Selling Goods and Ideas
Introduction: For those looking for challenges and high salaries Sales & Marketing could be an ideal career Choice.
(Source: Vijay Times, THEME EDITION, Page - 3.)
Copyright © 2005 Puja Goyal
A career in marketing and management… no matter which of the dozens of specialty paths you choose to pursue, is a career in establishing and managing close relationships between organizations and its customers. Purushotham L who has an engineering degree from B.M.S College of engineering, Bangalore and a postgraduate diploma in management from IIM Calcutta; is currently working as an executive with Polaris Software Lab in Chennai; he explains what it takes to be a part of the team…
purushotam
Often, the terms 'sales' and 'marketing' are used inter changeably. They are not really the same though. Sales involve pushing the product in the market whereas marketing seeks to create conditions (say, create brand awareness through an ad) that make a consumer buy the product. Most of the entry-level jobs are actually in sales. However, sales professionals can move on to marketing at a later stage in their career.
Numerous sales jobs are available to prospective job seekers. However, the ones that pay well are in short supply. A majority of the entry-level jobs are either commission based or salary based. Such jobs pay a base salary of 3000-5000 p.m and a fixed or variable commission on each sale made to the consumer and might require only modest academic credentials. Normally, there is a minimum monthly or quarterly sales target to achieve to be eligible for these commissions. The typical job would involve selling credit cards, car loan etc. The salary-based jobs pay a fixed salary monthly salary of about 6000-10000 with incentives and will normally involve selling fast moving consumer goods (e.g. cigarettes, soaps) to distributors and retailers. The eligibility for these jobs is usually a bachelor's degree.
On the other end of the spectrum, few of the top grads from prestigious colleges (IITs, IIMs etc.) are picked up as management trainees by some of the marketing companies. The pay in such cases is high varying between 300,000 - 700,000 p.a. The management trainees are put through a rigorous training program that lasts for at least a year and on successful completion of the same are posted as area sales managers (e.g. beverage sales manager for Punjab).
Entry-level jobs in marketing are less numerous. Usually, they take the form of an assistant brand manager, assistant promotion manager, account manager (as in ad agencies) etc. These jobs require prior sales experience or an MBA. The salary is typically on the higher side (300,000-700,000 p.a). The job would involve designing and implementing promotions, advertising campaigns etc.
A normal sales job would require excellent inter personal skills, perseverance, presence of mind, resourcefulness and initiative among other personal characteristics. It is an action-filled job and involves frequent travel. One could be sent to a socialite event to sell jewelry or one could be dispatched to sell mosquito coils in places where the most expensive lodge costs 5 rupees a day. You could be flying one day and riding on top of a vegetable laden bullock cart the next day. A sales job is definitely not your predictable and routine cushy desk job that can be easily outsourced or get replaced by a computer.
There is limited scope for specialization in a sales or marketing career. Sample specializations could be brand management, sales and distribution channel management, marketing research, advertising etc.
Almost all companies that offer a product or service would offer sales and marketing jobs. It could be FMCG (fast moving consumer goods like soap, tooth paste etc.) companies, white good manufacturers (washing machine, microwave etc.), apparel, outsourcing services, IT, automobiles etc. The possibilities are endless. But, opportunities in the government sector are almost non-existent.
The usual career path is to progress from a sales executive to being a sales head of a geography that keeps growing (city to district to state and so on). One can then switch over to brand management or stay in sales to become regional area sales managers (eastern region head etc.). People in brand management usually go on to "own" brands (you could become the brand manager for fair and lovely or lux soap).
Career progression is determined by the performance of the individual and can vary from company to company. Usually it takes anywhere between 5-15 years to graduate to middle level management. Salary could vary between 5 to 25 lakhs p.a.
Responsibilities of senior management would lie in crafting the company growth strategy, managing huge product lines, reducing costs company-wide etc. It might take anywhere between 15-30 years to reach the senior level. Top sales and marketing executives can get paid as much as a crore a year.
