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Chandu

Chandu Nair  |65 Answers  |Ask -

VC, Angel Investing, Entrepreneurship Expert - Answered on Nov 27, 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 - 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.
Career
Chandu

Chandu Nair  |65 Answers  |Ask -

VC, Angel Investing, Entrepreneurship Expert - Answered on Nov 27, 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 - 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.
Career

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Harsh

Harsh Bharwani  |73 Answers  |Ask -

Entrepreneurship Expert - Answered on Oct 19, 2023

Asked by Anonymous - Aug 20, 2023Hindi
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I have been trying to scale my Digital Marketing and Advertising Agency since 2 years. but i am still not able to touch 1 lakh a month consistently. I know where i am going wrong, its the sales mostly. Please suggest me a way off how to a get a proper sales channel to get clients , how to manage funds for sales channels, and maybe some channels you can suggest.?
Ans: The different sales channels include traditional and modern marketplaces, retail and wholesale, and your own online store. All of these channels have their own pros and cons to take into account when choosing the right channels for your business.
Ecommerce
Ecommerce is any transaction that is completed online. For example, when you buy clothes from your favorite online store, that is ecommerce. Every time you order food from a delivery app like Doordash or Postmates, that is also e-commerce. Ecommerce is a huge market, worth over $5 trillion, and it’s expected to make up 24.5% of global sales by 2025.
Pros:
Lower startup costs, since you won’t have to pay for a physical storefront.
Can sell internationally and 24/7, as long as your website is active.
You can collect customer data to help you figure out what your target market wants.
Cons:
Problems in your distribution channel may cause the end of customer relationships.
Might have higher return rates because customers can’t try before buying products.
Direct sales in brick-and-mortar stores is still more popular despite ecommerce’s rising popularity.
Traditional marketplaces
Amazon, Etsy, eBay, Walmart Marketplace, and Google Shopping are examples of traditional marketplaces. These channels feature a wide range of product offerings and, for the most part, customers search by the product they’d like to buy rather than the brand they’d like to purchase it from.
While traditional marketplaces come with a preexisting customer base, these platforms require you to give up control of customer service and fulfillment speeds, and to compete on margins.
Pros:
You get your products in front of the existing customer base of those marketplaces.
You can use their distributors and marketing channels already in place.
Being part of a traditional marketplace can give you legitimacy in the eyes of your target market.
Cons:
Indirect sales mean you have to pay a commission for every sale made using a traditional marketplace, and those commissions can change.
Marketplaces can have really strict terms and conditions for how you communicate and represent yourself in their stores.
There might be a lot of different brands selling similar products in these stores, so it may be hard to find a way to stand out.
Modern marketplaces
Modern marketplaces are content-driven platforms that enable commerce. This includes social media channels like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Pinterest. It also includes places like Spotify. One of the reasons these modern marketplaces are so successful as sales channels is because buyers are already there. Adding a Buy button allows you to meet buyers where they are.
Pros:
There are apps that can help you track various metrics on your social media platforms to help you optimize your posts and reach.
You can collaborate with other brands and influencers to cross-sell and cross promote.
Most social media platforms have useful templates you can use for your ads and store.
Customer support can be instantaneous on social media.
Cons:
You constantly need to create content to stay visible.
You need to be vigilant against any negative feedback or trolls.
If a social media site goes down or your account is hacked that could really affect your business.
Retail
The retail channel includes both permanent and pop-up shops, like a short-term rental in a mall, a booth at a craft fair, or a stall at a local farmers market. Retail channels provide the opportunity for you to build relationships with your customers in person and get real-time feedback. Retail is a powerful piece of the modern commerce playbook.
Pros:
You get face-to-face contact with your customers
Cut out the middlemen and get products straight into the hands of your customers.
The sales process is direct and ends with you having payment in hand at the end of the sale.
Cons:
May have added cost of hiring sales team (sales reps, sales manager, customer support team).
Can be expensive paying for overhead on brick-and-mortar shop.
Dealing with interpersonal issues with staff and customers.
Wholesale
Wholesale involves selling your products to other businesses who then retail them. Some businesses choose to make wholesale their only sales channel; others use wholesaling as one leg of an omnichannel sales strategy. Wholesale is a great way to move a lot of inventory at once.

..Read more

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Anu Krishna  |1488 Answers  |Ask -

Relationships Expert, Mind Coach - Answered on Feb 05, 2025

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Anu

Anu Krishna  |1488 Answers  |Ask -

Relationships Expert, Mind Coach - Answered on Feb 05, 2025

Anu

Anu Krishna  |1488 Answers  |Ask -

Relationships Expert, Mind Coach - Answered on Feb 05, 2025

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Relationship
Hi Anu I am a married woman with a very supportive husband and daughter. For last 10 years I am having an affair with a colleague and things are pretty well between us. Both of us have found the comfort and requisite from each other which we missed in married life and it saved our respective marriage though none of our family are aware of it. We balanced this till now effectively. Recently I got an opportunity within the company which is very lucrative and will enhance my career goals altogether however, for this I have to shift to another state. Now , my bf is very upset on this as it means he will not be able to meet me as we do every day. My husband and Daughter is fine with my shifting however my parents who are old are also apprehensive since I am the only child and do take care of them. My husband has assured to support them in absence of me and I have full confidence on him. All throughout my life I have focused on my professional career and have worked towards that and now when I got this opportunity I am emotionally unstable and unable to take the decision. My dilemma is surrounding various aspects. 1- Don’t want to leave my BF as he is my strength. 2- My parents are old and since I being the only child,they ae 3- If I could not perform in the new role then? 4- The daily hardship that I have to take over in a new place as my husband will not shift. 5- Remuneration wise not as such however if you say power then yes. Learning – knowledge enhancement and career upliftment - yes very much. 6- Current role will not grow much however stability as of now do exists. Can you help me to take the decision ?
Ans: Dear Nibedita,
What is important to you and what helps you grow professionally and personally must be looked at? Constraints are always going to play a role BUT working around it may help you make a decision. If professionally you are going to grow into the role and for this you need to work around things for the time being, then you must do just that. But in all this, do factor that you have a daughter who is still young and will need your presence a lot; physically and emotionally.
Now, how you work this with your BF is something that is between the two of you; but it's not power or money BUT how you grow in your new role.
Also, talk to your family and come to an arrangement whereby they also become your pillar of strength and support. You will then be able to come to a viable decision.

All the best!
Anu Krishna
Mind Coach|NLP Trainer|Author
Drop in: www.unfear.io
Reach me: Facebook: anukrish07/ AND LinkedIn: anukrishna-joyofserving/

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