“It was on 23rd March 2012 that I got a job with TTK Prestige Ltd. as a Territory Sales Executive. After a tough selection process, just two of us got through, one from Jaipuria Institute of Management, Jaipur and the other from Jaipuria Noida. I was lucky to have made it through,” recalls Abhishek Soni, a student of the batch of 2010-2012.

After failing to clear the Group Discussion (GD) for his preferred company, Neuearth Pvt. Ltd., Soni had to put his best into the second interview. Soni remembers, “It was a hectic day and I was under pressure to perform. I did not want to fail. We started the day with the presentations at 7:30 in the morning followed by an aptitude test. Out of 45 students, only two of us made it to the post of Territory Sales Executive.”

He believes that he could not have got the job if his faculty had not helped him crack the interview. “My teachers helped me identify and hone my marketing skills to be able to make it to the retail industry,” says Soni.

Today, Soni is a confident and competent professional who has started making a mark through his hard work. He proudly remarks, “Out of a target of starting 5 franchise stores by March 2013, I have already confirmed 4. My aim now is open at least 6 by the end of December 2012.” Soni has been able to implement all the tricks of the trade he was taught at Jaipuria Jaipur.

Soni is responsible for the complete retail management of 12 stores in the Rajasthan region of north India. “My job is to explore new markets and find clients for setting up new franchise stores in the region,” explains Soni. He is constantly researching and developing new leads to identify a client. Soni also develops negotiating strategies and positions, by studying the integration of new franchise with company strategies and operations, and by examining risks and potentials.

The most challenging part of his job is to ensure that all special events, visual merchandising and branding of the stores are executed in tandem with the plan laid down by the Head Office. He also looks after POP management and vendor management. Soni explains, “Since the business is new, I cannot make a mistake. I ensure that the staff in the stores is trained, coached, mentored and provided with a good working environment. After all, they are the interface between the client and the company.” From formulating online and offline marketing strategy to revenue generation, he has tokeep a tab on all elements. Soni then has to do store visit the stores to check on whether the agreed terms and conditions are being followed.

While Soni is passionate about what he does, he has a word of caution. “We have learned in systematic way but in the real world, we have to accept some chaos. It’s like the days when we prepared for our presentations at the last moment.” He adds, “Its chaotic, but worth the challenge. I like what I do and that’s why I have been able to achieve more than was expected.”