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    SEMINAR REPORT

    AREA OF STUDY:

    "To study the factors that enhance a dealer to gain a competitive

    advantage over other dealers in cellular industry"..

    SUBMITTED BY

    Jaspreet Kaur Bisla

    MBA 2nd SEM

    Roll no: 2012.MGB.1084

    SUNMITTED TO:

    DR.RAGHBIR SINGH

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    ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

    I sincerely thank Dr.RAGHBIR SINGH for giving me an opportunity to take up this seminar. I

    thank him for being a constant source of inspiration and encouragement. I would like to

    express my gratitude to him for providing me support to conduct this research.

    Without his continuous help, suggestions and encouragement it would not have been possible for

    me to complete the project effectively.

    I would also express my deep gratitude to my family, friends without whose cooperation this

    project would not have been possible.

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    CONTENTS

    Serial no. Topics Page no.

    1. Acknowledgement 2

    2. Executive summary 4

    3. Competitive Advantage 7

    4. Resources & Abilities 9

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    5. Capability of Competitors 12

    6. Research Design 13

    7. Sample Design 16

    8. Profile of Industry 19

    9. Profile of Organizations 21

    10. Profile of Sample Unit 29

    11. Introduction to Analysis 30

    12. Data Analysis & Tools 31

    13. Summary of Findings 59

    14. Recommendations 61

    15. Questionnaire 64

    16. Bibliography 69

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    Executive Summary

    This dissertation report deals with the study on the factors that enhance a dealer to gain a

    competitive advantage over other dealers in cellular industry.

    The study was carried out within the Amritsar city amongst a sample size of 30 dealers

    appointed as franchisees ha the four cellular service providers i.e., Airtel, Spice, Hutch,

    BSNL. The sample has been chosen on convenience basis.

    The report has taken into consideration the contribution of attributes such as price, quality,

    catchy advertising, public relation, reliability and ready availability of the product concerned

    at a favorable product price, good distribution network at the concerned dealers.

    The major findings of the report are that the general conversion rate of cold calls into

    productive call ranges from 50% to 60% and the conversion rate of a direct enquiry received

    by the company which is passed on to the dealer ranges between 60% to 70%. Customers

    are taking more time to place an order due to the competition in market and the confusion

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    prevailing in the minds of the customers either to opt for a GSM based service or CDMA

    based operators of which pricing being the single largest factor.

    This report gave me an insight into the market dynamics of the cellular industry. Especially

    the players operating in the market and the nature of competition prevailing in the market.

    The analysis ofmarket opportunities for cellular industry is of great importance where

    marketing and distribution channel comes into the forefront. Marketing is a comprehensive

    term; it concludes a group of basic activities in order to create and promote customers

    demand and to direct the flow of services from the original producer to the final consumer in

    the process of distribution

    In the past, more emphasis was laid on production concept and easy availability of goods at

    cheaper prices and no efforts were made to look into the needs and wants of the consumer,

    this was where the use of Marketing concepts appeared which was then used as an

    instrument to look into every matter beginning from the existing market to the satisfaction of

    the consumers.

    Now in buyers market, marketing is such an important and basic concept that now the

    companies have it as a separate functional departments all together, where the whole

    business is seen from the point of view of its final results because today market consists of

    all potential customers sharing a particular need or want who might be willing and able to

    engage in exchange to satisfy that need or want.

    Marketing Management is to analyze the long run opportunities in the market for

    improving its performance and also to get more new opportunities. A marketing opportunity is

    an area of need in which a company can perform profitability. Opportunities can be

    tested and classified according to their attractiveness and success probability. The

    company's success probability depends on where its business strength lies as well as its key

    success requirements for the target market so as to exceed those of its competitors. The

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    best performing company will be the one that can generate greater value and sustain it

    overtime.

    With reference to the Indian population, rising literacy levels and knowledge the

    deserving consumer has been found to prefer only the best available product in the market

    and also that is wallet friendly. With liberalization the Indian Economy has thrown to foreign

    investors since 1991

    The market and the marketing concepts in India today are going through a great

    change and competition. With the opening up of the Indian Economy to the western and

    multinational companies, it has led to rapid westernization of the Indian Consumer and due

    to this many competitors are offering the same product and service at competitive prices.

    The market and the marketing concepts in India today are going through a great

    change and competition. With the opening up of the Indian Economy to the western and

    multinational companies, it has led to rapid westernization of the Indian Consumer and due

    to this many competitors are offering the same product and service at competitive prices.

    The consumers in recent days have become more conscious about their needs and

    wants and they expect the very best product for their hard earned money. The companies

    thus must enter into the consumer market with strategic marketing to win the hearts and

    minds of the consumer. In India with the rise in purchasing power of people at large, they

    have a tendency to spend money on luxurious items, which are good in quality and are

    reasonably priced.

    Today a large number of companies are going into the number game where they are

    concentrating on the volume of sales keeping in mind the price, quality, profits and the taste

    and satisfaction of the consumer.

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    People satisfy their needs and wants with product. Product is anything that can be

    offered to a market for attention, acquisition, used as consumption that might satisfy needs

    and wants. Smart marketers try to build up long term relationship with valued customers,

    distributed, dealers and suppliers.

    In this project we therefore take a look at the cellular industry which has become more

    competitive in the past 2 years because of more purchasing power of the people, emergence

    of a large middle and upper middle class people and also most importantly because of the

    recent changes in the telecom policies and the recent recommendations of Telecom

    Regulatory Authority of India which has made cellular connections feasible even to the

    middle class customers.

    COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

    EFFICIENCY

    A Company is a device for transforming inputs into outputs. Inputs are basic factors of

    production such as labour, land, capital, management, technological know-how and so on.Outputs are the goods and services that a company produces. Efficiency is measured by the

    cost of inputs required to produce a given output. The more efficient a company, the lower is

    the cost of inputs required to produce the given output. Thus efficiency helps a company

    attain a low-cost competitive advantage.

    One of the keys for achieving high efficiency is to utilize inputs in the most productive

    way possible. The most important component of efficiency for most companies is employee

    productivity, which is usually measured by output per employee. Holding all else constant,

    the company with the highest employee productivity in an industry will typically have the

    lowest cost of production. In other words that company will have a cost-based competitive

    advantage.

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    QUALITY

    Quality products are goods and services that are reliable in the sense that they do the job

    they were designed for and do it well. The impact of high product quality on competitive

    advantage is two fold:

    Providing high quality products creates a brand name reputation for a companys product.

    In turn, this enhanced reputation allows a company to charge a higher price for its

    products.

    Greater efficiency and hence lower unit cost brought about by higher product quality. The

    major effect here is through the impact of quality on productivity. Higher product quality

    means that less employee time is wasted making defective products or providing sub-

    standard services and less time has to be spent fixing mistakes. This translates into

    higher employee productivity and lower unit costs. Thus high product quality not only lets

    a company charge higher prices for its products, it also lowers cost.

