Sales — How to Learn Selling

The contractor, the cement, and the handshake

It's a Thursday afternoon in Haldwani, and a white Bolero pulls up outside Bhandari uncle's hardware shop. A man in a dusty shirt steps out — Mahesh Joshi, a contractor building six houses in a new colony near Rudrapur. He needs cement, TMT bars, sanitary fittings, electrical wiring, and PVC pipes. The total order will be somewhere around ₹4-5 lakh.

Mahesh walks in. Bhandari uncle doesn't immediately start showing him products. Instead, he offers him a chair and a glass of water. Then he asks: "Joshi ji, kitne ghar chal rahe hain abhi? Foundation level par hain ya upar aa gaye?"

He's not making small talk. He's figuring out what Mahesh needs right now versus what he'll need over the next three months.

Mahesh says four houses are at foundation, two are at first floor. Bhandari uncle does the math in his head. He knows exactly how many bags of cement and how many tonnes of steel each stage requires. He writes a list on a piece of paper — not a formal quotation, but a rough plan.

"Pehle phase mein itna lagega. Doosre mein itna. Main aapko 20 din ka credit de dunga — lekin payment time pe chahiye, Joshi ji."

Mahesh nods. They settle on a price that's fair for both. Handshake. Done. A ₹4.5 lakh order in 15 minutes.

Bhandari uncle didn't use a single "sales technique." No pitch deck. No PowerPoint. No closing tricks. But what he did — understanding the customer, asking the right questions, offering the right solution at the right time, and being clear about terms — that is selling. He just doesn't call it that.

Every business runs on sales. You can have the best product, the best location, the best price — but if you can't sell, none of it matters. Revenue comes from sales. Cash flow comes from sales. Your ability to pay rent, stock inventory, hire people, and feed your family — it all comes from sales.

And here's the thing most people get wrong: selling is not about being pushy or clever. It's about understanding what someone needs and helping them get it.

This chapter will show you how to sell — whether you're running a hardware shop, a chai stall, a homestay, an Instagram brand, or an apple orchard.

Everyone is already selling

You might say, "I'm not a salesperson." But you already are.

Pushpa didi sells chai in Rishikesh. She doesn't stand outside and shout. She smiles when customers walk in, remembers the regulars' preferences ("aapko kam cheeni, na?"), and her stall is always clean. That warmth, that memory, that consistency — those are sales skills.

Ankita sells pahadi chutneys and pickles on Instagram. She doesn't go door to door. She posts stories of her sourcing trips to villages in Almora, shows her production process, and replies to every DM within an hour. That storytelling, that transparency, that responsiveness — those are sales skills.

Neema and Jyoti run a homestay in Munsiyari. They don't advertise on TV. When guests leave, they ask for a Google review. They send a WhatsApp message a month later: "Hope you're doing well! Munsiyari is beautiful this time of year." That follow-up, that personal touch — those are sales skills.

Rawat ji sells apples from his Ranikhet orchard. When a mandi trader tries to lowball him, he calmly says, "Bhai, aap Shimla ka apple dekho aur mera dekho. Size aur taste compare karo. Yeh price fair hai." That confidence, backed by product knowledge — that's a sales skill.

You don't need a sales degree. You need to understand people, understand your product, and communicate clearly. That's what this chapter is about.

Understanding your customer

Before you can sell anything to anyone, you need to answer three questions:

1. Who are they? — What kind of person or business is your customer?
2. What do they need? — Not what you want to sell them, but what they actually need.
3. What are they worried about? — What fear, doubt, or constraint is holding them back from buying?

Bhandari uncle knows his customers

Bhandari uncle has been dealing with contractors for 22 years. He knows:

• Who they are: Small to mid-size contractors building residential houses in Haldwani, Rudrapur, and nearby towns. Most handle 3-8 projects at a time.
• What they need: Reliable supply. If cement doesn't arrive on time, their labour sits idle and they lose money. They need consistent quality — a contractor who gets complaints about bad fittings will blame the supplier.
• What worries them: Cash flow. Contractors get paid by homeowners in installments. They often need credit from their suppliers to bridge the gap. They also worry about price fluctuations — if cement prices jump mid-project, their margins shrink.

Because Bhandari uncle understands all of this, he doesn't just sell products. He solves problems. He offers credit to trusted contractors. He calls them when prices are about to go up ("Joshi ji, cement ₹15 badhne wala hai next week — advance order de do toh aaj ke rate pe lock kar deta hoon"). He stocks what they need before they ask for it.

