IIM students’ ‘art of negotiation’ for a cause
Anna De Mavpeou is not a professional artist. But she was able to sell her painting -- based on the theme ‘Evening in Paris’ -- for Rs 1,500 at a mall on Sunday.
A student at the IIM-L, this girl from France was all the more happy because of the cause attached to her efforts -- generating money for Uttarakhand flash flood victims of 2013. She and 130 other students pursuing Strategic Business Negotiation, an elective course of IIM-L, flocked to the mall and sold their creativity to people for a charitable cause. The best part was that people did not mind shelling out big money for amateur paintings made by budding managers.
The money collected from this would go for Uttarakhand people who lost their loved ones in nature’s fury, said Gaschaud Gautier, also from France studying at the IIM-L.
Sharing their experience of selling the painting, Anna and Gautier said, “A lot of visitors wanted to buy the painting but were not capable, financially. Then, we met a few students who listened to us with empathy and though short on funds individually, pooled in and bought our painting on Paris.”
Utkarsha Bhatt, who sold a painting on Lord Ganesha made by her friend for Rs 2,500, said: “I was thrilled to get good money after negotiating hard with 6 to 8 people. It was a good learning experience.” Another girl Naina Lal made a couple of paintings on dancing girls and was busy negotiating with many visitors. Swati Singh’s painting on scenery was sold for Rs 600 and it took her a week to make it.
Deblina Halder’s pencil sketch fetched her Rs 1,600. “It was based on a poem. I took a lot of pain in making the sketch as no colours were used. It was absolutely wonderful to be part of this fund-raising for flood victims,” she said. Her friend Bharathi Khera’s painting on Radhey Krishna too was sold for Rs 1600. Boys too did a good job. Anupam Loiwal and Santanu’s paintings on tribal art form and Lord Krishna respectively were also sold.
Prof Himanshu Rai, who was there to guide students on the art of negotiating, was happy to see the response.