Sunday - A day deleted from memory

I was trying hard to recall that what I did on last Sunday but was failing miserably. Just one week of sales round across Chennai and it seems that the summer heat is getting into my head and then with the word heat, I vaguely recalled that we went to beach in the evening. A whole crowd of people including some seniors who were clunging on to the memories of good times that they have spent during the last two years. The evening went well but I remember that for all that time I was dying with andticipation that what kind of work I will get tomorrow. Will it be sales rounds again and if it will be then how many and of what nature? The sea calmed my thoughts down with its sheer modesty. The water was soothing and can only climb up to my feet.

Confusion prevailed over the choice of the eating out joint as 14 people were offering atleast 6 different points based on convenience and cost. Finally we went to this small place called Kebabish right at the back of our college. Waited for like one hour sitting and shouting for the food. We were so thirsty that apparently we drank all the water available there. Then walked back to hostel and the only thought that came to my mind was to retire back to bed and think about tomorrow. Was not able to avoid sleep till long and in the coldness of the night, I lied half asleep half awake till 6 in the morning. So much for this job but yet so little.

Salesmen work 6 days a week

It’s a Saturday morning and as usual I have plans to get up late but no, I wake up early with a little tension in my mind. I need to go to office as a salesman work 6 days a week. Man! I guess computer engineering was a better career option as most of the IT companies are 5 days a week ones. Well, I thought to call my boss and ask if there is something important then I will come or else, the bed or an outing in the evening sounds good. So, half-heartedly I called and my boss promptly replied that yeah you have to come to office. So in the scorching Chennai heat, I decided to save a few bucks and took a bus to the office. After around 45 minutes and sweating a bucket I reached the office. As anticipated was asked to wait and then after 30 minutes of reading the same magazines over and over again (which I am reading since last Monday) I was finally seen by my boss.

What a meeting it was. I was asked to round up my findings and as I don’t know the language and don’t know the intentions of salesmen or sales officer for that sake, I was unable to find the links between my visits and how they are going to help the company. I mean, a simple thing is that if a salesman has no incentive to sell more, he won’t be going to all 40 shops and all he will do is just make fake entries, skip some shops and stock dumping at places where he has close relation with the purchase guys. I was not aware of the thing that sales officers are not company employees and they also don’t have any incentive to sell more so all they will do is to show you the side of the market that you want to see. Well, so I saw all that. And my boss pulled me up for skipping a beat. I don’t know why but I didn’t have the courage to tell him that I was not feeling well and this thing is not my cup of tea. Maybe the fact that he is from Punjab is still playing on my mind or may be he is my first boss and I fear that I don’t know how to talk to a boss. Anyways, I know this pulling up will not sink in easily and will motivate me for sure.

Mistaken Identity

I call this sales officer and despite of all my attempts to convince him of the fact that I am just doing a project with Henkel, he assumes that I am an important person sent by company to do some inspection disguised as sales beat. Well, so there he is waiting for me at the bus stop. Poor thing, I am on this side of the road, waiting for somebody to come and he is standing on the other side of the road waiting for me to come. Finally I called him and he waives his hands from the other side that “I can see you; you are the guy on the phone”. Well, due to this mistaken identity he indulges himself into impression management but came out to be a good learning experience for me.

Anna Nagar- I know Chennai better now

I can’t speak the language and my direction sense is just limited to landmarks like restaurants, theatres and malls (Chennai don’t have many malls but still). So, I remember Anna Nagar for Rajasthani Dhaba though only few people can actually locate that there is a dhaba nearby. It’s more famous due to Hot Chips restaurant (selective retention thing). So there we go on a motorbike and again from shop to shop taking orders and filling DSR (daily sales report). I try my best to catch whatever I can and all I catch is that after sometime they do discuss about my project and my native place and my college (in Tamil of-course but they call Bihar as Bihar and Punjab as Punjab and Nungambakkam as Nungambakkam, thanks god). Tea time and I am offered tea (glad I don’t have to pay today due to mistaken identity) and then after half an hour I am offered cool drinks (that’s the word used in Chennai for soda/cold drinks). Some 20 shops and then we walk into a good looking place and I realize that I need lunch also. He appears to be a nice guy but I know that all this may be just one time gesture and perhaps will fade up the next time I turn up. Perhaps he doesn’t know that I am really here to spy on his activities but disguised and my company people calls it a project.

Anyways, my learning from today’s beat is that though I am coming to know the city well now, I have still a long way to go for adapting to city transportation, language and food. Though there are certain things which flow above the language but sales make sense only when you can really talk and connect to that particular small shop owner. Your salesman is the first point of contact and if he can connect well with your sales people, no doubt they will become your best representatives.