    The importance of quality in building competitive advantage has increased

    dramatically in recent years. Indeed, so crucial is the emphasis placed on quality by many

    companies that achieving high product quality could no longer be viewed as just one way

    of gaining a competitive advantage. In many industries it has become an absoluteimperative for survival.

    INNOVATION:

    Innovation can be defined as anything new or novel about the way a company

    operates or the products it produces. Thus innovation includes advances in the kinds of

    products, production processes, management systems, organizational structures and

    strategies developed by a company

    Innovation is perhaps the single most important building block of competitive advantage.

    Competition can be viewed as a process driven by innovation. Although not all innovation

    succeeds, those that do can be a major source of competitive advantage. The reason is that

    by definition, successful innovation gives a company something unique something that its

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    competitors lack (until they imitate the innovation). This uniqueness may allow a company to

    differentiate itself from its rivals and charge a premium price for its product. Alternatively it

    may allow a company to reduce its unit costs far below those of competitors

    CUSTOMER RESPONSIVENESS:

    To achieve customer responsiveness, a company must give its customers exactly

    what they want when they want it. Consequently, a firm must do everything possible to

    identify customer needs and to satisfy them. Among other things, achieving superior

    customer responsiveness involves giving customers value for money. In addition satisfying

    customer needs may require the development of new products with features that existing

    products lack.

    Another factor that stands out in any discussion of customer responsiveness is the

    need to customize goods & services to the unique demand of the customers.

    Besides quality, customization, & response time, other sources of enhanced customer

    responsiveness are superior design, superior service & superior after sales service &

    support. All these factors enhance customer responsiveness & allow a Company to

    differentiate itself from its less responsive competitors. In turn, differentiation enables a

    Company to build brand loyalty and to charge a premium price for its products.

    RESOURCES AND CAPABILITIES:

    The distinctive competencies of an organization arise from two complementary sources:

    Resources

    Capabilities

    Resources refer to the financial, physical, human, technological and organizational

    resources of the Company. These can be divided into tangible resources (land, building,

    plant and equipment) and intangible resources (brand names, reputation, patents and

    technological or marketing know-how). To give rise to distinctive competency the Companys

    resources must be both unique and valuable. A unique resource is one that no other

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    Company has. A resource is valuable if it is in some way helps create strong demand for the

    Companys product.

    Capabilities refer to a Companys skills at co-coordinating its resources and putting them to

    productive use. These skills reside in an organizations routine, that is, in the way a Company

    makes decisions and manages its internal processes in order to achieve organizational

    objectives. These specify how and where decisions are made within a Company, the kind of

    behaviors the Company rewards, and the Companys cultural norms and values. It is

    important to keep in mind that capabilities are, by definition, intangible. They reside not so

    much in individuals as in the way individuals interact, cooperate, and make decisions within

    the context of an organization.

    A Company may have unique and valuable resources, but unless it has the

    capabilities to use those resources effectively it may not be able to create or sustain

    distinctive competency.

    It is important to recognize that a Company may not need unique and valuable

    resources to establish a distinctive competency so long as it has capabilities that no

    competitor possesses.

    STRATEGY AND COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE:

    A company needs to pursue strategies that build on its existing resources and

    capabilities (its competencies), as well as strategies that build additional resources and

    capabilities and thus enhance the companys long-run competitive position.

    BARRIERS TO IMITATION

    Barriers to imitation are factors that make it difficult for a competitor to copy a

    companys distinctive competencies. Since distinctive competencies allow companies to earn

    superior profits, competitors want to imitate them. However, the greater the barriers to such

    imitation, the more sustainable are a companys competitive advantage. It is important to

    note at the outset that a competitor can imitate ultimately almost any distinctive competency.

    The critical issue time. The longer it takes competitors to imitate a distinctive competency,

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    the greater the opportunity that the company has to build a strong marker position and

    reputation with consumers, which is then difficult for competitors to attack. Moreover, the

    longer it takes to achieve an imitation, the greater is the opportunity for the imitated company

    to improve on its competency, or build other competencies, thereby staying one step ahead

    of the competition.

    Imitating Resources The easiest distinctive competencies for prospective rivals to imitate

    tend to be those based on possession of unique and valuable tangible resources, such as

    buildings, plant and equipment. Such resources are visible to competitors and can often be

    purchased on the open market.

    Intangible resources can be more difficult to imitate. This is particularly true of brand

    names. Brand names are important because they symbolize a companys reputation.

    Customers will often display a preference for the products of such companies because the

    brand name is an important guarantee of high quality. Although competitors might like to

    imitate well-established brand names, the law prohibits them from doing so.

    Marketing and technological know-how are also important intangible resources. Unlike

    brand names, however, company-specific marketing and technological know-how can be

    relatively easy to imitate. In the case of marketing may facilitate the general dissemination of

    know-how. More generally, successful marketing strategies are relatively easy to imitate

    because they are so visible to competitors.

    With regard to technological know-how, in theory, the patent system should make

    technological know-how relatively immune to imitation. Patents give the inventor of a new

    product a seventeen-year exclusive production agreement. In general, distinctive

    competencies based on technological know-how can be relatively short-lived.

    Imitating capabilities: Imitating a companys capabilities tends to be more difficult than

    imitating its tangible and intangible resources, chiefly because a companys capabilities are

    often invisible to outsiders. Since capabilities are based on the way in which decisions are

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    made and processes managed deep within a company, by definition, it is hard for outsiders

    to discern the nature of a companys internal operations.

    The visible nature of capabilities would not be enough to halt imitation. However, a

    companys capabilities rarely reside in a single individual. Rather, they are the product ofhow numerous individuals interact within a unique organizational setting. It is possible that no

    one individual within a company may be familiar with totality of a companys internal

    operations routines and procedures.

    To summarize, since resources are easier to imitate than capabilities, a distinctive

    competency based on a companys unique capabilities is probably more durable than one

    based on its resources. It is likely to form the foundation for a long-run competitive

    advantage.

    CAPABILITY OF COMPETITORS

    By strategic commitment, it means a companys commitment to a particular way of

    doing business that is, to developing a particular set of resources and capabilities. When

    competitors already have long-established commitments to a particular way of do9ing

    business, they may be slow to imitate an innovating companys competitive advantage. Its

    competitive advantage will thus be relatively durable.

    INDUSTRY DYNAMISM:

    A dynamic industry environment is one that is changing rapidly. What needs noting is

    that the most dynamic industries tend to be those with a very high rate of product innovation.

    In dynamic industries, the rapid rate of innovation means that product life cycles are

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    shortening and that competitive advantage can be very transitory. A company that has a

    competitive advantage may find its market position outflanked by a rivals innovation.