That's not salesmanship. That's partnership. And that's why contractors keep coming back to him for years.

Neema knows her tourists

Neema and Jyoti's homestay gets different types of guests:

• Couples and young travellers — They want Instagram-worthy views, clean rooms, and local food experiences. Price-sensitive but willing to pay for "experiences."
• Families with kids — They want safety, hot water, and enough space. They book for longer stays.
• Corporate groups and offsite teams — They want reliable Wi-Fi, a big common area, and easy booking through a travel desk.

Neema doesn't offer the same thing to everyone. For couples, she promotes the bonfire dinner. For families, she mentions the safe trek to a nearby meadow. For corporate groups, she talks about the conference space and team activities.

Same homestay. Different pitch for different customers.

Key idea: You can't sell well if you don't know who you're selling to. Spend time understanding your customers before you worry about your sales pitch. The pitch will write itself once you understand their needs and worries.

The sales conversation

Here's where most people get selling wrong. They think selling means talking — showing features, listing benefits, making claims. But the best salespeople do the opposite.

Listen first, pitch later

A tourist walks into Pushpa didi's chai stall and says, "Ek chai dena." Most stall owners would pour a chai and hand it over. Pushpa didi says, "Chai toh milegi — adrak wali ya elaichi wali? Aur kuchh khana hai toh aaj pakode fresh bane hain."

She listened to one thing the customer said (chai) and opened it up into a conversation that might include a snack order. She didn't push — she offered.

In a bigger sale, the same principle applies. When Bhandari uncle meets a new contractor, he doesn't start with "Mere paas best cement hai, best price hai." He asks:

• "Kya bana rahe ho?"
• "Kab tak complete karna hai?"
• "Kitna material lagega roughly?"
• "Pehle kahan se lete the?"

Each question gives him information. And each answer helps him tailor his offer.

Ask questions, don't lecture

Here's a simple framework for any sales conversation:

1. Ask about their situation — What are they trying to do? What's their timeline?
2. Ask about their problems — What's not working? What are they unhappy with?
3. Ask about the impact — What happens if this problem isn't solved?
4. Then — and only then — present your solution — Show how what you offer fits their specific situation.

This works whether you're selling cement or chutneys or homestay rooms.

Handling objections

Every customer has doubts. That's normal. Here are the most common objections and how to handle them:

"Price bahut zyada hai" (Too expensive)

Don't immediately offer a discount. Instead, understand why they think it's expensive.

• Are they comparing with a cheaper competitor? If so, explain the quality difference.
• Is it genuinely outside their budget? If so, offer a smaller quantity or a payment plan.
• Are they just negotiating? If so, hold your price and add value instead of cutting price.

Ankita gets this on Instagram DMs all the time: "₹350 for chutney? Bahut mehenga hai." She doesn't reduce the price. She replies: "Yeh 100% organic ingredients se bani hai, Almora ki women self-help groups se sourced hai, koi preservative nahi hai. Shelf life 6 months because of traditional recipe. Ek baar try karke dekhiye — most customers reorder."

"Sochta hoon / I'll think about it"

This usually means one of two things: they're not convinced, or they're genuinely busy and will forget. Either way, follow up.

• "Bilkul, sochiye. Main kal ek message bhej doon remind karne ke liye?"
• "Koi specific doubt hai jo main clear kar sakta hoon?"

"Competitor sasta de raha hai" (Competitor is cheaper)

Don't panic. Don't trash-talk the competitor. Instead:

• Acknowledge it: "Haan, market mein aur options hain."
• Differentiate: "Lekin mere paas ABC feature hai / main delivery same day karta hoon / mera after-sales support hai."
• Let them choose: "Aap dono try karke dekh sakte hain."

Bhandari uncle's response when a contractor says the shop down the road is cheaper: "Unka rate dekh liya? Theek hai. Lekin jab delivery late hogi ya material mein quality issue aayega toh kaun uthayega? Main 22 saal se hoon — mujhe ek baar call karo, ho jayega."

He's not lying. He's not desperate. He's stating facts and letting the customer decide. That's confidence — and customers respect it.

B2B vs B2C selling

Not all selling is the same. The way you sell depends heavily on who you're selling to.

B2B — Business to Business

Bhandari uncle sells to contractors (businesses). Rawat ji sells wholesale to mandi traders and bulk buyers.

