Looking back now.. (Part 4)

This is the 4th part of the series where each member of the Core Committee Business Development 2013 known as "The Dogfather" describes and writes about how the last 3 months have been for them as a part of this dynamic team.

This part in the series has been written by Mayuri Aggarwal.

Core Committee Business Development 2013

So it was the night before the OC announcements and I was waiting for the results. Just before that, I get a call saying that I am now a part of the Core- Committee Business Development. Whoa! That’s how it started.
We came together as a team, full of passion and excited to work! Still, I was very scared. I had never done something like this in my life. Moreover, we had the pressure of getting loads of money for the events lined up! How were we going to do this? I was questioning myself, why am I here? How will I, who does not even know the ‘C’ of cold calling, help to get in money?
Later on I realized that I was here for a reason. It was not just about money, it was about learning. I got to know tips and techniques which I would never have known had I not been here.  From making the database to cold calling everything was a completely new experience.
We were thrown out of offices while doing walk ins :P, still we managed to get the numbers we wanted! :D  It was here that I was amazed by the synergy within the team and how each member was willing to help each other out.

To be honest, there were times when I felt irritated. Times when no cold call was a success, no meetings were being scheduled, and over all people saying that the CC is good for nothing. But I feel that more than anything, I have seen myself grow more confident over here.

CC was not the only thing we were responsible for, we also had our respective departments, college, family and what not. Still, we managed all of them without hampering anything!

Leaving work aside, this was a place I made friends for life! When I reflect back on this term, I can still see the happy faces at the first CCM and yes the chill out too :P

The CC term has been a roller coaster ride for me, sometimes I just wanted to leave everything and go away but the next moment I loved the synergy between us! We still have a long way to go and I still have to learn a lot from this team.

All I would say is, Thank you! :)

Looking back now.. (Part 3)

This is the 3rd part of the series where each member of the Core Committee Business Development 2013 known as "The Dogfather" describes and writes about how the last 3 months have been for them as a part of this dynamic team.

This part in the series had been written by Geetanjali Jain.

The Dogfather: Core Committee- Business Development 2013


It all started in the first week of May. That night a fateful call lead me to a team made for bigger things. A team with an "EPIC" task. A team made to aid all events. A team not limited to the responsibility to deliver one but five events.

The team is a group of the most dynamic, amazing, responsible, fun and absolutely crazy bunch of people I have ever met. The team became close the very first time it met and now there is no looking back.

We began work in May itself, it started with training and making a database. With the database looking brilliant with immense potential the cold-calling started. One call after another was made resulting in only dead ends. A database of very high standard 150+ numbers lead to nothing concrete. We all were left wondering what went wrong? Whose fault was it? How can not a single company be interested?

The team felt confused, hopeless, upset; it felt lost. Despite this work never stopped number were constantly added, calling kept happening and personal contacts were sought from every nook and cranny. All leading nowhere. All leading to disappointment. Still the Dogfather stood strong.

As time passed questions were asked it started with "How is it going? to "How many leads do you have?" to "When are you bringing the money?" to "We have been hearing about your leads, do they even exist?" to "Are you even doing anything?". This was all rather discouraging and disappointing. When you try your best and all you get back is discouragement and harsh words it becomes hard to continue.

The Dogfather stood strong then, and it stands strong even now even as everyone has lost faith. We will not stop trying, we will not stop calling, we will not stop our work, we will not stop period; because the Dogfather understands the importance of each event. We have a sense of responsibility towards each of them, a very deep sense of ownership is instilled in each of us for these events rather this LC. Till we do what we were made to the Dogfather will not stay still.

This team means a lot to me, its one of the few things that can and has made me cry, I am not scared to admit this, in fact I am proud. I love this team from the bottom of my heart and I am forever indebted to it for the challenges, failures, learnings, friendships and love it has brought to me. This team can and this team will overcome and shine through it all, I always have believed in us and I always will!

Looking back now... (Part 2)

This is the 2nd part of the series where each member of the Core Committee Business Development 2013 known as "The Dogfather" describes and writes about how the last 3 months have been for them as a part of this dynamic team.

This part in the series had been written by Shubhankar Mishra.

