This is one of my memorable experience where I was invited to conduct field sales training to sales managers at well known FMCG company. HR shared that I was supposed to visit the different markets in Mumbai along with the sales executives and managers responsible for driving sales in the respective territory. I was supposed to meet all the customers and demonstrate the selling skills to all sales managers during these visits. Five different markets were identified and five different groups of managers were asked to accompany me each day. The new assignment was very challenging as I was the youngest trainer and all the managers/executives who were supposed to accompany me were elders and experienced ones. Initially few of them were not so convinced with the idea about having training from external expert as they used to believe that sales is extremely uncertain.
Day 1, We started with retailers in Ghatkopar market. The interesting fact was, majority of the sales managers had purposely decided to visit those retailers who do not give business or generally do not entertain also. They wanted to examine sales person and attitude in me, However I already had thought of this probable situation as I was also a sales manager few years back and used to apply similar defence when my seniors used to visit my customers. I was already carrying list of regular and major customers in the Ghatkopar market and had asked for the same from HR and Marketing head in advance as I wanted to drive the visit. I also had taken few appointments with major distributors and retailers and the same was not known to all sales executives and managers who were accompanying me. Apart from all these facts, I decided to be driven for first one hour and we visited our first retailer who had small supermarket outlet in Ghatkopar. The owner seemed to be very reluctant and had marks on his head when I introduced myself. All sales managers and executives were observing the same. Owner started communicating with negative note saying ‘Tumhare jaise roj aate he’, ‘Kam margin milta he tumhare products pe’ that is ‘People like you visits everyday here’, ‘Your products have less margin’. I decided to listen him patiently without any defence. After few minutes he started sharing his opinions about the Walmart and future of retails in India. I got my first opportunity to connect with the owner and immediately appreciated his knowledge. Being MBA with the knowledge of operations and sales, I started communicating few facts and figures of retail markets with the owner. Owner started getting satisfaction of being heard and getting respected, appreciated by one of the knowledgeable person in the market. I was genuinely agreeing with him and fortunately few references from my side were matched with the customer’s. I also tried to convince him that small margin for consistent time is always better than average margin for short period. Finally the meeting concluded with order of 10,000 INR and we left the place. I asked all the managers to note down their learnings and observations. You always have opportunity of converting the prospect in to the customer till the time prospects is communicating with you, either positive or negative but important thing is ‘prospect have not stopped any communication with you. Next hour onwards I stared leading the visit and asked them to accompany me to all major retailers I had decided to visit. Most of the retailers welcomed us as I already had taken formal appointments and cleared the agenda of meeting along with expectations. We could close few good orders that day.
All the participants observed that successful sales always requires planning with clear agenda and sales is not about just carrying bag and visiting retailers blindly.
At the end of the day, Marketing head asked me to present the experience of being with their sales team. I appreciated all sales people who accompanied me that day and shared with the management that they are investing their money on right people. My dear friends, I truly believe that ‘All sales people must be treated as father of the organization because ultimately it is their efforts which brings money for the organization’.
Mahesh Manohar Bhanushali
Assistant Professor,
DR V N BRIMS, Thane
Also read : UNFOLDING THE HIDDEN GOALS
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