Crisis also an opportunity

A professional forum was held by Karrier és Stílus Tanácsadó Kft on 20. May, under the tittle “Boost sales-meet your objectives”. Eszter Melisek from Nielsen spoke about market trends in the first quarter of 2009. A rearrangement in the structure of consumer spending is taking place. – Over reacting should be avoided, as changes in consumer preferences hold new opportunities- she added. Mrs. Marosfi, sales and marketing director of spoke about successful survival. She emphasised that money is not the only thing needed for survival. Mental munition is also essential. Zsolt Vuleta, managing director of Bacardi-Martini and László Békefi, a sales manager from Coca-Cola Hungary outlined new solutions inspired by the crisis. Bacardi-Martini has broken a tradition, joining forces with a soft drinks manufacturer to speed up the sales process. According to Ferenc Szecskó, sales director of L’Oreal Magyarország, the period of extensive growth is over. ATL tools need to be re-evaluated as they are losing their effectiveness. Battles are decided in the stores. A roundtable discussion was held about possible ways to boost sales with Ágnes Csiby (Promo Power), László Szilvásy (Leadsystem) and László Vekkel (HPS). When is it feasible to employ an external contractor for sales work – was the question. Sometimes agencies can reach stores more cost-effectively than the sales teams of manufacturers. According to Ágnes Csiby, the performance of agencies depends on control and supervision. A presentation about classic distribution channels and HoReCa was held by Csaba Belovai, sales director of Zwack. He outlined the changes which had taken place in the life of Zwack in the 2004-2009 period. László Csorba, supply chain director of METRO Hungary spoke about the successful co-operation between METRO and its suppliers. Péter Boros, sales director of Co-op Hungary spoke about their business policy in the changing environment.