Sales and Marketing is the lifeline of most industries. There is no way it can vanish or even wane. The fortunes of most companies are dependent on the economic growth and this will be the biggest growth driver. As the economy grows, it will put more money in the hands of people, which in turn will increase the competition among producers for a share of that increase in disposable income. A large portion of the rural market is waiting to be tapped. Rise of ad-free television channels and increased Internet usage might change advertising fundamentally. Who knows? A market for outsourcing of market research might crop up. So, as the world is evolving, it will pose new challenges for the seller and greater opportunities for the salesman, Purushotham ends candidly.
But what do the new recruits want?
(Source: Vijay Times, THEME EDITION, Page - 3.)
Copyright © 2005 Puja Goyal
A career in marketing and management… no matter which of the dozens of specialty paths you choose to pursue, is a career in establishing and managing close relationships between organizations and its customers. Purushotham L who has an engineering degree from B.M.S College of engineering, Bangalore and a postgraduate diploma in management from IIM Calcutta; is currently working as an executive with Polaris Software Lab in Chennai; he explains what it takes to be a part of the team…
purushotam
Often, the terms 'sales' and 'marketing' are used inter changeably. They are not really the same though. Sales involve pushing the product in the market whereas marketing seeks to create conditions (say, create brand awareness through an ad) that make a consumer buy the product. Most of the entry-level jobs are actually in sales. However, sales professionals can move on to marketing at a later stage in their career.
Numerous sales jobs are available to prospective job seekers. However, the ones that pay well are in short supply. A majority of the entry-level jobs are either commission based or salary based. Such jobs pay a base salary of 3000-5000 p.m and a fixed or variable commission on each sale made to the consumer and might require only modest academic credentials. Normally, there is a minimum monthly or quarterly sales target to achieve to be eligible for these commissions. The typical job would involve selling credit cards, car loan etc. The salary-based jobs pay a fixed salary monthly salary of about 6000-10000 with incentives and will normally involve selling fast moving consumer goods (e.g. cigarettes, soaps) to distributors and retailers. The eligibility for these jobs is usually a bachelor's degree.
On the other end of the spectrum, few of the top grads from prestigious colleges (IITs, IIMs etc.) are picked up as management trainees by some of the marketing companies. The pay in such cases is high varying between 300,000 - 700,000 p.a. The management trainees are put through a rigorous training program that lasts for at least a year and on successful completion of the same are posted as area sales managers (e.g. beverage sales manager for Punjab).
Entry-level jobs in marketing are less numerous. Usually, they take the form of an assistant brand manager, assistant promotion manager, account manager (as in ad agencies) etc. These jobs require prior sales experience or an MBA. The salary is typically on the higher side (300,000-700,000 p.a). The job would involve designing and implementing promotions, advertising campaigns etc.
A normal sales job would require excellent inter personal skills, perseverance, presence of mind, resourcefulness and initiative among other personal characteristics. It is an action-filled job and involves frequent travel. One could be sent to a socialite event to sell jewelry or one could be dispatched to sell mosquito coils in places where the most expensive lodge costs 5 rupees a day. You could be flying one day and riding on top of a vegetable laden bullock cart the next day. A sales job is definitely not your predictable and routine cushy desk job that can be easily outsourced or get replaced by a computer.
There is limited scope for specialization in a sales or marketing career. Sample specializations could be brand management, sales and distribution channel management, marketing research, advertising etc.
Almost all companies that offer a product or service would offer sales and marketing jobs. It could be FMCG (fast moving consumer goods like soap, tooth paste etc.) companies, white good manufacturers (washing machine, microwave etc.), apparel, outsourcing services, IT, automobiles etc. The possibilities are endless. But, opportunities in the government sector are almost non-existent.
The usual career path is to progress from a sales executive to being a sales head of a geography that keeps growing (city to district to state and so on). One can then switch over to brand management or stay in sales to become regional area sales managers (eastern region head etc.). People in brand management usually go on to "own" brands (you could become the brand manager for fair and lovely or lux soap).
