I have been given feedback that i am a compulsive followup person. Being in HR, people have requested me to shift to sales on many occasions in the past, for this reason i guess.
Am a natural born, seller if the Jung Typology test suggests as given below:
ESFJ – “Seller”. Most sociable of all types. Nurturer of harmony. Outstanding host or hostesses.
So now I am part of the 12.3% of total population who are of this type and hence ‘sellers’ (acc to the description on this type). Am sure they are talking about the American population alone here, cause in India, I am sure that you are either one of two groups, Sellers or Buyers. So 50% of the population is selling something the remaining 50% is buying.
So are we just buying goods and services? No we are buying and selling feelings. Indians rarely go for the head, they tend to listen from the heart. This is true for at least a largish population of the humble Great Indian Middle Class. If i feel good about something or someone selling that something, then even though i could get it cheaper somewhere else, i am going to buy it from Shyambhai, or Mr Chatterjee or Ms. Dsouza or Ghanshyam seth, or the myriad of people building relationships for exactly the moment you are going to open your purse strings.
The above in my humble opinion is true from big deals to everyday activities like grocery shopping – the potential for the retail lines are huge here provided they can get courteous staff, clean stores, maybe even hire relationship execs who reach out to customers on a regular basis, just like when your financial consultant keeps in touch on your investments. That’s why the small stores are going to be around for some time. Till the large stores get Big not only on quality, variety and savings alone but also build in heart into the servicing process, they aren’t going to effectively compete.
I go to the large department store round the corner right now because its right there. But the in-store experience is not all that fab. The employees look too harassed, lowly paid and arre made to work some very long hours. Who has the time for a smile in such an environment? Now if for example, a store with similar scale but smiling employees, who help you in checking out faster, came up say, a kilometer down the road, i would drive that extra kilometer to get a warmer service. I also frequent the smaller mom-pop type stores when i need something as the owner is friendly and recognizes me.
Indian markets largely work on relationships. There is even a word on the bourses which is related to feelings, – sentiment. And that small word causes huge gains or losses. Of course its not entirely linked. Hence industries like the service sector which are customer focused also need to pay attention to giving warmer service. So like in my industry of 
asset management, relationship sells. Nothing else is going to move much money into our funds unless there is stellar performance somewhere in the fund assets. We engage with channel partners on a regular basis to ensure that all the possible recall goes to the brand and the funds.
So who are the most successful in sales today? People with a lot of gut (which it takes to sell in India), patience and some heart. For the non-heart variety of salesman is not going to get repeat business to much unless there is large cash-backs involved. Now i am not saying that other skills are not important, i am saying that a measure of heart is necessary to succeed.
Of course we are also good buyers. We haggle and bargain and always look for the best deal. That makes life tough for a lot of sales persons. We, of course start learning sales pretty early. When do we start selling? ….. some say the moment we are born we are selling our need for survivial, by wailing for milk. But lets not trespass into that territory just now. Lets keep it simple, we start selling when we have to deal with this big world. From schoolchildren bargaining with shopkeepers right all the way to the top of the corporate/govt chain. We keep learning how to sell and how to buy. We bargain, cajole, persuade and lastly maybe corrupt the buyer but we always do sell. And yes, there is always someone to buy.
And this is not only true about the organized sector or other such structured markets. I was down in the Konkan coastal belt last week and there this Tender Nut Water seller was refusing to sell some to a family cause he needed cash as they were getting credit from him. So you see, the coconut water seller gave credit and built a relation with the buyer. So much so that unlike the coconuts he was selling, the credit line was now dry.
So before, getting into sales for a living, i am sure going to check if i have the heart factor. Of course, i should have some since i have to build relations with my colleagues and the employees who i service as an HR person. People will get in touch with you for work. So one has to make the experience enjoyable enough to make sure that the person comes back and also is happy dealing with you. That’s what i am working on now……and yes the feedback on follow-up stays. That’s where i need to sit up and smell the coffee. And build on smoothing out the flaws in my relationship building and stop sandpapering down people with my follow-up.
