WHAT HAPPENS WHEN...
in their sector, and ask for the banker’s opinion on those valuations. A pointless exercise, it does nothing for the actual conversation. “I once went to a meeting that ended in five minutes flat. The person didn’t want to answer any of my questions, so I came out after having a cup of tea,” recalls Vohra. Bankers have been known to play mediators between family members. Remember ICICI Bank’s K.V. Kamath mediating a truce between the Ambani brothers a few years ago. Well, when it comes to selling a business, each member has a mind of his or her own. And, trying to get them to agree to anything is a feat in itself. It’s common for bankers to control tempers at such meetings
instead of talking about selling the company. “It’s challenging to get involved with family-run businesses, where members have different thoughts on what needs to be achieved,” admits Vohra. Hospitality, though, is commonly extended to the members of the banking fraternity. Most family-owned businesses entertain and pamper bankers with a meal either in their office canteen, or at a five star hotel. After all, a business owner takes years to build his company, and now expects the banker to sell it in a span of six months. So finding a way to the salesman’s heart through his stomach would be a surefire recipe for success. —Pooja Kothari
Getting your Brand to Speak for You? IVE US A NICE, bright sign that people will notice when they walk by.” Hearing variations of this is part of everyday work for Itu Chaudhuri, a Delhi-based brand and communications design consultant. His agency, ICD India, helps a wide range of small businesses and entrepreneur-run companies put their best foot forward. Talking brands, he confesses, is a tough job, especially with those just starting out, like so many of his clients. “Their goal is just attention. Their foremost priority is visibility. It’s about sales and survival.” Few people think about design as a tool that guides the business. The singular focus is on its visual aspect, Chaudhuri explains.
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But, brand identity transcends the visual. “It is just one part of what the brand conveys. Branding is about interpreting the experience people have of you.” It flows not just from the service or product on offer, but also from where and what an entrepreneur envisions the company to be. It must be a cohesive whole. Making entrepreneurs enlarge this vision means going in deep. “You need to go into level three, or four,” says Chaudhuri, borrowing a terminology from cult movie Inception. This process has been uncomfortable ground for many entrepreneurs he has worked with. More often than not, there is great tentativeness during the process, says he. In start-ups, especially, there is no proof of concept or evidence to rely on. “But, in
learning to ask the questions, we elicit by force an answer that is distinctive. It has to go beyond saying we want to ensure quality and timely delivery.” A brand, he adds, is about discovering the point of difference. In any case, effective branding is a challenge even for the biggest multinationals. Sujata Keshavan, who runs Ray+Keshavan, a leading Bengaluru-based firm, says the real problem with the smaller companies is that they underestimate the power of design to alter their fortune. Every collateral and brand point (such as web, product, packaging, brochures, stall design, and retail presence) involves design. “People buy into design,” says Keshavan. She recalls the experience of working with Himalaya, the Ayurveda drugs com-
“I am happier being an entrepreneur than I would have been in any other state of being...But, become one only if you enjoy driving fast. You will either get hurt, or leave everyone behind.”
—Sourabh Jain, Founder, ngpay
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INC. | FEBRUARY 2011