Alumni Speak
Planning to pursue a career in sales? Industry expert shares tips
“Instead of worrying about salary package, students should focus on bagging a good role in a reputed organisation where they can learn for the first few years,” he says
Mandeep Nayyar, an alumnus of Apeejay School of Management (ASM), is heading the maternal and infant care business in South Asia for GE Healthcare. He has nearly 15 years of work experience across leading companies like Philips and Nephro Plus. He also worked as a research associate (ASEAN) at FICCI. In an interview, the Apeejayite speaks about sales as a profession and shares important insights for students:
Tell us about your current profile.
I take care of the pan-South Asia region. I am heading the government business and working to expand the business in the neighbouring countries and strategic market. I have been associated with the company for almost four years now.
What kind of experience did you have at ASM?
I joined ASM for a master’s degree in business economics, a course that the institute was running then. It was one of the key things that attracted me. I got an opportunity to pursue the same course in another university, but I stuck to Apeejay because I found the faculty and the infrastructure to be quite good. Looking back, I think it was one of the best decisions I made. ASM gave me a lot of opportunities to excel — I was the student of the year and won the Dr Stya Paul Award for Human Values.
How important is it for a professional to keep learning throughout their journey?
It is very important. People should introspect if the current set of roles or responsibilities are satisfying enough, or if they want to pursue something different. Prior to my corporate journey, I worked as a research associate at FICCI. But I nurtured a deep desire to go up the corporate ladder and hence made a career transition. I went on to pursue a course from IIM Calcutta in Growth Strategy and Corporate Leadership and immediately after that I was selected for a leadership role at GE Healthcare.
What advise do you have for ASM students?
I am already in touch with ASM students as a mentor. In the present market situation, I would advise them to not be afraid to take up challenges. They should continue to research, gain knowledge about the industry and hone their skills. They should start with a core profile, especially in sales and marketing. Ultimately, if you are driving the revenue for an organisation, you will get their respect. Instead of worrying about salary packages, they should focus on bagging a good role in a reputed organisation where they can learn for the first few years. Success will subsequently follow.
Sales also comes with the stress of meeting targets. Can you share some advice for young professionals on how they can cope with it?
My first suggestion would be to opt for a decent brand that has a recall value. Sales is something that isn’t done single-handedly but with the help of a team. So, when you enter a number-driven job, the first thing to remember is that you are a part of a sub-system and not alone. If you perform well, it will reflect on the performance of the team and vice-versa. Everybody in the profession understands that sales is a cycle, but your approach must be right.
Remember that you will learn from your failures and sales as a profession gives you an opportunity to do that. You must get over the fear of facing a customer and I would advise students to work on it during their summer internship.
