It’s not easy to run a fast-moving consumer goods business (FMCG) successfully in a competitive market. Especially, when the workers working or handling the FMCG business do not have the required skill set. The FMCG business involves the marketing of regular products such as toothpaste, food items and others. That’s why it's crucial for the employees working in the FMCG company to understand their roles and objectives. Also, they must have the skills to understand their customers and competitors to generate more sales. So, it’s worth highlighting that working in an FMCG company successfully will require skills and the ability to learn new things. The FMCG business depends on sales, the more sales it makes, the more growth and development it will achieve. All this can be achievable when the employees working for FMCG business have the required skills as mentioned below.
Skills Needed for a Bright Career in the FMCG Industry
Market Research
To work successfully in the FMCG industry requires an understanding of market research. Using the same one can identify a problem and understand its solution. The market research is of two types: Exploratory and Conclusive Research.
Exploratory Research
In this type of qualitative research, researchers need to identify the problem. The problem then gets explained for an in-depth understanding. This exploratory research consists of a secondary literature review, in-depth interviews, and a focused group discussion.
Conclusive Research
In this quantitative research, researchers know about the problem and work further to find its solution. They also put time into understanding whether the thesis presented by the exploratory research is valid or not. The conclusive research involves questionnaires and experiment-stimulation.
Data Analytics
The process of data analytics and market research goes hand-in-hand. So, it is the second crucial point for building a successful career in the FMCG business. With the help of technical skills, data is analysed and the results are shown in the form of a report. The report is used to work on a solution or progress in the solution to the identified problem. The data analytics professional uses SQL skills to find out data, communication skills to report the data and programming skills to analyse the data.
Sales Skills
Having FMCG sales skills makes you an ideal candidate for the FMCG industry. With the help of sales skills, one can support the customer in purchases and resolving the issue faced by them. Using sales skills employees not only work for customer satisfaction but also the overall brand engagement. As a sales professional, you must have interpersonal skills to make customers buy from the brand.
Skills to Understand Customer Prospective
Understanding customer perspective is one of the most required skills in the FMCG business. You are not the right fit if you have the core knowledge but don’t know its application. Data analytics and problem-solving skills are needed to know the customer's perspective to ascertain they return to the brand. Understanding the customer perspective makes you understand customers’ requirements and issues and work accordingly on the solutions.
Technical Skills
The technical background of the FMCG business is growing day by day. That leads to developing new projects, which require technical skills. Machines in the FMCG business are also automated, which makes them hire candidates with technical skills. So, the candidates with technical skills are in high demand.
Distributor Management
Maintaining a bond with distributors is also a required skill in the FMCG business. Distributors help FMCG businesses by distributing their products to retailers who further sell the same to the end users. They are responsible for covering the market. Sometimes, they need to handle the client base for the industry. For better marketing, it’s crucial to have distributor relationship skills. As it solves the issues faced by distributors, wholesalers, or retailers of the company.
Financial Accounting
For better marketing and technical skills, it’s crucial to have financial accounting skills. A responsible financial accountant in the FMCG industry handles all day-to-day financial responsibilities; including payable accounts and payroll. As a financial accountant, you must be skilled in the production of financial reports, accurate processing of financial records, maintaining the accounting records and designing the budget to mitigate risks.
Conclusion
These are some skills employees working in the FMCG business must have according to their job profiles. There are several job roles in FMCG. Want to make a career in the FMCG industry? Enrol in reBLISS - a platform that helps in finding work across FMCG, retail, logistics, banking and several other categories. Enrol Now!
