Handling the astrology portal was easier than the sceptics who were part of the company. Not that they never believed in astrology just that they never wanted to be seen or accepted as a believer. They presume that being a Marketing Manager or a Vice President of a big Corporate needs more of confidence & attitude than divine help. Ego hurts when a roadside astrologer predicts a promotion for you in a particular month because Saturn transits your 10th house, when you seem to nurse an illusionary thought that it was your hard effort, unique selling ideas & original marketing skills that got you the lift!
The match was a one dayer played between India & Australia, and our astrologer, who always had a 90 per cent consistency, predicted 1 hour prior to the toss that Australia will win the match. Now there are 50/50 chances for this prediction to come true. Any one can tell this but then who will come forward to announce it in public with authority, that too a person who had a 90 per cent consistency in his predictions?!
I published the story on the site, and ran across to my VP’s cabin to ask if we can showcase it on the homepage. The VP asked me, “what does our astrologer predict?” I said, “Australia will win the match.” He said, “that is not a prediction. Everybody knows it. Ask him to predict that India will win, and that is something we can flaunt about.” That was the dumbest feedback I ever got in my life. An astrologer can only PREDICT what is going to happen. It is not that whatever astrologers say WILL happen. People usually fail to understand this truth.
I came to my seat disappointed. Others were in a celebration mood. Indians were hitting like mad, and were on a rampage. And the chances of Australians winning the match were becoming lesser & lesser. People would look at me, and give me a sarcastic smile, as if I was the one who invented the science of astrology. One boundary by Indians & there would be laughters – Hey Kennedi! What happened to your prediction he he ho ho ha ha….
I sometimes found it really funny, why the whole organisation was against me and the astrology portal as a whole. It was like they were ready to run a brothel, but refused to sleep with the clients! They wanted page views, revenue, and advertisements but then won’t believe in the concept. From my meagre knowledge of marketing, I know one fact that until & unless you believe in your product you will never be able to sell it. Customers aren’t a set a fools to give you business just because you as a manager expect a salary hike this quarter.
It was a day-night match, and till I left my office Indians were ruling the show. Also I got a CC mail from one of the MBA chooths that our astrologer is taking us on a ride. I came home, and never before I had prayed that India should lose the match. I slept off. I didn’t know what had happened to the match. I checked the site the next day morning at my office, and read that the match was a close one where India had enough chances to win it but then Australians snatched the victory at the last moment. Out of the many, only 1 came across to my table to shake hands, and the rest I don’t know where they put their face to hide!