The following description of my Jung Type is given on the KTS website(another personality testing tool) as reproduced below.
“The Guardian type known as the Provider (ESFJ) is sometimes known as the “Santa Claus” personality since they are generally well-liked and notice whenever situations become “naughty or nice.” They provide for the welfare of many and usually show well-developed social skills. They are happiest in positions where they need to deal with people.”
I am in the right job for the moment (till of course, i get into Sales.) Thank goodness !! 
Ronabir Addy. Its a tongue twister in this myriad of equally difficult-to-pronounce Indian names. That’s why i have had enough ‘Falooda’ made out of it while people pronounce it. Its difficult to get your point across if people don’t address you right.
It’s not their fault entirely, since i move from region to region based on my career prospects but then my parents didn’t decide to be conventional. It is a Bengali pronunciation to the common Hindi name ‘Ranbir’ – meaning – warrior in the field. However, my parents (who didn’t know too much Bengali) decided i needed an identity (who doesn’t) and gave a twist to the original Bengali version – Ranabir ( the a is pronounced as O in Bengali typically) and came up with Ronabir.
So its an equally uphill task explaining the pronunciation to a Punjabi as it is to a South Indian as it is to an actual native Bengali. I am Ranbir putar in Punjabi, Runbir in South India and Ranabir (Ronobir) in Bengali. It is not uncommon to have folks grappling with pronouncing my name correctly. What would i have given to have a common Indian name like Aman, Kamal, Amir, Anand etc. – no, nothing. I would have given nothing to have a common name like that cause in India’s swirling mass of 1 billion+ individuals, you need a small if any differentiator and what better than a tongue twister for a first name. LOL
The extent to which my first name is murdered on the alter of pronunciation is unimaginable to most except those who have equally typical names. I remember one class teacher who could not remember my name correctly and referred to me as Rodrigues and when my Mum came around for the monthly PTA meeting, she would be promptly be labeled as Rodrigues’ Mummy. All because, the Army Chief at the time was Gen. Rodrigues and I was of course studying in an Army School.
I remember in-numerable polite inquiries as to my name when young. ‘What’s your name beta?’ Me: Ronabir. ‘What?’ Me: Ronabir….. ‘Say again?’ Kya? What?’ ‘Ranbir, Aunty. Ranbir’. ‘Oye kake, Ki chaanga naam haiga’. So yes, I had to assume a more understandable version of the name. The worst culprits are the Railways. They take your name and come up with even more bizarre spellings that you would have ever imagined. On various reservation and seat charts, my name has given me many a smile at the level of confusion. Roanbir. Ronbeer, Ranobir, Runnybir, Runabeer etc etc.
The absolute upside is that due to the uniqueness of my name, i get email addresses like ronabir@yahoo.com or ronabir@gmail.com etc with relative ease, while my colleagues are using all sorts of versions of their names to get a unique email id/usernames.
However, this is where my last name comes in handy. Its Addy. Of course; this came with its own share of troubles. I have been often referred to as Reddy, making my one of the elite landowning class in AP. But usually its much less a tongue twister, so i insist that people refer to me as Addy. The misfortune is that it rhymes with Paddy, Baddy and Daddy, but most people still manage to get it right with the least no. of tries. I didn’t know that it was the short form for Aditya, a common Indian name, till i got to class 12. I walked into the class after a transfer from a small town to the big metroplis of Delhi and during break was horrified to note that all knew my name, since a number of people started screaming…’Addy’ ‘Addy’ during recess. I was amazed that people knew me without an introduction but that amazement did not last long as i discovered that one of the popular students was their actual target and his name was Aditya, or in short. ADDY.
Of course this causes a bit of friction between father and son. For in the Army all my Dad’s colleagues knew him by his surname (common practice in the forces) and now when my friends call on the house phone and ask for me (Addy) and he happens to answer the phone, he gets confused and gives me a holler as to why my friends call me that when i have a perfectly good first name. I have even been referred to as Ronabir – Wannabir – Addy and Addeshwar !
