The first week of the GMC program went like a breeze, and then I landed in Patna to dive straight into the project. The first couple of days were spent in getting a better understanding of the project from my buddy and also the Area Sales Managers handling different territories across the states of Bihar and Jharkhand. Then I got a chance to have a detailed discussion with my guide over VC and he explained to what his expectations were from this project and how I should go about structuring it. He asked me to explore the project in depth and concentrate on good data collection and detailed research about our consumers and also about our competition.
With this in mind, I started with the basics of marketing - the 4Ps, Product, Place, Promotion and Price. Segmenting the state of Bihar into four regions, I set out by visiting the dealerships to have a first hand interaction with our potential customers and also our existing customers. Having detailed discussions about their decision-making process, influences, sub-conscious biases and their expectations from Mahindra was an eye-opening experience.
This was followed by a deeper dive into the rural and up-country areas of the state. As the economy of Bihar is predominantly agrarian, the largest consumer base is in the rural pockets which will drive the growth of Mahindra. Interacting with our rural customer base was a completely new experience and the way they perceive products and services makes me wonder if they are savvier and more conscious than even the urban customers!
Learning about their source of livelihood and how they depend on the various products of Mahindra, from tractors to pick-ups to personal vehicles gave me a deeper understanding of the consumer behavior of our rural base. At the same time, interacting with customers of our competition gave a reference point as to how the rural folks rationalize their purchase decision. Criss-crossing the state from Patna to Gaya then to Purnia and continuing to Motihari and Siwan, it has been both an exhilarating and a valuable learning experience.
Interaction with end consumers and dealers along with a unique sub dealership model known as the Gram-Veer network along with the Mitra network of influencers consisting of the Gram Pradhan and the road side mechanics who have been trained by Mahindra to form the Mitra Technician network gave me lot of insight into how the business is conducted.
As I write this, I am on my way to the other state in my project i.e. Jharkhand where I hope to expand my learning horizon and gain a lot of actionable insights and build upon them to form strategies.