TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

ABOUT HYDERABADI HALEEM ....................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

FEW AMAZING FACTS ABOUT THE HYDERABADI HALEEM .... Error! Bookmark not defined.

THE SALES PLANNING PROCESS .................................................................................................... 15

THE INTERVIEW .................................................................................................................................. 18

SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................................ 26

1
 Pista House Haleem
Tracing the history and hype over the
city's favorite Ramzan dish

Its Ramzan (or Ramadan) and the streets of Hyderabad have sprung alive with thronging crowds
spreading gaiety and festivity. A major contributor to the general air of bonhomie is the availability of
haleem once the sun sets which, simply put, is the Baahubali of street-eats during the holy month.
With shops spruced up, LED lights hung outside eateries and even cricket matches screened live at
these joints, few dishes would have inspired such clientele, craze and continued following as this
quintessential Hyderabadi one. Brick kilns or bhattis dot every nukkad (and are dismantled soon after)
and food trails are held by foodie groups till the wee hours to allow people to sample it.

There is haleem and then there is the Hyderabadi haleem. The latter topped with a bit of desi
jugaad has taken the original dish and turned it on its head, using the best of what the local
cuisine has to offer, and making it a wholly unique creation. In the times we live in, it is noteworthy
that haleem hopping is done by both Muslims and Hindus alike and since the base is mutton, there is no
risk of gau rakshaks making an appearance in this story!

Traditionally made only during Ramzan (though it is available all year at some places in the city),
haleem is preferred to break the day long fast as it is very filling, rich in protein and easily digestible.
Canter through its gastronomical journey and while debate rages whether it made its debut in the 7th or
10th century, its first recorded appearance in India was in the 16th century, as it was mentioned in the
Ain-i-Akbari.

Mehboob Alam Khan, food historian of Hyderabad, says that while the exact origins are difficult to
locate, haleem is of Muslim origin from the Middle East or Central Asia. He says, Across the Middle
East it is known as harees, In India the dish is called haleem and an offshoot of the same basic recipe is
also called the khichda. All of them follow the basic important principal of having wheat and meat in
1:2 ratio.

The major difference between the harees found elsewhere in the world and haleem is the Hyderabad-
isation of the dish. Several tweaks were administered to the original recipe to create the current dish. A
marriage between the basic recipe and spices (elaichi, dalchini, black pepper, ginger/garlic paste among
others) with dals from the arid Telangana region, have resulted in the creation of this lip-smacking
broth.

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Hyderabadi haleem which has the prized GI tag as its crowning glory was the first non-vegetarian dish
to be given the label. The haleem cooked here needs to adhere to stringent stipulations to qualify as
Hyderabadi haleem, which include the time needed to cook, quality of mutton used and the usage of
tamarind wood (for uniform texture) being only some of the criterion needed.

Its difficult to ascertain when exactly this delicacy first made its appearance in the bazaars of the old
city, apart from being served at weddings or during festivities. While some say it was in the 1930s,
Mehboob Alam Khan disagrees and adds, The concept of going to hotels was not in Hyderabadi ethos
and culture. The practice was to eat at home or receive hospitality from ones relatives in their houses
hence, one cannot point out when the dish was commercialized. It was always a part of Hyderabadi
cuisine.

The correct preparation of the dish can't be emphasised enough. Bawarchis in the 220 registered places
in old city are known to be fussy about all things minor and major right from the consistency of the
mutton and the width of the ghotni (a wooden hand masher) used to pound the meat, to the length of
the wooden ladle used for continuous stirring. While earlier, the haleem joints were restricted to old
city, now even luxury hotels and newer areas like Hi-tech City and Gachibowli are swept away in the
haleem craze, with makeshift stalls springing up dime a dozen around the IT offices.

Makeshift stalls selling haleem have sprung up everywhere

3
This year saw the introduction of organic and diet varieties, the later regarded as a farce by many as
ghee is indispensible in the making of the dish. Nothing though, divides the old and new generations
like the topic of introducing newer varieties in haleem. Chicken, fish, emu, lamb are still acceptable but
mention vegetarian haleem and the old guard scoffs disdainfully. Mehboob Alam Khan is a purist who
speaks vociferously against the newer innovations in this age old treat. He says, How can a dish
whose very basis is meat become vegetarian? Even chicken is not the same, as one cannot pound it the
way you can with mutton.

While the variation is to satiate and add newer customers, even the toppings become a point of debate.
While the accepted ones range from the regular to the bizarre nuts, egg, goat tongue and chicken
the unacceptable ones to the old guard, are toppings like fries and pineapple! Another thing frowned
upon is the availability of the dish throughout the year by some restaurants, which many feel reduces its
mystique.