B2B characteristics:

• Fewer customers, larger orders. Bhandari uncle might have 20-30 regular contractors. Each one buys lakhs per year.
• Relationships matter enormously. Trust is built over years. One bad experience can lose a customer forever.
• Longer decision cycle. A contractor doesn't impulse-buy ₹5 lakh of material. He compares, negotiates, checks credit terms.
• Credit is common. Payment terms of 15-45 days are standard. (We'll cover this in detail below.)
• Technical knowledge matters. B2B customers know the product. You can't bluff them with marketing. Bhandari uncle needs to know the difference between grades of cement and which TMT bar works for what kind of construction.

B2C — Business to Consumer

Pushpa didi sells chai to walk-in customers. Neema and Jyoti sell homestay experiences to tourists.

B2C characteristics:

• Many customers, smaller orders. Pushpa didi serves 80-100 people a day. Each one pays ₹20-50.
• First impressions matter. The customer decides in seconds — is this place clean? Is the person friendly? Does the product look good?
• Faster decisions. Most B2C purchases happen in minutes, not weeks.
• Cash or digital payment upfront. No credit.
• Emotions matter. People buy chai because it feels warm, smells good, and they like the person making it.

D2C — Direct to Consumer (online)

Ankita sells directly to consumers through Instagram and her website — no middlemen.

D2C characteristics:

• Storytelling is your sales tool. Ankita's brand story — pahadi ingredients, women artisans, traditional recipes — IS the sales pitch.
• Content = Sales. Every Instagram story, every reel, every customer review she reposts is a sales activity.
• Trust takes longer to build online. There's no face-to-face interaction. Reviews, testimonials, and consistent quality build trust.
• Higher margins, but higher effort. No middleman means more profit per jar, but Ankita handles everything — production, packaging, shipping, customer service, marketing.

Key idea: Know which game you're playing. B2B selling requires patience, relationships, and technical knowledge. B2C requires speed, warmth, and first-impression appeal. D2C requires content, consistency, and trust-building. Most mistakes happen when people use B2C techniques in a B2B setting, or vice versa.

Credit and payment terms

This is where sales and cash flow collide — and where many businesses get hurt.

Bhandari uncle's credit system

Bhandari uncle gives credit to his regular contractors. It's not optional — in the hardware business, credit is how the game is played. No credit means no big orders.

Here's how his system works:

• New customer: No credit. Payment on delivery or advance. No exceptions.
• After 2-3 successful cash orders: 7 days credit, small amount (up to ₹50,000).
• Established relationship (1+ year, regular orders): 15-30 days credit, up to ₹2-3 lakh.
• Trusted, long-term contractors (5+ years): 30 days credit, up to ₹5 lakh.

He maintains a physical register (his bahi khata) and now also uses an app to track outstanding credit. Every Saturday evening, he reviews who owes what and sends reminders.

How credit helps — and how it hurts

Credit helps win sales. A contractor will buy from the shop that gives him terms, not the one that demands cash. Credit is a competitive advantage.

But credit can destroy your business. Here's the math:

Bhandari uncle has ₹8 lakh in outstanding credit at any given time. That's ₹8 lakh worth of goods he's already paid for (to his distributors) but hasn't collected from his customers yet. If even 10% turns into bad debt — customers who simply don't pay — that's ₹80,000 gone. That might be his entire month's profit.

Rules for managing credit:

1. Set clear limits. Every customer has a credit ceiling. No exceptions — not even for "good" customers.
2. Set clear timelines. 15 days means 15 days. Not "sometime next month."
3. Stop new supply if payment is late. This is hard to do, but necessary. If someone owes you ₹2 lakh and wants more material, the answer is "pehle purana clear karo."
4. Factor credit cost into your pricing. If you're giving 30 days credit, your money is locked up for 30 days. That has a cost. Your price should reflect it.
5. Know when to say no. Some customers are chronic late payers. Some will never pay. Cut your losses early.

Bhandari uncle lost ₹1.5 lakh in 2019 when a contractor disappeared mid-project. Since then, he follows one rule: no single customer's outstanding credit ever exceeds ₹5 lakh, no matter how big the order.

Repeat customers and referrals

Acquiring a new customer is expensive. Keeping an existing one is almost free. This is one of the most important ideas in sales.

The lifetime value of a customer

Think about Bhandari uncle's relationship with contractor Mahesh Joshi. Mahesh buys ₹8-10 lakh of material every year. He's been a customer for 6 years. That's ₹50-60 lakh in total purchases. From one customer.

Now imagine Bhandari uncle had been rude to Mahesh the first time he walked in. Or delivered late once and didn't apologize. That ₹50 lakh relationship — gone.

