We finally decided to make it to the movie ‘Rocket Singh-Salesman of the Year’. All had a peg of ‘Russian Standard’ with orange juice and headed towards Bradford Cineworld. My friend who was visiting us that day managed to get a seat next to a beautiful Brit Asian girl and rest 4 of us found our seats next to him.
And the movie started. An enthusiastic young man, Harpit Singh decided to be a salesman after graduation as he believed it’s the job which could give him a decent wage. Despite being ignorant of the nitty-gritty of a sales job in India, he was confident. You can make out this when his colleague suggested him to go to some temple before visiting to client’s place for the first time he replied, “Emotion pe control he, scooter me petrol he. Itna bahut he?” (I have control over my emotion and I have petrol in my scooter. That’s enough for me)
Soon he came across the nexus of corruption. He had to bribe in order to close the sales deal which he just could not digest. He was shocked. He revolted against it. And the result? His sales life almost came to an end. Nothing could he do but to make cold calls to customers. But he did. All were laughed at him, made fun of him, threw paper rocket on him. He became nothing but a ‘joker Sardar’ in the organization.
One day he visited a client’s place and finally closed the deal secretly just to disprove the client’s perceived notion that those who don’t know anything become salesman. But in the process he discovered what and how to sale. What he saw is not the figure after the sales but the smile of customer. For him customer’s satisfaction was more important than just closing the deal.
On being highly ethical he went to his boss to disclose all about the secrete sales he made but came after being harshly humiliated. Most get dissolved in critical situations and just go with the flow, but there are some who refuse to. He found that he was being humiliated by all as he was allowing himself to be humiliated. Now he decided to find his own way. And the Rocket Sales Corporation was born within same organization he was working.
‘He is not going with the flow’, I screamed out of excitement. Half of the audience started staring at me. All my friends were sure, ‘Vodka is in Action’.
Rocket Sales Corporation started growing. Harpit Singh now Rocket Singh could only see people: people in customers, people in partners and people in even peon. He believed in meritocracy; “tu agar director ka kaam janta he to phir director kyon nahi ban sakta” (If you know the job of a director then why can’t you become the director?), he often said.
He believed in taking risks. Probably the most famous dialog in the movie is “Risk to Spiderman ko bhi lena padta he, me to phir bhi Salesman huin”. (Even Spiderman has to take risk, I am only a salesman.)
Rocket Singh was a quick learner. He was quick to grasp of the fact that “Jo salesman ulta nahi padh sakta wo andha hota he.” the sales man who can’t read upturned is a blind. He not only learned that but also applied his learning. He could see that in a PC assembling business it’s not the sales but the service is the key. He cashed on it. On the same time his boss from his parent company could never see it despite getting proof. He wondered, “India me service se kab se sales hone laga he”( How come sales are made in India through service).
Rocket Singh was the person to get the things done for always not by influence, not by power but by persuasion. He persuaded atypical persons to be his partners. He was also too quick to discover the power of generating more by sharing. All the partners in his company were equally share holders.
But, the most important, Rocket Singh was a leader.
‘What makes you a leader?’
‘Simple, you should have followers.’
‘Why should other follow you?’
‘Because they trust you.’
‘But, why would all trust you?”
I and my flat mate often get into debate on the dining table, ‘Why whole India relied behind Gandhi?’ He wonders, “How can a man persuade others to get beaten without attacking? How can you motivate a man to show his other side of face after got beaten on one side?”
“Gandhi had a charisma”, he always concludes. I never believe Gandhi had a charisma or at least people never followed because he was charismatic. People followed Gandhi because of his integrity.
Some puts it as a moral force and others as ‘Do what you say and say what you will do.’
And Wipro’s Chairman Azim Premji reflects,” Character is one factor that will guide all our actions and decisions. We invested in uncompromising integrity that helped us take difficult stands in some of the most difficult business situations.”
When you with integrity start showing directions to others, you have followers.
‘That makes you a leader.’ And that made Rocket Singh a leader. He was always truthful. He never forgot his own people. He was always committed to his values. And he was finding his own way setting direction for others.
Rocket Sales Corporation’s sales figure grew and grew and the parent company’s declined. As, they never had an office of their own and always operated within the parent company, it got caught and the parent company’s owner took it over. Soon he realized that he could not manage the newly acquired company because of the unrealistic demands from its customers. These customers needed service more than just product to be sold. Finally he submitted and gave the Rocket Sales Corporation back to its original team.
The movie ended. As we were coming out my friend from Punjab said that all the team members of Rocket Sales Corporation had all but one thing in common and that’s focus. Knowingly or unknowing he was referring to the ‘Seed Team’ what Subroto Bagchi talked about in his book ‘The High Performance Entrepreneur’.
All enjoyed the movie a lot but still not forgot my screaming in the middle of movie amongst everybody’s silence. Obviously, I was the element of fun outside the hall with all repeating, ‘He is not going with the flow’. Now I said, “Guys, he changed the flow.” My same friend from Punjab came near me, put his hand on my shoulders and said, “Kake, tujhe ek peg Vodka abhi tak utri nahi :-) ”
He changed the flow by making profit not by sales but by service. But I was thinking he changed the flow in many other ways as well.
As we reached to the parking area we packed ourselves in side my friend’s Ford Focus to get back home.
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