Rough estimates put the sale of haleem during Ramzan last year at Rs 500 crore. That apart, its the
unique connection the dish has with the Hyderabadi psyche and palate which makes it both
indispensable and lucrative to the food Industry. Changes in recipes and ingredients apart, the haleem
magic is here to stay and one nods in agreement when Majeed wryly says, This is the perfect Make in
India dish. We took it from the Middle East and are sending it back with a bit of our country.

4
 A few amazing facts
about the Hyderabadi Haleem

A group of about thousand people from different walks of life in Hyderabad have been very recently
interviewed by a Newsline team and were asked to share with the team the experiences they had with
the Hyderabadi Haleem

This group contained about 83% of men and 17% womenAll of them are in the age group of 17 to 70
years and these are the facts,about Hyderabadi Haleem, that came out during the survey..

>Eighty percent of the group confessed, ..we tasted Haleem many times in our life..

>Forty percent of the group said on an average we eat Haleem about twenty times in a year.

>53.8 percent of the group said, ..we like Haleem because its good for health.. and the other 46.2
percent said, ..we love Haleem for its amazing taste

Best Restaurants in Hyderabad that serve

top quality Haleem
For almost ten years now,Pista House Haleem is the most popular Haleem in Hyderabad today served
by the famous Pista House hotel located in the old city area of Hyderabad

Pista House Haleem is a widely served Haleem in Hyderabad with exclusive sales counters set up by
Pista House in almost all the parts of the Hyderabad city during the Ramadan month

Pista House is also the largest exporters of Hyderabadi Haleem with an annual turnover of more than
twenty million U S dollarsOn an average,during the holy month of Ramadan,Pista House sells about
ten tons of Haleem every day

Secondly,Sarvi Haleem is served by the Sarvi hotel,located in the plush Banjara Hills area of
HyderabadDuring the Ramadan season,the lane in front of this hotel is very difficult to pass
throughPeople come here in large numbers not only to consume Hyderabadi Haleem but also to grab
those highly delicious Chicken Malai Kebabs served at this place.

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The other very famous City Light Haleem is served by the City Light Hotel,one of the oldest Hotels
located in the James Street area of Hyderabad..It is also the only hotel in Hyderabad area that serves the
authentic Irani haleem..This is in addition to the Mashad Haleem,a special Haleem made up of rich dry
fruits,that is served here..

( Unfortunately the entire three storied building of this sixty year old City Light hotel came down
tumbling on the 8th of July,2013 killing seventeen of its employees including a very young owner of
this hotel

At the time of collapse,the hotel management was readying heavy Battis on the hotels roof top,for the
preparation of Haleem this season,and tragically that heavy weight resulted in a complete collapse of
this very old building..PERIOD)

Finally,Paradise Haleem is a famed Haleem served by the famous Paradise Hotel in the Secunderabad
area of HyderabadWhereas all the other hotels in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad
are known for serving only high quality Hyderabadi Haleem,the Paradise hotel,however,is also known
for its authentic Hyderabadi Biryani,Kebabs and other Deccan and Continental dishes

Many people who frequently visit Hyderabad make it a part of their itinerary to pay a special visit to
this hotel just for a taste of that famous Hyderabadi Biryani.

6
 Brand Pillars

White is the colour of PURITY: purity is their first value, Purity of thought and action, Purity
as an uncompromising standard and as a way of life.

The colour red in their logo stands for TRUST: trust placed in them by their customers,
trade partners, shareholders and employees; a trust that National Foods Limited has upheld for the past
37 years.

The colour orange in their logo represents their rich HERITAGE: a proud heritage of
striving for excellence handed down by their founding generation to the present generation. A belief in
their heritage is the strong foundation on which their business continues to grow.

Purple, a colour of life that for them means CONVENIENCE for their customers:
convenience is a NFL value. All their products aim to enhance convenience for their customers and
their trade partners.

Yellow signifies brightness & for them brightness means INNOVATION: innovation is a
key NFL value. Innovation drives their ability to remain contemporary in response to their consumer
needs.