The lifetime value of a customer is not what they spend today. It's what they spend over years — plus everyone they refer to you.

Neema and Jyoti's referral engine

Neema and Jyoti track their bookings carefully. Here's what they found:

• 60% of their bookings come from repeat guests or referrals from past guests.
• The cost of getting a referral booking: Nearly zero. A happy guest tells their friends.
• The cost of getting a new booking through paid ads: ₹500-1,200 per booking.

The math is obvious. Keeping existing customers happy is cheaper and more effective than constantly chasing new ones.

How to build loyalty without expensive loyalty programs

You don't need a points card or an app. Here's what actually works:

1. Remember your customers. Pushpa didi knows her regulars by name, by drink preference, by schedule. That makes people feel valued.

2. Deliver consistently. Ankita's customers know every jar will taste the same. Bhandari uncle's contractors know the cement will arrive on time. Consistency builds trust.

3. Handle complaints gracefully. When things go wrong — and they will — how you respond matters more than the mistake itself. A quick, honest resolution turns an angry customer into a loyal one.

4. Follow up after the sale. Neema sends a WhatsApp message to every guest 2-3 weeks after checkout. Just a friendly message, no hard sell. "Hope you enjoyed your stay. If you know anyone planning a trip, we'd love to host them!"

5. Give existing customers first access. When Ankita launches a new product, she tells her existing customers first, before posting on Instagram. It makes them feel special.

6. Ask for referrals — directly. Most people are happy to refer you if you've done a good job. But they won't think of it unless you ask. "If you know anyone who needs XYZ, please send them my way" is a simple, effective line.

Pushpa didi's chai stall doesn't need Google Ads. Her regulars bring their friends. Her friends bring colleagues. One satisfied customer is the beginning of a chain. That's the cheapest and most reliable sales channel there is.

Online selling

The internet didn't just change how people find products. It changed how products are sold — and who can sell them. A woman in a village near Almora can now sell pahadi spices to a customer in Bangalore. A homestay in Munsiyari can be booked by someone in Mumbai who's never been to Uttarakhand.

Ankita's Instagram selling journey

Ankita started with zero followers and ₹0 in marketing budget. Here's what she did:

Phase 1 — Content first, selling later (Months 1-3)

She posted stories showing her sourcing trips — meeting women in villages, buying raw ingredients, traditional methods. She showed her kitchen, her process, her packaging. She didn't ask anyone to buy anything for the first month. She was building trust and an audience.

Phase 2 — Soft selling through DMs (Months 3-6)

When people replied to her stories with interest, she'd send a detailed DM — not a price list, but a conversation. "Which chutney are you interested in? What kind of flavors do you like? Have you tried pahadi food before?" Then she'd recommend a specific product.

Phase 3 — Reels, reviews, and scaling (Months 6+)

She started asking happy customers to share photos and reviews. She reposted them. She made short reels — 30-second videos showing the product being opened, used in a meal, compared to store-bought alternatives. This social proof drove more sales than any ad.

Her toolkit:

• Instagram stories and reels for discovery
• DMs for closing sales
• A Google Form for orders (free)
• Google Pay / UPI for payments
• A delivery tie-up with a local courier

Selling on marketplaces: Amazon and Flipkart

If you have a packaged product with proper labeling, FSSAI (for food), and GST registration, you can list on marketplaces.

Advantages:

• Huge reach — millions of customers you could never reach on your own
• Built-in trust — customers trust Amazon's delivery and returns
• No need to build your own website

Disadvantages:

• High commissions — 15-30% depending on the category
• You don't own the customer relationship — Amazon does
• Price competition is fierce — you're listed next to 20 similar products
• Returns and customer service can eat into margins

Ankita lists some of her products on Amazon but keeps her bestsellers exclusive to her Instagram and website. That way, her most loyal customers buy direct (higher margin), and Amazon serves as a discovery channel for new customers.

WhatsApp Business for local businesses

For businesses that sell locally — shops, services, food — WhatsApp Business is a powerful and free sales tool.

• Create a product catalog — List your products with photos and prices. Customers browse right in WhatsApp.
• Set up quick replies — Pre-written answers to common questions ("What are your timings?", "Do you deliver?", "What's available today?").
• Send broadcast messages — New arrivals, special offers, seasonal products. Send to all customers at once without creating a group.
• Labels — Tag conversations as "New order," "Payment pending," "Follow up" to stay organized.