Skipping a beat

I woke up early in the morning with a sneezing nose. Kind of blocked, I try to clean it up and then see my own blood circling the wash basin to finally sink in. Man! I can’t believe this, that disgusting feeling of seeing your own blood comes to me and I panic. Can’t even stand properly and then I try to hold the wash basin but of no use. I come back to my room and lie down on my back so that blood can’t flow downwards. 10 minutes and I can still feel wet sensation in my nose. I try to put up a call through and the sales officer didn’t pick. Just lying down I put up a message to the sales officer that I won’t be able to come to job today and most probably I would see you tomorrow. I lie down on my bed and think about my job and then I fell into a deep sleep only to wake up a bit healthy. I skipped a beat, god it feels worse.

My little expedition

I am excited about my new job and even when I am a bit sick, that feeling of doing something is bugging me and I get out of my hostel in the evening to find something interesting. I went out on a random survey of around 25 outlets in Nungambakkam area asking them about availability of Henko product. Most of them had but not all the stuff. Some were missing the cosmetic things, some were missing the detergent stuff but barring a couple of shops most of them had one thing or another. Anyways my little expedition lasted for some two hours and I came to know that the brand that I am working for is not really a fast moving consumer good in this area. Anyways let’s see what can I find tomorrow.

That was not all..

Well, the project detail was just a part of the day. Apart from those couple of hours of waiting, I was asked to wait for some more time as they needed to get me contact number of 3 sales reps. So I waited and waited and waited. I asked my Boss that I have 3 contact numbers and if they are the same person then can I do something else or break for the day? But then, he gave me a cold stare and asked me to wait as these three people might be an entirely different set. At sometime after 4 my boss left telling me to co-ordinate with the brand manager and he looked like a nice guy. So I finally gathered some courage and asked him to rush up a bit and surprisingly he obliged. he asked me to leave and offered to mail the details. So I came home and then within half an hour I got the contact details on mail and guess what? they were the same guyz whose details I already had. So much to wait for and such caring managers. Cool, I guess life has much more to offer. Let's wait.

Wow! I have got a project

I reached the office just before 10 today and found my boss busy with someone/something. Oh! He is one busy guy and he walks with so much urgency in his steps as if he is the only guy who is actually doing some work but no wait, a couple of other guys were also walking with almost wings on their back. May be they have the urgency to prove themselves or the impression management factor. Anyways, as usual I was asked to wait. 1 hour and the boss come and utter his one liner. “I have almost finalized your project, so wait for some time; I have to get it approved”. Reading between the line, I interpreted that there is no project and he needs some time to come up with some idea. Okay, waited for another couple of hours for the second one liner “Well, come I would like to sit with you for 5 minutes”. He briefed me about my project which is going to 40 outlets each day with a salesman (whose language I don’t understand) and then out of those 40 outlets, I have to sample 10 shops everyday to measure the off take of the Henko stain champion. My heart started beating faster. In the scorching heat of Chennai, everyday I have to roam around places with one sales guy and study the shops. That too 6 days a week and without any kind of compensation, definitely not cool but I have things at stake. So I agreed to everything and was thinking inside that though I have got a project, I think that the struggle starts now.

Day 3 – Field day

Finding the place--

The day started economically in a sense that instead of spending regular 50+ bucks for the auto I got a straight bus to my destination and thanks god that I missed my target bus stop by only about 100 meters. Walking back for 100 meters was not a problem compared to finding the Ganpathy Agencies, the stockist for Henkel. My sales manager told me to turn the first right and when I enquired the local shopkeepers nobody knew the whereabouts of the agency. Finally after some 3-4 calls to the manager, he asked me to walk backwards and find some green coloured auto and then apologized for the first right thing, it was the second right. I took the second right, asked few people and again took the left and then again the first right but of no use. Finally called him back and asked him to pick me up but then gathered courage to ask another person and incidentally the opposite house was the agency.

What is your project?

Well, for my lack of understanding of the knowledge and for this place being in the interior Chennai where without the Tamil you are as good as dumb, I kept quiet for the first 15 minutes and sat like an idiot between people giving me strange look and every-time they laughed on something, I felt that they were laughing on me. The stock was piled up and the place had a fresh aroma. There were two computers and none were being used. Finally my manager arrived and he introduced me to the salespeople. Well, I have none of the requisite qualities of a qualified sales person. I can’t speak the language, I can’t even drive properly and don’t even have a driving license. Making the matter worse, I can’t bargain for pennies, I can’t pester people to buy my things instead of buying from someone else. But yeah this is life. One more thing, after knowing my qualifications and my limits he asked me “What is your project?” I was clueless. “I don’t know but I would like to go on a sales beat with one of your guys” I answered.