7
 Product Line
Chinese Sauces become more and more popular as Chinese food makes the journey from select
restaurants to households. With just the right taste and aroma, Chinese Sauces give Chinese food that
authentic touch and add a unique flavor to Pakistani dishes as well. They are like one of the biggest
Chinese secrets made public without the slightest bit of espionage

Chinese Chilli Sauce Red Hot Sauce

Chinese Salt Sauces-Tri-Pack (Malt)
Chinese Soya Sauce Sauces-Tri-Pack (White)
Malt Vinegar (Brown) Synthetic Vinegar (White)

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All sweet things are irresistible and so are National Foods Desserts. For some, Pakistani desserts are a
must after every meal, for others any time is dessert time. Some do it for the aftertaste, others have
regular dessert cravings. But almost always, it gets you into the best of moods. In Pakistan, it is
synonymous with good news and happiness. Three products in the range make National Foods Desserts
three times as sweet.

Banana Custard Strawberry Custard

Kheer Mix Vanilla Custard
Kheer Pistachio Vermicellies
Mango Custard

The weight watchers who have a sweet tooth and who just cant say no to dessert or those who simply
enjoy something sweet after a hearty meal need not fight the temptation any longer. National Health
Foods bring the same sweet taste to you but sugar free. Their ranges of Health Foods are just right,
even for diabetics. National Health Foods bring you the best of both worlds.

Diet Custard Vanilla Diet Kheer

Diet Jelly Banana
Diet Jelly Strawberry

9
Made from real fruit pulp and juice, National Jams and Jellies offer you a taste of some of Pakistans
most popular fruits. With a wide range of flavours, National Foods brings you the varied tastes of a
range of tropical fruits, including Mango, Pineapple and even Kino, a variety of orange only found in
the subcontinent. So sweeten up your mornings and tea times with National Jams.

Apple Jam Kino Jelly

Apply Jelly Mango Jam
Black Current Jam Mixed Fruit Jam
Cherry Jelly Orange Marmalade
Fruit Cocktail Jam Pineapple Jelly
Guava Jam Strawberry Jam
Kino Jam Strawberry Jelly

Made from the finest tomatoes, National Ketchups and sauces cater to
every taste. From the hot and tangy to the sweet, National Foods offers
ketchup for every dish and occasion. Use them as dips for your
munchies, dressing for your salads, accompaniments for the main
course or even as marinades for your recipes. National Foods sauces
can do it all.

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Pakistani food without pickles is like a portrait without colour. A mix of mustard oil, mixed spices, salt,
citric acid and various vegetables and fruits, Pickles are used as a side relish, taste enhancer and even as
a good source of digestion. Known for their uniquely sharp and tangy
flavour, national foods pickles add that special something to food, making
all the difference.

Carrot Pickle Pickle Chilli

Hyderabadi Mix Pickle Pickle Garlic
Imli Pickle Pickle Lemon
Kasaundi Pickle Vinegar Pickle (Mango)
Mango Pickles Vinegar Pickle (Mix)
Mix Pickles

Raj Masala brings you the joy and ease of North Indian cooking.

Traditionally, North Indian curries are creamier and less chilli hot than other Indian curries and even
Thai food. Over 20 different spices are used to create flavour and aroma. Yoghurt, cream or coconut
milk are used for the texture and to take the heat out of some dishes.

Raj Masala is a fresh and authentic range consisting of five different pastes and sauces for preparing
Rogan Josh, Kashmiri Korma, Balti Curry, Tikka Curry, Mango Curry and Butter Chicken, a perfect
blend of the traditional taste of most popular North Indian curries
with the ease of modern cooking.
Pappadoms are served either broken up or sprinkled on top of curries
or as appetizers.

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All Raj Masala products have been created to conveniently provide a complete meal solution for up to
four people; whether it's a quick meal for the family, guests invited to dinner, or a new slant on your
backyard barbeque with your favorite drink.

A Raj Masala cookbook has been written for you to quickly and easily create meat curries, healthy
vegetarian meals, Asian-style Balti dishes and of course, Tandoori barbecues. It's easy, economical and
certainly a new way to eat your meat and veggies

National foods ingredients are meticulously selected and blended to guarantee the right combination
and perfect taste.

National Foods uses modern technological processes to obtain

thorough mixing, and hence the particular flavor that is our
specialty.

National recipes are based on the most popular and traditional

ethnic dishes the subcontinent has to offer.
They provide their consumers with recipes that are easy and
convenient to use. And, they taste great!

