Ignore Your Mum’s Advice, Go To India And Speak To Strangers
9 tips for how to make money and be happy from a master bookseller in Mumbai
When visiting India last month, I met someone who completely changed my perspective on life and business.
It all started while I was on my way back to the hotel, a large pile of books on the other side of the street grabbed my attention.
The next thing I know, I’m speaking to Bablu Chakraborty who is originally from Calcutta but now lives in Mumbai.
It turns out, he’s been running a successful business selling books for over 50 years. He reads more books in a week, than most of the population read in a life time.
What Bablu doesn’t know about life and business, isn’t worth knowing.
I was so inspired by him that I was compelled to share what I learnt from him with you, in the hope that it will prove as inspiring and helpful for you as it has been for me.
Let’s start with the most common mistake people make
According to Bablu, people focus too much energy on growing their business and not enough energy on growing as individuals.
His key message is that both are important.
I’ve broken down the advice he gave me into two sections:
- A: How to make money and grow your business
- B: Happiness and how to grow as an individual
A. Making money
So first you need to make money. The best way to do that over the long term is by creating loyal customers.
How do you create loyal customers?
Tip 1.Communicate effectively
Bablu didn’t waste any time in giving me this advice, I knew right away I was dealing with someone special. One of the first things he said was be clear, concise and specific in how you communicate. Customers love hearing language used well so don’t be clumsy or rough with your choice of words (like I was).
Tip 2. Don’t get caught up on price
Yes, you need to make money but your priority should be to work with the customer to get them a deal they are happy with. Even if that means giving them a cheaper price than you would like.
Tip 3. Build long term relationships
If your customer is happy with the price they pay and the service you give them, they are more likely to return. You must have a long term strategy whereby you build enduring relationships with customers.
“In business, one deal isn’t enough. The nature of my business means that I need the same customer many times.”
Tip 4. Over deliver on value
I noticed how Bablu was able to deliver so much value to me during our interaction with each other, which meant that I actually went out of my way to see him again. For example, he gave me all this free advice, a personal note, two free books and a free bag (you don’t get any of that from Amazon).
Tip 5. Know your customer
There are no shortcuts. The only way to know what the customer wants is through practice and slowly building up your knowledge. Bablu is an expert in this. He established instant credibility with me by correctly guessing books I had read and those I most likely hadn’t read.
Tip 6. Know everything about your product
“Knowledge is power. It’s the most important power in our lives.”
There’s no point in being in business if you don’t know your product well because you won’t be able to sell it. You must dedicate time and energy into learning about your product.
Bablu shared an old Indian saying with me. He said you need to “know your product from toenail to head hair”. That is to say, you must know everything about it. If you know your product, you’ll enjoy your business more.
B. Being happy
Most people focus too much energy on making money and not enough energy on giving themselves an opportunity to enjoy it. The main purpose of making money and growing your business is to help you grow as an individual. That’s what makes you successful and ultimately happy.
How do you grow as an individual?
Tip 7. Manage your time and energy effectively
You need to be in the right mental and physical condition to be able to concentrate and produce you’re best work. Therefore, you need to build the discipline to eat good food and get enough sleep.
Tip 8. Foster a good habit of reading
Bablu argues that good books are the mother of all information. So setting a side time to read regularly is vital.
Tip 9. Share what you learn with other people
Sharing what you know with other people is the one of the most beautiful things you can do as a human being. We all have knowledge inside us. The problem is we don’t share what we know with the people around us. No matter who you are, you have valuable knowledge inside you. Don’t keep it to yourself, share it with other people. Even if it’s with a stranger or someone you’ve only just met.
And one more thing…
Bablu gave three book recommendations…
- Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig
- Buddhist Philosophy in Theory and Practice by Herbert V. Guenther
- The Tao of Physics by Fritjof Capra
“Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is the most effective book in my life. That’s the one I love most.”
He said that reading these three books will help you understand the value of your life.
And when you understand the value of yourself, you will understand the value of the world.
Next steps…
The reason I even went to India in the first place was because of The Happy Startup School and their Ashram retreat. If you’re going to take anyone’s advice, I suggest taking theirs.
Today is Mother’s Day in the UK though, so do wish your mother a happy Mother’s Day.
And to find out more about Bablu, watch this short film. It tells a beautiful story about why knowing everything about his product is so important to him.
