College Gate - ‘Difficulty is a Severe Instructor’

“No…No….No… whatever it may be I am not interested…………thank you.”

This was the first response what we have got from the first customer when we approached at the first stall put up by us.  Birla Global Finance Company Limited (BGFCL) is our team SIP Company.  Our team consisted of Neha, Bharathi, Shiladitya and myself.  We had a very good team since we were working together in the college and now at company.

We were into financial services sector and we were handling investment products like mutual funds and insurance.  April is the beginning of the financial year and people are not planning for any kind of investment in this month since they just finished that in March at the end of the last financial year.  It was a challenge to work in this kind of environment.

When going gets tough, tough gets going…………..

It was really checking our patience and we kept on putting our efforts.  The company guide, Mr. Chetan Kumar, Branch Head – BGFCL, did give us a very good support during this period.  He gave us the lot of inputs how we can crack the market.  We applied our skills with his input and slowly started the business.  We did put up the stalls at various companies.  When we put up the first stall, we approached the customer but he replied, “Whatever it may be I am not interested.”  It was a totally a negative response, but we did not lose our heart we kept our enthusiasm.

Initial stages, we did find it difficult to convince the customers, but as the days progressed it became easier.  Once we had the complete knowledge of the product, it became easier to convince the customer.  It is the knowledge that makes you confident in life – ‘Knowledge is Power’.  Some customers are really very skeptic, since we were handling there monitory issues.  They were hesitant to give us the cheque.  One customer even took our college ID card photocopy.  He wanted our company guide to call on his mobile phone.  It was very difficult to convince that customer.  We met this customer in our initial stage of SIP.  After convincing this customer our confidence level grown. Funny thing is he was from Thomson Financial and met him in Garuda Mall. After completing MBA, this was the company I joined. Never met him though.

SIP did teach us the actual corporate culture and importance of time.  We need to be on time for the marketing calls, otherwise we will lose the customer.  We also improved our communication and analytical skills.  The company guide and faculty guide was very supportive during the SIP.  During the initial stages it was hard to get the business that time our spirit was kept by the faculty guide Mr. Yashoda Krishna by his valuable inputs. He always told not to say ‘NO’ to customer.

Once we went to Banasawadi to meet customer in the morning around 10:30am along with Shiladitya. But he said ‘I have a meeting come in the evening around 6:00pm’. I said okay and came out.  He scolded me why did I agree for evening, which is not possible to come so far. I said “boss, evening there might be rain, traffic jam or stuck with other customers. Don’t worry’. Evening, we really could not make it as we were in Koramangala. So called him and informed not able to make today and will come tomorrow morning. Next day, he gave the business for us.

As a team we complemented each other earlier also and now at its best.  It is the teamwork what makes the impossible is possible.  The best example for this is ants.  In office people were wondering about our teamwork.  We did leave a mark in company with our work and achievement. So much fun we had during our breaks. Sometimes, we used to laugh loudly in the office only.

We were into most happening sector in these days i.e. Mutual Funds and Insurance.  We did get a good insight of these sectors.  This will help us to correlate the theory with the practical scenario in the upcoming semesters as we have chosen the subjects like portfolio management and mutual funds.  It was a dream SIP.

Save … your skills, Insure… your experience, Spend…. your knowledge, Enjoy ….the success.