How Dogs can Influence Sales

November 2022, Birhan an entrepreneur, had over 400-600 customers daily. He would sell going society to society, selling hot tea, coffee, some snacks early morning and late evening for the Housekeeping, Security etc. But something changed by March 2023 and his customers dropped like bowling pins and he had a mere 100 odd by June. Something hit hard....

Long back in June 2021, Birhan had spotted this opportunity of security guys needed early morning their cup of joe. Since then he has been methodically working, networking, spending time with each security guy, driving his bike and created a decent revenue stream.

Coming back to April 2023, some new entrants spotted this captive business of 500 odd customers and pounced to capture the market. One stood out and took 70% of this share. Ranbir was this guy! How you may think? Did he sell things cheap or some other magic. Yes it was the brown magic - the most addictive and harmful thing - Gutka and Pan Masala. He started offering to sell this along with Tea/Coffee and was instant hit as these security guys more often than are addicted to it.

Hence slowly these customers migrated to Ranbir and by August 2023 he had over 300 odd customers from Birhan's kitty.

Birhan was not going to give it off so easily and he had to fight back. But what can beat the addiction and help him capture his market back?

Couple of months went into sulking mode but then one fine day a sort of miracle happened. His daughter, as he would call her with affection, "Biloni" came running to him saying the nearby society's street dog was injured. They rushed to the spot and saw the security guard carrying him and taking him to shelter, putting bandage and giving him warmth/food/water.

This was the Eureka moment... Birhan had got his answer to Ranbir's addiction based sales. From next morning, for all his 300 odd ex-customers (mostly security guys), he started giving a toast/biscuits to all their dogs. As you know in India, most society security guards have their self adopted street dogs :). These dogs though sometimes nuisance for us, but for the security its their buddy, they share their food and remain loyal to each other even if they shift societies.

This feeding of biscuits/toast to all these dogs daily, took notice by these security guards. The gesture of Birhan captured the highest form of mindshare - emotional/attachment. This observation and stroke of luck is sometimes all we need to change fortunes.

Last I checked on 5th January, Birhan was brimming with a smile and nearly had captured all of his customers back. The only thing Ranbir sells now, well he is known as Vimal (we know what they sell in India)

My morning walks helped me observe all of this evolve over a period of 2-3 years and was something an eye opener in terms of corporates and businesses like us can win our customers back or capture more marketshare.

"Target the emotional quotient"