The year was 1996-97. The Employee First, Customer Second transformation was in full swing. Employees were buzzing with excitement, but our customers remained unconvinced. They had many choices, and we struggled to offer something unique. Worse, our customer base was under constant attack from bigger competitors.
We needed something drastic to win our customers over. But how?
This reminded me of an experience almost 20 years ago when I found myself in the middle of my aunts’ pre-wedding shopping in Chandni Chowk. We encountered a shopkeeper whose first move was to insist that we have his special homemade chai. Little did I know that it was not just hospitality but a tactic to keep my aunts engaged. He then draped sarees around himself with flair. Sipping that special chai and seeing this drama unfold, I saw my aunts’ mindset change from ‘should we buy?’ to ‘which should we buy?’ They ended up buying three sarees from the first shop.
I asked my team: what is our equivalent of that saree shop experience? Their audacious idea was risky, but worth a shot !
We called our customers to a Global Customer meet in Florida. When they walked in, they saw a massive screen with vibrant visuals of Chandni Chowk’s food street come alive. We created an immersive experience with vibrant colours.The room was transformed to feel like sitting on the food street, complete with local munchies on the table and Adrak chai in earthen cups.
Our massive effort to bring Chandni Chowk’s jaw-dropping experience to our customers created a positive bias, much like the chai in the saree shop that shifted their mindset from ‘should we partner?’ to ‘where should we partner?’
Effective persuasion is about creating experiences that shift perspectives. It’s a vital skill for leaders and innovators, making ideas not just heard, but irresistible. Sometimes, it’s just the chai that opens the door to unlimited possibilities.