    RESEARCH DESIGN

    2.1 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM:

    The main purpose of this study is to analyze as to why some dealers in the cellular

    industry are not doing as well compared to other dealers who are performing extremely well

    when all of them are selling similar products and services at similar prices and similar market

    conditions with very few or no differentiation of the product or service at all

    This problem is analyzed by gaining some very intricate information through various

    dealers of various operators like Airtel, Spice, Hutch and BSNL

    2.2 SCOPE OF THE STUDY:

    The study is exclusively conducted on the cellular industry operating on the GSM

    platform. To analyze the operations of its various dealers and to get an insight to the various

    factors that help a dealer gain a competitive edge over that of its rivals. The study was

    carried for the dealers located with in Bangalore City only, for a period of 3 weeks. As both

    personal and organizational customers use the product, their needs, preference, usage,

    habits, post purchase action vary widely which in turn gave a wide and large scope for

    analysis.

    2.3 NEED FOR THE STUDY:

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    The need of the study is to find out the existing market opportunities in today's highly

    competitive consumer market for cellular services. This study apart from market opportunities

    also includes a study on the profile of the various organization, where topics such as origin of

    the organizations, future prospects of the organizations, functional departments of the

    organizations, capability and organizations structure is covered

    2.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY:

    The main objectives of the study cannot be minimized to one or two points because

    one point leaves one with another question to be answered. The main objectives are as

    listed as follows:

    1. The study helps to appreciate the factors leading to customer satisfaction.

    2. The study helps to understand how to gain a competitive edge over other players in the

    market.3. To understand various factors that play a major role in marketing GSM based cellular

    services

    4. To find out the effectiveness of customer support provided by the organizations.

    5. To find out the dealers satisfaction with their parent company.

    2.5 REVIEW OF LITERATURE:

    Available literature relating to the problem must be reviewed before definitions of the

    research problem are given.

    A detailed review is necessary of existing and available literature that has already

    been published in some form or other. This is done to find out what data and other material if

    any is available for operational purposes. Any published articles that relate to the topic of

    study also give an accurate direction to the study. It can also help in overcoming analytical

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    shortcomings. The researcher has taken material from the following material published and

    the concepts defined are as per the material that was available.

    Company manuals and other Annual Reports, Pamphlets and Brochures

    Information from websites

    www.airtelworld.com

    www.spicetele.com

    www.hutch.co.in

    www.bsnl.co.in

    2.6 RESEARCH DESIGN:

    A central part of the research design is to develop an effective research strategy of the

    design. A research design is a logical and systematic plan prepared for directing a research

    study. It specifies the objectives of the study, the methodology of the study, techniques to be

    adapted for achieving the objectives. It constituted the blue print for the collection

    measurement and analysis of data.

    Research designs can be classified in various ways.

    EXPLORATORY DESIGNS:

    Exploratory designs are concerned with identifying the real nature of research

    problems and perhaps of formulating relevant hypothesis for later test. Exploratory design isnecessary as it gives valuable insight, results in a firm grape of the essential character and

    purpose of specific research surveys and encourages the development of creative alternative

    research strategies.

    DESCRIPTIVE STUDIES

    Descriptive studies start from substantial prior knowledge of marketing variables for

    this type of research to be productive, questions should be designed to secure specific kinds

    of information related, perhaps, to product performance, market share, competitive strategies

    distribution etc.

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    2.7 SAMPLE DESIGN:

    A sample design is a total structure and plan of the sampling exercise. It will have

    details of the sampling techniques used, the size of the sample, the type of the sample and

    any other relevant details.

    2.7.2 SAMPLE SIZE:

    The sample size chosen was 30 main dealers of the four cellular service providers i.e.,

    Airtel, Spice, Hutch, BSNL within Bangalore city.

    2.7.3 SAMPLING TECHNIQUE ADOPTED

    Convenience sampling: In this method of sampling selection, the sampler chooses

    the sampling units on the basis of "convenience" or "accessibility". This type of sampling is

    most recommended with exploratory research designs when all that is needed is an

    approximation of the desired phenomena, and there is the constraint of obtaining this

    approximate quickly and inexpensively.

    2.8 SOURCES OF DATA:

    Data collection is the most important step in the research work. The researcher has to

    look for source of data, which can be collected and analyzed to achieve results as per the set

    of objectives. In this study primary as well as secondary data is being used.

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    Primary data is mainly collected through the use of Questionnaires and also through

    personal interviews. Secondary data has been procured from reference books and

    information available on the website and other studies conducted on related topics. All these

    have been used to provide a valuable and vital input to the study and also give authenticity to

    the findings.

    2.8.1 SECONDARY METHOD

    Secondary data is a data, which is available from the post studies and records. The

    secondary data is collected from the respective service providers , from their manuals,

    website of the same organizations, from magazines and journals. It is more advantageous in

    that it is cheaper and more readily available than primary data. But it has certain

    disadvantages that it may be outdated and not collected for the purpose at hand.

    Data Collection Instruments: For collecting good information, the researcher should use

    effective data collection instruments. The data collection instrument used in the study is the

    questionnaire. The questionnaires are distributed directly to the respondents by the

    researcher. As far as possible the researcher has tried to see that the answers were given

    immediately on order to minimize the influence of any third party opinions. The questions

    asked are both open-ended as well closed questions.

    2.8.2 PRIMARY DATA:

    The research work is mainly dependent on primary data. It involves data, which has

    been directly obtained form the respondents through the Questionnaires as well as opinions

    expressed by the respondents. This is up to date data as the analysis is done immediately

    after obtaining the data through the two methods. Two methods used for collecting primary

    data are:

    Personal interview method

    It has been helpful in that the researcher has been able to clarify any doubts and

    misunderstanding that the respondent may have had. However there has also been a

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    serious drawback in that there is the likelihood of bias in answers from the obtrusion of the

    interviewer.

    Survey method

    In this case self-administered responses of the normal question and answer method

    were handed out to respondents where they met. Clear instructions were given along with

    questionnaires.

    2.9 FIELD WORK:

    The study involved a field work where the respondents are contacted individually and

    are persuaded to answer questions through questionnaire and also a few direct questions,

    which lasted from any where between 10 minutes to more than one hour depending upon theperson and the situation. As far as possible the respondents are encouraged to fill up the

    questionnaire in front of the researcher so that any third party influence could be avoided.

    The respondents are directly contacted in their offices with prior appointment. The fieldwork

    helped immensely in giving accurate information and first hand views regarding the opinions

    of the respondents. Overall the fieldwork provided critical and vital information such as

    knowledge, intentions, activities, and opinions and so forth of the respondents regarding the

    problem under investigation.

