Story of a salesman

২৮ শে জুলাই, ২০১৫ সকাল ১১:৩১

The story of a sales man.

Dhrubo started his career in 2003 as a Marketing Executive in a Multinational computer learning center.
There professional instructor use to teach different professional IT related courses. Very good company, it was really a good initiative to increase the number Of Its professionals in Bangladesh. Dhrubo’s job responsibility was to bring students in the center , give them a tour to the institution , describe the benefits of different computer courses and try to convince them to admit their self into those courses which will ultimately meet our sales target and generate the revenue of the company.
Dhrubo used to make 40 calls every day . Numbers get hunted from the local phone book. He used to call different unknown numbers and find out the key person to talk. It was really adifficult job to manage an appointment with the target customer and convince him to visit the training center with the decision maker(father, or Mother).Dhrubo tried hard to convince them to bring their parents because , they are the ultimate decision makers of the family. He used to make 20 calls before lunch time and 20 calls after lunch period. Dhrubo have a small group of marketing team. Being a new and a junior member of the team he really received a healthy welcome from the team. It was a great bonding that dhrubo shared with each of his team members. They were competitors to each other. Management used to give them 3 month time to achieve their personal assigned target. Though they were competitors, but at the end of the month they used to swap their sales to a particular person to make him “Account executive of the month”. they had two teams . Both of the teams were run by the managers. Dhrubo’s team manager always helped dhrubo to achieve his target. He used to distribute his leads among us. Dhrubo’s team was newly recruited like dhrubo. So they had to really work hard to achieve their sales target. The other team members were senior and experienced. They had a fair competition that time. There were general leads general customer) that used to come by themselves to receive information regarding courses from reception; this leads were distributed according to the serial. Though this system does not have any monitoring procedure so, it’s get violated sometimes, and seniors used to fetch the client.
Dhrubo started slowly to get the vibe of the sale target and started to work under great pressure. From the beginning of his career he learned to run with the sales target. He has been taught that a sales man always have a target. Without it sales person cannot meet up his goals. He was always a first learner. Tried to give his management some extra. He was lucky in the sense because he got recruited by one of my senior brother in that sales team. When the last day of the month came, In the office nobody talked with no one. Everyone so tensed and our competitors team became very unfriendly for that particular day . dhrubo enjoyed that situation very much. For Dhrubo as a young learner was his first lesson. So he used to observe much rather then saying anything. Dhrubo started to grow himself in the harsh competitive environment
From drubo’s university life he had a desire to work in multinational brands. Because he has been taught in the university that they are global products , they been instructed and trained like that. his teachers, faculties taught him to be competitive in international markets. So keeping that desires in mind he started dreaming his career
Working in that it training center, he started applying in different companies’ websites, and also in famous jobsites. Few day after he got an interview call for written test in a multinational company. This company has the biggest distribution network in Bangladesh .Getting call from that company he was so happy and nervous. he was not sure what to study, what to follow, waiting for that day .days were coming and his tension were mounting , That time he has no any rich professional connections and also don’t know what to do, Being a novice went for the written test. Written test was held at baridhara, in a renowned 3 star hotel.
Interview time was previously mentioned at 8.30.am. he still kept remembered that very day. It was a stormy morning, it was raining, He went there with an immense hope of being selected. Watching the crowd he was flabbergasted, did not expected such a huge crowd. There were around 4000 applicant were standing outside the hotel and the lobby was chock-full with applicants.
Being very nervous he forgot to have his breakfast. He was so hungry but could not feel it in his stomach due to tautness. Seen so many friends of his in the crowed. Some of them were shunning, avoiding because He told them regarding his interview, but they did not inform him .he became astounded watching them. That was the day he really realized that he has entered in so called professional life, where his all friends are competitors with each other. Though they tried to escape his sight, he went to them by person to make it a normal consequence .they all were laughing with each other. he met and greeted with them.
The pressure was mounting among them, It was then matter of prestige for every one because whoever get selected it will disclosed among the graduate community in the university.
Dhrubo was never a scholar student, but the crowd where he was in was a competitive crowd, after a while by watching their discussion he came to know that the exam was going to be the toughest .there were 8 steps of interview process, first step is written, as there are 4000 applicants, Each group contains 100 applicants, entering in the exam hall, the written exam was for 1 hour .from 100 applicant they were shortlisting 4 or 5 applicant. Within every 20 minutes they are publishing the results. Rest of the applicants went back to their way to home. dhrubo Watched his friends went for the exam. Waiting for them, after a while they came out with a dog-tired face, then his turn came up, He entered in the exam hall, it was an enormous crowd. Started the exam. Handsome and snobbish people were moving here and there looking after applicant’s scripts. It was a MCQ test. Finished the exam came out from the exam hall. Friends were waiting with a tittering face means that” dhrubo have already lost it”.
Their results were published, few of them got knockout. Some of them still were waiting for results. Watching everybody ‘face, dhrubo really realized that they are 100 percent sure of his failure and waiting for him to go home together. He was amazed to know that. His results got published. He was selected for the next phase. He was so happy to know that but could not express it to anyone. He cheered up himself. , but His friends were a bit dishearten to know that. Dhrubo was watching his name 2 /3 times to make it sure and gear up himself for the next phase.
