Saturday, August 8, 2009

Mohan Kuruvilla.. To sir with love!

Whoever said 13 was an unlucky number? Finally in my 13th month out here at LIBA, here comes a prof who has made me stand up, clap and say Wow!!
He's redefined a lot of terms for me- Sales and Marketing would never be the same again! Why, he's redefined the very paradigm of learning that existed in my mind.
An impeccably adept communicator, he is the first teacher who's taught me for 5 hours on the same day and still left me wanting more! He brings the students to rapt attention with his gentle well-modulated voice, amazingly sophisticated accent and perfect intonation
The ability to translate practical experience into logically coherent thoughts and weave it with theory is an ability that rides easily on his shoulders. Every word he speaks sparkles akin to a diamond and ignites the thought processess of the students like nothing else can. Sample this- "Selling begins when the customer says NO".
Before you begin to imagine his lectures to be as devoid of humour as this blog has been uptill now, I must serve to you on a platter some of his pet dialogues that make the class split into peals of laughter! Imagine him saying this in his trademark Bihari-accented Hindi- "Purchase Manager ka saara khoon paanv se chehre pe chad gaya.. CORPORATE YOGA sir" :D :D Or some of his patented lines- "Kuch toh bol dijiye sir.." , "The MD started looking out of the window", "Kotler ne kaha hai, hum nai kahe", "Ek company thi Hindustan Lever.. Abhi bhi hai", "Nadi kinare baithe the sir", "Maine apne professor ko phone lagaya jisne mujhe B2B padhaya tha"...
His classes are so mesmerizing that the whole batch is in awe of him. His superlative marketing ability combined with his intelligence make for a potent combination that's earned him the adage "GOD of sales" all over South India. His tests are so well authored and application oriented that you feel like sitting with the question paper "nadi kinare" and think of the answers :D His passion for the subject and its application reflects from the emotion in his eyes- an earnestness that can be born only out of pure love.
Sir, when I decided to be a marketing professional, I had a fairytale image of the subject. It was like an imagined dreamland which I always wanted to explore but could never reach out to. You made me feel the intoxication of marketing and made me touch the magical world of my dreams. Hope I live to see the day when I will be able to proudly proclaim that I did justice to what all you taught me about this fascinating game of Marketing. And Sir, all that can offer you in return is just "thanks". Surely, I won't give you what you asked for- "sir, aap sey kuch nahi maang rahe hain, par agar kabhi apki company mein aaye to contract hamein hi dijiyega"- I'll surely evaluate you with the same tenacity of a hawk as you yourself advised :)

48 comments:

Vineet Rajan said...

nice post man. we dont come across such profs often and u can count on ur finger tips. I had a few myself and they manage to change ur outlook forever!

venkat_(n)ever_thinking said...

Thanks buddy :) wel, i've come across quite a few myself but this one just swept me away!

ritwika said...

I thought such teachers existed only in fiction.. I mean I've met some pretty amazing teachers but nobody like Sidney Poitier's character in To Sir, With Love or even like Professor Keating in Dead Poet's Society.. They are just perfect but maybe because they never really existed?
Anyway..
Good to read your experience. :)

Gaurav said...

such profs are rare !! may his spirit propagate to some unworthy profs as well :P

Veena said...

hey really liked ur blog kut! at least now u will study before ur xams (hopefully)! :D

Manikanta K M said...

Such a great Professor he is...Sir you long live and teach as Many students as possible .Let them enjoy your class."kuch bol dijiye sir"
Thanks a lot for teaching us Sales and Distribution and i will never forget Sales Territory you taught in class it is really Mind blowing !

Unknown said...

Sir Kuruvilla was just amazing and too good. i still remember his dialogues as if it was just yesterday. it was a priviledge to hear him speak.

Mahesh Naik said...

absolutely true...

Kishor_mohite said...

Nice Post dude!
You missed few more dialogue.
"Chala Murari hero banane..", and his characters like "Shyamsunder, Ghyanshyam, Shiela & many more"

Unknown said...

to add some more to Kishor,Bihari style main Dabba bag main le jana aur khane ka kuch bhi wapas na chodna.

The post is really fantastic.... Keep it up...

NavHind said...

....Kitan Sundar Likha hai......

Just like Metallika, Nirvana, Pearl Jam & Pink Floyd are the legends of Rock.....
Same way Prof. Kuruvilla is a legend to all of his students across country.....Legend of Sales....

....Kotler ne likha hai....
....Bahut mare,bhiga-2 ke mare....

Unknown said...

adding to his pet dialogues...bhihari style mein khaya sirji matlab kuch nahi chodda sirji, and the song tht he plays whn he gets a new order- pehla nasha pehla khumma naya pyaar hai naya intezaar..

Anshu said...

singing the mentioned song and then translating the song in Englsh was the best part...He's an ideal picture and a GOD FATHER for many students...n yaa adding on to his Pet lines- "ek garam chai ka cup or a sealed mineral water ka bottle hi toh mangte hai hum,sirji"

Unknown said...

Really he is a very great Teacher. I too have never meet such a great personality in my ,till now journey of life. This is the only class i wait for and listen with both ears and eyes open. He knows how to make people awake with learning ,with his sweet short stories. The best thing what i feel he has is, he understand what students wants and needs are. For me he is a TOP Sales Person who knows how to delight his customers and gain their TRUST and one who has reached the top hierarchy of needs "Self Actualization". He is the one whom i will never forget in my life and will always give examples and if in my life ever i go for teaching which is not in my plan ,i will always try to follow him as my Ideal.God Bless him Good Health , long LIFE and more success and his name remains not only in mind of his student but also in the Book of History as a great faculty for ever.