    2.11 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY:

    The study for the research work is conducted in Amritsar City and there are certain

    limitations in carrying on the study. Some of the limitations are as follows.

    1. The survey is limited to areas in and around Amritsar City only.

    2. In view of parity of time and resources, the study is limited to in and around Amritsar city

    only.

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    3.1 PROFILE OF THE INDUSTRY:

    History of Cellular Telephony in India

    Cellular Telephony

    The technology that gives a person the power to communicate anytime,

    anywhere - has spawned an entire industry in mobile telecommunication. Mobile

    telephones have become an integral part of the growth, success and efficiency of

    any business / economy. The most prevalent wireless standard in the world today,

    is GSM. The GSM Association (Global System for Mobile Communications) was

    instituted in 1987 to promote and expedite the adoption, development and

    deployment and evolution of the GSM standard for digital wireless

    communications.

    The GSM Association was formed as a result of a European Community agreement

    on the need to adopt common standards suitable for cross border European mobile

    communications. Starting off primarily as a European standard, the Groupe Speciale Mobile

    as it was then called, soon came to represent the Global System for Mobile Communications

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    as it achieved the status of a world-wide standard. GSM is today, the world's leading digital

    standard accounting for 68.5% of the global digital wireless market.

    The Indian Government when considering the introduction of cellular services into the

    country, made a landmark decision to introduce the GSM standard, leapfrogging obsolescent

    technologies / standards.

    Although cellular licenses were made technology neutral in September 1999, all the

    private operators are presently offering only GSM based mobile services. The new licensees

    for the 4th cellular licenses that were awarded in July 2001 too, have opted for GSM

    technology to offer their services.

    Cellular Industry in India

    The Government of India recognizes that the provision of a world-class

    telecommunications infrastructure and information is the key to rapid economic and social

    development of the country. It is critical not only for the development of the Information

    Technology industry, but also has widespread ramifications on the entire economy of the

    country. It is also anticipated that going forward, a major part of the GDP of the country would

    be contributed by this sector. Accordingly, it is of vital importance to the country that there be

    a comprehensive and forward looking telecommunications policy which creates an enablingframework for development of this industry.

    New Telecom Policy 1999

    Telecommunications is now universally recognized as one of the prime movers of the

    modern economy; hence it's vital importance for a developing country like India. The

    availability of adequate infrastructure facilities is critical for acceleration of the economic

    development of any country. In fact international studies have established that for every 1%

    increase in tele-density, there is a 3% increase in the growth of GDP.

    Accordingly, the Government of India has accorded the highest priority to investment

    and development of the telecommunications sector.

    Telecom requires very heavy investment and it was not possible for the Indian

    Government to organize public funding of this sector on such a massive scale. In fact the

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    national telecom Policy 1994, estimated a resource gap of Rs. 23,000 crores to meet the

    telecom targets of the eighth five-year plan of the Government of India (1992-97).

    It was for this reason to bridge the resource gap between government funding and the

    total projected funds requirement and to provide the additional resources to achieve the

    nation's telecom targets that the telecommunications sector was liberalized in 1992 and the

    Government invited private sector participation in telecommunications.

    Cellular mobile services were one of the first areas to be opened up to private competition.

    The whole country was divided into the 4 metropolitan cities of and 19 telecom circles,

    which were roughly analogous with the States of India.

    Cellular Licenses were awarded to the private sector - first in the metropolitan cities of

    Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai in 1994 and then in the 19-telecom circles in 1995.

    The first metro cellular network started operating in August 1995 in Calcutta.

    3.2 PROFILE OF THE ORAGANISATIONS:

    Spice Communications Limited

    Address:Hemkunt Towers, 98,

    Nehru Place, New Delhi-110019

    INDIA

    Service Area:

    Brand Name:

    Website:

    Karnataka, Punjab

    Spice

    www.spicetele.com

    Spice Communications Limited is presently operating Cellular Phone Services in

    the states of Punjab and Karnataka.

    Promoters

    Spice Communications is a 51:49 joint venture between Spicecorp (India)- the flagship

    company of Dr. B.K. Modi group that first introduced India to mobile phone services

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    and has interests in the field of telecommunications, office automation and information

    technology and DISTACOM (Hong Kong)-a company with over 20 years of experience

    in mobile communication which was responsible for bringing mobile telephony to Hong

    Kong along with Hutchison Telecom.

    Foreign Partners

    The Foreign partners for Spice Communications Karnataka are Distyacom, AIG and

    Prudential.

    Infrastructure Vendors

    The infrastructure vendors are Siemens and Motorola.

    Launch of Service

    Launched over four years ago under the memorable brand name of "Spice", the

    Company offers cellular services in Punjab and Karnataka. Spice Karnataka launched

    its services in April 1997.

    Pre-paid Service

    The pre-paid service in Karnataka operates under the brand name "Simple"

    Bharti Mobile Limited

    Address:

    47, Millers Tank Bund Road

    Bangalore 560052

    INDIA

    Phone:

    Fax:

    Contact:

    Service Area:

    Brand Name:

    Website:

    + 91 80 228 2211

    + 91 80 228 2200

    Mr. Jagdish Kini

    AP, Karnataka, Punjab

    AirTel

    www.airtelworld.comBharti Mobile Limited offers services in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Punjab

    under the brand name "Airtel"

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    Promoters:

    Bharti Mobile Limited, a joint venture of Bharti Enterprises and Telia.

    Technology Partners:

    AirTel comes to you from Bharti Mobile Ltd. A consortium of giants in the

    telecommunication business - British Telecom UK, Tecc3300 Italy, and Bharti

    Enterprises India.

    The Bharti Enterprises, established in 1976, is today a multifaceted organization and a

    leading group involved in the manufacturing and the services sector. its key focus is

    on the marketing and operations of a comprehensive range of telecom services in

    addition to the Healthcare sector.

    Launch of Services:

    Karnataka: AirTel launched it's services in Karnataka on May 13,2000. The services in

    Punjab started in February 2002.

    AirTel is brought by Bharti Enterprises, India's leading telecom conglomerate, through

    its company, Bharti Mobile Limited. Bharti Enterprises has revolutionized Indian

    telecommunications with its world-class products and services.

    Pre-paid Card:

    The pre-paid card "Magic" is a nation wide brand.

    Management Structure

    The group has been structured to create functional and operational specialization with

    a linear vision of business lines and functional areas.

    The Company is headed by Chairman and Group Managing Director- Sunil Bharti

    Mittal who is assisted by two Joint Managing Directors- Akhil Gupta and Rajan Bharti

    Mittal. The Company also has two Presidents- President Mobile Services and

    President Infotel Services, this responsibility includes Fixed-line, Long Distance and

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    Broadband Services. The Presidents report to the Group Chairman and Managing

    Director. The head of units and SBUs report to the respective business's President.

