Sales Talk for Gandhi Giri @ Vidyalankar Oct 1-2, 2013

Gandhi Giri  @ VIDYALANKAR

“Customer Interface Script for the participants “ 

 What to speak ? How to  start ?

What not to speak in Gandhi Giri ( G G) ?

These are some of the important issues any student face for the first time
 getting in to Gandhi Mandi..

Laying some ground rules may help the students in this regard. 

This blog is written to help Vidya students for Gandhi Mandi 

1.              Before launching on to Mandi .   

Participants must be well prepared.  

Well prepare meaning......................

• Participants  need to be conversant with  detail of the Book “ My Experiments with Truth’ – Price, number of pages, who are the publishers.. 
• Read the book well. Understand the book and some important parts of the book.

Participants need to have clear idea of the purpose of the Gandhi Giri program

Participants need to and reflect on themselves what and how they want to do in Mandi . 

They need to plan on what they want to talk.. 

PREAPARE… PREPARE.. AND  PREPARE.. 

is the mantra for SUCCESS. 

List of questions a student must prepare and practice before getting in to Mandi..

What are the  important FIVE  features of the book  - My experiments with truth ?

What are the first words a student  should start with  a prospect in the mandi  ?

What are the first words a student  should NOT  start with  a prospect ?

What is the typical sequence of any campaign ( avoid sales word ! )  encounter ?

What things a student MUST avoid while talking to a customer?

Why  Vidya  students are doing  this program ?

What are  the reasons for which the customers must be interested in the book ?

How many different ways a book of this type can used by a given customer  ?

What are the benefits of reading a book like this ? 

How this program will help the students in their learning process ?  

Why the book will help the prospects in the market ? 

How to create interest about the book among the customers ,

How to overcome  the objections if any  prospects in mandi will pose ? etc and etc.  

How to close a sales dialogue with a customer  - 

How to stop and wrap up a dialogue with a customer who seems NOT interested in the book  / and in you ?  

How to close the sales dialogue with a customer  - who is not buying?  

Participants  should have read the book and try to understand the contents of the  book. Without reading the book it is not suggestible for any student to get in to market for campaigning the book.   

It is better to read some portions thoroughly so that students can make mention of those chapters while talking  to the customers 

Participants need to practice this script as many times as possible with their fellow students. Just reading once the script may not be of use.

The more they practice the more they benefit out of this script. 

Excellent PREPARATION is a must to boost your level of CONFIDENCE and ENTHUSIASM which are essential  to achieve  success in Mandi. 

·        Be clear about the purpose why you are engaging in this activity

·        Read the book content thoroughly

 1. Appearance of  THE STUDENTS 

 - Before you start your interface with the prospect, your physical and mental preparation matters most.  You need to be modest, but not diffident, NOT arrogant nor wayward.  

You need to be well dressed and groomed well. Untidy look may not convince the prospect that you are a student. 

Participants behavior in the mandi need to reflect the purpose of Gandhi Giri. 

One cannot campaign Gandhi book in the mandi with a cigarette in hand / Gutka in mouth  ! Understand ! ! 

You need to be suitably prepare with the books in your hand. This is to suggest not only to ACT but also you BE what is needed !

 Please remember that YOU ARE NOT a SALESMAN in the mandi . 

You are NOT a salesman.. You are a MBA student. 

Your interest is to L E A R N .. Your interest is to become a BETTER PERSON. 

You want to learn (and not essentially interested to Gandhi Giri  assignment marks through campaign ! ) . 

You want to practice life skills and emulate leader’s values / beliefs and behaviors through participating in GG.OK..

2.       Open your Mandi chat with the prospects with these GOLDEN words:  

 Namashkar.. 

Good morning Sir/ Madam…  

 (Try to avoid extending your hand for a Handshake with a person for the first time you met.            ( Say NOT:   Halo .. how are you ?.. Because, the prospect in the mandi is not your friend.. so that you want to just say hellow. ) 

 3.       Opening words  to introduce  yourself  :

 

  I am Gaurav Singh  (  Your opening words and body language / postures need to reflect your  confidence but not  arrogance! ) .. I am a MBA first year student , at Vidya Vihar Management insitute,   Mumbai. 

Make sure that your  I – Card is visible .. You must show proof that you are a student.

We  are two of my team members.. Rachana  and  Keerti . 

(Try to introduce your other friends  along with you.. It is better to introduce your friends also...

Do NOT:  Start  your introduction with your college name.. Ex.. Vidyalankar,  Mumbai ..  It might  happen so that your prospect many be knowing the college you come from... ! 

