As travellers cross the Attibele tollgate and head towards Hosur, men clad in lungis and shirts, call out, blow whistles and try every method possible to attract people’s attention to the shops selling firecrackers.
These are the ‘marketing men’ who drum up business for the line of shops on Hosur Road from Attibele to Zuzuwadi. Among them is M. Kalaichelvan, an MBA graduate who has come from Sivakasi to learn the trade of customer satisfaction and marketing. There are also college students who work part time as the ‘marketing agents’.
“I finished my MBA in HR and Marketing from Kalasalingam University in Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu. I told my father Michael Raj, a farmer, that I am going for an interview but came here instead to assist my friend who works in a shop that sells firecrackers,” said Mr. Kalaichelvan, who is in his early 20s.
He feels that in the last week alone, he has lost his inhibition. “I have learnt a lot from these lungi-clad men. Right from customer satisfaction to branding and marketing, they know everything despite their lack of formal education,” he adds.
With sales affected this year, shopkeepers are trying to attract customers to their shops through every method possible.
“This year, the local administration has prevented us from erecting big hoardings and in Hosur we don’t have permission to display our wares on the foothpath. So we are using men to draw customers,” says V. Venkatesan, manager of a shop in Attibelle. He also manages a couple of shops on the Hosur side of the border.
Mr. Kalaichelvan is learning from Mr. Venkatesan. “There are also college students who work with us on part-time basis. They cater to customers from different states and converse easily in English and Hindi,” he said.
