Meet MR.Chandra Sekar – The Star of SAKTHI FOODS

Sakthi Masala Distributor

We meet a lot of people at different times of our lives. We take some for granted while the others matter to us more. And those who matter to us need not necessarily be the only ones behind our success because the former can also be. This story is an epitome of a business that hit success because of genuine human connection. Meet Mr.Chandra Sekar, the star of Sakthi Foods, as he takes us through hardships to the stars. I, Karthi Easwaramoorthy, sat down with him in a fine evening to listen him about his venture which predominantly into distributing products of Sakthi Masala. He is an yet another proof that hard work with consistency would never fail.

THE EXORDIUM

Being a native of Ingur which is a locality near Perundurai, Erode, Chandra Sekar started his schooling in Prema Matriculation School, Tirupur. He belonged to a humble family where his father was a TNEB Employee and his mother, a homemaker. It was in 1985, Chandra Sekar moved to Coimbatore along with his family due to his father’s transfer and continued his schooling in CMS Matriculation School.  

Most of us connect better with the maternal side of the family. When it comes to vacation, we cannot deny the fact that we would jump into a puddle of fun. Chandra Sekar spent his vacation with 10 of his siblings and cousins. The fun factor would have doubled up because the more the merrier. One such vacation turned out to be the grand exordium of Chandra Sekar’s entry into the business bay.

BABY STEPS

I remember being approached by some salesmen holding Encyclopedias when I was young. The energy level they held throughout the day always made me wonder how. They always personified the sun high at noon. Imagine the sun being high throughout the day. 

Chandra Sekar stepped into sales when he was 10 years old. He spent most of his vacation holidays traveling around cities in the sales van along with the salesperson. He would help them in carrying product packets. And one fine day came when he had to set foot in replacement of the salesperson who was absent that day. All that the twelve-year-old boy was told to do was to sell the products in a specific locality. Everyone was awestruck when he returned home with a daily turnover that is threefold the actual earnings. On looking deep into the process, he understood that the employees who used to go on sales visited shops selectively and did not take enough effort to enter new shops. Just because Chandra Sekar ran the extra mile to persuade new customers, that turned him into an extraordinary salesperson. He didn’t have an agenda and he also didn’t skip any opportunities that appeared in front of him. When it gives positively shocking results, why not make it even more interesting?

There goes a saying “Nothing develops intelligence like travel”. Chandra Sekar became flexible enough to dwell in any kind of environment. The travel van became his second home. Being around a lot of cities inside Tamil Nadu, Chandra Sekar did turn out to be an expert in handling vehicles when it comes to driving as well as troubleshooting. A lot of little things learned out of experience made a huge impact in reality. Despite this, he also established his way of selling the products, the pivotal move being his unadulterated connection with the people he met. 

HUMBLENESS

Most of the business tycoons that we see in films are always portrayed with a high-headed attitude. But it is undeniable that the prime factor for carrying out business and sustaining in the market is the customer relationship. The kid who was too young to negotiate with the customers slowly started growing into a marketing monster. While Chandra Sekar was doing his Diploma in EEE, Sakthi Foods opened a new showroom in Coimbatore. When asked to take over the showroom, he didn’t hesitate to put his studies behind him. He saw this as a business opportunity. From having started this small retail on 3rd May,1992, the company started expanding its marketing within four months. Starting from scratch with an auto and 2 staff for support, he grew this start-up to a business with 4 vans, 3 autos, and 20 staff under him. When he had to replace anyone who was on leave, he took a step forward immediately. This got him his laurels. Soon when he got into the shoes of the sales executive, he identified all the deception points. The best that a leader can do is to be the epitome of his subordinates. That in itself would have influenced the people under him to become better each day. Chnadra Sekar’s down-to-earth nature and honesty did take a paramount role in establishing a competent community in his business play. He would visit the customers whenever he passes by their places but without the intention of sales, just to develop genuine networking with them. At times he would sort out the products on the shelves at his customer’s end, identifying the products that have gone out of stock himself. Such initiative, despite being a businessman, has earned him a sustainable customer network. Even the customers who held an attitude would melt for the way Chandra Sekar treated everyone and for his quality of being trustworthy. They wouldn’t even mind him standing near the treasury. The community he grew for himself would be there for him in any kind of situation. This man has earned a community for himself that is unimpeachable by default. At this point, he owns a genuine leading business venture and a commendable community of people. What else should a person need to live a satisfactory life?

MESSAGE FOR THE BEGINNERS

Chandra Sekar was only 12 years old when he stepped into the business arena. Starting too early, the quantum of experience he has got now should be put into use for the blooming businessmen or businesswomen.  When asked about where and how to begin a business, Chandra Sekar immediately insisted that one should have a deeper insight into the product before starting a business. If the product is a fast selling one, then the talent of the personnel need not play a greater role but the product that needs to be commercialized needs the support of the talent of the individual. At the same time, the beginner should also have a good knowledge of the competitor’s products.

Chandra Sekar also stated that the amount of investment made by the individual should be calculated precisely for the storage space, vehicle, authorized certificates, and staff. Once all these have been set up properly, the locality of sales should be chosen. The business development should also include retailer development. Most importantly Chandra Sekar advises the younger generation to understand the ins and outs of the entire processes right from the order to delivery in the business. 

FINAL WORDS

Chandra Sekar ends his talk by confessing that face value is his secret of success. Sometimes having a warm genuine talk with a customer might help in taking the business a step ahead toward success. He would give recipes to the customers to enlighten them about the usage of different products. 

None of us can deny the fact that time is precious. Any retailer would consider his sales more than the purchase. Chandra Sekar values the customers’ time and ensures that every billing is made within 5 minutes. 

You may find this article to be a good read which states that age is no barrier to exploring a new venture. By now you would have realized how a genuine network with people can help you establish yourself so strongly in the market. One huge takeaway for me from this talk is that never stop being humble even when you are the master of all trades. And don’t wait for the opportunity to knock on your door. Grab it right when you see it coming.

All the best to him on behalf of DigitalVillage.in

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