My roadshow - With initial guidance from experienced Microsoft OEM Partner managers, I set out to carry out my primary data collection from Microsoft’s major market in the U.A.E – Bur Dubai. The organization provided me with a personalized business card that helped a great deal in convincing and earning the respect of ‘most’ of the IT resellers. The major data collection involved in knowing the particular reseller’s main line of business, his source of purchase for MS products (Distributor or Reseller), Average quantity of each OEM product purchased per month and the frequency of purchase (Daily/Monthly/Weekly). Additionally, I also took up the initiative to promote a couple of the reseller incentive programs which were applicable if the customer (reseller) purchased from one of Microsoft’s four authorized distributors. #Self-Initiative#
Facing challenges head on - The task may seem simple and straightforward. However, it had its own set of challenges. The market in the gulf shuts down from 1 pm to 5 pm and this was the timeframe where I was not allowed to do any productive work. My work thus had to be divided into morning and evening shifts wherein I visited an average of 25 resellers per day. There were several instances of a particular reseller not able to provide information either because he was busy with his customers or because of the non-availability of the concerned personnel. I had to re-visit these resellers as they were reluctant to provide information through phone. The comforting factor was the domination of people from Kerala in the IT market. Coming from a nearby state in the form of Tamil Nadu, the nativity factor helped me in not only getting accurate information but also develop a good relationship with them. There were very few who were not comfortable in speaking English and I managed to deal with them with my basic proficiency in Hindi. Travelling to these places was not a problem with the metro rail connecting most of the places in Dubai.
The work was incomplete with obtaining primary data. The entire information had to be fed into an excel document with both the contact and purchase details for the particular reseller. In this way, I was providing the organization with a complete database of the entire IT reseller market in the U.A.E. #Information is Wealth#
The data collection process got even more exciting when I was tagged with one of Microsoft’s distributors for visiting the resellers located in other Emirates namely Sharjah, Fujairah, Al Ain and Abu Dhabi. The 4- hour up and down travel with a distributor contact person was the time I learnt a lot on the ground reality and how the distribution system works in the Gulf. I got a picture of how the strategy varies for each distributor. While one of them focused on the big customers who buy in bulk, the other focused on the retail-type customers and hence made their presence felt in comparatively smaller markets like Fujairah and Al Ain. The person provided invaluable information from a distributor’s point of view and expressed his concerns with respect to Microsoft products especially in the smaller markets which were dominated by piracy. Having no other competitor, Piracy proves to be the only threat for the Microsoft software products even though it has been reduced drastically in the past four years. #Distributors – Varying Strategies#
Enjoying the experience - On completing the entire data collection process, I felt my apprehensions completely overturned. Being a totally introverted personality, Primary research through field work is the last thing that one would want to indulge in. In the end, I felt it to be the most enjoyable aspect of the entire internship. I enjoyed it more than the excel analysis work I did in my last week using the collected data. Exploration of the working of the business, venturing into new places and meeting and discussing with new people varying scenarios of demand and supply gave me an enjoyable and learning experience which I would have never obtained by sitting within the company premises. This is when I realized that field work does actually serve to be the prime source of learning for any person entering into sales domain. My greatest learning was that the entire business of an organization can be learnt through excessive field work and market research, changing my negative perception about it before actually undergoing the experience.
Using what I learnt - The fact that I could relate the 4P theories in marketing and understand the working of the entire supply chain from a vendor to retailer made my learning complete in the two months. The biggest learning as mentioned earlier is that there is no substitute for field work when it comes to sales and customers are made and retained mainly through a personalized approach no matter how far the technology improves. The entire experience proved to me that one might never like or dislike a particular domain unless he tries it out real-time. As it turned out eventually, my least preferred domain turned out to be my favorite after project completion.
The primary data collection was done and analysis of the collected information was the need of the hour in the last week. The manager was surprised and happy to see the amount of data collected as I managed to cover the resellers in all the seven emirates by working even on a couple of Saturdays although it was not necessary. On providing the final results as well as my recommendations based on the data analysis as well as customer feedback, the top management felt pleased as it was practical and feasible and according to the need of the hour. “Great to see that you delivered as is expected from an Indian IIM grad” were the final words from my mentor. I could not have asked for anything more pleasant to come from the horse's mouth himself. Those words made me feel fully resourced and inspired for my upcoming year at IIMU. There was a spring in my step as I winded up my presentation. #Final Presentation#
Return back to base - With a heavy heart, I had to return all the company’s properties including laptop, ID card and laptop bag. Two months had passed by in a whisker and here I was standing, wishing to re-join the organization after graduation. The organization’s top management has obliged by promising to refer me in once I graduate. I had lived a dream for these two months and there is no better feeling than when your hard work pays off at the end. I slipped away from the company premises after bidding a final goodbye hoping and promising to meet them again with the same spirit next year as a full-time employee.
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