Exams!!! or Tests?

Just a quick thought!!! Do exams in a management program focus on "define" and "list" and "Explain" ? Why not words like scenarios, suggest and solutions?

That reminds me. Sales management is taught more like on comparing personalities and behaviour than actual sales. By people who haven't made a single sales call in their life.

You think sales careers can be made attractive? :(

Really needed!!!! Someone who can test seekers' skills and knowledge than memory............

Anatomy of a salesman

Brian Sullivan, the noted speaking professional, described the “Anatomy of a Sale” (http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/3519/The-Anatomy-of-the-Sale.html). There is a parallel anatomy which is quite familiar in the Sales Function. A notation that salesman will understand and learn to achieve in his life.

Those were my initial days of induction into a sales team. I was fresh into the so called “battlefield” (more on this will define why!) of sales, responsible for achieving my revenues and customer acquisitions in a designated territory. Felt Good. Akin to little Simba’s feeling when he sits with his father to watch Pridelands

I strolled around in my kingdom, with ferocious intensity of assault, ruling over. Felt blessed to have decided to pursue sales as a career! With my boss, a hardened professional being my Mufasa, I knew no bounds of joy and pride! Then came the leveler! When u are a Simba and have Mufasa to take care of you, there sure has to be a Scar, bent on spoiling your party. Well this is an absolute law of corporate life and is not exclusive to any particular function.

You need B@#$s of steel: Often the first lesson a sales guy is taught. It might be a smooth ride outside your organisation for achieving everything you ever had to. Back home, it is a roller coaster. Thanks Scar! The review meetings you always had, to stake your claim as a star performer, turns obnoxious.

I remember my sales head once rushing out of a meeting and asking me “anyone has a rabies vaccination?” much to the chagrin of my Live Bomb that can detonate! My Marketing Head!

In the classroom nowadays I am forced to tell people:

“Marketing and Sales are the same with subtle changes in the deliverables.” Reality is so bloody different!

Maverick or a journeyman

Marketing not knowing the market

Talking of classrooms, the first time I walked into a lecture hall, I asked the motley group of 55 students an outrageous question.

“How many of you are interested in a career in marketing?”

The response was tremendous. More than half of them raised their hands. I was like

“OMG! My life is made. I am going to contribute so much to the society by shaping these managers”

Now why was that an outrageous question? You may ask. The next sequence will explain.

My second question was

“What in marketing are you looking to begin with?”

Swift came a flurry of replies.

“Advertising”

“Brand management”

“Marketing Research”

But where is sales? :-(

“How many in sales?” I retorted.

Blank…….

Then the eye opener!

“I hate sales sir!” “Sales is a thankless job!” “There is no creativity in sales!” “Sales??? No way”

I felt the floor sinking, the PoP roofing collapse on to me. Ten years of achievement and pride that came with it was quickly getting buried into oblivion.

But I quickly recouped myself to consciousness. Spent a couple of minutes to understand whom I am talking to!

This is a crowd who dream of the “Best environment to work”. Indicators: Cushy work stations, Best Notebooks to show off! Spend time with wacky colleagues about facebooks, twitters, and stuff. Work odd hours to talk to the westerners, mime, adapt and personify their lifestyles. Their interactions! Excel sheets, databases, Statistics, and may be for a lucky few the actual clients!

They fancy titles that are fascinating! “Consultants”, “Research insights”, “Analysts”,!!

They “advise” MNCs on changing “strategies” based on clinical data exercises that depend on Ctrl C and Ctrl V to be followed by F5.

They can suggest how a pack of Heinz ketchup needs to be stacked in Wal –Marts but can’t decipher where a good pack of their groceries are available.

As says an old Indian saying “You can see the entire world and comment on global polity but can’t decipher who your neighbor is”

We cant understand the very own market we live in but dream of ruling the markets across the oceans!

A new journey begins

May 10, 2004!

Anantapur bus station- evening 7:15 pm.

Fresh from the joy of being engaged to a charming lady a couple of days before and… I shudder at the thought as to how I could break certain values…actually visiting her to attempt upgrading her to my soul mate, I was waiting for my bus that would take me back to my place of work.

After a good exchange of few sweet nothings.. (Oh! those memorable beautiful tinglings)..a hurried tap on my hand to point something at me. A young guy, probably 17-19 years old, full sleeved cream colored shirt widely chequered with dark navy blue lines and a dark red tie, with a pair of flip flops was selling socks.

ME: Poor guy! Donno how much short he is of targets! Running around at this time in this crowded place. Pity! He must be really putting in his efforts to make a living. But I admire his sincerity in approaching each person worth giving a try!

My missus: Is this the kind of job my husband does for a living? Face such humiliation almost begging everyone to buy something that does not give you anything but a living! Such inglorious job! How is it that I ended up agreeing to a relationship! Ami wrong in what I am doing???

Selling! The very thought gives me an adrenaline rush. And depression for thousand others. It is a fractal view that several people, including those who have taken it as a living, take up in understanding what selling IS about. But not everything about.

This is what I realised after I read the thoughts of my missus!

Though I was quick, rather smart, enough to tell my muse that my role of selling is different and how I am feared and respected by my channel partners, my realization dawned.

I have experienced selling in all the ways it can offer. Challenged, Appreciated, Ignored, Kicked Around, Empathized, Sympathized, Honored, Abused and also Manipulated. They, as I can now proclaim, were the stepping stones to achieve an honor par excellence. Because that shaped my life, my relations and gave my understanding of the world.

Now, every time I walk into my classroom to disseminate my knowledge on various abstract concepts and situations, my alter ego of a sales professional achieves that to perfection.