How India’s Sales Leaders are Driving Smarter Deals

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In India’s rapidly evolving sales landscape, top sales leaders gathered at the Bengaluru edition of the Strategy Shift Forum, hosted by MIT Sloan Management Review India  and powered by Salesforce, to share insights on closing deals faster and smarter, harnessing real-time signals, predictive data, and sharper execution.

The panel, featuring Manish Bharati of Raymond Lifestyle, Sridhar Hariharasubramanian of Salesforce, Sumantra Naik of Total Environment, and Vipin Kataria of Britannia Industries, underscored how the rules of selling are shifting under the weight of big data and AI.

“We are completely reinventing the gold market,” said Manish Bharati, Chief Business Officer at Raymond Lifestyle, describing how hyper-personalization is now key to connecting with diverse consumer segments. “A teenager orders on a platform, the father-in-law goes to the down store, the domestic help goes to a small kerata… You have to have a very different strategy from soft to selling edge.”

Bharati detailed how tools like QuickDrop allow premium products to reach all types of storefronts, from self-service to small vendors, illustrating the challenge—and opportunity—in today’s fragmented market. “We’ve got immense data that can really be used in AI projects to lead the right selling strategy,” he added.

On forecasting and demand sensing, Sumantra Naik, Chief Digital Officer at Total Environment, emphasized inventory optimization and consumer insights. “You want to make sure you don’t stock out styles that are doing very well, and you don’t have too much inventory,” he said. “In fashion business, you will only make money if you sell your styles at full price.”

Sridhar Hariharasubramanian of Salesforce explained the foundational role quality data plays in driving sales success. “Without a lot of good data, you really can’t go far,” he stated, highlighting the rigorous effort required to clean, govern, and inject data into AI systems. Still, he warned that many AI projects remain in early proof-of-concept phases: “There’s not a whole lot of evidence about tangible ROI yet.”

The human element remains critical. The panel stressed that despite advances in automated lead nurturing and deal coaching, sales still depend on clear visibility and timing. Vipin Kataria, Chief Commercial Officer at Britannia Industries, remarked, “It’s not about more tools; it’s about better timing, clearer visibility, and a stronger close rate.”

Discussion turned to digital adoption challenges. Sridhar noted resistance to change as a key barrier but noted that incentives and psychology can accelerate uptake. “Many people resist because they’re used to doing things a certain way,” he said. “Incentives help your teams adopt technology and make it part of their daily process.”

The forum also included a negotiation masterclass led by Scott Walker, an international crisis negotiator. Walker urged sales professionals to prioritize emotional regulation and patience. “Don’t rush. Spend more time building relationships,” he counseled. Success hinges on collaboration: “You want cooperation built on reputation and credibility. As leaders, you need to go first and demonstrate trust to be trusted.”

Walker likened negotiation to a children’s game of tapping out song rhythms, illustrating how adaptability and empathetic listening can overcome communication gaps. “Just because you see the world a certain way doesn’t mean others do,” he said. Labeling emotions during dialogue to help diffuse tension was another core skill he taught: “You take an emotionally intelligent guess… ‘It sounds like you’re worried about…’ That can change the whole trajectory.”

Walker closed with a challenging reminder about stakes: “Trust is the golden thread. If you breach trust, that’s what breaks the deal.” His high-pressure hostage negotiation experience offered a stark metaphor for business: “If you can work in the world of hostages, where stakes are life or death, you can work in your day-to-day life.”

The consensus of the day: India’s sales teams are rewriting the playbook—combining data rigor and agile negotiation with human insight and collaboration. Success now means not only chasing deals but closing them smarter and faster with discipline, trust, and the right balance of automation and empathy.