At last at the second phase of interview started. All of his friends got knocked out except one girl. She was his junior in the university. Dhrubo and the girl entered in the second phase .It was mathematical and analytical test .They been roasted there for another 40 minutes and came out with an exhausted face some friends left , some were standing to know the results, They are also waiting so keenly to know the next phase. They been short listed again. Again they entered for the third session. It was a group discussion session. The management wanted to testify the applicant’s fluency of speaking English. Each table contains 10 applicants, and 2 of management’s representative. They have given a topic and instructed the applicants to talk to each other for 10 minutes. They were observing the applicants, how they talk to each other. After a while they picked two from the group, it was dhrubo and another guy from the group and told other to leave the Premises. They guided dhrubo and another applicant to the next level that is a psychological test. 60 multiple choice question to be answered in 30 minutes. When the exam was over two of them came out from the center. they waited for a while, After some time both of them had an understanding of friendship as they were the last men standing. An official from the management came to them to inform that, they will give feedback through telephone. What an arduous training they had been through. Dhrubo attended his present office next day and was waiting for the result to be published. It a was life time experience for Dhrubo. A feeling of completeness came over him. He started believing that he did not want anyone to give his career a lift. After 7 days they called him for the 5th interview with the HR manager and the Sales manager. He has been asked so many questions. His career details, his likings, his salary expectations, why his choose this company. How long he was going to stay there? Lastly they had given me a condition that, He cannot precede my masters degree before 3 years. Because they thought, FMCG sales and Master’s degree cannot go together as sales itself is hectic and rigorous responsibility to carry on. He agreed with the terms and conditions as it was the most lucrative job then. And proceeded. They again informed him that again he had to come for the interview with the Managing Director. Waited for few days with immense hope and also he was concerned as he proceeded so far. Few days after he got a call from HR for the interview. He was sitting in the reception following the Que. After sometime Dhrubo saw a handsome tall guy passing through him , most probably going to a fresh room, he stopped a bit in front of Dhrubo and greeted with him saying, “ How are you Dhrubo”. I have never seen him previously, seems like a very patrician personality, He was really surprised and got a bit pampered when I came to know that he was the managing director of this company where he applied. Whom I am waiting to face for. When Dhrubo entered in the room he saw him sitting in front, greeted him with a laughing face. Dhrubo get his confidence back watching him. Dhrubo’s session was decent with the management body. When Dhrubo finished his session he came out, a lady came told him to wait for her for few minutes, and he was waiting at the reception. Few minutes after she came and instructed to do my medical examinations this means that Dhrubo was selected. He did his medical examination test. Then they call him again to provide him the appointment letter. Dhrubo was very contented and feeling joyful and also eagerly waiting for the joining date. After completion of all company Formalities Company again called dhrubo to discuss some issues which dhrubo was not aware of. HR manager called him, and said “ Dear Mr. Dhrubo, A simple mistake happened” ,manager said, “you are supposed to get appointed as a trainee executive ,but the HR mistakenly appointed you as Management trainee” So we feel sorry for that but now if you want to join with us then join as trainee executive” dhrubo was so disrupted to hear that. After such a rigorous interview Dhrubo was feeling lost. He said,” “you company has a big reputation that it could not make such kind of blunder”. Manager told dhrubo to think for 10 minutes and left the cabin by giving some space to think quietly. Dhrubo was really shocked, really nothing is coming to is mind, then he tries to inculcate things, as he given his best effort to get the job, and as he has no other option he planned to join there. Dhrubo leaded his life in a positive manner, so being positive he received the fresh appointment letter. Before joining this company he was really demoralized. Described the total scenario of the company with parents. His parents discourage him to join, because he will be devaluated later on. But he joined there he wanted to prove himself.
So these experience made him understood that life is has a different harsh reality, which dhrubo was not aware of. When 17 people out of 4000 applicants has been selected. After that management distributed this 17 fresher’s to different sectors of the company as the company has 19 concerns that time. Four of them including dhrubo were put in FMCG sector of the group. When dhrubo joined there along with 3 other fresher’s, all the existing employees were looking at us as if we are clowns. Wherever the teams were going in the department they stayed together as they were new. At the first day of the office the total 4 of them were a bit nervous. Though the national sale manager welcomed us. Dhrubo was feeling happy to see other 3 with him. Their names were Farhad( Khulna university), Moslem( North south university) and Asfaque East west University) .
Sales meeting was going that time. The new team joined there without knowing what was happening there .four of them been assigned under the supervision of four “Area sales manager” .Four of us in a same team but different areas has been assigned. . At the first day they were so happy to know that thhey were going to deal with a multinational brands.dhrubo’s dreams seemed coming true.
Our department in charge was a black, tall , and fat indian guy not an impressive one. He used to have a small kick of meeting every morning. He used to instruct the total sales team what he basically wants from the sales team. He was basically adynamic personality. He separately sat with those four freshers including dhrubo. He sat separately to give separate action plans.

