I left Exide Pakistan Ltd after serving it from 1982 to 1991 as sales manager, marketing manager, acting departmental head. The last five years from 1986 to 1991 tested my nerves, morale, stamina, principles and values.
Many unexpected incidents and events occurred after leaving Exide.
The first incident occurred when I vomited blood one morning after taking breakfast and then fell unconscious. I regained consciousness after a few minutes or so. My wife called up the servants and neighbours to carry me to the car. She drove me to the Emergency Centre of Aga Khan Hospital. I was put through many tests and finally endoscopy to learn that I had duodenal ulcer, which had ruptured. There were no prior signs of ulcer nor had I ever noticed ulcer earlier. I stayed in the hospital for five days and came out almost fully recovered, though I continued medicines for a few weeks.
The first incident occurred when I vomited blood one morning after taking breakfast and then fell unconscious. I regained consciousness after a few minutes or so. My wife called up the servants and neighbours to carry me to the car. She drove me to the Emergency Centre of Aga Khan Hospital. I was put through many tests and finally endoscopy to learn that I had duodenal ulcer, which had ruptured. There were no prior signs of ulcer nor had I ever noticed ulcer earlier. I stayed in the hospital for five days and came out almost fully recovered, though I continued medicines for a few weeks.
Going through the endoscopy was quite a hard experience. A long thick rubber tube was inserted through the mouth into my stomach. As the tube moved inside, I prayed to Allah (God) to make it easier for me. And I must say, He really did it.
A good event soon followed a bad incident. My father-in-law gifted his previous house to his daughter i.e. my wife. At that time, my family comprising myself, wife, three daughters and one son (all kids under 15) were living on the upper storey of my brother’s house. My children were growing and we needed more space but could not afford to buy or take on rent a spacious house. So, the gifted house came as a big relief and made everybody happy in the family.
I did not have sizeable savings to start a business on my own. Salaries at Chloride/Exide and the annual increment for managers were miserably low. So, I borrowed money from one of my brothers to invest and become a partner in a printing press, owned by an acquaintance that also needed money to grow his business. The partnership lasted for a few months due to serious legal complications in his business. I received back my investment and returned the money to my brother.
In 1992, my second son was born. It was a great occasion as sons had traditionally been few in our families or 'Khandan.'.
Another great happening occurred when all the three daughters were admitted to Mama Parsi Girls Secondary School, two in the afternoon shift of Matric Section and one in the morning shift of Cambridge Section. Getting a single child in Mama was considered a great achievement for any parents. Getting three children in Mama at the same time baffled many in our community.
Another great happening occurred when all the three daughters were admitted to Mama Parsi Girls Secondary School, two in the afternoon shift of Matric Section and one in the morning shift of Cambridge Section. Getting a single child in Mama was considered a great achievement for any parents. Getting three children in Mama at the same time baffled many in our community.
To me, it was more of a miracle than the fruit of my efforts. I only did a good deal of legwork visiting the school off and on and meeting the headmistresses of the Matric section and the Cambridge section. My perseverance probably impressed the headmistresses to recommend my daughters’ admission, which was finally, approved by the principal Ms Contractor, a great lady.
I then joined another acquaintance that had a bigger printing press and sufficient funds of his own to manage his business. I became his working partner without investment. Together, we did fairly well. In the meantime, I received an offer from the publishers of Weekly ‘Takbeer’ --the largest circulated and the most influential weekly in Karachi at that time, to work as their general manager/management advisor. Since I was already involved in printing business, I accepted the offer to work on part-time basis to which the publishers agreed.
One-year stay at “Takbeer” was a fantastic experience. Mr. Mohammad Salahuddin, who owned majority shares in the weekly, was also the Chief Editor and Mr. Rafiq Afghan, his son-in-law, was the Executive Editor. Mr. Salahuddin was a very humane, polite, decent person. Mr. Rafiq Afghan was a very dynamic, energetic and enthusiastic person. I enjoyed very cordial relations with both of them right from the beginning to the end.
