Mulla's Marketing Method

One day a Brahmin went to Mulla Nasruddin and asked him for help. He said that his forefathers were great Sanskrit scholars and people used to call them Panditji with respect. He said, "I do not aspire wealth. I am satisfied with my economical condition though I do not have much money. But I have just one wish."
"What do you wish?" asked Nasruddin.
Brahmin said " I wish people would call me Panditji as my ancestors were called"  He asked Nasruddin how he could achieve this.

Mulla said "The task is fairly simple. If you follow my advice properly, this task can be achieved."
Brahmin asked, "I am ready to follow you if I will be called Panditji by people"
Mulla advised "You have to shout at anyone who calls you Panditji now onwards"

The children who live in Brahmin's neighbourhood did not like him because he scolded them often and did not allow them to play in nearby area. Mulla told the children, "This Brahmin will get irritated if you start calling him Panditji".

So the children began to tease him by yelling "Panditji" whenever he appeared and as instructed by Mulla, the Brahmin responded by shouting at them. The children spread the word to all the other children in nearby area. So they too joined in a group song, calling him Panditji.

After few months, Brahmin got tired of scolding them but by now everyone was used to calling him Panditji. Hence the game was over, but the name stuck!
                   
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This is nice example of unconventional marketing used by many companies.Some new companies display  sensual, vulgar or shocking advertisements. That gives a way to controversy in media. And media will do the job for free particularly if there is a newsy twist. Because there are many news-hungry people around. Media want masala and what you need do is to make your food spicy and it will be purchased. This is how they get noticed. Their objective is to make people aware about the product.

Aquafina, the bottled water brand owned by soft drink giant Pepsi, used the same strategy to make a publicity. They actually wanted to convey to the mass that Aquafina belongs to Pepsi. Therefore they broadcasted sexy and licentious advertisement so that it got noticed by people and gave a rise to controversy in media. News bulletin displayed that " Pepsi has to ban the sensual advertisement of Aquafina". Indirectly  media conveyed the news that Aquafina belongs to Pepsi. This is how they used media to get their job done.

Thanks.

Rushiraj Waghela.

Photo credit: http://www.fulldhamaal.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/mullahnasruddin.jpg

Missing the Angle: A Communication Roadblock

Once a street-seller of hand-fans passed by the Landlord's house. He claimed "The fans I sell are unique, durable and would last for one hundred years if used properly." He boasted that no one had ever seen such fans before. So the landlord purchased the costliest hand-fan.

However, after few days landlord found the fan of inferior quality. So he called the seller and said furiously, "The fan you sold me is very cheap, it began to fall apart within three days and was totally ruined before the week ended."

The fan-seller said " But Sir, these fans are guaranteed to last for a hundred years. It is possible that your servants did not use it in the proper manner."

The landlord asked, "While selling the fan, why didn't you tell me how to use it?"

The seller replied, "But, my lord, you didn't ask me. I assumed that your servants know how to use it."

"All right", The landlord said, "now tell me how to use this fan"

The seller replied, "To use this kind of fan the user must keep the fan steady and move only the head. The fan should not be shaken at all !"
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Everyone has different perspectives. Perspective is our angle of looking at an object that gives us partial reality and not the complete one. Difference in perspectives is probably the most treacherous communication roadblock. Everyone is convinced about the validity of their own world view.

Our perspective is built by the position we hold or the role we play which makes it difficult to understand others who have different angle of looking at the same thing. Husbands and wives have different view-points. Boss and employee look at the same thing from different angles. Working women and house-wives can't see few things same way.  Parents can't understand their own children and vice-versa.  

Tahnks.

Rushiraj Waghela.
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Story credit: G.Francis Xavier’s The World’s Best Inspiring Stories

Bad News Delivery

The title of this post is inspired by Dr. Monippally's (IIMA Professsor) research paper 'Kinder Cut: A Macro Communication Strategy for Delivering a  News of Job Termination'.

Everyone of us in a business or in a  job has to deliver bad news either to our seniors or subordinates from time to time.  It is just the part of a game. The following incident of Birbal presents the finest illustration of delivering an unpleasant message in the possible pleasant way.

                                                        
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Emperor Akbar, one night, dreamt that he had lost his teeth except one. He was worried about this dream and that's why next morning he invited all the best astrologers of his kingdom to interpret this dream.

After long discussions, the astrologers came to the conclusion and said, "The dream indicates that all the Emperor's relatives will die before him."

Akbar was very upset by this news and sent away all the astrologers without any reward. Later, that day Birbal entered the Court. Akbar shared with him his dream and asked him to analyse it.

After thinking for a while, Birbal said, "The dream indicates that the Emperor will live a longer and more fulfilled life than than any of his relatives." Akbar was glad with Birbal's explanation and rewarded him handsomely.
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Delivering a bad news to a boss is like flirting with danger. But an adroit communicator will always find an alternative way to break the ice. Birbal here displayed the truth but he adjusted his words to suit his target's comfort. If  you have no option telling a bitter truth in your duty as a manager or as an employee, better you tell it in a sugar-coated form to soften the harshness- and you may avoid the danger.

Thanks.

Rushiraj Waghela.

Silence: A License to Negotiation

When Thomas Alva Edison received an offer from the Western Union Company for the ticker he had invented, he couldn't decide what price to ask. He requested for a couple of days time to think about the matter. Edison and his wife discussed the matter and Mrs. Edison suggested that he should ask for $20,000. Edison thought it an unreasonable and towering figure. But on the appointed, day he went to the Western Union office ready to ask for the amount.

"Well, Mr. Edison", the Western Union representative said after he had greeted him. "How much do you want?"
Edison tried to say $20,000, but it still seemed to him an outrageous demand and he could not utter it. He hesitated, and he sat speechless. The Western Union official waited restlessly for Edison's answer. Still Edison did not speak.

The impatient businessman was unable to tolerate this long silence. He hastily said "How about a Hundred Thousand Dollars?"

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The one who blinks first, loses the game. Clearly it was Edison who benefited from the silence and Western Union Company that lost. Silence is a powerful tool in negotiation. It acts like a black hole, just waiting there for someone to fall into. If you withhold your opinion, you may get an unexpected cake from you counter-agent. The ability to conceal the view makes one an excellent negotiator. The tendency to say what you want without waiting to listen to the opponent may land you in a muddy ground.The more you speak more vulnerable you may become.

Thanks.

Rushiraj Waghela


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