My experiences on the FMCG Sales pitch
It is a scorching summer afternoon. I roll up my sleeves and
along with my sales officer and salesman, enter a kirana outlet; its blackened
walls are covered with posters of ads of toothpaste, a soap and a local brand
of oil. Women of all ages crowd around hustling to negotiate with the store man.
Accusations of overcharging and adulteration are flying across the counter.
I hope we will make a productive call and get a good order of
toothpaste. I struggle to get the attention of Mohan Bhai, the store owner;
hoping to chat with him about our new launch. I am finally greeted with a
fervor as he lights up seeing a well-dressed potential customer. “Haan madam, shu levaanu che?”. I explain to
him I am from Colgate and am here to take his order. He instantly loses
interest and re-starts negotiating on the price of a Saffola Oil 1L pack with
the bulky woman next to me – happy to have got his attention again. He has this
bewildered look as he turns to me and wonders what/how to talk to me.
I talk to him about our new launch, a charcoal based
toothpaste that will give 12-hour long and total protection with help of
charcoal micro crystals. He takes a pinch of the sample from the salesman and
then excitedly talks about how our company has launched all possible flavours.
He notes the margin, trade schemes and gives his order to my salesman. His
discomfort upon seeing a woman selling toothpaste has converted into excitement
however, the next stage was a surprise.
He then asks me what post I am at, how did I get here etc. He
talks of his daughter who has just graduated and wants to do an MBA but he is
unsure of her plan. I answer all his queries, give my advice in favor of a
strong education and leave the outlet with a feeling of having impacted a life.
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| So many, yet so few |
A few days later, I visit Shajahanpur, a small town near Bareilly, UP. Our Distributor had passed away a few months ago and his wife now operates the entire business. Renu Ji is a small young woman, full of energy, albeit lack of confidence. It was heartening to see that she had streamlined the entire business and had strong relations with outlets, salesmen and all stakeholders in the FMCG setup.
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| Enroute Shahjahanpur, where our car broke down |
Women in working life are common but women in Sales are a
rarity. Having worked 2 yrs across Gujarat, UP, Uttarakhand and Delhi selling
FMCG products, I have witnessed a multitude of reactions from the Indian middle
class. Some of amazement and respect while the more common ones are of discomfort
and curiosity, like that of Deepak Ji. How does a woman engage with people from
all walks of life like retailers, DBs, salesmen? I have been bluntly asked by a
(male) reportee, how my team would now enjoy post-meeting parties and drinks,
with me taking over as the sales manager? Today, as I move onto a new role, the
same team presented me with a lovely tear-jerking farewell gift and party.
While the former reactions fill me with a sense of pride and
purpose; the latter ones, are those that set me wondering how this could
change. They drive me further to bring about a mindset change. At the end of my
upcountry sales role, I may have defied their beliefs, although, it seems like a
baby step to quell the curiosity of more Deepak Jis out there. I take solace
thinking of the many other Renu jis that are on my side.
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