The Story of Two Shoe Salesmen in Africa

Once upon a time, a shoe company sent two salesmen to Africa to determine the MARKET potential for their products. One salesman was sent to the east coast of Africa, while the other salesman was sent to the west coast of Africa. Both the salesmen completed a basic survey of the target market and called back to the office. The salesman sent to the east coast of Africa reported “No one here wears any shoes, there is no market for us here!”. The other salesman sent a message “No one here wears any shoes, there is a huge market for us, send inventory fast!”.

Are you ready to forge ahead in the new financial year 2014-15?

The point of the story is that your perspective influences your behavior. Meaning, if you feel you cannot change a situation, you act one way. On the other hand, if you see the world as a place full of opportunities, you act differently. So with the economic slowdown and policy logjam in India, many entrepreneurs and business owners are putting off decisions to invest and are with an attitude to wait and watch. However, there are some managers and companies that are currently looking at the same business environment and see an enormous opportunity for growth and competitive advantage – today and in the days to come. Those managers and companies are working hard to capture the evolving opportunities in the market, and are continuing to grow despite the economic downturn. So, which type of shoe salesmen are you? And, are you ready to forge ahead in the new FINANCIAL year 2014-15?