 Introduction by ones own name, shows the confidence and conviction about oneself and one’s mission in Gandhi Giri .  This also conveys to the customer that you are Gandhi Giri  on roads to campaign for something and not a roadside hawker!  )

 ( Avoid saying -  Do not start with the irritating words…. I came with to sell you a book ..  Can I have  your five minutes of   time.. It is bad to start that way… OK.. ) 

TRY to seek permission to speak to anybody.. Ask for permission .. Request for time.. OK.

 4.       How to seek permission to talk to the prospects ? :  

 Sir / Madam… can we have couple of minutes of your valuable time?

 We are on a mission – Gandhi Giri   a campaign we, the students of Vidya Vihar, Mumabi  taking   to support  NGO  Bombay Sarvodaya Mandal.  

 We request you to give us a couple of minutes, if possible?

  (By now.. your team mates should be ready with  Book copies in their hands … waiting  to help you when you are talking to the customers.  At this stage you must be ready to make use of their help appropriately.  Other members should not jump at you and try to snatch the contact you established by you..…! Let the interface continue for some time with you because you initiated it.  

  

RULE :: Always .. Let  one student speak at a time… 

Avoid more than one person talking at the same time to one single or a group prospects in the mandi…One person at a time ONLY should speak.. This enhances  your  group image !) 

 5.       A. If a Customer is NOT interested and said clear  ‘N O’.  .  .  How to respond to ….    :  

 ( U N F O R T U N A T E.. It  disappoints to you.. But.. But… 

  Don’t become  suddenly dumbfounded .. as a reaction to the rejection of the prospect to your appeal of asking for time…

Don’t  ….Stop talking to the person! 

Don’t be disheartened- Don’t be angry..

Don’t be uneasy with such prospects who reject your appeal .. ! Be Cool .. OK.

In such moments, you need to be as  cool as possible… Take deep breath.. and take control of your feelings !. 

 You need to take this kind of rejection as one of the natural outcome of any proposal  you made abruptly to unknown person on the road..  And your interest is your learning.. . In Gandhi Giri campaign  majority of the people you try to meet might  say N O..! Hence, it is important for you to be undisturbed with such inconvenient rejections you come across.  

 The very  purpose of  your participation in  Gandhi Giri   is to learn about you through he medium of  REJECTIONS..! Being angry  as a response to a rejection   is common thing.  You cannot prevent somebody to REJECT your request. .. ! But you can certainly control / plan your reactions with such inconvenient responses. 

 You need to be consciously aware to realize this truth. And practice to overcome these NEGATIVE  emotions / moments every  time and all the time.. Then only  the  LEADERSHIP  in you awakens..!. Finally your response may.. may bring back the same prospect who rejected you… who took  few steps away from you.. and he / she may come back due to your proactive response… Who knows.. it may happen… ! This is the MOST IMPORTANT learning you must PRACTICE as part of Gandhi Giri

 a)       Say…  No problem sir!  Thank you very much for your frankness .. Wish you a good day.. !   

 (You need to wear a friendly smile and have grace .. when you are speaking these words..  Your words must reflect a friendly tone..  Such a positive response for  a REJECTION from the prospect, is the ESSENCE of Gandhi Giri  .. This is the LEARNING YOU NEED TO REALISE AND PRACTICE in GG.  Only such a proactive and graceful response from you, will essentially help to build a good image ABOUT YOU + Vidya + Gandhi Giri program   in the mind of the customer ..!  

Although he / she has not agreed to listen to you.  Your response will go hand to hand with earlier statement. Such a positive response in the time of rejection by prospect -- separates you from a ordinary road side salesman / vendor  who engages in selling for day to day living..! Recall that you are doing Mandi not for your day to day living.. LIVELY HOOD..  and also not  for  ACADEMIC GRADES..  ) 

 b)  Say  .  .   .  No problem sir… Thanks..  If you need this book in future,  You can try to source them from Bomaby Sarvodaya Mandal. These are the addresses of NGO.. (maintain your composure.. professional , dignified  campaigner status.. Not a typical SALES MAN KIND OF BEHAVIOUR who shows unhappiness nonverbally.. ! Remember -Your Mandi experience is not meant for MARKS  or earning LIVIEVEHOOD.. but to become top class manager with leadership competencies !)

B.  If a  Customer is ready to give you time   :   Y E S .  .  .  Do the following..

 Thank you  sir / madam.. we appreciate  your kind consideration…….. etc. 

 6.       Introducing NGO  -  Bomabay Sarvodaya Mandal  and their purpose   : 

 Sir / Madam,  We are on a mission to campaign the book Gandhi autobiography on behalf of Bombay Sarvodaya Mandal.. 

 You need to know and able to speak about Bombay Sarvodaya Mandal.. which is a NGO working for promotion of Gandhian literature.. OK..