    An apex team of Corporate Directors has been constituted. The corporate directors

    have supervisory and strategic responsibilities for functional areas across business

    lines. The directors oversee functional areas including Business Development, Human

    Resources, Marketing, Corporate Communication, IT & Technology, Finance, Legal,

    Corporate Affairs, Corporate Strategy & Planning and Supervisory Director cum Chief

    Mentor - mobility.

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    Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited

    BSNL's mobile service has been launched in Karnataka by Chief Minister Sri S

    M Krishna on 21st October. Cellone is the brand name for BSNL's mobile service and

    Excel is the Brand name for pre-paid mobile card offered by us. Excellent Cellular

    Communication by way of reliable services using our backbone network is our goal to

    achieve the number 1 position in Cellular Communication. Our aim is to build the

    Nation by way of providing a reliable communication network across the country so as

    to ensure an overall Growth of India.

    "Service is our Motto"

    Salient Features Offered

    1. Prepaid services

    2. Postpaid services

    3. Supplementary services

    Call waiting or Call Alert.This facility alerts you to an incoming call while you are already engaged in a

    conversation. You may either discontinue the first call and take the waiting one or put

    the first call on hold or take the second one.

    Call Hold

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    An outgoing call presently engaged can be put-on hold status while another fresh call

    can be initiated .You may switch over between the two calls alternatively.

    Call Diversion or Call Forwarding:

    You may divert all the incoming calls to your mobile number to another mobile number

    or a PSTN number. This is called call Diversion un-conditionally. As an alternate you

    may divert all incoming calls to your Voice Mail Box by programming the destination

    as 17000. Also call diversion can be achieved when the number is either busy or no-

    answer or when you are out of reach.

    Calling Line Identification

    The identification of the calling number (CLIP) is presented on your telephone to

    enable you to recall at a later time, besides knowing your Caller

    Calling Line Identification Restriction (CLIR)

    If you do not want your number to be presented to the called party always, then the

    same can be activated upon request.

    Barring Outgoing Calls

    All out going calls or outgoing International Calls can be barred at the request.

    Besides if inter circle calls (Outside Karnataka) need to be barred, this also can be

    done at your request. (STD/ISD- facility)

    All these services need to be activated by the Service Providers. Besides selective

    activation at the Customer, Mobile Handset is also needed to support these services.

    Unified Messaging System (UMS)

    The objective of UMS is to allow subscribers to send, retrieve & manage messages in

    a uniform way, regardless of whether the message is a Voice Mail, a Fax Mail or an e-

    mail. Each UMS -subscriber is assigned a unified message mail box number, which is

    usually the mobile number itself and e-mail address.

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    UMS mailbox can be accessed either by invoking call-forwarding feature or by directly

    dialing Unified Message Mail Box Number. It shall also be accessed from web-

    browsers, a standard e-mail clients and WAP- terminals.

    Features:

    1. Call answering

    2. FAX answering

    3. Message Deposit Services

    4. Message Retrieval Services

    5. Message Delivery Services

    6. Call Return

    7. Message Management (New/Listened Message, Urgent delivery, Replay etc.)

    8. Mail Box Management (Tutorial, system generated or customized greeting,

    password, user language etc)

    E-mail:

    Your e-mail account will be @bsnlums.com. From any account like

    Yahoo, Hotmail, rediffmail etc you can receive mail to above account from any Internet

    connected Desktop Besides through a WAP enabled phone you can log-in to

    www.bsnlums.com and compose mail and send to any e-mail destination address

    including UMS e-mail address. Also one can view body , Header of e-mail using WAP

    phone on e-mail Inbox. By dialing your voice mailbox, you can hear the e-mail to

    speech conversion of the e-mail messages on your e-mail account.

    A salient feature is that all mails coming to other accounts can be seen from one

    account only i.e. bsnlums.com

    Short Message Services (SMS)A service widely offered by us at an competitive rate.

    WAP services (Wireless application protocol)

    Free roaming within Karnataka & National roaming.

    Call Conferencing.m. Multi-Mobile number.n.

    Regional / National roaming.o.

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    Itemized Billing / Detailed billing.

    Mobile Hunting.

    Supplementary services activated for Prepaid Excel cards.1. CLIP (Calling Line Identification Presentation)

    2. Call waiting

    3. Call Hold

    4. Call forwarding -Unconditional / Busy / No reply / Out of reach

    5. Multiparty Conferencing

    6. STD & ISD

    7. Unlimited SMS & E-Mail

    8. Voice Mail

    9. Call barring (Out going & In coming)

    Supplementary services activated upon request by Subscriber.

    1. Call waiting

    2. Call forward - Unconditional / Busy / No reply/Out of reach

    3. CLIP

    4. CLIR ( Calling line identification restriction ) on request.

    5. Call barring ( Outgoing & incoming )

    6. Detailed billing-on request.

    7. STD / ISD

    8. Call Hold

    9. Voice Mail

    10. UMS(Unified messaging system) comprising voicemail, email & FAX mail.

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    3.3 PROFILE OF THE SAMPLE UNIT:

    The research is an effort to study the factors that enhance a dealer to gain a competitive

    advantage over other dealers in cellular industry in Bangalore city" A survey of 30 dealers is

    conducted in general to derive at the conclusion. The channel partners of Airtel, Spice

    Telecom, Hutch were interviewed in most of the cases since they had in depth knowledge

    both with respect to the consumers as well as the parent company. In few cases, where the

    channel partners were not actively involved managers of the showrooms were interviewed.

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    4.1 INTRODUCION TO ANALYSIS:

    CLASSIFICATION AND TABULATION OF DATA

    Once the data has been collected, the process of analysis begins. Almost invariably the

    data must be first translated into a form appropriate for analysis. This chapter

    concerns the process of taking completed questionnaires and preparing them for analysis.

    The research steps following the gathering of data related to this process of data preparation

    is presented below.

    Validate data

    Edit acceptable Questionnaire

    Code the Questionnaire

    Key punch the data

    Clean the data set

    Store the data set for analysis

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    Analyze the data

    The conclusions about these preparatory steps are based on assumptions involving general

    logic about the interpretative process and about the supposed nature of the data relative to

    the appropriate analysis. The transformation of raw data into useful information requires that

    the data be validated, edited, coded, so that it can be stored for further analysis. The

    classified data are then analyzed using statistical tools. The data has first been shown in a

    tabular form and a brief explanation is given following that. Each table is followed by graphs,

    which provides for easy visual interpretation of the data.

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    4.2 DATA ANALYSIS AND TOOLS

    Location of dealer offices in Amritsar city.

