|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
So, whether it is salwar-suits or software, mangoes or microwaves, housing loans or holiday plans, effective sales and marketing is vital to the success of any commercial venture. It forms a company’s direct link with its customers. It is an integral section of every company, and a key functional area in management Every organisation, irrespective of the product or service it offers, needs a sales and marketing division. This is essentially because their efforts contribute, directly or indirectly, to the overall turnover and growth of the organisation. The main function of the sales and marketing departments is to find out what customers want or can be persuaded to want and at what price; to then relate this potential demand to the company’s ability to produce it, deliver it to the point of sale and achieve a profit. In addition to identifying a customer’s needs, this department goes in for customer feedback regarding product quality, pricing, distribution, promotion and packaging, and even after-sales service to ensure customer satisfaction at all times. Selling is an art Though this sounds fairly simple, marketing requires the study of consumer needs. It includes market research, consumer behaviour pattern, advertising and strategic sales promotion in its purview. It also includes devising strategies to enhance product sales. Sales involves putting marketing strategy into action. The main responsibility here is finding and dealing with customers for a particular product or service. In most companies, this means contacting and selling to distributors and/or retailers. Marketing and sales departments carry out a number of separate tasks in order to bring their products to their consumer. Depending on the size and reach of the organisation and the variety of product lines being manufactured, this could be undertaken by a few individuals working together in a single team; or by many groups, each concerned with a different product or area of work. Depending on your area of interest and expertise you could be doing advertising or brand management, creating an awareness of the product or brand. You could also be involved in market research, devising and organising surveys that provide detailed information on current and potential customers’ present and future needs, or logistic management, devising strategies for the launching, distribution and promotion of products. Other areas include direct marketing or retail marketing. Thus, marketing, though a common feature in every major manufacturing or service organisation, its focus may vary from industry to industry. Eligibility More than any formal qualification, to be successful in marketing you need the ability to sell – termed as ‘the ability to be able to sell ice to an Eskimo!’ With such an intrinsic skill, a graduate can join as a trainee sales representative in a small or medium enterprise. Of course, today, most organisations also expect you to have some marketing training or experience. Moreover, a pleasing personality, excellent communication skills, and good leadership qualities, go a long way for a successful career. While most organisations prefer to take on commerce or economics graduates or those with a degree in business management at a bachelor or master’s level, the requirement could vary, depending upon the nature of the organisation’s products and services. Companies dealing in engineering or pharmaceutical products, may prefer to recruit engineers, or pharmacy graduates. Some large corporate houses have their own in-house training facilities for their marketing personnel because a thorough knowledge about the product is crucial for identifying the customer and planning marketing strategies. Sales is often a good entry point into a future position in marketing; while marketing jobs can lead to a career in general management. Production people also, after a few years’ experience, sometimes switch to the marketing and sales department. An enterprising sales trainee can aspire to be a sales officer within three years and an area sales manager within seven to eight years. One can, however, get directly catapulted into the middle management level if one is equipped with an MBA or MMS in Marketing or an MMM (Master of Marketing Management) from a reputed institution. Course clues Special training is essential for good marketing and/or sales jobs. There are several training institutes where you can learn the basics of sales and marketing. This training is imparted by all institutions conducting business studies. Often the training includes on-the-job experience. Some B-schools have also designed executive postgraduate programmes in sales and marketing management for working professionals. Eligibility for post-graduate management courses is graduation in any discipline. Some institutes may have cut-off percentages. Money matters At the entry level, a graduate sales representative can draw a monthly salary anywhere between Rs 6,000 and Rs 15,000, on an average. This could vary, depending on your qualifications, and the organisation, and will grow sharply with experience. Some organisations also give commission as incentive, in addition to the basic remuneration, for meeting or exceeding sales targets. Those with a PG marketing diploma or an MBA from a reputed B-schools can get lucrative offers, starting from Rs 3.5 lakh to Rs 14 lakh per annum, depending on the industry and the size of the organisation. Marketing and sales is one profession that has come up in a big way. Not only does it offer handsome salaries, but also a lot of exposure to the corporate world. Promotions are also very frequent in this area, and dependent on your output. The importance of the marketing and sales function in business, has grown enormously in recent years. Grabbing the attention of millions of consumers in an economy that has 300 television channels, online media and thousands of newspapers and magazines, and persuading them to buy a product or service is a daunting task. It’s not surprising, therefore, that marketing has come to assume great importance in any organisation. In order to stay ahead of the ever increasing competition, there is an increasing demand for competent, trained marketing and sales personnel, which will continue to expand as the number of products and choices keep multiplying. Moreover, the concepts of tele-marketing, networking, on-line sales, customer care, space selling, and brand management have ushered in a new revolution in the area of sales and marketing, promising a great future for those aspiring to work in this field. So, if you think you have good communication skills and the ability to convince clients that you are offering them the best deal in the market, this career is just for you. The writer is a noted career expert
|
The most attractive dress and the fanciest gadget is valueless until a customer knows about it and understands its use. Sales and marketing does just that. By assessing people’s needs and then fulfilling them, it brings a product and consumer together.
