Research for

Marketing Decisions

Group Assignment

Conduct an in-depth interview

with a B2B salesperson and
perform Thematic Analysis of
the data

Group Members
Dhruv Srivastava – MS23A024

Rahul Gupta – MS23A062

Rahan Halder – MS23A061

Kaustav Banerjee – MS23A038

Pankaj Gulati - MS23D025

 Interview Transcript
Q1. Describe your sales job.
Response:
Absolutely. So, thanks for letting me discuss and talk about my role at AARTI Industries. So, at AARTI
Industries, I was employed as a B2B sales representative and my focus was on a line of agricultural
chemicals. So, as a sales representative at the AARTI Industries, my job was to provide sustainable
and high-quality crop solutions for our clients. And a big part of my role is understanding the specific
needs and challenges of key decision makers in these sectors, especially the agriculture sector. So,
my typical day includes a lot of tasks.

First, I have to keep looking out for new customers, new potential leads in the field and this includes
surveys of farms, seed companies, then there are distributors of agricultural products and to get to
leads like this, I have to actively participate in industry trade shows and other networking events. But
it is also noteworthy that my job is not just about finding new clients, it is about building strong and
lasting relationships with them. So, once I have a clear picture and I can show how artists products
can meet their requirements, their challenges and contribute to their success in a sustainable
manner. And since the agricultural chemicals that we sell can be a bit complex. So, it is quite
important to keep up to date with the latest industry news, research data and regulations. So,
basically this in-depth knowledge allows me to confidently present my products and explain how
they can potentially benefit the client. And once the best fit between the solutions provided by
AARTI and the client's needs is identified, I create a custom proposal describing the pricing, the
product descriptions and general pricing. So, communicating these ideas and ultimately closing the
deal is an important part of my role. However, my job isn't done once a sale closes. It is important to
stay in touch with the customers. I want to make sure that they are happy with the products and
address any questions and concerns should they have any. Now, the agricultural sector is growing
rapidly and is highly competitive.

So, meeting sales targets, staying ahead of new technology and gaining customer confidence in a
market, the product choices have a huge impact on the productivity and bottom line. These all things
contribute to the sustained pressure and because of which it creates a lot of stress as well.

Q2. What in your job or workplace triggers stress for you?

Response:
Well, as a B2B sales representative at AARTI industries, there are many variables that contribute to
job related stress. One major source of pressure is meeting sales targets. Like most sales
representatives I have monthly and quarterly targets to meet. And let me tell you, these deadlines
can be rather tough, especially near the end of the sales cycle.

So missing a target can result in a lot of extra work hours to close the gap. There is also the risk of
receiving some critical comments and negative feedback from the management, which can be
demoralizing. And the most important thing is it can mean potentially reduced commissions as well,
because in a sales job, a significant portion of my earnings is based on commissions. And then we
have the length of sales cycles in this industry, which often makes it quite stressful.
Also since the agricultural chemicals that we sell are complex items, the client's decision making
process frequently involves numerous people. So this often means that the deal may take a lot of
time to close. So you may devote a significant amount of time and effort to developing a relationship
with the client which might bear no fruit in the end as well.

You have to understand their specific requirements and then come up with a proposal that is tailor-
made for them, that is, it meets precisely all of their issues. So however this thing, this entire process
can take months or might perhaps fail outright. So after all of this hard work that you put in to see
that a deal falls flat on his face,it's really disheartening. And then there's this issue of price sensitivity.

So this farmers, the agricultural enterprises who form a significant portion of our client tell, they're
extremely cost conscious and pretty concerned about the return on investment that they get for
their products. So this all translates to some tough negotiations, some tough bargainings, some
difficult price stocks.

And I mean, I continuously feel the need to justify the value proposition of the products that we offer
by emphasizing on the long term benefits and the benefits that it would have on their yields. So to
convince a client, it takes a lot of effort. Then there's this thing about weather conditions because
agriculture as an industry is extremely reliant on weather conditions and you never know what
mother nature may throw at you. So say for example, you have a severe drought or a severe or an
unexpected frost for example, or unexpectedly high amounts of rainfall, these can devastate a
farmers yield. So this potentially limits their ability to invest in new items. So this volatility makes it
difficult to precisely forecast sales. And so obviously contributes to the overall stress level as well.And
then there's lastly, there's this need to keep up with regulation.

The regulatory landscape for agricultural chemicals is always changing. So there are always new
safety standards in place, new safety standards coming up every year so often that we need to be
aware of and abide by some environmental regulations we have to follow. And even this might
include prospective banks on certain products as well. So like falling back on this information can
result in major legal difficulties or missed sales chances. So there's a lot of information to keep track
of which acts to the overall burden.

Q3. Has your job-related stress affected your performance, and how?
Response:
Well yes, there have been times like I mentioned previously like there have been moments when job-
related stress has motivated me to perform better. It totally depends on the type of stress and how I
handle it. For example, like approaching deadlines can be a two-way street. Even though the
pressure to close a deal before the quarter ends might be strong, it pushes me to be creative. I find
myself delving deeper and thinking outside the box to come up with ideas that benefit both the
client as well as the company, which results in a win-win thing for both of us. And similarly, dealing
with demanding clients or say sophisticated technological issues can be unpleasant but it might also
provide a valuable learning experience like the pressure to perform basically motivates me to
broaden my knowledge base. And I in turn explore our products like explore further into our
products, industry laws and competitive offerings.

It's sort of like receiving a crash course that will help me become a better seller. Even in high pressure
situations like sales presentations and all stress can be beneficial. Adrenaline can actually help me
focus sometimes. It sort of makes me more meticulous in preparing any proposal, anticipating
probable objections and developing a clear and appealing message.

