Sales Stint Is Essential For A Great FMCG Career | Ft. Nishant Sharma, FORE School of Management, Area Manager, ITC

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“Through sales stint, you can get the opportunity to manage brands.…” 

“Buddy, sales is a must because it gives ground realities and you become closer to the consumer...”

“To become a successful marketer, you must have a sales experience in FMCG…”

“Mark my words, in the race to becoming a CEO, usually people with a Sales and Marketing background wins…”

These are some of the most common phrases you must have heard about a career in Sales and Marketing.

The sales and marketing sector is enormous, with various divisions and departments in need of almost every skill set. So if you are mulling over a career in Sales Management (particularly in FMCG), you need to get started with the basics. 

We spoke with an Area Sales Manager, who looks after the sales and distribution of foods & personal care portfolio for ITC Limited. He also interned with the leading home decor & paints company in India, Asian Paints, during his MBA program at FORE School of Management

Meet Nishant Sharma: The journey from FORE to Asian Paints and ITC

Born and brought up in an Army family, Nishant traveled cities and states while growing up. Having always been a focussed and dedicated student, he was awarded the merit scholarship during B.Tech by SRM Institute of Science & Technology for securing the second-highest GPA and by the Central Board of Secondary Education for securing a 10 CGPA in the SSC examination.

He started to hone his leadership skills early in his career. He was selected as the core member of the Organizing Committee for the Technical Fest of SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai. He also led the Corporate Relations & Placement Committee as Student Coordinator at the FORE School of Management, New Delhi. 

Speaking of which, Nishant said, 

“My journey at FORE was very interesting. While at FORE, I interacted with people from diverse backgrounds and served on the corporate relations and placement committee. I gained valuable experience interacting with corporates on a regular basis.

FORE had the right balance of academics, corporate engagement activities, and co-curricular to always keep us engaged. It only helped me kickstart my career with an FMCG giant but also helped me make bonds that are sure to stay for a lifetime.”

A driven and motivated sales professional, he interned with Asian Paints during his MBA. Currently, he looks after the sales and distribution of foods & personal care portfolio for ITC Limited, one of the largest FMCG companies in the country, as Area Manager for Rural Channel in Western Uttar Pradesh.

When asked about his MBA in Marketing and Finance, he said -

I had mark-fin as my specialization and the course was very engaging. The curriculum was designed in a way that every technical aspect was covered through real-life examples and case studies. FORE made sure that we had the perfect blend of traditional concepts, new age case studies, and examples relevant in this day and age.

Being a part of one of the largest FMCG companies (ITC Limited) in the country as Area Manager for Rural Channel in Western Uttar Pradesh, we tried to find out what it takes to become a successful sales manager in the FMCG sector from Nishant.

Want to break into the FMCG sector? Keep reading!

What is sales management?

Sales management involves maintaining trade relations by means of ensuring,

• sustainability and financial growth of the trade partners,
• the widespread availability of products,
• training and motivating sales staff,
• coordinating operations across the sales department, and
• implementing a cohesive sales strategy that drives business revenues. 

It also involves ensuring better distribution of products in the geography than the competition and innovating new-age methods to reach customers to remain relevant in these changing times.

How to become a successful area sales manager?

In an exclusive interview with Nishant, he said, "To be a successful Area Sales Manager, one has to be sensitive to the limitations and strengths of each stakeholder in the value chain."

He added, "One must be able to think on their feet when faced with a multitude of problems with varying complexity daily. No single day is monotonous, and a sales manager should stay motivated - roaring to chase numbers week-on-week."

What is it like to take up an FMCG sales job after an MBA?

As per the D2C Campus Employer Branding Report 2021, FMCG and Consulting stayed on top of B-School students' preference list in terms of the sectors they would like to work for. Another trend reflected that freshers prefer the FMCG sector the most, pushing the Consulting sector down to second place!  

Consumer goods companies like ITC, Nestlé, Hindustan Unilever feature as dream recruiters at Indian business schools. Big FMCG recruiters are exploring geographies to hire top talent for various domains, including Sales and Marketing from top B-Schools with fat-pay cheques.

Taking up an FMCG Sales job after MBA thus seems a promising career choice. You get,

• To work for an industry full of big brands 

• Good salary package along with great learning 

• An opportunity to progress your career very quickly

• To succeed basis your skills, instead of your qualifications (since it's a results-based industry)

• Bright chances of having a global career
  
  
• More experience in less time

What skills do you need to be an Area Manager?

Becoming an Area Sales Manager or Area Manager is more about showcasing your skills than flaunting your degree. Some of the skills and attributes that a budding sales manager can master include leadership skills, problem-solving skills, time management skills, communication skills, planning and organizational skills, decision-making ability, and a sense of responsibility.

And to all these, add a massive scoop of confidence, drive, and enthusiasm. 

How is career growth in FMCG sales?

If you have sales experience in FMCG, you are already on the path to a successful career. Because you get to learn about brands, consumers, markets & competition in the most effective way. 

"Career growth in FMCG is steady, and you're rewarded for the kind of performance you give. So it's very linear, and you're sure to be rewarded for patience and efforts", says Nishant Sharma.

Moreover, FMCG is the fourth largest sector in the country. Household and Personal hygiene account for 50% of the total FMCG sales, whereas Healthcare for 31% and food & beverages approximately for 19% of the overall FMCG market.

In addition, the revenue in the FMCG sector is poised to double from 5-6% in fiscal year (FY) 2021 to 10-12% in FY22 as per the reports by CRISIL.

So, the overall FMCG sector is projected to show upward growth. Now the ball is in your court!

Your growth will depend on how you apply your skills to combat the unprecedented pandemic-y situations as a sales manager. 

Along with sales strategies, stay updated with the FMCG market dynamics!

What is the role and responsibility of the Area Manager?

As an Area Manager/Area Sales Manager/Regional Manager you have to look after 'n' number of stores in an allocated area. But, apart from that, you will also share the following roles and responsibilities as an Area Manager:

• Creating a fascinating and supportive atmosphere for your employees
• Maintaining and raising customer service standards
• Increasing team performance
• Keeping up to date with clients, vendors, and customers 
• Controlling your employees' training and development
• Increasing sales and profit margins throughout their region
• Establishing sales goals for particular retail locations

How to plan a successful sales day?

Planning a successful sales day becomes essential when you have huge targets to meet. 

Nishant says that planning a successful sales day is highly dependent on prioritizing tasks to be done throughout the day. 

I usually follow the Importance vs. Urgent Matrix, wherein tasks are classified as P1: "High importance, High Urgence," P2: Low importance, High Urgence", P3: "High Importance, low Urgence," & P4: "Low Importance & Low Urgence. Tasks with the highest priority are given due time and effort. At times it is okay to put off P4 tasks onto the next day. It is not possible to get everything done immediately. 

He added, "So, I believe in sales, it is important to know what task has the highest business impact and potential to disrupt the regular flow of things and plan accordingly."

Before we wrap up this article, here is a sideline thought: "Is the IIM or IIT tag really needed to be successful?"

Well, to answer this, we have given you the perfect example of Nishant Sharma, who made more opportunities than he found and mapped his path with unwavering determination!

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