In the first meeting he asked dhrubo whether he wanted to be a salesman or not? He replied “Yes”. Then he told him that,” you cannot spent time in office, if you really want to be a perfect sales man”. He has proposed new team; 15 days sales training program in the field, The country manager assigned an experienced territory officer with each one of them. The new team has been sent to the battle field of sales. , As a multinational entity company has distributors in different areas of the Dhaka city. Dhrubo’s area consists of, kalabagan, jatrabari, dhanmondi, new market, uttara, norshingdi, and up Dhaka areas. In kalabagan Company have a good but a cunning distributor. Dhrubo’s management instructed him that, If he can manage him then he can fulfill his target easily in a month, but also instructed him to look after him, because he always crosses his assigned area.
When Dhrubo first visited the distributor point. Distributor was surprises to see him. The distributor was making fun of him, saying that he is so young to handle his distributor point. He won’t be able to manage. For the first timer dhrubo did not reply anything because he was more concern about his team members. He met and greeted with the sales force as well as with the distributor. Without longing the discussion with distributor dhrubo just went to the next room. Where his all team members are waiting for him. Dhrubo got everybodies name and instructed them go into the market and assured them that he can join with anybody at any time. This is a sales technique that a manager should use to communicate with the sales force in the field. Being a FMCG territory in charge if your sales team knows your movements then they will try to skip the route and sales figures will drop gradually. So never inform the sales force. Dhrubo was aware of all this so he used to give surprise visits to the field.
Dhrubo did not long his discussion with him. Met with entire sales agent there.
They were kind of happy and shaky to see Dhrubo as their supervisor. As it was First day so dhrubo tried to give a warmth feeling to them. , He had a small kick of meeting with them tell them to introduce themselves one by one. One of them belong to dhrubo’s district so he was trying to get close with him, dhrubo ignored it smartly. Dhrubo knows the rule, whenever a boat comes to bank of river, there it explores so many boats were hang around together, so its takes time for a new boat to create a space in them. So with the flow of the waves, it slowly penetrate himself in the row, creates a place in them. This rule he was taught earlier by the management.
So being a new team player, Dhrubo was observing everything, keeping an unpredictable expression, so that they cannot make you him a fun stuff, though they were trying to do so.
Being a territory supervisor dhrubo used to move with the weakest one in his team. Dhrubo always give time to the weakest team player of his team. He tried to find out his weaknesses and turn them into strength. Dhrubo used to visit places by bus, rickshaw whatever transport available.
Dhrubo Always tried to get close with his sales agent, so he could capitalize his full effort. Dhrubo used to keep a budget from his salary to spend it on his team members. Always used to treat them whatever food available in the field,
Because they move place to places in cloudy, rainy , cold and drastic summers. So It was Dhrubo’s duty to motivate them. Dhrubo’s compensation was not much even though Dhrubo manage in it to lunch together. Continue...............................

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