    Table-4.2.1

    Location Respondents Percentage

    (%)North 12 40

    East 3 10

    West 3 10

    South 12 40

    Total 30 100

    Source: Survey Data

    Inference : In the above table it has been observed that 40% of the dealers are located in

    the Northern part of Amritsar, 10% are located in the Eastern part of Amritsar, 10% are

    located in the Western part of Amritsar, and the remaining 40% are located in the Southern

    part of Amritsar.

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    Location of dealer offices in Amritsar city.

    Graph-4.2.1

    40

    10 10

    40

    0

    5

    10

    15

    20

    25

    30

    35

    40

    45

    North East West South

    Directions

    Percentag

    e(%

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    Duration for which the dealers have been in cellular market

    Table-4.2.2

    Duration Respondents Percentage

    (%)

    Less than one year 8 27

    1-3 years 10 33

    3-6 years 6 20

    More than six

    years

    6 20

    Total 30 100

    Source: Survey Data

    Inference : In the above table it has been observed that 27% of the dealers

    have been in the market for less than a year , 33% of the dealers between 1 to 3

    years, 20% between 3 to 6 years and 20% of the dealers have been in the

    market for more than 6 years.

    Duration for which the dealers have been in cellular market

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    Graph-4.2.2

    The average number of sales calls made per week per person.

    27

    20

    33

    20

    0

    5

    10

    15

    20

    25

    30

    35

    Less than 1 year 1-3 years 3-6 years More than 6

    years

    No. of years

    Perce

    ntage(%

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    Table-4.2.3

    No. of sales

    calls

    Respondents Percentage

    (%)

    5-10 12 4010-20 10 33

    20-30 4 13.5

    30 and above 4 13.5Total 20 100

    Source: Survey Data

    Inference : In the above graph it has been seen 40% of dealers have their

    sales persons making 5 to 10 sales calls per week per person, 33% of dealers

    have their sales persons making 10 to 20 sales calls per week per person, 13.5%

    of dealers have their sales persons making 20 to 30 sales calls per week per

    person and the remaining 13.5% of dealers have their sales persons making

    more than 30 sales calls per week per person.

    The average number of sales calls made per week per person.

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    Graph-4.2.3

    The average number of productive sales calls made per week per

    person

    13.513.5

    33

    40

    0

    5

    10

    15

    20

    25

    30

    35

    40

    45

    5-10 calls 10-20 calls 20-30 calls 30 and above

    No. of calls

    P

    ercentage(%

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    Table-4.2.4

    No. of

    productive

    calls

    Respondents Percentage

    (%)

    1-5 12 40

    5-10 10 33

    10-20 6 20

    20 and above 2 7

    Total 30 100

    Source: Survey Data

    Inference : In the above table it has been seen 40% of dealers have their sales

    persons making 1 to 5 productive sales calls per week per person, 33% of

    dealers have their sales persons making 5 to 10 productive sales calls per week

    per person, 20% of their dealers have their sales persons making 10 to 20

    productive sales calls per week per person and the remaining 7% of dealers

    have their sales persons making more than 20 productive sales calls per person.

    The average number of productive sales calls made per week per person

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    Graph-4.2.4

    33

    40

    7

    20

    0

    5

    10

    15

    20

    25

    30

    35

    4045

    1-5 calls 5-10 calls 10-20 calls 20 and

    above

    No. of calls

    Perc

    entage(%)

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    The average number of visits by a sales person to a potential customer

    to close an order as a result of increase in competition.

    Table-4.2.5

    No. of visits to close an

    order

    Respondents Percentage

    (%)

    One time 0 0

    2-4 times 22 734-8 times 6 20

    More than 8 times 2 7Total 30 100

    Source: Survey Data

    Inference : From the above table 73% of the dealers have their sales personnel

    making 2 to 4 visits to a potential customer to close an order, another 20% of the

    dealers have their sales personnel making 4 to 8 visits to a potential customer

    and the remaining 7% of the dealers have their sales person making more than 8

    visits to close an order.

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    The average number of visits by a sales person to a potential customer

    to close an order as a result of increase in competition.

    Graph-4.2.5

    07

    20

    73

    0

    10

    20

    30

    40

    50

    60

    70

    80

    One time 2-4 times 4-8 times More than

    8 times

    No. of times

    Percentage(%

    )

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    Frequency of review meeting regarding sales and collection with the

    parent company

    Table-4.2.6

    Frequency Respondents Percentage

    (%)

    Daily once 6 20

    Monthly 6 20

    Weekly once 3 10

    Fortnightly 2 7

    Quarterly 13 43

    Total 30 100

    Source: Survey Data

    Inference : From the above table it is seen that 20% of the dealers have their

    review meeting once in a day, another 20% of the people have their review

    meeting once in a month, about 10% of the dealers have their review meeting

    every week 7% 0f the dealers have their review meeting every fortnight and the

    remaining 43% of the dealers have their review meeting quarterly.

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    The average number of visits by a sales person to a potential customer

    to close an order as a result of increase in competition.

    Graph-4.2.6

    10

    7

    43

    2020

    0

    5

    10

    15

    20

    25

    30

    35

    40

    45

    50

    Daily once Monthly Weekly Fortnightly Quarterly

    Frequency of meetings

    Percentage(%

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    Feedback about the nature of complaints received from the customers

    to the dealers.

    Table-4.2.7

    Nature of

    complaint

    Respondents Percentage

    (%)

    Poor network 6 20

    Late bill 6 20

    Value additions 3 10Bill

    discrepancies

    15 50

    Total 30 100

    Source: Survey Data

    Inference : As seen from the above table ,20% of the customers have

    complaints about poor network, 6% of the customers have complaints about late

    bill ,10% about value additions and a majority of 50% of the customers have

    complaints with respect to the discrepancies found in their monthly bills.

    Feedback about the nature of complaints received from the customers

    to the dealers.

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    Graph-4.2.7

    Feedback about the nature of complaints to the parent company

    10

    50

    2020

    0

    10

    20

    30

    40

    50

    60

    Poor

    netwo

    rk

    latebi

    ll

    valu

    ead

    ditions

    BillDiscrep

    ancies

    Nature of complaints

    Percent

    age(%

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    Table 4.2.8

    Feedback of

    dealers to the

    company

    Respondents Percentage

    (%)

    Yes 30 100

    No 0 0

    Total 30 100

    Source: Survey Data

    INFERENCE:

    As seen from the above table all the dealers do give feedback about the

    nature of complaints from the customers to the their respective parent

    companies on a regular basis.

    Feedback about the nature of complaints to the parent company

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    Graph-4.2.8

    Response of the dealers as to whether the parent company takes the

    complaints into consideration to improve the quality of the product

    30

    0

    5

    10

    15

    20

    25

    30

    35

    Yes No

    Feedback about complaints

    Percentage(%)

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    Table-4.2.9

    Response of

    company to

    complaints

    Respondents Percentage

    (%)

    Yes 24 80

    No 06 20Total 30 100

    Source: Survey Data

    Inference : From the above table it is seen that about 80% of the dealers feel

    that that the company takes the complaints into consideration to improve the

    quality of the product and the remaining 20% of the dealers do not feel that the

    company takes the complaints into consideration to improve the quality of the

    service.