Achar Gosht (Pouch) Murghi Masala

Achar Gosht Masala Murghi Masala (Pouch)
Behari Kabab Masala Nihari Masala
Biryani Masala Nihari Masala (Pouch)
Bombay Biryani Masala Paya Masala
Broast Mix Masala Qeema Masala
Chapli Kabab Masala Quick Cook Haleem Mix
Chicken Jalfrezy Masala Quorma Masala
Fish Masala Quorma Masala (Pouch)

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 Haleem Masala Sabzi / Bhujia Masala
Haleem Mix Danedar Shahi Dal Masala
Kaleji Masala Shami Kabab Masala
Karahi Gosht (Pouch) Sindhi Biryani Masala
Karahi Gosht Masala Tandoori Masala
Kofta Masala Tikka Masala
Lite & Crispy Masala Yakhni Pulao Masala

Elaborate, home cooked meals are a daily tradition in Pakistani homes. Meals that call for hours of
preparation in chopping, peeling and grinding, Frying onions and tomatoes has been simplified by the
introduction of a complete recipe cooking paste, Rivaaj. Just add meat, cook and voila, enjoy some of
Pakistans most delicious cuisine.

Biryani Paste Karahi Paste

Bombay Biryani Paste Quorma Paste
Chicken Jalfrezi Paste Shahi Curry Paste

National uses the most modern refining techniques, which involve cleaning, washing and centrifuging.
Carefully chosen raw material, at the initial stage, ensures maximum purity of the salt. Special
processing enables the free flow of National Foods salt.
National Foods is the pioneering manufacturer of iodized salt in Pakistan. Due to their competitive
positioning, iodized salt is now synonymous with National Foods in Pakistan.

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Whenever you feel like treating your taste buds to something snappy, try out the National Foods Snacks
Range. Whenever, wherever, snacks just add flavor to the whole experience. Bringing together a
variety of Pakistani street food delights that take you back to the time you had them off the cart,
National Foods Snacks are pure temptation - the fun side of food. With a range of five products,
National Foods Snacks are simply irresistible.

Chat Masala Powder Fruit Chat Masala

Chatpata Pakora Mix National Chutni Powder
Dahi Bara Powder

Spices and ingredients form the basic essentials of any Pakistani dish. To understand how to use them,
when to use them and in what quantities, is considered an art that can only be understood with
experience. The colour, the aroma and the taste ... Everything that is so important for a dish to turn out
perfect is controlled by the correct and timely usage of spices and ingredients. National Foods Spices &
Ingredients are like little spells that come together to work magic.

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THE SALES PLANNING PROCESS

ANALYSIS

CONTROL OBJECTIVES

IMPLEMENTATION STRATGIES

TACTICS

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Financial strategy is the most important and integral part of any firm, it determines how a firm
earns profit and how it makes the investments. This is a very confidential part of any firms
management strategy.

National Foods finance department has a key financial strategy to maintain a solid financial base that
enables it to strike a balance between enhancement of short term profitability and forward looking
investment for long-term, stable growth. With a view to future growth, finance department implements
large amount of its profit in R&D. at the same time it maintains positive free cash flow in automotive
operations. Their management policies give priority to cash flows to enable them to respond quickly to
changes in the operating environment and to steadily increase corporate value for the shareholders.

The firm starts with their planning process 3 months before the start of their fiscal year. When planning
they keep into consideration the requirement of different departments in the firm as well as the political
and economic condition of the country. When they are done with the planning for one a fiscal year each
department is required to execute the plan. For example the marketing department and particularly the
brand manager would then come up with marketing plans where the talk about the brand plans, the
competition they facing, the segment of the market they are targeting and those that they plan to target
and they also plan about the prices by taking into account the pricing strategies of the firm. They also
have sub objectives which act as a means of achieving objectives for example if the objective is to
achieve certain market share then the sub objective would be to diversify their product range. They
mainly follow the cascading effect and their object can conflict. If they want to achieve profitability
then they would have to increase price but then the consumers wont be able to buy the product if the
fall beyond their range.

Their top management decides the organizational plans; they then set the financial goals and sales
growth which is conveyed to subordinates. They follow a mixture of group and top managers decide on
organizational objectives and both of them take part in it but the ultimate objectives are set by the high
level management. when formulating organization objectives they take into account the market
standing of the firm, competition, productivity their resources the political environment as well as the
history of the firm itself. The brand plans talk about all these plans and identify them. They usually
develop a mixture of long term or short term immediate objectives. This firm has a long term objective

16
of earning fifty billion profits by the year 2020 and a short term objective of achieving profitability. To
ensure the quality of objectives they develop brand plans and organize them and the effort put in
executing the plans matters which ensures quality objectives. the decision making process involves all
level management but when talking about the middle level management the brand manager takes the
decision for the how the plan should work, the advertising and justifying their argument and if they are
able to convince the boss then their decision is implemented.. The tools they use for decision making
depend on different situations the firm is facing.

