As a marketer working in India, one of the most diverse and dynamic consumer landscapes in the world, I’ve learned a hard truth:
👉 People say one thing. Feel another. And buy a third.
This isn’t just a psychological insight. It’s a survival guide for anyone building brands or go-to-market strategies in a market as layered and complex as India.
The Problem with Opinions
We’ve all been there.
We run surveys. Host focus groups. Collect NPS scores.
And on paper, everything looks promising — people say they care about sustainability, affordability, local sourcing, etc.
But then the campaign flops.
The product doesn’t move.
The buzz doesn’t translate into sales.
Why?
Because opinions don’t equal behavior.
In a market where preferences shift between urban metros and tier-2 cities, between digital natives and first-time internet users — stated preferences can be misleading.
So where does the truth live?
It lives in behavior.
📲 What people search.
🛒 What they abandon in carts.
🚚 What they return.
🧍 What they ask your salespeople.
These are the real signals. And they don’t lie.
But What If You’re a New Company?
Here’s the twist: if you’re a new company or entering a new category, you often don’t have rich behavioral data to begin with.
So what do you do?
💬 You talk to your sales team.
In Indian businesses — especially B2B and retail-heavy categories — the sales team is your window to the customer’s unfiltered reality.
They know:
- Which features prospects ignore
- What triggers real interest in a demo
- Why deals get stuck or delayed
- What kind of language actually resonates
Sales conversations reflect behavior.
They’re grounded in stakes — money, time, trust.
Why This Matters More in India
India isn’t one market — it’s many markets within one.
- Cultural nuances vary by region, language, and income bracket.
- Digital literacy ranges from global-first Gen Z to newly connected rural consumers.
- Buying behavior is influenced by family dynamics, festivals, trust in brands, and local availability.
In such an environment, relying solely on surveys or global playbooks can backfire. The only way to truly understand what works is to observe, listen, and adapt.
Key Takeaways for Indian Marketers
- Don’t over-index on what people say in surveys or interviews.
- Watch what they actually do — behavior always wins.
- If you don’t have enough behavior data yet, listen to your sales team. They’re your frontline researchers.
- Adapt strategy not just by market segment, but by behavior segment.
- In India, context is everything — observe locally, act strategically.
The most powerful marketing insight isn’t always in your spreadsheet or research deck. Sometimes, it’s in the question a prospect asks before saying yes — or the hesitation in a demo call.
Because in the end…
👉 Truth doesn’t live in opinions. It lives in behavior.