Roaming around – Hate to be a silent spectator

So there we started, I got to sit beside a person on his bike and we 3 people went on a sales beat. The origin of the word beat comes from history where if somebody has to sell something, he will go around beating drums or something (this definition came from my boss). I remember some Dosa Walas beating their hot plates and we use to feel happy that Dosa wala has arrived. Well, today even the thought of eating a dosa makes me feel sick in the stomach (unfortunately had to eat dosa for lunch as well as breakfast today). I was counting the number 40 as yesterday I was told that on average a salesman covers about 40 outlets daily. But we did a bit more than that as some of them were closed, some simply refused to take anything and at some places they had enough stock left. I was cursing myself for not knowing the language as the work was not that boring as I thought. Yeah it requires less skill than MBA of-course but then if you are working without stipend that means you are in dire need and you should be ready to do any kind of menial jobs (this definition comes from my placement authorities). The company is your mai-baap for the 3 months and be prepared to do whatever it takes. Well, was sweating buckets today and at one point of time, I even felt like fainting. I was counting like anything and was getting furious as it was 2 in the afternoon and we only covered 24 outlets.

Lunch time

It seemed that the sales man accompanying me was in habit of making these kinds of rounds and they won’t eat lunch. But it didn’t took me long to figure out that they were feeling shy about the choice of place as if by mentioning some cheap outlet they will disgrace me or something. Well, I asked them to take me to any restaurant and finally I paid their lunch bills. Too much for the generosity from a person who is not even being compensated for his internship. Anyways after the lunch every passing second I was getting heavier inside. The sun was right above the head and the heat was like piercing deep into the skin. I was dying to run away. Slowly we completed about 50 shops and the only time I seemed to understand Tamil was when the two people spoke something about going to a couple of more shops and calling it quit. To my delight all the shops on that road were closed so it was the end of the day for me. But no, have to type a report stating my observations which of-course I will be doing only on Friday. But yeah tomorrow, a new place and have some 40 new outlets to visit.

2nd Day - And the wait is over, I got something to hang on.

Well, finally the wait was over and we got to meet the boss. Well, my nightmare came true and I was assigned a sales project and has to assist the sales team for the next four weeks. I always hated the salesman job and that's why I grew a fantasy for finance. But then, things changed and I became interested in the strategy side of marketing but son, this is a world of old and experienced vultures, babies have to watch things happen and have to go through the tough route. Sales, territory, area, marketing, branding, strategy. The path is too long and it seems that it will take ages before I can move to the strategy level.

Anyways, the day started with a metting with my boss and the boss ka boss. My boss apparently is from Punjab and for a moment I thought he became happy that i also did my engineering from Punjab but well that was the only friendly moment between us. I felt ignored after that for a long long time. The place where I have to sit and wait is in one corner and is stacked with 2 sofas, a water cooler and mobile charger. So anyone who has to pass by will take a curious look on you and I was feeling like I do not belong to the place. My boss asked me to read some magazine and for the first time I read any magazine completely. I read and then re-read the whole business world and was feeling so sleepy that it was like I literally started dozing off on the sofa.

An hour and half passed and then my boss called me for a 15 minutes orientation session about sales terminologies. I learnt about the origin of few words (which I can't even find on wiki) and then learnt about my project. For the next 3 days have to go on sales visit and have to take note of the work flow. Gosh! the scorching summer heat of Chennai will leave me with sunburns for sure and the auto bill will burn a hole into my pocket also. Life do not seems to be rosy. Let's see what I learn from tomorrow.

Does anybody care for the Summer Interns?

Yes. A strong affirmative yes is the answer. People do care for summer interns and they show their care and concern in a hell lot of ways. Well, common perception across all the business school campus is that most of the companies do not even care that what the summer interns are doing in their premises, projects have to be decided by the students only and most of the time the idea comes staraight from some book or from some historical projects dug out from google. But I guess that things are changing and they are changing for good.

Today was my first day on first job (summer job) and can honestly accept that I was nervous (wasn't even able to open the doors confidently) was barely able to talk for the first 15 minutes but then slowly I settled my breath as the atmosphere inside Henkel's corporate office was calm and quiet. People were not wandering aimlessly and the most impressive character was security officer cum receptionist who just cannot stop talking. Well, he was an example of person organization fit and not job fit (for he liked Henkel but not his job). He was talking about quitting from this job and we even joked that if he quits before we get some project probably I will be opening the doors and my friend will be taking the receptionist job.

So for 1 hour we chatted with the receptionist and finally Mr. Murali Anandan (DM) came to see us. In appearance he looked quiet, intelligent and focussed. Without any sweet talks he straight forward talked about our project and then told us that the boss wanted to see us and discuss few things so we have to wait as he was in the meeting. Well, this was something completely unexpected from a FMCG company. Posch office, very nicely done interiors, open cubicles beating even IT companies in ambience and me and my friend were asked to wait in an open elevated cabin which looked like better fit for a romantic date out in some cafeteria. But well, for the first half an hour when we were actually reading the report and fiddling with the electronic access cards given to us with our names written in graphite (pencil), we felt like being put in some isolated chamber.

