We ran into Shaffi Pehalwaan and we ended up admitting that this elderly artisan, who is very young at heart, has something that every entrepreneur can learn from
This story is set amidst the bustling Brigade Road in Bengaluru. In an alley that leads to an exquisite handcrafted products’ store called Poompuhar (Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Development Corporation); there are these small makeshift stalls displaying a variety of handicrafts.
If you were there in December, your attention would not fail to go towards at least one of the products there. The moment you spot an artifact and veer towards it, you will find the most enthusiastic, vibrant, and a radiantly smiling old man attending to you. Meet Shaffi Pehalwaan!
 | Who is he? Shaffi Pehalwaan, 75 years old Artisan (wooden toys and lacquerware) Where did we find him? What is his USP? |
Pehalwaan is this 75-year-old artisan who has a way with passersby, charming them with his wit, zeal, and equally captivating products (see pictures). Pick up any merchandise from his stall and he has a unique twist of a tale to make the sales pitch. Even if you don’t buy anything, it is, at the very least, entertaining to be there. With, us, however, his charm worked to perfection and we ended up with a big load of shopping.
Sayed Shaffiullah aka Shaffi Pehalwaan is a native of Chenapatna, a small town, 45 kilometers away from Bengaluru, famous for wooden toys and lacquerware. He travels to Bengaluru daily to trade his created products. Ask about his alias and he replies, “Oh! I always liked wrestling. As a kid and youngster, we used to have these bouts in which I used to participate and that is when I earned this nickname. I can show you photos, you would not recognize me!”
His father, Shah Sayed Miyan, originally started this business. His father was trained by a master artisan of Chenapatna called Nizam Hazrat and was even sent abroad to countries like Japan on assignments. After several years of training, his father went solo and gathered a workforce of 50-odd men whom he trained – right from learning to use a charkha to becoming a seasoned craftsman. “At least 150-200 mouths were fed daily in this course of time,” says Pehalwaan with a sense of pride.
| PEHALWAAN’S WITTY SALES PITCHES | ||
| He rotates the giant wheel clockwise and says, “Out there in fancy fairs, you see the giant wheel that keeps rotating in the same direction,” He quickly rotates the giant wheel in the opposite direction and adds, “My giant wheel rotates in the other direction too!” | “These roosters don’t just eat grains; they also know how to woo the hens!” – winks and quickly shows the difference between the dolls with roosters and the ones with hens – The hens just keep on eating while the roosters look up after every peck. | After winding this product’s musical chimes, he says with a serious tone, “These penguins dance separately with a mind of their own. For your partner, I could also make one of a couple...they will dance together forever!” and bursts out laughing. |
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Even as a boy, young Shaffi showed interest in making handicraft products with his father. “I used to go out into the wilderness looking for wood, helping my dad make toys, and assist in selling them. I only assumed total responsibility of the business after he passed away. At that time I was 20,” recalls Pehalwaan.
Pehalwaan then took this business to the next level by putting some machines in place. He also increased the sourcing of products by tying up with hundreds of artisans who are from in and around Chenapatna. On an average, an artisan makes anywhere between Rs 200 to Rs 500 per day, depending on how skilled he is.
In his small stall (5x5 yards), for which he pays a monthly sum of Rs 10,000, he displays his products which are in an array of colors and ideas. Besides this stall, he supplies goods worth at least Rs 6,000 to Cauvery Emporium. “I make good money in my stand sales. It is collecting money from emporiums that is challenging,” he tells us. Pehalwaan also works on gems and jewelry for many traders. This work too earns him a handsome income.
For creative inspiration, Pehalwan looks outside the country. “In my lifetime and in this business, I have traveled to many places abroad—Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong King, Singapore, etc. From all these places, I got a lot of inspiration and ideas which I further innovate on,” he says. We were left amazed, but he made me chuckle when he said, “I will show you my passport and the entries made on it.” How did he end up going to all these places? “I used to supply goods to this vendor from Alipur, who used to sell them in Bangkok. I asked myself, if he can do it, why can’t I?” Even in India he has traveled extensively. “I think I have been to every temple in the country, except maybe Tirupati. My products such as kum kum cases sell well there. You see, my products don’t have a religion,” he smiles.
Ask him his secret of doing good business and he replies, “Before employing people to work for you, you should master the work yourself. Also, one has to be God-fearing and thankful to the almighty.” And as for his wit and enthusiasm, “I live my life happily. I have always loved laughing and making people laugh. I enjoy my trade and I always try to pull off a good bargain—sometimes I win, sometimes the customer wins,” he says with utmost honesty.
As we bid him goodbye, he shows us his senior citizen card, “This gets me a lot of concessions,” and bursts out laughing. Pehalwaan has nine children, who are all well-educated. He has two sons here in India, one of whom is trained to carry on the legacy of handicrafts, three sons who are doing well in Saudi Arabia, and four daughters who are married. We ask him what is the next big target in his life, and he flashes this very confident smile and says, “I intend to score my century,” and leaves us an unforgettable line – “Manmaani ki dunia hai, manmaani mein jee raha hoon [The world favors those who live on their own terms, and that is what I do.]”
In retrospect, we wondered whether it was the products or the sales pitch that compelled us to buy. In either case, we ended up admitting that this elderly artisan, who is very young at heart, has something that every entrepreneur can learn from – products with a twist and an endearing and compelling sales pitch to sell them by!
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written by Soumendu Chatterjee, January 20, 2011
written by Manali, August 09, 2009
However, I would like such businessmen to know that there is a website out there, which is looking to help people like him. My site called www.seconddealnsteal.com has a section called Art and it was created for people like him to sell their wares online to a wider audience.
written by Handicraft product, April 09, 2009
written by Handicraft product, April 09, 2009
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