The question an Entrepreneur asks differentiates him from a common man. Common man will always be full of questions like ‘What happened?’, ‘Where did it happen?’, ‘Who did it?’, ‘Why it happened?’, etc.
But Entrepreneurs are only concerned with ‘HOW?’ They only ask one question to themselves ‘How to do it?’ Because they are doers. Entrepreneurs never ask ‘What’, ‘Where’, ‘Who’, ‘Why’ because they already know the answer to these questions because they are doers, because they are the one’s who did it.
When a situation comes up wherein you have to negotiate, convince, bargain, etc, Entrepreneurs think How and common man thinks Why.
Let me describe the difference with practical examples of my life.
I deeply feel India needs army of young Entrepreneurs to become 1st world country. But for this Indian mentality of Education-Job-Promotions-Retirement has to be changed, its essential that people relieve themselves of this loop. So few years back I felt if entrepreneurship has to be promoted somewhere it has to be in schools and colleges. I shared this idea of conducting motivational lectures with my friends and the question everyone asked me was ‘Why’, ‘Why would schools and colleges entertain you?’ ‘What is your credibility?’ Only my biz partner asked me ‘How’, ‘How are we going to do it?’
So we started searching for motivational videos on youtube, inspiring stories, etc. I made my notes, ppts, interpreted each video and story in terms of entrepreneurship. We practiced in front of mirror for hours.
I knew the answer for ‘Who would entertain me?’ We went to ‘St. Therese convent School’, where I had studied. We met the teachers and principal and showed them the video, explained them the concept, they were thrilled to see me bubbling with energy because in my school days I hardly spoke in class. They agreed and gave us two slots, we conducted two sessions of our motivational seminar, students and teachers loved it.
While leaving, our principal handed us an envelope and told us to open it only after reaching home. When we opened it after reaching home, inside there was a recommendation letter and Rs.2500. It was our first income and how many people get their first pay from the temple where they learned basics. It was one of the happiest day of my life.
Now we had a recommendation letter from one of the best schools in Dombivli, so we easily got access to other schools, and we asked for recommendation letter in every school, which they happily wrote for us. Thus my idea of being able to hold motivational lecture turned to reality just by asking myself ‘HOW?’
Another such situation came up few years later when I grabbed the opportunity of running a coaching classes on contract basis during my 1st year of BMS. I was then just studying in BMS and had no income source to fund my ideas, so when I got opportunity to run a coaching class I grabbed it. The coaching class was not doing good and about to close when my friend went to owner and made him an offer to run on contract basis and we will give him his share.
Now we had the classes in hands but no money for marketing and no money to pay professors. So we did some mouth publicity and somehow managed to get 8 students paying us Rs.10000 each. So we got 80000 and we had to pay professors, give the owner his share, stationaries, etc. So only way to make break-even was to get good people to teach and convince them to accept low payment. Again people asked me ‘Why would a good teacher, teach for low payment?’ But I knew I had no other option, I had to find such people, so for me the question was. ‘How to find such people & how to convince such people?’
I needed a doctor to teach biology subject and engineer for rest of the subject as I was projecting it as my usp. I got engineers easily as my partner was from engineering background and they were ready to work for low payment because we sold them dreams. But still we couldn’t find doctor. Again people asked question ‘Why would a doctor leave his practice and teach for low pay? and for me the question was again ‘How would a doctor leave his practice and teach for low pay?’ I started visiting doctors’ clinics during noon time when they are idle. I used to tell them what I do, why I do and ask them to teach, but most of them denied, but finally met Dr. Archana Kori who was interested in teaching and when I offered her job she was ready, all I had to tell her was this experience would help her to pursue her dream of teaching in medical college someday.
Now the most amazing part of this story, all those engineers and doctor agreed to accept low payment of Rs.4000, not per month, Rs.4000 for completing whole syllabus, all I did was, sold them a wonderful dream. And we made profit of 25000 too!
Similarly, when I was running pizza outlet at Badlapur, it was too far from market area and rentals near station was high. But still I told my friends in Badlapur to find me a person who have a shop near station and charge me low rentals. Again my friends asked me, ‘Why would someone charge you low rentals?’ and question for me was ‘How would someone agree to charge me low rentals?’
I went to the market area near railway station and started observing each and every shop. Suddenly a cake-shop grabbed my attention, it was a big shop with just one fridge and one chair. Whole shop was empty. I went to the shopkeeper and offered him to share the infrastructure. I told him to give me the half space for kitchen and we will hv single counter to take orders for both pizzas and cakes. I told him just imagine, my loyal customers visiting this outlet for my pizzas and while waiting for pizza they might order ur pastry, we can make combo offers, we can do marketing together which can reduce our cost, plus I also offered him that my delivery boy would also deliver his cakes. He reluctantly agreed and we shifted there within a week and we didn’t hv to pay deposit, we were only paying Rs.4000 rent per month that too in market area.
There is always an answer, provided you ask right question.
Remember question is always HOW not WHY?