Unknown said...

too good dude Kuruvilla Sir ki toh baat hi kuch alag hai.

Aparajita said...

'Kaha se kiye MBA? Kon padhaya tha?' Yeah.. we are proud say 'Its u' :)

Anshul Jain said...

It's true..that teaching sales is not easy job...His style of teaching and way he speaks adds all together a different taste to the subject.

"Ka ..thik kah rahe hai sir...!!"

"Kuch bhi kahye bahut anand aata hai unki cls me...aaha..kya baat hai"

Supratik 4 u said...

I Still remember my presentation infront of him. Baap Re!
He Is The Best Teacher In IBA So Far. Isn't It?
Lot Of Value Additions For Me..

komal nautiyal said...

nice post man. truly said... one of the best prof. that i have ever met in my life.

kapil.... said...

truly speaking agar KURUVILLA SIR se nahi padhe hote to shayad MARKETING kis chidiya ka naam he malum hi nahi padta..........kaash har trimester sirf marketing ka ek hi subject hota aur wo KURUVILLA SIR padhate to hamari marketing strategy bhi IIM's walon se kam nahi hoti.........GOD BLESS HIM WITH LONG LIFE AND GOOD HEALTH

bhushan yadav said...

i heard a lot about you sir from our dean and HOD and now by reading the blogs i am getting more eager to get the 1st class of your's.wish to have the same as all other students have received from you so far.

welcome you at jain mahaveer college,j.c road bangalore.

bhushan yadav said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Abeer Raja said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Abeer Raja said...

i m a student frm jain college bangalore,the college hv hiered mohan sir for the S&D subject.i m very thankful to the DEAN n HOD 4 providing such a great faculty.i hope the knowledge n experience he has shared with other students,shares the same with us.

Unknown said...

We the students of Bhagawan Mahaveer Jain College,are really fortunate to have such a awesome prof to our campus.His indsights about the subject will go a long way and will help us to face the reality in a much poised manner.We are very thankful to our Dean Prof.Dr.Easwaren Iyer for making Prof.Kuruvilla available to us.

Unknown said...

He is really a gem. He teach in many B-School and all the students have same feelings for him

Sashank Mishra said...

superb faculty, Superb Style of teaching. I'll miss his classes all my life......Moreover there is another information that 90% of the CEO's of the World started of with sales..... Kyon ki Jo sales nahi kiya uski zindagi to customer banke reh jati hai.... Isn't it?

bhavya said...

truly inspiring.. both the classes as well as this blog post.. just reading it reminded me of the astounding classes of sales and marketing.. laugh and learn.. now that is a "god's gift to mankind":-)

Priyanka Mandal said...

best teacher i have ever come across...:)

vandana: Human Being said...

We pray to god for his good health.........as he was not doing well these days........

ishani said...

Hey, I'm an IBA alumna and have been lucky to have attended Kuruvilla Sir's Sales classes! He is a brilliant faculty and yet so modest! His witty repertoires and vernacular improvisations were thorughly enjoyable! I still remember one of his most repeated suggestions, "Nadi kinaare jaa k sohne me bada anand aata hai. Agar nadi na ho to ek balti pani hi rakh lijiye, par sochiye pani k paas baith ke hi"! Miss ur classes, Sir!

Abhi... said...

hi Venkat,
it s well said about Kuruvila Sir,
for last 5days am in Kuruvila sir's cls from 9AM to 7PM.. stil v r fresh to get more and more from him.. he s really an Awsome MAN!!!

I salute him for his talent...

VIVEK said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Durga Nandan said...

And his magic continues! :)

cj said...

Thank you sir (if u ever come to see this insignificant comment), but i mean it. The blood from my feet come to my face when i say this.. Hats off!!

Ramesh Kumar said...

Hats off For Mohan kuruvilla Sir,it's realy look like that we are learning sales and distribotion,i m proud to be in Jain college,Bangalore- Ramesh Kumar

damu said...

we are lucky to have him.

bharat samrat said...

arrey hum BIHAR se hai na..ek cup chai aur pilaiye

vageesha said...

@ venkat.....hi...superb article....ur article reflects exact image of Mr. Mohan Kuruvila....we are blessed to have him as a teacher and he is truly an inspiration to many students like us.....hope we utilise all what is been taught by him.....good thought venkat....:)

Abhishek Kaushik said...

Good Job.... Venkat...

He is a great professor... He taught us marketing in third semester MBA 2008 AIMS Bengalore... Still remember his corporate yoga example "talwa ka lahar matha pe chadh gaya"....

martand said...

Extremely in-depth. Your teachings inspired us. And still does.

akkiblog said...

We at IIM are also lucky to have him teaching us. One of the most awesome professors I have come across :)

Unknown said...

I royally agree to evry word of yours..He is superb and the Best faculty i ve evr come across in my life.

Rooney said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
vishal1924 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
vishal1924 said...

The blog is too good .... as mentioned in the post he is the same..... his sense of humour and intelligence is mind blowing.....m honoured to be his student in S&D .... he is great i agree as u all did!!!!! mind blowing... today was my 1st class by sir .... had an experience mentioned above... owesome prof. never come across any1 like him!!

MyIdeas said...

Hi everyone. I am Biswajeet patnaik, teaching management course at KIIT.university. Need contact details of Prof. Mohan. We want to invite him in Marketing Conclave. I can be reached on kiitcr.bp@gmail.com

Reubs (R9) said...

Yes indeed... Prof Mohan Kuruvilla is a wonderful Sir... with all the experience he has got past so many years he is making marketing so much fun and easier for us.