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Chandu

Chandu Nair  |65 Answers  |Ask -

VC, Angel Investing, Entrepreneurship Expert - Answered on Oct 19, 2023

Chandu Nair advises entrepreneurs and enterprises about creating and building their business.
He has direct experience in angel, venture capital and strategic investor funding. Over the last three decades, he has made a name for himself in industry, consultancy, media and information services.
Nair is on the advisory boards of the Chennai-based private equity firm Fulcrum and the social impact fund, Menterra. He's an independent director on the board of India's first retail building products company, Shankara Building Products Limited.
He was the co-founder of Scope e-Knowledge Center, a pioneering knowledge process outsourcing company, as well as the co-founder of a business-to-business e-commerce venture, both of which he successfully exited.... more
Asked by Anonymous - Sep 13, 2023Hindi
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Career

I am 30 years old having 8 years of experience on corporate Investment banking. I grown-up in business family background. Having good knowledge of manufacturing business. My dad was having handmade footwear business and i have now intrest in Food manufacturing snacks buisness. But had never done sales side need how to setup sales team.

Ans: Investment banking is a good place to get solid business ideas, access to funding and building a network including finding co-founders with complementary skills and experience. You may want to first validate your idea in food snacks and flesh out the contours of your idea first. I would recommend being part of a good business incubator and also find mentors who have a background in food /snacks business who are willing to guide you in this journey.
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Asked by Anonymous - Nov 27, 2023Hindi
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Hello, sir. I founded a home decor brand 2 years ago and we are just starting to gain traction in the market. We sell across multiple channels - B2B, B2C and D2C as well. But as a Founder, one of my weaknesses is the lack of selling skills. Should I focus on building a Business Development team in order to generate consistent sales? Also, how do I get better at selling?
Ans: This is a tough one to answer in brief but I am going to try

Each of these channels- B2B B2C D2C - require different kinds of skills. The customer segments too could be different, perhaps the products/ SKUs too. It is my belief that the founder himself should be a salesperson esp in the initial days(years!). The first key thing is to understand the buyer's key problems and how your product is better at solving it than others in the market including alternatives. While doing this, it is important to understand who exactly is your buyer- in B2B, the buyer may be a hotel or restaurant or an office etc. Which sort of B2B segment are you targeting, how are they currently buying, from who, why, what terms do they purchase, how long is the sales cycle time, typical order value, purchase frequency etc? When it comes to B2C, the game is quite different. Are you selling both offline and online? The methods can change.

It would be useful for you to get a co-founder who has deep sales and marketing experience in this sector or B2C online/ offline. Alternatively, get a consultant who can advise you on the phase wise approach to follow, what metrics to use to track effectiveness, the kind of spend required, and so on.

Pl also reach out to others in the D2C community and understand what is working/ not working for them, the kind of structure they have, the outsourced agencies they use.

It is a process of learning. It would be good for you to get a grasp of it; simultaneously, in order to save on time, energy and money, pl consider a co-founder and /or a suitable consultant to guide you through the process. The appropriate hires can be made as required.

..Read more

Chandu

Chandu Nair  |65 Answers  |Ask -

VC, Angel Investing, Entrepreneurship Expert - Answered on Nov 27, 2023

Asked by Anonymous - Nov 27, 2023Hindi
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Career
Hello, sir. I founded a home decor brand 2 years ago and we are just starting to gain traction in the market. We sell across multiple channels - B2B, B2C and D2C as well. But as a Founder, one of my weaknesses is the lack of selling skills. Should I focus on building a Business Development team in order to generate consistent sales? Also, how do I get better at selling?
Ans: This is a tough one to answer in brief but I am going to try

Each of these channels- B2B B2C D2C - require different kinds of skills. The customer segments too could be different, perhaps the products/ SKUs too. It is my belief that the founder himself should be a salesperson esp in the initial days(years!). The first key thing is to understand the buyer's key problems and how your product is better at solving it than others in the market including alternatives. While doing this, it is important to understand who exactly is your buyer- in B2B, the buyer may be a hotel or restaurant or an office etc. Which sort of B2B segment are you targeting, how are they currently buying, from who, why, what terms do they purchase, how long is the sales cycle time, typical order value, purchase frequency etc? When it comes to B2C, the game is quite different. Are you selling both offline and online? The methods can change.

It would be useful for you to get a co-founder who has deep sales and marketing experience in this sector or B2C online/ offline. Alternatively, get a consultant who can advise you on the phase wise approach to follow, what metrics to use to track effectiveness, the kind of spend required, and so on.

Pl also reach out to others in the D2C community and understand what is working/ not working for them, the kind of structure they have, the outsourced agencies they use.

It is a process of learning. It would be good for you to get a grasp of it; simultaneously, in order to save on time, energy and money, pl consider a co-founder and /or a suitable consultant to guide you through the process. The appropriate hires can be made as required.

..Read more

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Hello Gurus, i am M 30 I called a girl in an AM setup. Parents are involved and they talk to each other as well. After 2-3 months of continuous talking to her over phn i am convince their family is good and even she is a very good person. So we decided to meet her in person and also parents are meeting. Even though everything seems to be positive i want to check with you since its my first meeting in person is there any advice or suggestion that can help me navigate myself ? What things are imp to discuss even though we have discuss things over phn like emotional intelligence, kids, where to live etc. Your advice would be helpful for sure.
Ans: Dear Shan,
That’s a really good question. Before going to her place, try to build a mindset of understanding her, without any preconceived notion or pressure to get married. In terms of discussion, to understand emotional compatibility you can observe her behaviour- how she deals with stress, or how she might deal with conflict. Discuss daily life expectations, like what you like to do on weekends, do you enjoy occasional drinking or partying, do you enjoy spending time with friends, family gatherings, disciplined lifestyle, etc. Discuss about each other’s work life balance, expectations from in-laws and any non-negotiables. You should also discuss kids- if they want them, if you want them, and also when. Get clarity on expected living arrangements to avoid any future conflicts. These should be more than enough for a first-time meeting.
Hope these help

...Read more

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