    Response of the dealers as to whether the parent company takes the

    complaints into consideration to improve the quality of the product

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    Graph-4.2.9

    Growth rate of the dealers in terms of quantity sold in the last one year

    Table-4.2.10

    20

    80

    0

    10

    20

    30

    40

    50

    60

    70

    80

    90

    Yes No

    Percentage(%

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    Growth rate Respondents Percentage

    (%)

    -20 to 0% 0 0No Change 1 3

    0 to 10% 7 24

    10% to 20% 10 33

    More than 20% 12 40

    Total 30 100

    Source: Survey Data

    Inference : From the above chart none of the dealers contacted had a negative

    growth rate, 3% had no changes in their growth rare ,24% of the dealers had a

    growth rate between 0 to 10%, about 33% of the dealers had a growth rate

    between 10% to 20% and the remaining 40% had a growth rate more than 20%.

    Growth rate of the dealers in terms of quantity sold in the last one year

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    Graph-4.2.10

    Intentions of the dealers to shift to other goods for agency in future

    (other than cellular service)

    3

    40

    33

    24

    0

    0

    5

    10

    15

    20

    25

    30

    35

    40

    45

    ,-20 to 0% No Change 0 to 10% 10 to 20% More than

    20%

    Percentage change in Quantity

    Percentage(%)

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    Table-4.2.11

    Intentions to

    shift

    Respondents Percentage

    (%)

    Yes 6 20

    No 24 80Total 30 100

    Source: Survey Data

    Inference : From the above table we can see that on 20% of the dealers have

    the intentions to shift to any other product or service for agency in future .The

    other 80% of the respondents have no intentions to shift

    Intentions of the dealers to shift to other goods for agency in future (other

    than cellular service)

    Graph-4.2.11

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    Awareness of the dealers about their competitors sales network

    Table-4.2.12

    Awareness Respondents Percentage

    (%)

    Good 12 40

    Average 18 60

    80

    20

    0

    10

    20

    30

    40

    50

    60

    70

    80

    90

    Yes No

    Percentage(%

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    Nil 0 0Total 30 100

    Source: Survey Data

    Inference : From the above table it is seen that 40% of the dealers believe that

    they have a good awareness about their competitors sales network and the

    remaining 60% of the dealers believe that their awareness about their

    competitors sales network is average.

    Awareness of the dealers about their competitors sales network

    Graph-4.2.12

    0

    60

    40

    0

    10

    20

    30

    40

    50

    60

    70

    Good Average Nil

    Percentage(%)

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    Response of the dealers as to whether their sales force is stronger than

    their competitors sales force

    Table-4.2.13

    Stronger sales

    force than the

    competitors

    Respondents Percentage

    (%)

    Yes 18 60

    No 12 40Total 30 100

    Source: Survey Data

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    Inference : From the above table 60% of the dealers feel that their sales force

    is stronger than their competitors while the remaining 40% of the dealers feel that

    their sales force is not as strong as their competitors.

    Response of the dealers as to whether their sales force is stronger than

    their competitors sales force

    Graph-4.2.13

    30

    70

    0

    1020

    30

    40

    50

    60

    70

    80

    Yes No

    Percentage

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    Effect of time-factor pricing on the sales of cellular services

    Table-4.2.14

    Effect of time

    factor pricing

    Respondent

    s

    Percentage (%)

    Increase in sales 15 50

    No Change 4 13

    Decrease in sales 0 0

    Initially increases

    and then decreases

    11 27

    Total 30 100

    Source: Personal Survey

    Inference : From the above graph it is seen that 50% of the dealers feel that

    there is an increase in sales, about 13% of the dealers feel that there is no

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    change in sales and the remaining 27% of the dealers feel that the sales initially

    increases and then decreases

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    Effect of time-factor pricing on the sales of cellular services

    Graph-4.2.14

    - 65 -

    0

    27

    13

    50

    0

    10

    20

    30

    40

    50

    60

    Incerase in

    sales

    Decrease in

    sales

    No Change Initially

    increases and

    then decreases

    Percentage(%

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    5.1 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS:

    The focus of the project was to study the various factors that enhance a

    cellular service dealer to gain a competitive advantage over competitor's dealer

    in Bangalore City. The various factors that can have an effect are listed below.

    Brand Image

    Pricing policy

    Promotional policy

    Sales force motivation levels/ Incentives

    After sales service

    Dealers investment/Infrastructure

    Number of dealers

    Delivery times

    According to the survey the experience of the respondents in the industry

    varied from a short period of less than a year to more than six years and the

    people who managed these dealers were with immense cellular service

    background.

    Most of them believed that a highly motivated sales force along with good

    after sales service was very important to generate new business and retain them.

    It was also found during the study that the general conversion rate of cold

    calls into productive call range from 50% to 60% and the conversion rate of a

    direct enquiry received by the company which is passed on to the dealer range

    between 60% to 70%.

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    Another important finding was, as to why customers are taking more time to

    place an order is because of competition in market , confusion prevailing in the

    minds of the customers either to opt for a GSM based service or CDMA based

    operators of which pricing being the single largest factor.

    Most of the dealers had a average awareness about their competitors sales

    network and felt that their sales force was stronger than their competitors

    because of their technical competence, good marketing skills and good training

    imparted to their sales force.

    Another important finding was that the top three companies for post paid

    cellular service were

    1. Airtel

    2. BSNL

    3. Hutch

    The top three companies in the market for prepaid services were

    1. Airtel Magic

    2. Spice Simple

    3. Hutch

    The study also revealed that most of the companies/dealer undertake ,

    Customers meet ,road shows ,paper inserts etc on a regular basis.

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    5.1 RECOMMENDATIONS;

    The factors that are responsible for a dealer to gain a competitive edge

    over their rivals are is quite simple and straight foreword as described below.

    If a dealer is associated with an organization, which already has, a good

    brand image in the market, there is no shortage of direct enquiries received by

    the company or the dealers. But having received an enquiry and to convert it into

    business is the main task here.

    In this busy world the customers or potential customers have very little

    time to decide on products. They expect that the company/dealer who

    approaches them are trustworthy and provide good value for their money. It is

    here that the human relationship or human skills come into play. Once a

    company or its sales person enjoys a good rapport with his customers then he is

    more likely to pick the order. Once this trust is gained the customer would be

    more comfortable to deal with that particular individual than any other individual

    of the company/dealer as such.

    Efficient service and proper pricing are also very important in this industry.

