Experience can never be a substitute for young talent. With over 46 years of experience, Vardharajan K.k, the current Head of Marketing & Operations (International) at Aditya Scientific (India), is one of the finest brains currently active in the sales industry.
Mr. Vardharajan K.k. is a certified trainer and coach, learning & development leader focused on business strategy and analytics, managerial economics, business communication, team development, CBT, Master NLP Trainer, Soft Skills Trainer, and Life and Executive Coach.
Throughout the scope of his accomplished career, he has developed innovative global approaches. He offers transformation training, coaching, mentoring, and custom solutions to business leaders, entrepreneurs, consultants, speakers, and trainers.
Edge CRM is proud to get an opportunity to interview a personality of his stature and understand his experience of working in the sales industry for over four decades. Here’s the entire conversation. We hope you’ll find it engaging.
Further Reading - https://www.edgecrm.app/articles/top-web-series-every-salesperson-should-watch
Tell us something about your initial journey in marketing and sales.
Varadharajan: My Initial journey started as a medical sales representative, and in one year, my consistent performance made me a manager, and then I did not look back on my career. From medical to chemical to fire extinguishers to laboratory instruments. Sales were my core area, and marketing was hand in hand during my career. Sales and marketing are two sides of a coin. Sales are action-oriented with definite output, whereas marketing is a channel to make the results more pragmatic and achievable. There was a paradigm shift in my skillset and market segment, which I could adapt to with changing roles and responsibilities. Sadly till today, few only could differentiate the sales and marketing definitions. During this journey, I attended many sales and marketing training which fine-tuned my skills to attain better sales figures. In some organizations, I was given the role of handling internal training and on-the-job coaching of team members.
Watch Sales Talk - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYDYjGAjvRk
How did you decide to be a part of the marketing industry?
Varadharajan: In the 70s, you had no guide, coach or mentor to guide you through your career. I realized having led classes as a monitor in school and as captain of the cricket team, I had a passion for leading and excelling in team management. When I got the opportunity to become a salesperson, I could not deny and accept with confidence that my personal attribute will help me develop my professional career.
Read More - http://www.edgecrm.app/articles/top-web-series-every-salesperson-should-watch
You started your career as a DGM-Sales & Marketing at Swiss Manufacturing Products (SMP). How was that experience?
Varadharajan:
SMP was an international company owned by an NRI based out of Switzerland, and being a Swiss citizen, he always followed Swiss principles. On-time arrival, cleanliness, technical knowledge, transparency, reporting on time, problem-solving as defined, and no deviation were allowed. I learned a lot from him. The most interesting thing I noticed was that he had a notebook that he used to enter each discussion he had with the customer, which could be retrieved during the next meeting with the same customer. This removed ambiguity of any sort that may have raised communication gaps. He had all the spoken records for decades, which he could rewind. This is what I never find even today with many company owners and executives. Meeting scientists who had great knowledge in their respective subjects, qualified SCM personnel, and end users to whom we used to present the demo of the instruments with application expertise with profound knowledge of competitors' products, prices, weaknesses, the strategy made my life challenging and inspiring every day I worked in this company.
A diversified market with the diversified work nature of each scientist was the highlight of my encountered experience. Each Instrument defined for a specific application, from physics to chemistry and electrical to electronics, kept me on my heels all the time to face the situation.
My responsibilities were joint working with a team, training, one-to-one, and group coaching throughout the phase. Starting from recruiting, induction training, on-the-job training and coaching, reporting, conducting seminars, participating in exhibitions, on-site customer demos, after-sales service, ROI, and quality management were my job profiles.
I established branch offices in Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata, and Hyderabad and took responsibility for the smooth functioning of the complete sales and marketing process.
I learned from all these years that one needs to sacrifice personal life, social life, and free time to succeed in your career. You need to follow the quadrant of most urgent and most important.
I am collecting all the information of my 43-year-long career and in the middle of finishing publishing an autobiography in a few months in which I will be reflecting on my journey experience of my personal and professional career.
Watch Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=547jzVBEMJA
Customers or Clients— My observation and experience confirm certain facts, which are often ignored, and a false belief system still prevails among industries. I found very few customers, maybe 15% of total industry segments, to be very professional in their approach towards a vendor or supplier. Rest had no sympathy, no proper process in dealing with suppliers, and they considered us as a receiver rather than a giver in any given situation, whether supply, price, negotiation, or after-sales service. We were always at the receiving end and feared losing an order if we behaved transparently and to the point. The complete system is corrupt with kickbacks and whatnot. The tender game is an eyewash. Sometimes when you are L1, you do not qualify technically; when you qualify technically, you are not L1. Today also, it is being played safely and whatever the customer wants to achieve at the end. Relationship and Rapport in the ‘90s were essential attributes, but now face value has 5% contribution, and the rest depends on your price, after-sales service downtime, and FOC terms and kickbacks. It is very discouraging and frustrating for the young generation.