CC BD 2013
The Dogfather

Its been more than 3 months since the Baap of all announcements was released. Time flew by so quickly! I remember everything so clearly, from the first CCM where Naina was telling us how she held back the mailer till the very last (Only to be followed up by Shiva's Lead OC announcements :P) to the CCBD T Shirts and the correction at the back ("Why is there black tape across the back?") to the virtual meets which I looked forward to and was scared to attend at the same time.

We had a big target. We are way ridiculously and hilariously far away from achieving that. People do not have faith in us anymore. It began with asking us what our plan is?  to what is the CC doing? to is the CC even doing anything? to CC what?. Now the questions have stopped more or less. People think of it as a failed experiment.

What they don't know is what happened behind the scenes. 

The Dogfather to me is not just about numbers anymore. Its more about the spirit and the people in it. Some of the most brilliant minds and amazing personalities I could get the chance to work with. People might think we have not been working, but as I see it we have worked far more than anyone in this LC can even imagine.
Getting a badass induction in BD, making a dream database, cold calls with the fear of deadlines on our heads (JNC time ,anyone?) , the crazy meetings ("hello i'm natasha " xD ) ,  unconventional walk ins and our scary meets. And the learning I got out of it. I could get a degree in BD if AIESEC had one (Naina surely would be PhD :P) 

The most important part of it all would still remain the people. You guys are not just my fellow members, but people I look up to, can relate to and have a really good time with. We've been through so much together that it feels like I've known you all for ages. Everyone had their highs and lows, far more lows than highs rather. But what really inspires me is how everyone has still not given up on it, and how we are still going on.

As for the numbers, it isn't over till its over. We still have some time left to go and who knows what miracle might come by. Optimism might not get us anywhere but what the hell.

Soon, the CCBD would be discharged (or not because of lack of numbers? ) , but can anybody discharge The Dogfather? I doubt it.

Looking back now.. (Part 1)

This is going to be a 9 part series where each member of the Core Committee Business Development 2013 known as "The Dogfather" describes and writes about how the last 3 months have been for them as a part of this dynamic team. Each story talks about the what the individual felt throughout this experience as well as what was happening around them at the time.

The first in the series is written by Rishika Bhatia. 







The Dogfather, our Core Committee. 

This is just one part of the journey which just a handful of us had the luck to cherish. My journey in the CC started with that one call late that night. That was Naina. Out of the blue she put Raghav on conference & they asked, “Rishika, do you have any idea what this call is about?” I was blank. I couldn't say a word. They asked me to make a wild guess & I ended up saying, “Is this about LCong OC?” Clearly, I was wrong. That one call was all about honour  It was about being in the CC. It was all too unexpected & a little too great to be true. When the form for being in the CC was out, I cried because there was no option for a March recruit to apply for the CC. Words fail me when it comes to the feeling of getting that one call from the VP BD. 

A team of  nine came together the next day to start-off with a kick-ass journey that it was going to be. We never knew what awaited us. Personally, I was very scared but at the same time, felt a lot more responsible than I ever was.

Making a database of some 150 companies & making endless cold calls, some of which failing miserably, while some were just dead-ends in the first place, it got frustrating. Seeing the CC working their ass off day & night and at the end of the day seeing them fall, it got annoying. There was a time when all we talked about was JUST work. CC synergy was gone. We fell. We got bruised. It was hurtful. A feeling of disbelief started taking over. Every cold call I made was just another annoyed receptionist or some Marketing Head who simply put the phone down in my face. There was confusion. I questioned myself, “Am I really good enough to be in the CC?” Everyone questioned us. Everyone lost faith in us. But, somewhere in the middle we forgot that The Dogfather is not just a name, it’s a family that stood together all this while. It’s our pride & honor.
The feeling of happiness & satisfaction of a successful cold call, that feeling of joy of getting a meeting fixed- it was almost too good to be true. We had dead leads, but we knew what we had to do. 

The Dogfather- yes, we had our failures. Yes, we fell. Yes, we got bruised. YES WE LEARNT. We never wished for less challenges, we only wished to have more wisdom. It has already been 3 months, but when I look back it seems as if this all started yesterday. I am proud to have failed & get back better and stronger. I am proud to have learnt from these 3 months. I am honoured to be The Dogfather- I always have been & I always will be.