The hiring activity has seen 18% of growth in August 2014 over August 2013 according to the Naukri Job Speak Index. Although the maximum growth was experienced in telecom sector, jobs in sales also witnessed an increase of 8% when compared to previous year. The growth in sales jobs is driven through increased hiring occurring in sectors like FMCG, retail and healthcare and life sciences. According to the latest Michael Page Salary and Employment Forecast for India, the hiring activity for sales and marketing is presently strong.
Although FMCG sector didn’t fared too well last year, it still is the biggest growth area amidst the rising domestic consumption. In retail, global single brand retail is entering the local market which requires trained sales professional for supporting their growth.
Southern states of India have traditionally been the stronghold of FMCG sector with these sectors contributing the most to the sales of FMCG companies amongst all regions. The region and its states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka have the highest penetration levels in the FMCG sector and that’s why companies here have to work harder to make the consumers here consume more. For instance, GSK Consumer Healthcare (GSKCH) experiences 40-45% of its sales from south India. “It is the most developed market and thus the head space for growth is constrained.” Said Jayant Singh, executive vice president (marketing), GSKCH. The slower than average growth here is forcing companies to hire more sales professionals, which is why we see greater number of sales jobs in Hyderabad, one of the most important economic hubs of southern India.
Naukri Job Speak Index August 2014 reported an increment of 17% in employee hiring between August 2014 and August 2013. Hyderabad having a number of pharmaceutical and drug manufacturing facilities is a major hub for sales professionals who throng to the city for different sales employment opportunities. Besides, top FMCG companies like Hindustan Unilever, ITC Limited and Colgate-Palmolive have their offices in the city further boosting the job numbers.
In Demand Skills
Marketing and sales professionals who have high levels of education are the ones with maximum prospects, especially in larger or multinational companies. Candidates with degrees from top business schools are in much demand in the FMCG companies. Similarly, for retail sector sales professionals who have worked in western market is highly valued by prospective employers.
Salary and Remunerations
The Michael Page report puts annual salary increase for sales professionals at an average 12% in retail and healthcare sector, while the FMCG sales and marketing professionals can experience a slightly greater rise at around 15%. Since there is a lack of professionals with relevant experience and skills, the situation is placing upwards pressure on salaries. 78% of the respondents say that salaries will rise above the inflation rate, while only 22% of the recruiters think that the salaries will increase at the rate of inflation.
If one has to be in a position to command good salaries then it is necessary to develop niche skill sets. Having sales experience in FMCG in rural markets is a good thing in the present scenario as it will increase your negotiation power at the interview table.
What Sales Job is Right for you?
There are different types of sales jobs that you can apply to. The first thing to make sure is if you want to work as a hunter or a farmer. A person who is expert at building client base from grounds up and has an eye for new targets is called hunter. A farmer enjoys and excels at working with existing customers. Hunters are mostly outside sales professionals, i.e they work outside the office as they have this ability to dazzle people with their charm and aura. However, if you are a quite worker and have less difficulty blending in with people then may be an inside sales job or a farmer role will work pretty fine.