On one end, corporates follow talent acquisition, talent competency, DISC models, and Spiral Dynamics models to recruit and train newcomers to cope with unpredicted customer behavior. On the other hand, customers get trained on how to confront suppliers with scripted rules, regulations, and loopholes. Getting into a sales and marketing career is just like getting into defense service, with the difference between wartime and no wartime situation.
SCM (Purchase and Procurement)— Negotiation has become an eyewash as the customer decides well before which Vendor they would like to consider, but just to keep the management process satisfied, they call at least three vendors to negotiate just to disqualify the unwanted supplier by reasoning out why they could not be considered. On the other hand, vendors are not well versed with purchase rules and processes, silently walking out wondering what went wrong.
Tenders or RFP are invited by publishing a well-known supplier’s specification which no other supplier can match, which could be justified for rejection by the client. Even when two suppliers have the same specifications with different technology, one of them gets rejected as the client is unaware of this technology and other clients are not following it. They can filter most of the bidders by putting GMP, cGMP class, IQ/OQ/PQ/DQ, FAT, and Non-explosive clauses. The client procurement process is completely ignorant of the latest technology and is not ready to accept any specification that deviates from the URS, losing the best technology available in the market.
Meeting Clients— In the ‘80s and ’90s, one could walk through the security gate and meet all the research faculties daily. Now, you need to make an appointment in advance through the mail and can only meet one person at a time inside a designated chamber monitored by CCTV. This has thrown a significant challenge to the salespersons in completing a few calls on a given day. In some companies, the user himself has to come out and accompany you inside, even if you need to visit a washroom. Very pathetic situation. The line of trust has narrowed down, and survival of the fittest is only the answer.
salespersons - http://www.edgecrm.app/articles/top-web-series-every-salesperson-should-watch
1998 vs. 2021. What do you think has been the biggest change in your professional life?
Varadharajan: There was a major shift in my area and responsibility. Selling for Pharma companies supplying scientific instruments to pharma companies, managing large teams, representing my company internationally, undergoing management training and self-development courses from Dale Carnegie, MIller Herman, Mercury International, and Dr. Smartha were a few added advantages to my managerial skill.
Can you describe the toughest deal/ phase of your professional life?
Varadharajan: PHASE
Shifting from medical products to instruments, chemical to software, representative to the leader, individual attribute to team attributes, pride for self success to team success, one HQ to another HQ, one customer segment to another segment, bachelorhood to married, hard copy reporting to internet mailing platform, landline to mobile, cycle to car conveyance, one person interaction to group interaction and many challenging environments.
TOUGHEST DEAL
I had to win a deal of 272000 Swiss Francs. Deal at one of the giant pharma companies amidst a committee consisting of technical, user, and SCM teams,s which I could win with my prior planning considering the team members' past history and behavioral patterns. You strike a deal when your premonition matches your prediction. You must know whenever a client calls you for negotiation, you are 90% closer to the deal. You need to learn a few tools like Vulnerability analysis, Opportunity Analysis, and Scenario Planning. There is no shortcut to success. There are many situational analysis lessons to be learned and exercised without deviation.
You are a certified sales trainer and coach and provide consultation to various organizations. How would you describe that experience?
Varadharajan: Training and coaching were always a part of my job earlier. The dynamics of coaching and training depend on what kind of subjects you have. It could be sales, life, executive, health, meditation, numerology, Vastu, and Vedic astrology coaching. I never took any fee for my training and coaching, as God gave me this opportunity to share with the younger generation. Recently, I started charging a very nominal fee as most people believe that any knowledge which comes for free is not as good as paid knowledge. It is a myth but true.
More and more aspiring candidates in their careers come for consultation.
Do you think social media plays a major role in modern sales techniques?
Varadharajan: Yes, to a greater extent. Man is a social animal; hence whichever topic is spoken about and discussed among societies, the perception is instant. One of the best B2B or B2C platforms is LINKEDIN; other social media are Facebook (social), Whatsapp (personal), Instagram, and Twitter. The most common video platform is YouTube, web hosting (for presence). We must understand that no business deal can be finalized on social media. They are the only channels to get like-minded customers or suppliers, ultimately creating a platform for discussion and concluding the business deal outside the forum. We call lead generation cold, warm or hot leads. You need to identify and work on them to convert them to your interest. Like an exhibition, it creates awareness. The exhibition leads conversion is only 3%, but awareness impacts are 95%.