Mr. Salahuddin was a scholarly person, an outstanding journalist and a former Editor of Daily ‘Jasarat,’ the newspaper sponsored by Jamat-i-Islami, a religious-cum-political party. He had very humble beginnings and reached coveted positions in life through sheer handwork, sincerity of purpose and unwavering determination. He constantly lived under the threat of assassination because of his consistent confrontation with a major ethnic group in Karachi.
The best that I found in the ‘Takbeer’ establishment was the courage, confidence and commitment of the people working there. Anybody at anytime could be the target of an assassin but nobody seemed to be fearful of it or would even care to talk about it. Nothing deterred anybody from performing his duties, whether it was electricity breakdown, heavy rains, or any other hurdle. The weekly came out on time and every time.
Another best was the utilization of office space, company funds and circulation to their optimum level. Most of the advertisers were reluctant to place their advertisements in ‘Takbeer’ because of the fear of retaliation from the ethnic group, which did not approve the policy of the weekly towards them. Another bottleneck was Mr. Salahuddin’s policy not to print any advertisement showing a female model. The readership of the weekly was confined to educated upper, middle and lower middle classes. Increasing circulation and price were often quite difficult.
Another best was the ordinary treatment the VIPs received at ‘Takbeer.’ Top-level politicians, armed forces personnel, bureaucrats and elite visited the ‘Takbeer’ office without extra-ordinary protocol. Mr. Salahuddin was a man unto himself least bothered by the position and posture of the VIPs.
During the same period that I was there, ‘Takbeer’ put up its own printing press and groundwork was started for launching daily ‘Ummat.’ The printing press was funded with individual contributions of the admirers of ‘Takbeer’ and Mr. Salahuddin who were promised return of money without interest.
After a year at ‘Takbeer’, the new owners of Plasticrafters Pvt Ltd., the manufacturers of ‘Rahber’ water coolers and household plastic goods, approached me to join them as Executive Director with primary responsibility of sales and marketing. The company was faced with grave financial constraints and the cash flow did not improve much on day to day basis. It was hand-to-mouth situation most of the time. Mr. Iqbal Alam who was now the Managing Director and his partner Directors were very nice people to work with but things seemed to be beyond their control.
The market conditions for 'Rahber' drastically changed in the 90’s as compared to the 80’s. There had been mushroom growth of manufacturers of water coolers and household plastic goods who offered low prices, higher discount and long-term credit to the trade. Plasticrafters could no longer afford to spend on advertising and sales promotion to pull consumer demand as it used to do in the 80’s. Plasticrafters' budget in the 80's equalled the budget of Brooke Bond. Advertising and sales promotion was all the more necessary to net in new consumers in place of those who switched over to other brands over the years. The production capacity of the company, created in the 80’s, could not be fully utilized due to a major drop in consumer demand of Rahber water coolers and financial limitations of the company to produce and spread stocks in the trade on a regular basis.
Contrary to what many owners believe, I am of the view that a brand needs constant reminders to consumers through the mass media to retain past consumers and to create new ones. Every brand has a life cycle and those brands which are least technical in nature and easy to produce and market often carry a shorter life cycle for the reason that consumer switchover is comparatively easier.
After a year of trying every sales tool, without a breakthrough, to stabilize production, sales and cash flow, I decided to leave and work for a very large printing press of another acquaintance as consultant to develop their business. I was able to break ice in a few selected organizations and secured substantial business, which continues to flow in uptil now.
Around 1996, Pakistan Accumulators Pvt Ltd., the manufacturers of Volta batteries, called me for a day to appear before their board of directors, present in Islamabad, for the position of General Manager Sales & Marketing. I was offered the job on the same day but I requested for some time to make up my mind.
While I was still reviewing the Volta’s offer, I received a call from Shamim Zafar & Associates who were interviewing candidates for two positions in Berger Paints Pakistan Ltd. I was short-listed for the position of Marketing Manager for Industrial Paints Division. A series of interviews were held with the Berger’s Managing Director, Director Marketing & Sales and Director Human Resource. Finally, I was selected and asked to join in May 1996.
Entering Berger Paints was also a great moment for me and my family. Although I had no prior experience of marketing paints and especially the industrial paints, I took up the challenge, which brought many laurels to the Industrial Sales Division. It was also a great learning experience for everything in Berger was done on a big scale.
Continued to http://livethylife9.blogspot.com/
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