English Conversation - Meeting in the Management Office

Meeting In The Manager's Office

Mr.chatterji, the marketing manager, is waiting in his office for the marketing and sales conference. There is a knock at his door.

Mr.Chatterji Yes, come in.

Prema, Niren and Ranjan enter the room and each one says “Good afternoon”, Mr.chatterji”.

Mr.chatterji Ah. Good afternoon, good afternoon. Do sit down all of you. I’ll just finish these
letters and then I’ll be with you (finishing his work and looking up). Where is the market survey report, Prema? I haven’t seen it yet.

Prema I have it here sir.

Mr.chatterji You know you ought to send the report to me at least a day or two before a meeting.

Prema I’ll do that in future Sir. In this case, the survey was not completed till late last evening.

Mr.chatterji I see and so the report couldn’t be ready till now I suppose. I haven’t had time to study this. Any way, who surveyed the market for electric bulbs and fluorescent tubes? Niren and you Ranjan?

Ranjan Yes Sir. I made a survey of the dealers and whole-salers in the chandni chowk and sadar Bazar areas. Niren covered the retailers in the south Delhi markets.

Mr.chatterji Was not survey made about consumer preferences?

Prema The Advertising Agency have sent in a report about consumer reactions to their advertisements about our Brand ‘N’ Bulbs and tubes. We’ve added that information about consumer’s awareness of our product in the marketing report I’ve compiled here.

Mr.chatterji What about the electrical contractors, the big offices, and the marriage party arrangement contractors?

Ranjan All these categories of big users and buyers make their purchases from whole sale dealers. So we didn’t think it necessary to contact the big users directly sir.

Mr.chatterji I see. Well, what are broadly your findings?

Niren My survey of the market for electric bulbs and fluorescent tubes in south Delhi showed that these are mainly retail outlets. The retailers buy from wholesalers in old Delhi and sell them to individual consumers as replacement for household fittings.

Ranjan The dealers in old Delhi are mainly wholesalers. They sell to big buyers like electrical contractors, offices, etc and retail stores. The brand preferences in terms of over-all sales seem to indicate that Brand ‘B’ is the leader, followed by Brand ‘C’.

Mr. Chatterji What is the position in respect of our Brand ‘N’
Ranjan Brand ‘N’ is a new entrant in the field though there is significant awareness of our product but the old tested brands.

Mr.chatterji What have you suggested in your report Prema?

Prema I feel that there is a potential for the sale of electric bulbs and more so for fluorescent tubes in the market. That is to say, that the market for bulbs and tubes is not yet fully saturated. If we offer more dealer incentives, we could induce the dealers to push the sales of our product more energetically.

Niren I feel that our Advertising campaign ought also to be stepped up, so that the Brand’s name is popularized and give confidence in our product is created.

Mr.chatterji I agree. Then let us do it this way. Ranjan, you organize a sales force that goes house to house canvassing of our product. Prema you call up the Advertising agency and tell them to open an effective Advertising campaign for our products. Niren, you maintain a personal contact with the big wholesalers back to me after a week. Is that all right?

(B) Meanings

dealer a businessman who buys and sells products.
wholesalers a businessman who buys and sells in large quantities only.
Retailers A shopkeeper who sells goods in small quantities.
consumer the user or the person who buys the goods for his own use.
preference to like one in favour of another.
reactions response
awareness to know about.
complied put together
purchase to buy
outlets means of exit or market
replacement to place instead of
enterant one that enters
significant important
bulk buyers large quantity buyers
potential possibility
saturated to soak up thoroughly
incentive something encouraging, to lead to action
step up to hasten the speed of
sales force an organised set of salesmen and women.
canvass to discuss and persuade in favour of

(C) Study the following respons

1 The Marketing organization of a company should not waste time and effort in preparing market survey reports from time to time. Before starting manufacture of a product all the factors are already taken into consideration.
Response: On the contrary, it is very necessary to send surveyors out into the market at regular intervals. The conditions prevailing at the time of manufacture are not constant and unchanging for all times to come. Moreover, once the product has come out of the factory, the consumer’s reaction has to be gauged and the competitor’s selling points countered. Hence market surveys are the basic requirement of any marketing organization.

2 What is the difference between wholesalers and retailers?
Response: Wholesalers are those businessmen who deal in the sale and purchase of only large quantities of goods. Retailers are shopkeepers who sell products in small quantities to individual buyers.

(D) Make suitable responses

1 What were Ranjan’s finding from his survey of old Delhi dealers?
Response _____________________________
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2 What were Prema’s recommendations?
Response _______________________________
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