“The company bends over backwards for these MBA type people, but what does it do for us? Nothing! They think running contests & awards is all we need… but what about our career?”, grumbled one of my fellow tea-drinkers to his mates. We were all clustered around the tapri (tea stand) near a distributor’s office trying to warm up with a hot cup of tea on a chilly winter evening. I figured they were Sales Officers of FMCG companies, so I decided to interrupt the conversation, “Why do you think your career is the company’s responsibility?”. They turned towards me, aghast!
In the colourful, heated debate that followed, I managed to uncover and shatter some deeply ingrained myths that these SOs were holding on to, about how they saw their professional life evolving. Myths that they accepted as truth, because “aisa hi chalta aaya hai” (it’s always been like this).
So today I am going to be busting myths for everyone who’s part of the frontline FMCG/FMCD sales community to help them realize there is so much they can do to uplift themselves and command as much respect as those ‘MBA type people”.
Busting Myth#1: Your Company is responsible for your career progression
No, it’s NOT. Neither should you assume that you will get promoted every 3-5 years because you’ve put in the years. There are people smarter than you, with higher numbers than you, and more ambitious than you. If you don’t take control of your career and work at bettering yourself, you’ll get left behind.
I’ve seen a lot of FMCG salesmen in their late 30s languishing at an SO’s role or a TSI’s role for years, only because they were too scared to ask for something else. Walk up to your boss and have an open conversation with him. Ask for a change of role, like maybe in Modern Trade. And then you can take a couple of years building expertise on it.
Fearing the unknown is only going to reduce your chances of being something more. What’s the most your boss can do if you ask for a change of role? Refuse? At least you asked. Now you can choose to stay or start searching for a job which gives you what you want. If you don’t like your job, explore other opportunities.
Busting Myth#2: Focus on your job, because soft skills are unimportant
One common mistake that many SOs or Sales Representatives make is to think they are indispensable to their company. No one is. Not even the Head of Sales. So spend the initial years learning the trade and nuances of your business. Find out if your company sponsors or subsidizes certifications you’re interested in. A lot of times frontline salespeople don’t even know the resources available to them because the company doesn’t think they’ll use any of them.
Keep building your repertoire of diverse skills and vertical knowledge. Polish up your communication. Dress better. Be visible to the senior team but make sure to have your performance back you up. One thing that will definitely give you a leg-up is to become more tech-savvy. Understand what kind of technology solutions the other FMCG companies are using. Find out which sales force automation software or which retailer app or which DMS is more popular. Ask your company to adopt a technology that gives them detailed retail intelligence, so you can become more effective on the field.
The more varied skills you have, the more valuable you will be to your employer- as well as to the external market. Here’s what I think a career journey of a Sales Officer or Territory Sales In-charge should look like:
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