How you can increase your sales success in India through regular and independent market updates.

In addition to the obvious advantages of low-threshold market entry through agents, the simplest of all forms of presence also entails numerous risks. We have already examined these in detail several times in previous blog entries - including in the article Sales representatives – suboptimal form of sales for India.

In the course of India business climate index We were also able to empirically prove that companies that operate with sales representatives in India sell significantly worse than those with their own structures.

Lack of methodology and wrong focus in sales

It is not uncommon that after a certain period of cooperation, the deficits in the sales partner activities can be identified quite precisely; Or you have had a concrete suspicion for a long time as to why sales are going so slowly, without being able to back it up with hard facts. In many cases, the Indian distributor moves within the (often narrow limits) of his “comfort zone”: he acquires in just a single industry, a region or perhaps even almost exclusively in his own, already existing network. Systematic sales looks different.

Although the Indian salesperson then raves passionately about his full sales pipeline and his future deals, often only very few projects are realized and the numbers remain significantly behind the original plan.
Weak completion rates and excuses à la “The Indian market is simply not ready for our products yet.” or “We are too expensive and therefore cannot compete with our competitors on the market.” usually only indicate that he is concentrating on unrealizable sales opportunities and thus wasting valuable resources - including yours (see also here)

Patience and passivity are not the solution

Even if legitimate doubts about the assertiveness and professionalism of an Indian partner do not disappear over several years, active countermeasures are often not taken - even if the effort significantly exceeds the benefits.
In most cases, management not only lacks concrete alternatives (i.e. partners) or the “proof of market” to set up their own structures, but also simply lacks independent information to form an objective picture of the market and use this To be able to cross-check your partner's statements.

Market research as a continuous support process

In-depth market research is not only useful and necessary when entering the market, but is also an indispensable tool in ongoing business in order to take (counter-)measures in sales. Only on the basis of transparent figures and unbiased feedback that comes directly from the relevant market participants (competitors, end customers, authorities, etc.) can strategic and operational decisions be made that are appropriate to the current market situation and take into account changes in the market environment (and thus also taken into account in market development). You are no longer dependent on your Indian partner (and their information) for better or for worse.

When it comes to market analyses, many decision-makers - probably rightly - imagine pages of reports with columns of data that someone has put together over weeks of work, but which are neither practical nor relevant in any way for concrete decisions.

However, we do not consider market research to be isolated (large-scale) projects, but rather a dynamic process that runs alongside sales - and, if appropriate, independently of sales. This should provide answers to very specific questions at regular intervals. For example:

  • Why was this or that project lost?
  • Which projects are really hot (and which don't even exist)?
  • Does your sales partner really have access to the actual decision-makers?
  • How do your customers think about your sales in India? Is there perhaps a need for improvement in the service or even feedback on product performance?
  • Which sectors is not yet on your partner/sales radar?

Informal networks for information gathering

In addition to classic customer surveys, it is essential to obtain information through informal channels that is not officially available. And they don’t get this directly, but only from the “network”.

Not only should you take advantage of the opportunity to obtain this information that is valuable to you through an independent, third party, but also remind yourself once again that in India there is a “level playing field” no secrets: This applies at the level of owners, directors, managers and specialists right down to ordinary workers. It is therefore necessary to use other hierarchy levels when gathering information!

Our industry experts on site in India are happy to expand their network and can validate the statements of their sales representative through their own local network, systematically collect sales-relevant data or identify concrete business opportunities. That is our understanding of practice-oriented market research in India.

In addition to the usual, precise use as in the case of market entry, the sales check carried out at regular intervals is a valid measuring instrument with regard to your sales activities in India - a kind, so to speak Check-up of your sales health, which, when used regularly, can prevent or early eliminate illnesses that have a negative impact on your sales figures. As in other areas of life, it is worth checking early and regularly!