    The trust gained by an individual from his customer can be retained by efficient

    and reliable service. Thus the service department of the company also plays an

    important role in this regard. When we talk about human skills, then in this

    context we mean that the customer is more comfortable with a particular

    individual of the company/dealer and would always approach him for his

    services.

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    Since the customer is more comfortable with a particular individual of a company,

    there is a negative aspect to this i.e., what happens if the individual leaves the

    company and goes over to a competitor, then along with him goes the customer

    also. Thus, it is very important for the dealer to retain their employees. In order to

    over come such eventuality, the senior executives of the dealers also need to

    maintain a good rapport with the customers.

    Retention of performing employees is a major task of all organizations in

    any industry. This can be done by employing good HR policies and treating the

    employees as very much as a part of the organization providing them all benefits

    so as to keep them motivated.

    It is often said that 80% of your business always comes from 20% of your

    existing clients. Thus the company-customer relationship is to be kept going on

    for a long period of time.

    As mentioned earlier that the factors responsible for a dealer to gain a

    competitive edge over its rivals appears to be quite simple and straight foreword,

    but it is not the case always.

    This can happen only by recruiting and retaining the right persons for the right

    job. In the cellular service industry, the sales force must be a good blend or

    good combination of technical as well as human skills, which would be very

    beneficial.

    In a highly competitive market situation prevailing as of now , it becomes

    very important for the organizations to provide with a proper after sale service

    and appropriate customer support .

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    It is also evident from the research that many customers have a complaint

    with respect to the network coverage of the operators. Therefore enough support

    needs to be provided by the parent organizations to the dealers by setting up

    latest infrastructure and updating their technologies as and when needed which

    increases the overall quality of the service which helps the dealer to have an

    edge over the dealers of the competitive network.

    It also becomes the responsibility of the organizations to satisfy the

    current customers by keeping them updated with the normal changes in their rate

    plans and also the kinds of services introduced by them from time to time. This is

    because word of mouth communication by the existing customers plays a vital

    role in influencing the purchasing decision of new customers. It was also found in

    the research that any new offers introduced by the organizations are generally

    available for the new customers only , which results in customer dissatisfaction,

    therefore organizations need to spread the offers to the existing customers also

    which would prevent them from switching to different operators.

    More emphasis also needs to be given to promotions of their respective

    organizations which would eventually help their dealers overall. Road shows in

    different areas help the dealers of that particular area to gain a competitive edge

    over their competitors.

    With the current TRAI recommendations in place , it is not only necessary

    to indulge in competitive pricing , but also enough thought needs to promote their

    services by differentiating from that of the competitors which would help to

    enhance the sales of the dealers.

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    . QUESTIONNAIRE

    Dear Sir/Madam

    As a part of MBA curriculum I am doing a seminar titled -"To study the

    factors that enhance a dealer to gain a competitive advantage over other dealers

    in cellular industry". I request you to kindly co-operate in answering this

    questionnaire honestly. The information will be kept confidential and used for

    academic purpose only.

    PART A

    Name :Address :

    Name of the parent company :

    Airtel Spice Hutch BSNL

    1. In which part of the Bangalore City is your office located?

    North East West South

    2. Since how long are you dealing in sim cards?

    Less than one year 3-6 years

    1-3 years more than six years

    3. Number of Sales persons in your company?Less than five 5-10

    10-20 20 and above

    4. Were you a dealer of some other cellular company before?

    Airtel Spice Hutch BSNL No

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    PART B

    5. Number of contacts (sales calls) made per week on an average per sales

    person.

    5-10 10-20 20-30 30 and above

    6. Number of productive contacts made per week on an average (per

    person).

    1-5 5-10 10-20 20 and

    above

    7. Your first communication to a new consumer will be mainly

    Through sales person visit Telephone Mail

    References

    8. The competition has increased several folds in the last year. Thus how

    many visits on an average would your sales person requires to make to

    complete a sale?

    One time only 2-4 times 4-8 timesMore than 8 times

    9. Compared to last year, why are customers taking more time to decide on

    the service provider (Rank accordingly)

    Financial constraints Competition in Market

    Others(please specify)

    10. What is the frequency of your review meeting regarding sales and

    collection with the parent company?

    Daily Weekly Fortnightly

    Monthly Quarterly

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    PART C

    11. Your feedback to the Branch office is

    Personally Telephone Reports (mailing)

    12. The general nature of the complaint by the customer is regarding

    Poor network Late bill Value additions Bill

    discrepancies

    13. Do you give feedback about the nature of complaints from the customers

    to the branch office on a regular basis (monthly)?

    Yes No

    12. Do you feel that the company takes the complaints into consideration to

    improve the quality of the service?

    Yes No

    13. How long it takes the company to attend a complaint of a customer ?

    0-2 hrs 2-4 hrs 4-8 hrs More than eight

    hours

    16. What has been your growth rate in the last one year (% in Qty)?

    -20 to 0% No change 0 to 10% 10 to 20%

    More than 20%

    17. Have you any intentions to shift to other industry or product for agency in

    future? (Other than cellular industry)

    Yes No

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    If yes, please specify the industry or product______________

    PART D

    14. What is your awareness about your competitors sales network?

    Good Average Nil

    15. Do you feel your sales force is stronger than that of your competitors?

    Yes No

    If yes, How?

    ____________________________________________________

    If No, why?

    _____________________________________________________

    16. How many times did the Company undertake the following promotional

    activities? Customers meet

    Road shows

    Demos for specific target customers

    Demos in apartments

    Others(if any)

    17. Who are the competitors you generally come across in the process ofsales? Rank them.

    1.

    2.

    3.

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    18. How has Time-Factor pricing affected you (compared to previous year)?

    Increase in Sales (in %) No Change

    Decrease in Sales (in %) Initially increases and then

    decreases

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    BIBLIOGRAPHY

    Philip Kotler Marketing Management;

    Tenth Edition.

    David. S. Luck

    Ronald. S. Robin Marketing Research;

    Prentice Hall India;

    Seventh Edition.

    Harper. W. Boyd, Jr.

    Ralph Westfall.

    Stanley.F. Stasch Marketing Research (Text & Cases);

    Richard. D. Irwin Inc, Home Wood,

    Illinois; Seventh Edition.

    Gilbert. A. Churchill, Jr.

    Basic Marketing Research;

    Drydess Press, Orlands, Florida

    Charles. W. L. Hill

    Gareth. R. Jones Strategic Management Theory

    Houghton Mifflin ; Third Edition

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    Valarie. A. Zeithaml

    Mary Jo Bitner Services Marketing:

    McGraw Hill International Editions

    Information from website of the company and product brochures

    www.airtelworld .com

    www.hutch.co.in

    www.spicetele.com

    www.bsnl.co.in

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    http://www.spicetele.com/http://www.spicetele.com/
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    5.2 CONCLUSION

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