 We are supporting their cause, by reaching their products to hundreds of ‘Mumbaites’ through One day program called Gandhi Giri . Today we are 100 Vidyalankar MBA students in Mumbai have taken up this job..   We feel honored to help the NGO – Bombay Sarvodaya Mandal.

 Sir, we have an objective to learn our MBA lessons out of this experience. 

 7.       Sir / Madam… Let me demonstrate one  of the Gandhi Book

  (Your team mate by this time should be ready with Gandhi book by this time….. )  

8.       About the Book: - My experiments with Truth.. This is one of the best books on the earth 

·         Written by a  person considered to be Mahatma..

·         Said to be  TRUTHFUL  presentation

·         Said to be  simplest language

·         At a  price of .. Rs 50 / - only

·         Book useful to anybody and every body.. .. kids, middle aged persons, old people, managers, businessmen, employees, youth   etc   etc..

·         Made  available this day this book at your hand pick .. sir.. for your convenience

Don’t  S A Y .. . Book is a wonderful product.. There is no other  book you must have come across which can match  this book.. ..

(  Never  use over positive words about the products  you are exhibiting.  Prospects show resistance to over positive words. They may show disbelief the moment somebody shares such over positive qualities! )

9.       Uses of the book   :  Book is useful for

Personality development, understanding ethics, Dealing with the people etc, etc.. 

 10.   Why  Gandhi book is  a superior product:  

 Sold millions of copies, across the world it is accepted this book as a good book to read..

 11.   Who printed this book ? ..   Sir / Madam….

 This book is printed by  Navajivan Ttrust. Ahemedabad… book is available in 20 languages ..

This day we have picked up only ENGLISH language book for campaign..

 12.   H ow to engage the customers actively  while  transacting  in MB MBA  :  

 Try to handover the  Book in to the hands of the prospect at the earliest.  Try to engage the prospects by asking several questions.  Try to ask the prospect  CLOSED  ended questions…which start with verbs generally! Closed end questions will always have only short responses.. either Yes or No.. ) 

·         Do you like the book sir ?

·         Do you think the book has a value? 

·         Is it worth owning/ buying /using / donating to others ? 

 13.   Strictly avoid to pose questions to the customers  -  

Try to avoid  personal questions related to  the prospects. 

( Ex.. Do you have children ? Are you married ? Do you know Gandhi ? )

No prospect wants to share answers to such personal questions with a new person.

OPEN ENDED  Questions  are those ones, which start with…. ‘What, when, which, where, whom, how and  why.   

Some opend ended questions are given below which you should avoid to ask.. 

Why Gandhi is great man ?  

Why Gandhi is relevant for modern times ? 

Where you have seen the book first time ?  

What is your opinion about our campaign ‘ Gandhi Giri ’ ?

Open ended  question do NOT have - Yes.. or No.. answers..

There are as many answers as there are persons . Each one has their own answers. As a GG participant you are not interested to ask their answers for these OPEN ENDED  questions. ) 

Always try to pose YES / No questions.. OK.

14.   How to prove your authenticity of identify / your work / your purpose in  conducting this project  ?   :  

Prospects in the Mandi will be interested to  have the authenticity of  YOU / BOOK / Your Project. You have the responsibility to prove it.

 Don’t forget that…  It is beneficial to  you to prove it..   

·         Show your college identity card..

·         Show your introduction letter from Bombay Sarvodaya Mandal.. introducing Gandhi Giri program

·         Above all, be polite with the persons you meet in  Mandi 

15.   How to close a GOOD  deal  where customer bought your product  :  

 Madam, Thank you very much picking up this book. 

On behalf of Sarvodaya Mandal   we  express our gratitude to you for your support.  

Kindly bless us to carry out this kind of work in future too !. 

 16.   Why I am doing this GG  project.   :  

We are doing this for better learning . 

We want to use this field experience to improve and develop  

·         Enterprising nature of mine  

·         Marketing skills, communication skills, strategy skills, market understanding, customer behavior etc.  

17.   What to seek from the P R O S P E C T S..    :  

 Prospects are the GODS for MBA student like you..OK..  

Ask questions .. seek feedback about your presentation, Seek the blessings of the prospects..  

Try to ask following questions while interacting with prospects in mandi ..

·         Sir, How is my presentation? 
-         Any suggestions to improve my presentation skills .  

·         Sir, I wish to know more about Gandhi.. Can you suggest more ways and methods?  

·         Sir, How can I improve in my life skills ?  
-        Give me some tips for implementing such thing in my life.. 

Finally,  Forget NOT to express ..

Sir / Madam.....Thanks a million for kind of  interest 

and active support for a noble cause !   

Have  a good day  !   ! 

 -   //   -