead Poets’ Society”. There is this scene where Robin Williams, the professor, tells his students that they have age and opportunity on their side to change the world. He encouraged them to seize the day and make their lives extra ordinary. If they don’t then, once buried, all that would become of them would be a fertiliser!

The Lesson 3:

Life will give you opportunities. Life itself is a big opportunity. Seize it. Make something big about it. Opportunities will come to you in the form of a big problem or crisis. They will come when you want to win a sales order or close a funding deal. Opportunities will keep coming in your life, many times over. You have to be ready for them and seize them. If circumstances stop you, change them. Make the iron hot. Strike it!