This results into more effective presentation which sort of increases the likelihood of closing the
business. So all in all I believe that the key here is the good stress reaction is brief and controlled. It's
a temporary boost that could be useful.

However, like I mentioned previously, if the stress becomes too severe and chronic, it can cause some
trouble, some results. So prolonged stress can have a wide range of negative effects that impairs the
performance and is detrimental to the company as well. So the key thing here is we have to
effectively manage stress. By implementing healthy coping methods, I might use stress to maximize
the benefits. Basically use the benefits of short term stress while minimizing negative effects of
chronic stress on my ability to perform well at work.

Q4. Are there times when job-related stress improved your job performance, and
how?
Response:
Well, yes, job-related stress has indeed affected my performance. So basically it can be thought of as
a two-way street. On the one hand, it can have a detrimental effect on my performance, like
whenever I'm under the pressure to achieve sales targets or negotiate a difficult deal, it's easy to lose
sight of the big picture. I mean, there have been instances of me neglecting important details while
assessing leads, ignore prospective leads while prospecting or even fall behind on following up with
existing clients.

It's as if information overload has set in and this sort of like, I struggle to keepup with this sort of
challenges that come at me. Now the stress affects me through decision fatigue as well. Like every
day there are numerous decisions to be taken. So these decisions could be anywhere from
prioritizing leads to personalizing bits for specific clients and finally negotiating the final agreement.
This constant back and forth might be mentally exhausting.

Sometimes I feel as if I'm just going through the motions and it's difficult to make sound decisions.

This can result in missed opportunities or dangerous decisions that have had detrimental influence
on at this financial performance. And also the third thing is like stress can also deplete my creativity.

So like the sales, this profession requires ample amounts of creativity from the sales persons.

So coming up with novel solutions for clients or presenting or creating captivating sales speeches,
misses it, takes a bright and engaged mind. But when I'm anxious, all of my creativity appears to go
away. I find it tough to approach problems from new perspectives or differentiates at the solutions
from the competition. And then there's this increased risk of burning out. So because of persistent
stress and overpowering, it might cause severe emotional weariness and cause me to lose interest
towards work as well. So I mean, there may be feeling of me, there may be cases of me feeling
demotivated, unenthusiastic about work. And this might indirectly impact my performance as well.

So however, I don't believe that all stress is harmful. Like moderate amount of stress can be
beneficial as well. It helps me stay focused and motivated to attain my goals. The aim is to achieve a
good equilibrium. That is why managing stress is such an important aspect of my profession. I've
developed several coping methods that I find useful and if you want, I can share with them as well
during this conversation.

Q5. Tell us something about your industry, and the product/service/solution you sell.
Response:
Well, AARTI Industries was established in 1984 and like, you know, it's a leading Indian manufacturer
of specialty chemicals with a global footprint. And especially in the last decade or so, AARTI
Industries has really transformed from an Indian company servicing global markets to a global entity
with a state of aarti manufacturing facilities in India. So, it primarily manufactures chemicals used in
the downstream manufacturing of agrochemicals, polymers, additives, surfactants, pigments and
dyes.

In AARTI Industries, I basically wear many hats. Like, primarily as a B2B sales representative, my main
focus would be understanding the specific needs of our clients in the agricultural sector.

I mean, this client can include farms of all sizes, like seed companies and distributors of agricultural
products. So, it is my responsibility to build strong relationships with them and possibly demonstrate
to them how AARTI's innovative and sustainable crop solutions can address the challenges.

Now, one of the biggest challenges that our clients face is cost-effectiveness. So, farmers are
constantly looking for ways to maximize their return on investment. And this translates into using
products that deliver strong results without breaking the bank. And at AARTI Industries, we
understand that and we are committed to offering competitively priced agricultural chemicals that
do not compromise on quality of performance.

Now, also as mentioned previously, the unpredictability of weather conditions obviously has to have
a big impact on the agricultural output of the country. And this in turn affects the company's
performance as well, since we are into the agricultural sector as well.

So, all in all, it is important to remember that the agricultural industry is a complex one. Also, the
regulations pertaining to the industry are constantly evolving as well.

So, AARTI of my value proposition to clients is my deep understanding of the current regulatory
landscape. So, this understanding allows me to provide ongoing support and guidance and also to
ensure that the products that we developed are safe and compliant with the regulatory norms. So, at
the end of the day, as a sales representative here, my goal is to be a trusted partner for our clients in
the agricultural sector.

So, by offering high-quality, cost-effective solutions, along with the knowledge, skills and support
they need to thrive, I can help my clients achieve their farming goals and contribute to a more
sustainable and productive agricultural future, which is a win-win situation for all of us.

Thank you.
Thematic analysis for Q2 and Q3
Primary Theme Sub Themes Count
Stress Demoralizing 1
Overall stress level 1
Job related stress 2
Severe stress 2
Chronic stress 1
Good stress reaction 1
Dealing with demanding clients 1
Adrenaline 1
Pressure to perform 1
Performance Deadlines 1
Meeting deadlines 1
Tough negotiations 1
Missed Sales Chances 1
Legal Difficulties 1
Focus 1
Likelihood of closing the business 1
Pressure to close a deal 1
Meticulous 1
Job Reduced Commissions 1
Negative Feedback 1
Anticipating probable objections 1
Developing a clear and appealing message 1

Thematic analysis for Q4

Primary Theme Sub Theme Count
Job sales targets 1
negotiate 2
leads 3
attain my goals 1
good equilibrium 1
managing stress 1
Stress pressure 1
information overload 1
mentally exhausting 2
anxious 1
Performance detrimental effect 2
creativity 3
engaged mind 1