Career progression is determined by the performance of the individual and can vary from company to company. Usually it takes anywhere between 5-15 years to graduate to middle level management. Salary could vary between 5 to 25 lakhs p.a.
Responsibilities of senior management would lie in crafting the company growth strategy, managing huge product lines, reducing costs company-wide etc. It might take anywhere between 15-30 years to reach the senior level. Top sales and marketing executives can get paid as much as a crore a year.
Sales and Marketing is the lifeline of most industries. There is no way it can vanish or even wane. The fortunes of most companies are dependent on the economic growth and this will be the biggest growth driver. As the economy grows, it will put more money in the hands of people, which in turn will increase the competition among producers for a share of that increase in disposable income. A large portion of the rural market is waiting to be tapped. Rise of ad-free television channels and increased Internet usage might change advertising fundamentally. Who knows? A market for outsourcing of market research might crop up. So, as the world is evolving, it will pose new challenges for the seller and greater opportunities for the salesman, Purushotham ends candidly.
But what do the new recruits want?
Nikhil Goyal
Tabassum Jamil (19 yrs) who is currently doing BBM and is planning to pursue an M.B.A says, "I want a job outlet in a private sector where there is fast growth and lots of money." Nikhil Goyal (21 yrs) and a fresh graduate from St. Joseph College of Commerce adds that, "I'm looking for a job in the HR or marketing field, in the private sector. The job should be a fast growth job. A 9 - 5 job sounds ideal as it leaves enough time in the evenings to get home to unwind or alternatively head out into town to hang out and socialise. Money is something a fresher would be raring to get at. Job satisfaction will only be a close second to money."
Success for them on the other hand is an entirely new issue, they are determined to make it big quick as Tabassum adds, "success is defined in monetary terms…the more u earn the more successful you are and to reach a higher level as soon as we can." Nikhil is clean cut and practical about it, "success would be getting to the top and being able to start indulging in leisure time at will. A fresher would want to work probably for a year or so if there are plans to study further in the next year and then take it from there, but if there are no plans to study, we would want to settle for good and establish a work routine into life."
One tends to contemplate on what would motivate these freshers… and there is only one thought that comes to mind, 'SHOW ME THE MONEY!' Tabassum believes that cash/monetary incentives are a great motivating factor; Nikhil agrees and adds, "motivations in work place would range from money to innovation and from peace of mind to recognition. It depends from person to person."
Parents do influence the choice of career that a fresher takes. Most take advice from their parents because India is still grounded in its basic cultural set-ups. Some prefer no interference while others are still restricted to a conservative set-up where a career decision is a family affair where the child has no say.
One thing is for sure; the new generation is raring to go. They know who they are and they know what they want. On a final note, how different are they (they think) from previous generation? Nikhil thinks that this generation is braver to try unconventional plans and ideas and given the support they ask for they would definitely look more credible in their aspirations"
Success for them on the other hand is an entirely new issue, they are determined to make it big quick as Tabassum adds, "success is defined in monetary terms…the more u earn the more successful you are and to reach a higher level as soon as we can." Nikhil is clean cut and practical about it, "success would be getting to the top and being able to start indulging in leisure time at will. A fresher would want to work probably for a year or so if there are plans to study further in the next year and then take it from there, but if there are no plans to study, we would want to settle for good and establish a work routine into life."
One tends to contemplate on what would motivate these freshers… and there is only one thought that comes to mind, 'SHOW ME THE MONEY!' Tabassum believes that cash/monetary incentives are a great motivating factor; Nikhil agrees and adds, "motivations in work place would range from money to innovation and from peace of mind to recognition. It depends from person to person."
Parents do influence the choice of career that a fresher takes. Most take advice from their parents because India is still grounded in its basic cultural set-ups. Some prefer no interference while others are still restricted to a conservative set-up where a career decision is a family affair where the child has no say.
One thing is for sure; the new generation is raring to go. They know who they are and they know what they want. On a final note, how different are they (they think) from previous generation? Nikhil thinks that this generation is braver to try unconventional plans and ideas and given the support they ask for they would definitely look more credible in their aspirations"
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