Sales isn’t just about closing deals. It’s about listening, adapting, building trust, and more than anything else — understanding the customer’s journey. At the recent eChai Sales Masterclass held at GUSEC, Ahmedabad, startup founders came together to learn from real-world stories shared by seasoned entrepreneurs.
This wasn’t your typical business talk filled with slides and jargon. It was a candid, no-fluff session hosted by Jatin Chaudhary (Co-founder, eChai Ventures) with deep dives from speakers like Pankaj Bhimani (Founder, 58Miles) and Shrijay Sheth (Founder, LegalWiz.in & Hire4Higher Consulting).
The First 100 Sales
A Grit Test Every founder starts with uncertainty — a rough MVP, a few leads, and zero predictable systems. What makes the difference? Execution, resilience, and learning from each rejection. Both Pankaj and Shrijay shared stories of messy early wins that eventually paved the way to structured sales processes.
Pankaj Bhimani’s Movie Analogy
“In a movie theatre, you buy a ticket to watch the film. In business, your customer is the audience, and your product is the movie. Are you entertaining enough for them to pay for it?”
This analogy perfectly summed up how product perception and presentation impact sales.
When the Product Chooses You
Pankaj shared how 58Miles’ camera bags weren’t even part of the original product idea. It was during a photography trip that the opportunity became clear. Spotting that need — and responding to it — became the brand’s game changer.
Shrijay’s Take on Buzzwords and Trust
“Performance marketing is just a buzzword. At the core of it, your customer needs to trust you.”
Through LegalWiz.in, Shrijay has helped thousands of SMBs streamline their operations. What stood out was how he simplified complex legal and consulting services by focusing on clarity and credibility.
When Do You Need Funding?
The session also highlighted a subtle yet critical insight: funding isn’t just needed when you run out of money — it’s needed when you have a scalable sales system that’s being limited by current resources.
If your sales flywheel is turning — you know what works, you’re closing deals, your CAC is under control — and the only bottleneck is bandwidth, that’s the right time to seek funding.
Founders’ Mistakes to Avoid
- Over-complicating sales pitches
- Waiting too long to hire your first salesperson
- Assuming product = scale
- Ignoring post-sale relationship building
Golden Takeaways
- Your first 100 sales are more about listening than selling
- Pricing isn’t math, it’s perception
- A sales playbook isn’t downloaded — it’s written through trial
- Trust compounds — and so does confusion
- Rejection isn’t the opposite of success, it’s part of the formula
Closing Thought
Whether you’re a seed-stage founder, a bootstrapped operator, or someone building a sales team for the first time — the biggest insight from the eChai Sales Masterclass was this:
Sales isn’t a department. It’s your story, your mindset, and your reputation — in motion.