What is your greatest achievement?
Varadharajan: My biggest achievement is becoming a better performer year to year and excelling in everything in my domain of responsibility and accountability. Raising my career from a medical salesperson to Marketing Head having been successful in all market and customer segments, Representing my companies in Shanghai, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Japan, and other SAARC countries.
What would it be if you had to describe your journey in one word?
Varadharajan: Dedication and Determination, Planning and execution, and updating and upgrading skills are key milestones.
You’ve worked with veterans as well as new-age sales professionals. What do you think separates them?
Varadharajan: The veteran's mind is made up of expertise and experience. Hence it is not easy for the new-age sales force to adapt overnight. The veterans that have evolved with the change of time and need will sustain longer in this industry. The major difference noted among the new sales force is their ability to change their mindset, flexibility, perception, and teamwork. New management graduates are well-trained in classrooms with modern gadgets, and cross-cultural teams merge effortlessly into the system in less time. They are restless and want to achieve everything they desire quickly, which was not the case for veterans. I have seen many management graduates who cannot sustain fundamental subject knowledge in an interview, but their certificates qualify them for an attempt. Veterans had a few disciplines like time management, reporting, rapport building, and sincerity towards their profession. The new generation lacks all these qualities until and unless they are forced to adapt, which may cost them their job.
What keeps are you going?
Varadharajan: Every person is driven by his passion and need of the hour. As the market evolves, one must learn to keep pace with the dynamics. Today many newcomers need coaching, training, mentoring, counseling, and consultancy to move along with the change and market demand. People with average skills have no place to survive, and all old techniques are getting obsolete. That is why many coaching and training firms have started pitching their leadership skill training programs tailor-made for the young generation. There is a big boom in online training and coaching. Whether it is public speaking by Tony Robbins, Coaching by Brian Tracy, and John Metton, Inspiring business success by Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, or the YouTube channel by Vivek Bindra and Sinek Simon, it is flooded with information and tutorials. Udemy, EDEX, and many other educational forums advertise their course models to choose what is best for you with nominal fees. Being in the coaching/ Training Industry to keep abreast with demand, I am learning day-by-day new principles of sales and marketing. It depends on how one applies to the required situation.
How do you like to spend your me-time? What are your hobbies?
Varadharajan: Me-time is something very special to my heart. In this spare time, I continued to concentrate on my professional textbooks and videos, adding new approaches, and in my divided hours, a holiday trip with my family exploring new places, which was a mix of hill resorts, nature, and pilgrimage to add energy to my professional journey. Music and sports are my favorite leisure segments which I never compromise. A happy mind gives you a healthy body. In pursuit of diversifying my learning, I did a lot of self-learning courses through IDX, Udemy on Vastu, Numerology, Vedic Astrology, Finance, Marketing Analytics, Business coaching, Neuroscience (NLP), Digital Marketing as I always believe a holistic approach to your life and career can only be attained with diversified learning.
Any tips/ advice for youngsters who are about to be a part of the sales and marketing industry?
Varadharajan: I will not call this TIPS or ADVICE. Rather, I would term it as an eye-opener as you do introspection.
1. Firstly, you must be passionate about doing a job without looking at social stigma. All parents want their children to be doctors, engineers, and scientists, but those who are left out in the race opt for sales jobs. No job is as dynamic and challenging as a sales job. Growth is exponential, and freedom is at your disposal.
2. Prepare yourself with a healthy lifestyle like yoga, meditation, and diet, as all these habits will help you for better endurance in the dynamic and unpredictable working environment.
3. Update and Upgrade your knowledge of marketing, finance, sales techniques, communication, and interpersonal relationship, all soft skills required to excel in your performance.
4. Do not jump from one company to another for financial gain. Judge well before any decision, as instability may ruin your identity in the market, and customers may doubt your credibility.
5. Keep time and commitment at all levels, whether your management, customers, or suppliers.
6. Be courageous to say ‘NO’ in any situation, rather than saying YES and failing.
7. Read useful books on sales, marketing, and public speaking. Watch inspiring movies.
8. Respect your teammates and peers and learn from them.
9. Take self-development courses in regular intervals to upgrade and update skill levels.
10. If you are a qualified management graduate, learn to merge your learning with the corporate requirement.
If you had to pinpoint one mistake the young sales professionals are making in today’s times, what could it be?
Varadharajan: Getting overwhelmed with information and not being able to decide what is right and wrong. Not having a mentor, coach and trainer.
