Learning Experience India 1 - 2

August 16 2008


Dear All

Finalising the date of travel, I will now have to fixed the appointments and meeting. Given the time constraint, meeting to me in very important. I have to be clear of my objectives which is to find the business to work with in the five projects.

In my business model I come to realise I need local resources. Hence in various countries I will have people who can help me to do the necessary research, networking and set up the various meetings. Finding these people takes time. After eight years of working in running around India, I have set up a base in Delhi, Jammu Kashmir, Mumbai, Pune, Kolkatta and Cheenai.

The resources in this areas are of two categories. One are very distinguish members of society (with the network) and the other are young people who help me with the research and logistics. These young people are not just any body, they themselves are GM and CEO who I have trained and coach for the pass years. Whenever I got a project I will liaise with these young people and they will take time out from their work to work with me. To them it is a valuable learning opportunities. For example, in my the last trip I have to bring a group of educationists to Chennai. The person (CEO of a drug company) who work with me in Chennai, took time out and provide the consultancy input. He got to learn about the education opportunities in China. There is a selection criteria for me to find the local resources, most of these are graduate from US and UK and they are all in their family business. There is a financial incentives for them as well (not that it matters), we share on the consultancy fee.

For the five projects, I will sent out the feeder to these people in Delhi and Mumbai, to get them to give me contacts which I will then followup with email or phone call to fixed appointment. I will also need to make cold call (remember the Who's Who game we play in class). Fixing Indian appointment for me can be very difficult at time. One is the language issue and another is that Indian boss does not like cold caller. Hence having someone to help "open the door" is very important. By the way speaking in a foreign accent and being a foreigner helps.

One week before my departure, my secretary will have finalise on at least 50% of the appointments