The Balloon Boy

When Bobby and I came out of the coffee pub it was 11:15 Pm. I was in great ease for it was after long we meet; we had oodles of incidents and experiences to share. As we came out I saw a poignant faced podgy teenager with 6 to 7 balloons tied to a long bamboo stick standing outside Café Coffee Day – that was an odd scene! I thought. He came and started begging me to buy those balloons. What will I do with them?

Pandemonium in this man fashioned world has made our hearts stone cold that it’s not easy to sell a product just with emotions as medium. The paramount retail marketing principles are mostly common sensical; it is all about the 4P’s (Product, Price, Place, Promotion).

In the balloon boy’s scenario the quality of the product was OK, price was affordable, the place & time - not sure. I would have surely bought it if he would have answered my question.

In the Indian scenario, retail giants have ‘bought’ the best management gurus (of course they are important) equally important it is to ‘get’ persuasive, proficient, passionate smilies to sell the products for they are the face of the company – this is a major challenge.

Lessons I learnt:

1. Marketing is about creating a need to buy!
2. Market needs creative, negotiative sales work force.