Harit Nagpal’s Post

Don't forget the part where he keeps on opening up more sarees even if you don't want him to. You tell him not to open sarees, but he insists and opens up more. It's not just about showing you a folded design, but also opening it up and showing it to you. It induces a guilt in you - this guy has taken so much effort of opening up and folding so many sarees - if I don't buy from him , I will end up wasting his effort

Let me translate this "saree salesman wisdom" into business reality: This isn't about "strategic decisions." It's basic sales psychology: What's actually happening: • Price anchoring ($3K-12K range) • Choice elimination • Decision fatigue management • Guided conversion The real strategy: 1. Price Discovery • Test high anchor • Find pain threshold • Set acceptable range • Create value perception 2. Preference Mining • Watch reactions • Note rejections • Build profile • Narrow options 3. Conversion Tactics • Limit choices • Create urgency • Guide decision • Close sale Skip the romanticized storytelling. Focus on what matters: • Clear pricing strategy • Customer profiling • Decision simplification • Value demonstration (From someone who's seen more sales fail from complexity than simplicity) P.S. The best sales strategy? Understand buyer psychology, not seller folklore 😏 #SalesReality #NoBS

I have an observation and an insight ( from my personal observation) into the way saree shopping works in the South! It reflects the cultural significance and thoughtfulness that go into selecting a saree. Women often have a clear idea of what they are looking for, but the process may seem like an exploration or indecisiveness to an outside observer. As you noted, the price of the saree often correlates with the occasion, and women are very conscious about the occasion, whether it's a family celebration, wedding, or other traditional events. The decision to experiment with different patterns or styles at the store is indeed a way of enjoying the experience, assessing how different sarees look, and possibly even making subtle comparisons before making the final purchase. This process allows them to feel more confident in their decision and ensures they select something that truly fits the occasion, their personal style, and budget. It also highlights the level of familiarity many women have with sarees and their patterns, as they're essentially trained by society, family, and tradition to know what works for each situation—something that might not be immediately apparent to someone who isn't attuned to these cultural nuances.

I once saw a Simon Sinek interview where he said that you are practically guaranteed a sale if you give the customer just 2 items to chose from. You show 3 instead of 2 and you will not close the sale. The saree salesman has clearly honed his selling skills over many years and much intuitive learning of the female psyche!!!

He also watches, listens, interprets interactions between joint buyers eg husband & wife, to know which sari is catching your attention and comes back to it, offering to drape it and saying it would look very good on you. That reinforces your preference.

My Thoughts:- Harit Nagpal that is what is called as #BayesianMathematics if people remember it goes by the formulae. P(A/B)= {P(B/A)*P(A)}/P(B) That forms the very root of Experimentation , where Failure is way to learn? Which Brings to question How many of the Business Leaders are willing to "Experiment to Fail"?

Salespersons make huge difference to offline sales. incompetent, both too pushy or indifferent, erode the sales and brand value. good ones don't make sale but don't erode the brand. You may not shun the brand and continue buying but the great ones give you sales and strengthen the brand for more repeat sale and word of mouth and great customer satisfaction.

Beautifully put.... reminds me of the shoe salesman story and restricting choices (two better than three) - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/two-three-boost-sales-offering-less-ed-long/

Assisted selling has higher cost but the conversion rates are better. For SKUs with higher GMV assisted selling with skilled people force is preferred!

Love this Harit Nagpal