Pushpa didi started using WhatsApp Business six months ago. Her regular customers can now pre-order chai and snacks for office meetings. Her business catalog shows what's available today. She sends a broadcast message every morning: "Aaj ke pakode: aloo, paneer, aur bread pakoda. Fresh, 11 baje tak." It's simple, but it adds ₹3,000-4,000 in extra sales per week.

Google Business Profile — get found on Maps

When someone searches "chai near me" or "hardware shop Haldwani" on Google, the results that show up with a map? Those are Google Business Profiles. Free to create. Enormously valuable.

What you need:

• A Google account
• Your business name, address, phone number
• A few photos of your shop
• Your working hours

What it does:

• Your business appears on Google Maps
• Customers can call you directly from search results
• They can see your hours, photos, and reviews
• It builds trust — a business with 50 reviews and 4.5 stars gets more walk-ins than one with no presence

Pushpa didi's chai stall now has a Google Business Profile. Tourists search "best chai in Rishikesh" and find her. She has 127 reviews, 4.6 stars. She didn't pay for any of this. She just asked regulars to leave a review.

Negotiation basics

Every sale involves some negotiation — on price, on terms, on delivery, on quantity. Here's how to negotiate without losing the deal or your dignity.

Know your walk-away price

Before any negotiation, know two numbers:

1. Your ideal price — what you want.
2. Your walk-away price — the minimum you'll accept. Below this, the deal isn't worth doing.

Everything between these two numbers is your negotiation zone.

Rawat ji's apples cost him roughly ₹30 per kg to grow (including labour, transport, orchard maintenance). He wants ₹55 per kg from the mandi trader. His walk-away price is ₹42 — below that, he's barely breaking even after transport to the mandi.

A trader offers ₹38. Rawat ji says no. The trader comes up to ₹44. Rawat ji counters at ₹50. They settle at ₹47. Both can live with it.

If Rawat ji didn't know his walk-away number, he might have accepted ₹38 in the pressure of the moment — and lost money.

Win-win mindset

Negotiation isn't war. In business, you'll often negotiate with the same people again and again. If you squeeze someone too hard today, they won't come back tomorrow.

• Don't try to "win" the negotiation. Try to find a deal that works for both sides.
• Trade, don't just take. If a customer wants a lower price, ask for something in return — larger quantity, advance payment, longer contract.
• Be fair. If your costs genuinely went up and you need to raise prices, explain honestly. Most reasonable people will understand.

Rawat ji doesn't fight with mandi traders. He says: "Bhai, mere paas quality maal hai. Aap mujhe fair price do, main aapko consistent supply dunga. Dono ka kaam chalega."

Practical negotiation tips

1. Never accept the first offer. Not because you should always counter, but because the first offer is almost never the final one.
2. Use silence. After making your offer, stop talking. Let the other person respond. Most people are uncomfortable with silence and will fill it — often by making concessions.
3. Don't negotiate against yourself. If you've quoted ₹100, don't say "But I can do ₹90" before the customer has even responded. Let them counter first.
4. Put it in writing. Especially for big deals. A handshake is nice, but a written agreement prevents misunderstandings.
5. Know when to walk away. Some deals aren't worth doing. Walking away from a bad deal is not failure — it's good business sense.

Sales tracking — keeping count of what works

You can't improve what you don't measure. Most small businesses have no idea which products sell best, which customers are most valuable, or how many people walk in versus how many buy. Sales tracking fixes this.

The simple daily sales log

You don't need software. A notebook works. Every day, track:

Over a month, patterns emerge. You see what's selling, what's sitting on the shelf, which customers buy the most, and whether cash or credit dominates your revenue.

What's selling, what's not

Review your log weekly. Ask:

• Top sellers: What are your 5 best-selling products? Make sure you never run out of stock on these.
• Dead stock: What's been sitting in your shop for 3+ months? Can you discount it, return it to the supplier, or bundle it with a popular item?
• Seasonal patterns: When do sales peak? When do they dip? Can you prepare for the peak and survive the dip?

Bhandari uncle noticed from his log that electrical wiring sales spike in October-November (festive season, new constructions starting before winter). He now pre-stocks extra wiring in September and gets a better rate from the distributor for bulk orders.

Conversion rate — simplified

Here's a concept from the online world that applies everywhere:

Conversion rate = Number of people who buy ÷ Number of people who walk in (or visit your page)

If 100 people walk past Pushpa didi's stall and 30 stop for chai, her conversion rate is 30%. If she puts up a small signboard with "Fresh pakode — ₹20 plate" and now 40 people stop, her conversion rate jumped to 40%.

