Mastering Salesmanship

In 1998, I got the role of Junior Sales Officer at a battery company (i.e. Dry Cell). My primary responsibility was to visit our dealer in Kathmandu, who distributed batteries throughout the valley. Interestingly, this dealer operated a man-pulled rickshaw, even though he had official authorization for a van. During those days, I often found myself accompanying the dealer's sales representative as we navigated through the bustling markets on foot.

Sometimes, our daily retail sales fell short of our expectations. In such instances, the dealer's sales representative would propose that we visit a particular shop known for making large battery purchases. I was puzzled by this phenomenon - why would a shopkeeper buy batteries in substantial quantities when they already had a considerable stock on hand? I decided to inquire about this peculiar practice.

One shopkeeper's response shed light on the matter. He explained that these batteries were alike to gold in his eyes. They had a high demand and sold quickly, allowing him to generate significant profits. Furthermore, he expressed his admiration for our brand, praising the quality of our products and the exceptional service provided by our dealer. He assured me that as long as he remained a shopkeeper, he would continue to purchase the same brand from the same dealer.