Economic turbulence has wrenched companies across the globe. The aftermaths are widespread like retrenchment, layoff, forced sabbatical, shut down of operations, reduction in salary and the list is not exhausted. There are few significant evidence we come across in the city which clearly endorses the fact that our companies are in bad shape. The hoardings spread all over the city are turning grey; no it’s not a new marketing gimmick, in the last few months number of companies which also includes some titans have surrendered their much coveted sites for breather.
Just sometime back gazing at those creative works while waiting at the signal was an activity which plummeted to our fury for unruly traffic. Some were so imaginative that we expected the same at the next crossing to decode the exact content of it. Now those blank gigantic spaces with contact numbers of the respective ad agencies doesn’t stand out to be apt substitute for those loud and enigmatic characters’. Road shows, promotional events, free passes/coupons, vehicles’ patrolling with advertisement boards all have gone for hibernation. If you notice and observe now you get less leaflets with exiting opportunity to earn more, professional course at a price like never before in any ‘C’ grade institute, loose five kgs in two days or impotency is no more a problem. The corporate picture of branding and promotional activities is getting bleaker day by day but there is a sect of direct sales professionals who are more popular as ‘hawker’ and they are still sticking to their not so sophisticated modes of promotions.
The other day it struck me in the bus. If you are a regular commuter of bus or local train then you must have seen it happening under your nose; he was selling digestive pills and dust (a preparation of multiple ingredients which revitalizes your taste bud). Being a normal sight I did not pay much importance to his performance. He approached me with an unfasten packet and asked me with his gesture to spread my palm and taste his product; I didn’t oblige him and at the blink of an eye he made a move to the passenger at the back. There were quite a number of passengers who were chewing with complete indifference and showed no indication of loving it. The hawker got down at the next stop and his sales figure was a big ZERO; questions like does the man (hawker) have his AOP(Annual operation plan ) in the first place, does he maintain a daily sales report, how does he plan his promotional budget in this awful market situation, does he have any exclusive strategy on board for his target customers inundated my mind in a endeavour to understand how could he manage such a prodigal style of promotion and awareness.
One can’t draw any comprasrism between these two polarized forms of business; but on contemplating on the given situation you would easily end up uttering PARADOX. Isn’t it?
A Salesman may not achieve sales on the particular day or the day after but the relationship with the customer..like the daily commuter as u said has been built up and thats why u have mentioned his story here...so others too remembers it.....thats why it calls Relationship Marketing..in today's time.
ReplyDeleteToday Sales, not the prime target but Relationship with the customer or back end strategic long run marketing plan is the prime & foremost target and I say it MM....not Material Management ...but Mind Marketing
Recession or Marketing what to stress more on? talking about recession, if during that time u had followed CNBC everyday then u would have known that India was never under the hold of recession. only American Cos. were as their share market has crashed down completely.Three big corporate houses got bankrupt. But investors wanted to take advantage of this situation. So they helped spreading a rumor that India i under the clutches of recession. Banks specially employed most no. of people during recessions. so how can u say Indian was suffering from the problem of "unemployment". and if you site the example of retrenchment that was due to curtailment of basic needs in order to reduce cost, which was again directed by the MNC's. But if you take a note of the Indian companies, then u would again find comparatively less sackings. But these US based companies really kicked off a lot of peoples ass(sorry for the language)...
ReplyDeleteSelling techniques are more dependent on the type of product.During recession also did u find the "street hawkers", And in contrast "the big malls" empty any time? rather there quite a shopping spree among womans cause "durga puja" was approaching. so i don't really think this has actually affected India in any bad way. and you must be knowing that every product passes thru 5 stages in its entire life- introduction,growth,maturity,stagnation and decline...which is called the PLC(Product life cycle). so dont worry darling people if they try can mend things in their own way. as the brokers did spreading the "recession rumor". and anyways u know these newspaper agencies also requires masala news. so during India's "so called" bad times they made a lot of profit by publishing these same news everyday making people more fucked up in their minds..
There comes a time when you must stand alone.
ReplyDeleteYou must feel confident enough within yourself to follow your own dreams.
You must be willing to make sacrifices.
You must be capable of changing and rearranging your priorities so that your final goal can be achieved.
Sometimes, familiarity and comfort need to be challenged.
There are times when you must take a few extra chances and create your own realities.
Be strong enough to at least try to make your life better.
Be confident enough that you won't settle for a compromise just to get by.
Appreciate yourself by allowing yourself the opportunities to grow, develop, and find your true sense of purpose in this life.
Don't stand in someone else's shadow when it's your sunlight that should lead the way.
ill keep it plain n simple.. Sandipan, your writing is awesome n a real treat for the inquisitive reader's mind.....
ReplyDelete