Monday, August 30, 2021

We asked our colleagues in Sales to share their exciting career stories, showcasing how they developed new and innovative experiences for our customers, adding value in everything that they do!

Here's what Krutika had to share...

I interned with Mondelēz International in the summer of 2018 and received a pre-placement offer to join full-time in the sales & marketing function. Ever since my second year at IIM-A, I had always aspired to be a brand manager at a leading FMCG firm. When I came to know that I would need to do a sales stint before actually being a part of the brand team, I wasn’t the most excited! To me, sales was a difficult job with the constant pressure of delivering on the difficult targets and working in a primarily male dominated industry. To add to that, I was wary of the amount of travel in rural areas with mostly remote working and low personal interaction with my friends and colleagues.

However, after working in sales for almost a year and a half, my perception about it has changed significantly. Sales is challenging- yes, but it is also an opportunity to create real impact. Tracking and delivering on the sheer breadth of initiatives has been an overwhelming yet fulfilling experience so far. Addressing sales issues in key markets, handling multiple channel partners and the on-ground team opens new learning opportunities every day. I took over the territory during the pandemic-induced lockdown and within 6 months successfully managed a major RTM transition. It feels rewarding to have ended the last year in top 3 fastest growing Rural ASMs in the country, while continuing to drive the double-digit growth momentum this year. I also feel that the industry construct is rapidly evolving – more and more women are joining the sales function and delivering an on-ground impact. Most importantly, the consumer insights and field experience I have gathered have set me up very well for future roles in the Sales and Marketing function.

My learning and success in Sales has opened my mind to explore more roles within Sales and roles beyond Sales too. I believe that opportunities come our way in life, and it is up to us to bring in a growth mindset to take them and learn from them.