If Ankita's Instagram reel gets 10,000 views and 50 people DM her to order, her conversion rate is 0.5%. If she changes the reel's caption to include a clear price and a "DM to order" call-to-action, and now 80 people DM, her conversion rate is 0.8%.

You don't need to calculate this precisely. Just ask: "Of all the people who see my business, how many actually buy?" If that number is low, something in your sales process needs fixing — your product display, your pitch, your pricing, or your follow-up.

Common sales mistakes

After 22 years, Bhandari uncle has seen every mistake in the book. Here are the ones that hurt the most:

1. Underselling yourself

Ankita initially priced her pahadi chutney at ₹150 per jar. She was afraid people wouldn't pay more. But her cost per jar was ₹95 (ingredients, labour, packaging, shipping). That's only ₹55 profit — and after marketplace fees or Instagram ad costs, barely anything.

A mentor told her: "Your product is premium. Your ingredients are organic. Your story is real. Price it at ₹350 and let the right customers find you."

She raised the price to ₹350. She lost some price-sensitive customers. But the ones who stayed bought more, bought again, and told their friends. Her revenue actually went up with fewer customers.

Don't compete on price unless you have a genuine cost advantage. Compete on quality, trust, and service instead.

2. Being pushy

Nobody likes being pressured. If a customer says "I'll think about it," let them think. Follow up politely after a day or two. Don't call five times in one day or guilt-trip them into buying.

The fastest way to lose a customer is to make them feel trapped.

3. Not following up

The opposite extreme of being pushy is disappearing. A customer shows interest, asks for details, and you say "I'll send the information." Then you forget. Three days later, they've bought from someone else.

Following up is not being pushy. It's being professional.

A simple rule: if a customer showed interest, follow up within 24 hours. If they asked you to send something, send it immediately. If they said "I'll let you know next week," set a reminder and check in next week.

4. Giving too much discount to close

A new hardware shop opened near Bhandari uncle's two years ago. The owner was desperate for customers. He started offering 5-8% discounts on everything. Customers flooded in. He was selling a lot.

But his margins were already thin. After six months, he realized he was selling at a loss on several items. His distributor wouldn't give him better rates because his volumes weren't high enough yet. He closed in 14 months.

Discounting feels like it's working because revenue goes up. But if your profit goes to zero, you're volunteering, not running a business.

When to discount:

• Dead stock you need to move
• Bulk orders where the volume genuinely reduces your cost
• A strategic first purchase to acquire a high-value long-term customer

When NOT to discount:

• To match every competitor's price
• Because a customer asked nicely
• Because you're afraid of losing the sale
• On your best-selling products (they sell fine without discounts)

5. Selling to everyone

Not everyone is your customer. And that's okay.

Ankita once spent two weeks trying to convince a corporate buyer to order her chutneys for Diwali gifting. They wanted 500 jars at ₹180 each. Her cost per jar was ₹95. After special packaging (₹40 per jar), courier (₹30 per jar), and the effort of customization, she'd make ₹15 per jar. That's ₹7,500 total — for two weeks of work and ₹47,500 of inventory risk.

She said no. She used those two weeks to launch a Diwali campaign for her regular D2C customers — 200 gift boxes at ₹900 each. She sold 140. Revenue: ₹1,26,000. Profit: ₹42,000.

Know who your best customers are and focus your energy there.

Quick-reference checklist

Before we close this chapter, here's a checklist you can refer back to:

• I know who my customers are and what they need
• I listen first and pitch later
• I know my walk-away price for every negotiation
• I have a system for handling objections (price, competitors, "I'll think about it")
• I understand whether I'm doing B2B, B2C, or D2C — and I adjust my approach accordingly
• I have clear credit terms and I enforce them
• I follow up with interested customers within 24 hours
• I ask for referrals from happy customers
• I'm using at least one online tool (WhatsApp Business, Google Profile, Instagram, or a marketplace)
• I track what's selling and what's not, at least weekly
• I don't discount out of fear — I discount with strategy

What's coming next

You now know how to sell. But before the customer ever walks in or finds you online — they need to know you exist. They need to have heard of you, seen your product, or been told about you by someone they trust. That's marketing.

Marketing brings people to the door. Sales gets them through it. They're related, but different. In the next chapter, we learn how to get noticed — on a budget that Pushpa didi and Ankita can both afford.

In the next chapter, Ankita is staring at Instagram analytics. Her last reel got 47,000 views but only 12 orders. Pushpa didi has zero online presence but a line outside her stall every morning. What does Pushpa didi know about marketing that Ankita is still learning?