"How would you sell me this pen?" This one still remains the most anticipated question in a sales interview, but how prepared we are for everything that comes unanticipated in this do-main? If you would have asked me this when I began, I don't think I was even prepared to answer it. But giving about seventeen years to this role of a marketing professional, this is one question that I am always fascinated to answer. It’s fascinating because this answer keeps changing every time, and there is always a scope for unique answer.
Speaking of things unanticipated, one cannot deny how unexpected was speedy adaptability of the Indian markets to technology. I had always seen potential in the digital, but the real insight came to me when I was at Lodha Group. Being responsible to get the message across through a newer medium brought me a lot of challenges and learnings. Getting 1.5 million visitors to the site annually and taking care of their user experience made me explore deeper in the realm of digital media. For someone experienced at the core marketing, this shifted many paradigms. Some theories remained relevant while some needed massive revision.
Adaptability: This brings me to one of the skills I couldn’t emphasize enough on, ‘Adaptabil-ity’. Changing dynamics is always a favorite word of people talking about challenges in this domain. But I feel, as a salesperson, that’s something we should be eminently prepared for. With the digital stepping in, it has become a daily driver in the marketing business. According to Statista, a survey portal, there will be 329 million digital buyers in India alone by 2020.
Experimenting and answering your curiosities: But sadly, adaptability isn’t the only thing which will help you in standing out, thanks to the clutter of conventional practices out in the sea. Many of us have limited marketing to the narrow sets of principles and theories we have read about. This has worked till the recent past, but now it has become difficult to stick to these. We often tend to restrain from experimenting or answering to our curiosities while lay-ing out plans, strategies and tactics. But on the contrary, novelty is something that firms are expecting from us. Be it while developing the Happy Meal brand for McDonalds or trying out creative ways of promotion with Planet M, I have always seen firms receptive and wel-coming towards something new. So, in an age where digital media is bringing forth all the scope you need, why not take a new route and tap into your potential.
Consumer centric approach: But more than a matter of skill, the digital era demands an overhaul in our perspectives as marketing professionals. Unlike the conventional marketing, the digital space has transformed marketing into an ongoing communication. Are we ready to switch our approach to a more consumer centric one while we market? I have seen hours of effort going into a simple user interface design, has it paid off? Well, some of your actions may not been as quantifiable as getting leads or selling products but they surely contribute to the bigger picture.
My four key takeaways from embracing the digital aspect of marketing for last 17 years have been:
1. There couldn’t be a better insight to understanding your buyers than analytics and consumer data, which is not only real time but also comprehensive.
2. Digital selling is needs to be taken as a process and not a goal that needs to be achieved, as there will be constant opportunities to optimize the same.
3. keeping up with digital will never be a challenge for you, if you look at it as an oppor-tunity to extend your reach and get closer to your prospects.
4. It’s a commitment that enables you to stand out in the clutter and reach for better.
Views and opinions expressed herein are personal and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinion of Franklin Templeton Investments.
Author: Rahul Phondge
Presently heading Marketing and Presales for TATA Housing - PAN India, Rahul Phondge has 17 plus years of experience which includes successful marketing and sales stints at McDonald’s, Times of India and Lodha Group.
Staying afloat in the digital era.
Staying afloat in the digital era.
"How would you sell me this pen?" This one still remains the most anticipated question in a sales interview, but how prepared we are for everything that comes unanticipated in this do-main? If you would have asked me this when I began, I don't think I was even prepared to answer it. But giving about seventeen years to this role of a marketing professional, this is one question that I am always fascinated to answer. It’s fascinating because this answer keeps changing every time, and there is always a scope for unique answer.
Speaking of things unanticipated, one cannot deny how unexpected was speedy adaptability of the Indian markets to technology. I had always seen potential in the digital, but the real insight came to me when I was at Lodha Group. Being responsible to get the message across through a newer medium brought me a lot of challenges and learnings. Getting 1.5 million visitors to the site annually and taking care of their user experience made me explore deeper in the realm of digital media. For someone experienced at the core marketing, this shifted many paradigms. Some theories remained relevant while some needed massive revision.
Adaptability: This brings me to one of the skills I couldn’t emphasize enough on, ‘Adaptabil-ity’. Changing dynamics is always a favorite word of people talking about challenges in this domain. But I feel, as a salesperson, that’s something we should be eminently prepared for. With the digital stepping in, it has become a daily driver in the marketing business. According to Statista, a survey portal, there will be 329 million digital buyers in India alone by 2020.
Experimenting and answering your curiosities: But sadly, adaptability isn’t the only thing which will help you in standing out, thanks to the clutter of conventional practices out in the sea. Many of us have limited marketing to the narrow sets of principles and theories we have read about. This has worked till the recent past, but now it has become difficult to stick to these. We often tend to restrain from experimenting or answering to our curiosities while lay-ing out plans, strategies and tactics. But on the contrary, novelty is something that firms are expecting from us. Be it while developing the Happy Meal brand for McDonalds or trying out creative ways of promotion with Planet M, I have always seen firms receptive and wel-coming towards something new. So, in an age where digital media is bringing forth all the scope you need, why not take a new route and tap into your potential.
Consumer centric approach: But more than a matter of skill, the digital era demands an overhaul in our perspectives as marketing professionals. Unlike the conventional marketing, the digital space has transformed marketing into an ongoing communication. Are we ready to switch our approach to a more consumer centric one while we market? I have seen hours of effort going into a simple user interface design, has it paid off? Well, some of your actions may not been as quantifiable as getting leads or selling products but they surely contribute to the bigger picture.
My four key takeaways from embracing the digital aspect of marketing for last 17 years have been:
1. There couldn’t be a better insight to understanding your buyers than analytics and consumer data, which is not only real time but also comprehensive.
2. Digital selling is needs to be taken as a process and not a goal that needs to be achieved, as there will be constant opportunities to optimize the same.
3. keeping up with digital will never be a challenge for you, if you look at it as an oppor-tunity to extend your reach and get closer to your prospects.
4. It’s a commitment that enables you to stand out in the clutter and reach for better.
Views and opinions expressed herein are personal and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinion of Franklin Templeton Investments.
Author: Rahul Phondge
Presently heading Marketing and Presales for TATA Housing - PAN India, Rahul Phondge has 17 plus years of experience which includes successful marketing and sales stints at McDonald’s, Times of India and Lodha Group.
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