Leaving the humour, slowly everything started looking familiar and it seems that people will accept us easily. Dont know for sure but little things goes a long way in breaking the ice between the employee and organization. We were asked to take our lunch in the employee cafeteria and light music marks the beginning of the lunch hour which also is a symbol of easy going enterprise. So all in all first day have left me with hopes for better tomorrows. Well, all looks bright and rosy but then you never know.

In anticipation of life..

Examinations are over and the writing on the wall is that "life starts now". Well, the week started with a not so professional decision of quitting a strategy case contest final for personal reason but still it feels great to be in a position from where you can assert your choice. Well the situation was not such when I was offered the salesmanship at henkel but as this is just the beginning, this is the time to try out new things otherwise who wish to sell soaps and detergents at the age of 40 or after 20 yrs of experience? So here I am, ready to start my brief 10 weeks stint with the salesmanship for one of the FMCG majors Henko (not in the top 3 of business world ranking published yesterday, but still a big one with some good brands in their kitty).

The aniticipation of the new life is killing me. I don't know whether I am excited or not but ofcourse I am curious that what the new life is going to be, or what life has stored in for me. I don't know the language, have very poor driving skills (both are highly sought after qualifications) add that with the knowledge about Chennai and you see I have nothing which will work for me except myself. Most of us who have started their internship have some knowledge about whatever they are doing or at-least their decision was a conscious one but for me its not a matter or choice and chances are there that I will struggle hard on the job. But anyways, here I am starting with my job in 5 days (without pay) and dying with the anticipation of new life. Hope it would be good but whatever it would be, the writing will not be on the wall but also on this blog.

Honest? Salesman?

The salesman is quiet and not much happening in his life these days. Apart from being busy with the expected quizzes, presentations, and term end examination, he is trying to prepare a guide on work code and how he is going to act/react/interact with customer/client/supevisor/line managers. A lot many people asked me that how a salesman can be honest or if he is honest why he chose to become a salesman? Well, the answer to the second question is that it's not me who chose my job it's the job which chose me (lucky or unlucky can't really say now) and about honesty, it's not the only point of difference. This salesman is different, truly different.

Motivating a Salesman..

I am highly motivated to take a sales job but still there is a popular perception that sales job is never a motivating factor. For summer interns the three month sales experience can even kill their interest in marketing and sales. So as an employee you need to read a lot of books on how to get motivated about sales job. And there are lots as who can deny the contribution of network marketing companies like Amway in this field.

Well I have a three stage, simplistic model.

1. Give them more incentives (Cash).
2. If they are not motivated enough, give them some more incentives (Cash again).
3. Again if they are not motivated, give them some more (cash only).
4. If my model fails, then either kick them out or wait for them to leave your organization and let them become the pain in your competitor's neck.

That's it, nothing motivates like money.

Flash Back..

Today I am 24 year old first year PGDBM student of IFMR Chennai. One year before I was a B.E. student of SLIET, Longowal and apart from playing lawn tennis, my favorite activity was to read business magazines (Business today and Business line only) and dreaming about a career in investment banking. So IFMR was an obvious choice given the middlename is Finance. Well, after first trimester, I lost my interest in finance and discovered that I like every subject other than the finance related ones.

So the investment bankers dream was over. I was confused. HR and IT both sound promising but during those moments of confusion I saw a glimmer of hope in Marketing. It took only little time for me to discover (One person in my life whom I will never forget is Prof. Venugopal who changed my perception about the nitty and gritty of marketing) that this was the thing I wanted to do with my life. But then, in the bigger scheme of things, I think I missed out the smaller part of the picture. Marketing starts with sales and even the thought of sales can take the living daylights out of me. Well, rightly said by prof. that students in first year dream about CEO's job and by the time they become job ready they find out that the only job for them is to go out in market and work around the needs of the people.

Anyways, that was the story in brief. Now I have been picked up by Henkel India to work in their sales division for the next three months. I am not sure about the work profile but then I am dreaming about waking up at 6 in the morning, going around shop to shop and persuading them to keep the Henkel products side by side with the competitor's offerings. Well, I know that the only way I can get up early in the morning is actually by not sleeping at all. So that leaves me with sleepless nights.

Add this with zero knowledge of Tamil, Poor driving skills and Blistering summer hit of Chennai and you will know that what is waiting for me. But, then the big question looming is that "What is a life without a challenge?

I guess, "A BETTER LIFE" ofcourse. Let's see.