Maha mandi 2014 - A lifetime experience

 9th august 2014 - A long awaited date. Finally, the D-day had arrived. With lots of confidence, motivation, inspiration and enthusiasm our group moved out of college to sell on the streets of Mumbai. Feeling was unique with full of energy and slogans reverberating every where around "socho becho seekho" and "Maha-mandi ki jai"

Buses Awaiting

Full Energy Crowd

Our Group at Marine Drive with Demo Shapes

Our group went to marine drive with a well though out strategy to sell our products. we were looking around for family with kids in the age group between 3-12 years of age. But our first customer came as a surprise to us. He was a 16 year boy who purchased Number balance for his sister as a gift for Rakhi. It was an eye-opener for us and taught us how naive we were in planning of our strategy.

First Customer Delight

After some struggle we got our second customer. It was a group of foreigners who were influenced by the intentions behind the selling drive - To help underprivileged children

Not Only Indians.. We sold to Britishers also

Then the struggle came. We entered into an over saturated zone of supply. Already many groups have sold these goods to different customers in that place. It was hard time as for next 2 hours we didn't sold anything to anyone. We were getting impatient but the will to support the cause and thirst to learn kept us motivated to try and try. We approached every one, from a family on tour to mumbai to a college kids group on hangout, almost every one sitting there at marine drive.

Feels great to be part of a family pic

It's rightly said "Hard work pays off". While we were struggling to sell a single product, we sold 4 products to a couple aged around 60. They took it for their grand-children. He was at a top managerial post in a company and was so influenced with our efforts that he gave his e-mail id and asked us to forward it to college administration as he will be interested in hiring people from our college. It was very motivational and we approached next customers in soaring confidence to sell rest of our inventories

Another Young Customer

Joyful kids with their New Toys

It was truly a learning experience with face off to reality. A platform where one can practice what he learnt to learn more and more. In maha-mandi learning is an active process where practice and fun comes for free. It taught not only sales and marketing strategies but even bigger virtues like patience and perseverance

Few things that I would suggest are - 

• Acquire complete knowledge of the products. How it is fun, how it helps to learn and how it is unique than other products in market
• Make a simple strategy, do not complex it. And do not panic when things are not going according to plan. Patience is the key to success
• Talk to every customer with smile. Do not rush through while explaining about the product and always be polite. Remember You are the one selling it
• Make demo shapes ready and never hesitate to call a potential customer. 

MAHA-MANDI is something I'll cherish for my life time. Thank you