And yes, its an anglicized version of the original Bengali version, which is ‘Auddy’. I didn’t belive it till i saw a shop in Kolkata called ‘Auddy & Sons – Jewelers’. Yes, we were perhaps jewelers at one point of time as per the caste system. Now the only jewel left is the unique name.
So when Shakespeare said, ‘What’s in a name?’, I will most definitely say, a lot.
—-Roger, Oscar, November, Alpha, Beta, India, Roger. Alpha, Delta, Delta, Yankee.—
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: indian life, maids, Random+writing, writing
baai – maid./female servant
I cant survive without the baai coming in the morning and cleaning and cooking. Sorry Mama, you are distant at this point of time and i HAVE to rely on the baai.
Down the years lots of baai(s) have been to work for me. There was one that did a whole lot of the household chores like clean up the room, arrange the de-arranged, take and bring back my pressed slacks etc. And found the time to cook delicious food. And all this at a mere 500 rupees. That was of course in Kolkata. Heaven is plentiful for that city but the weather is the worst for one of the good cities in India. 
Sorry am digressing from the topic. The main subject deals with the baai. You would also have one in case you happened to live in India and be part of the ‘class’ who uses their services. There are all sorts of baai’s. The basic few characteristics of the temporary type who come in to do some chores before moving on to the next house are quickness of sight – to keep you in the peripheral vision and not dust down that sofa, if you aren’t looking, deftness of hand – (0nly applicable to the ‘chaalu’ type) in picking up your Swatch when you are not looking, dictionary of excuses – for when they need to quick explanations to why she didn’t show to work this morning, which is the next characteristic – taking quite enough leaves as suits her to meet her relatives who are in abundance and keep visiting at odd times of the year.
If you get stuck with this type, esp as a bachelor, you have had it. If you shout, you are mean, if you mention, you are mean, if you order, you are evil. Hope you get the point. And you have to be a great orator to enter verbal duels with such people for they are women-kind. The best strategy would be to act firm and let her have her way. Why would you do this, cause having to find another is such a nightmare and there is no guarantee that the new one wont be worse than the last.
Well, then there are the ones with a conscience which has formed mainly due to circumstance. Husbands run away/ill or not around, kids to put through school and a meal on the table at night. Those are few and far between and hence hard to come by. But in my luck, i have had two of these benign and genuinely honest type. Lucy me that the current one is on the same nature. Hence my faith in the baai population is still OK. 
These are quiet, strong typ es who have regard for the money and the work. They don’t usually have butterfingers like the earlier type (woe behold if you have crystal dishes/glasses) and none of the smart talk. They do their work and leave. They request for small loans when it is essential and no one would say no, we will just put them on an EMI program. You are the bank and she is the borrower, the only difference from banking is that this is a no interest charge loan. You will be lucky if you see the entire amount you lend during the period of work, but you don’t mind.
The baai is an integral part of the life here. They are usually discussed a lot. Mothers ask children, aunts ask after them, they are discussed in the office with people vying to make their particular baai stand out in the crowd. Yes, we are all proud that the baai is doing a good job. So its a case of neighbor’s envy and owner’ pride.
A numbers of stories are told about baai’s and their deeds or misdeeds. Its almost folklore. Its a prized skill to be able to deal with the baai’s. Of course they expect their Bakshish (bonus) during festival time. The quick variety want bakshish at every small celebration. Or at least more than one time a year. The other type don’t demand any usually but do expect and do get it willingly.
But the time does come to say bye. For the chaalu category is usually dispatched with a shouting match (if you are adventurous) to shifting residence and not telling the baai (for the weak hearted). The good ones are usually given a lot of parting gifts (its surprising to see what all you can discard when shipping out of a house) along with a farewell etc. So every time i shift residence and my current baai is left behind, i have bidden farewell to a multitude of baai’s. And so it will be in case i move again. What again? No. I’ll stick on. Whose going to find a baai of the good type again in a hurry……
Hey wassup bro. !! did you check out my scrap yet.?
