The Marketer Who Went Off Consumption

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If not knowing what to do on a first date when I’m off consumption is my number one concern, not knowing what to do on a business trip is a close second.

I’m a salesman with an impressive business card and, like every other salesman, I spend a lot of time on the road. In fact, I travel on work for anywhere between five to fifteen days in a month.

I usually travel well: I fly in comfort (thanks to frequent upgrades by Jet Airways), stay in five star hotels, have a car waiting for me, and get to use a no-questions-asked expense account.

All that is great, and I’m grateful to my employers for it, but if I spend ten days in a month in five star hotels, I’m not really off-consumption, am I?

There’s little I can change if I’m traveling with colleagues, because it will not be fair to burden them with the extra coordination.

However, I have decided that, if I’m traveling alone, and if it doesn’t adversely affect my work, instead of staying in a hotel, I’ll try staying with a friend or couchsurfing.

So, if you live in Delhi/ Gurgaon, Chandigarh, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad, Jaipur or Kolkata, and if you have a comfortable couch to spare for a relative stranger, do let me know.

I’ll not be able to pay you back immediately, not even by taking you out for dinner, but I’ll express my gratitude to you on this blog, and send you a signed copy of my book, when I become a famous writer.

So, can I sleep on your couch when I’m in your city next time?

• A Free Cup of Coffee at Starbucks (5)