That’s what started it. Or not that particular event really but a few actions taken days before on my part, by signing up for one reputed social networking site. I loved the connectivity. The thrill of getting in touch with people who I knew a long time ago but since had dropped out of sight somewhere, and the combined effort of inertia and time constraints had eroded their from my mind.
First came the calls. Frantic. Muffled sounds like a lot of whispers which I took to be Arabic in nature. This continued for some time and then came the emails from groups like jihadibaba.com etc. It gave me shivers. And then I was kidnapped. That blew the lid of the whole thing. And that flying lid has hit social networking in the nose, at least to me now.
I was not kidnapped in the proper ways of kidnapping. Wasn’t whisked away in a car, hood over head and then taken aboard a chopper etc. It was the most mundane case of kidnapping. I was called by my boss at the MNC I work in and told that the police need to see me.
I was shocked but when I met Havaldar (Sgt) Shinde, he was profusely sweating with adjectives of apology. He assured me that all protection takes top priority to being shifted around and he was here to make arrangements for my safe keeping.
I asked him as to how come I would need protection and he laughed. Ka Payje, saab? – What do you want, sir. Death or life? This hit me between the eyes, specially when your life is in danger and the police protecting is protecting you.
Realization struck at about an hour after the event above, once I had been through the entire red tape associated with Z+ security matters etc. I was told that as per my online profile, my life lead directly to one of country’s biggest gang names. This grim reality was not in the least true, and far from being funny it was a horrible tense time. I tried my level best to be the good boy and with a speak-the-truth mantra, a position which people like me (the ones who haven’t got crime on their record yet) take when faced with such absurdity. But the local police station and its good platoon of staff and then the division headquarters and the state headquarters, couldn’t quite grasp the meaning of what I said. For I was ‘innocent until proven guilty,’ and hence had to be the No 1 suspect in a largely spread crime network. I was supposed to be the rival gang leader and had supari (contract) on my head. Hence the police were quite happy to see me. You see, I was missing for the last few days and in case I had not showed, they probably wouldn’t have gotten the credit of having taken me alive. I was, according to dispatches later disclosed, ‘Encountered but got away’ cases. So when I showed, because someone had posted a profile with enough hints for the right people to reach him and used my profile and hence changed it around.
SO, here I am in the police station trying to go my way and live my life but for one blunder. The police treats me with respect but I can’t live with a respect I never earned, cause I am not their MAN. But life is such.
So what happened to it all…..luckily for me the rival gang had a tie up with ‘us’ because they did not want to loose me. And so the gang war never happened. The police were felicitated on capturing the ‘right’ man. The media had a field day. The day before I was to be released to my brethren, the hacker who had done the trick was caught. He has given leads to the whereabouts of the actual leader (who is fine so far so the treaty stands). They choose me since I happened to have the closest match to their ‘bhaaiya’ face wise and figure wise.
I got back my mundane profile online and offline again. I got ‘protection’, since I held up so well with the police. But adventure calls….
PS – The various terror groups can misuse the online networks to access their own needs in ways we cannot imagine yet. Also it proves that the terrorist is not foreign anymore. They are among you and me. We need to look at how we are going to deal with terror of any kind. The worst case is that no one can see the information networks as a battleground except a few groups here and there. The kind of access to information available online and not impervious to the determined attack tactics employed by the cyber terrorist, will blow your mind. It is often joked that you can build a nuclear bomb in case you have access to the Net. Yes, it’s true. But only to those determined enough and cash rich enough. Still it is possible only when terror groups use networks again to their advantage, by hiding out in the various screens available in various parts of the Net and trading deals.
In tomorrow’s collaborative world, the one with the most network is going to rule. Either it’s the Bad, or with all our support, the Good will win.