The firm favors group decision making. The strategic plan is to diversify products and reach 50 billion
by 2020 and their tactical plans include market leader and producing good quality products. The firm
basically uses the SWOT analysis and also uses BCG matrix and market segmentation for strategy
formulation but they use other tools depending on the circumstances they face. When it comes to
duration of the plan they use standing and single use plans. plans do fail in this firm because of the
dynamic market and economic downturn in the country and an example is the firm not being able to
reach target market share but plans are made to minimize risk and continuous monitoring and research
reports ensure that the risk of plans failing are minimized. The firm changes plans according to
circumstances. The planning tools they use come both from scheduling and forecasting and using
GANTT charts are common in the firm.

In their view, sacrificing long-term growth to boost short-term profits is not an appropriate financial
strategy for the manufacturing industry. They believe the sector should create markets based on new
technologies. National foods basic approach to business rest on the conviction that the best way to
achieve sustained growth of shareholder value is to heighten its profitability in conjunction with
adequate provision of funds to fulfill such social responsibilities as environmental investment,
returning benefit to local communities and employee welfare.

17
 THE INTERVIEW

Question: What is the mission of National Foods?

To deliver consistent quality to our customers using pure ingredients, authentic recipes and the best
available technology
Dedicated to continuous improvement through active alliances with international companies to
expand technological and product horizons
To maintain close and direct contact with our customers through consumer insights and dedicated
service
To provide external and internal customer service by excelling in functional management
To promote professionalism at all levels through education, training and development for all
human resources
To deliver annually a fair return to our valued investors and shareholders inline with industry and
economy

Question: In order to see the willingness to buy do you test market your products?
Yes of course. We first try to record the reaction of our existing customers by giving them free trial of
our products. If we get a positive response, only then we mass market our product.

Question: Do you follow a standard procedure of sales forecasting?

Yes. We have a separate department which forecast the sales revenue in accordance with the financial
data for the next year.

Question: Are qualitative factors more important than quantitative factors when forecasting
sales?
Both are equally important. Its like tea without sugar for me. Objective task method is widely used in
our company when forecasting sales but first we rely on the figures to give us a clear picture of our
sales potential.

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Question: Who is responsible for sales forecasting?
All the mangers in our sales and marketing department are responsible. We often use our sales
personnel to know about the consumer reaction patterns and the future market trends.

Question: How do you evaluate your sales forecast?

We usually compare it with the total forecasted sales. And I am glad to tell you that our sales forecast
are mostly accurate and differences only occur do you the uncontrollable factors in the environment.

Question: When gathering information, do you use primary sources or secondary sources?

Primary research is the key to our market research as we specifically gather information about our
existing and potential customers. Our whole sales team efficiently gathers date by coordinating their
efforts through all levels. From the highest to the lowest level.

Question: Do you incorporate advanced techniques like MIS in your research?

Yes, MashAllah se we have a separate MIS department which performs its tasks very effectively.

Question: How many years do you take in to account when analyzing the past data?

Two to three years. Due to the rapidly changing environment we do not really rely on the previous
years data.

Question: How has the market in general evolved during this time span?

During the past three years, there haven't been major significant changes in the market. However, a few
social changes have enabled National Foods to come up with a variety of new products. Each product
has been customized to adapt to the change in consumer taste.

19
Question: How did you perform against the competitors?

Our company has a variety of SBUs (strategic business units). Therefore, it faces different competitors
in different product lines. National Masala has been the market leader for almost 5 years but other
products like Custard and Chili garlic are facing a tough competition in the competitive market.

Question: How have specific products, territories and accounts developed in terms of sales
profitability?

National foods already has different brands in the market like Jams, ketchup, Achar, Kheer mix,
Custard powder, etc. Recently, we launched a new brand named Rivaaj, It has increased our sales by
40% and profits by 20%.

Question: What about your market share?

Our main focus has always been on high profitability which further leads to a high market share. I am
proud to be associated with National Foods which successfully occupies 80% market share in powder
mix market.

Question: How do you analyze your competitors future actions?

We are operating in this industry since 1970. Hence, we are aware of the different reaction patterns of
our competitors. If a competitor reduces its price by 5rupees, it wont affect the sales of our National
Recipes. However, when introducing new products like National Rice (Guard) and kheer, we failed to
correctly analyze the competitor action and therefore faced major losses in both the product lines.

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Question: What can be learnt from the past?

When entering in to new markets, for instance rice. National foods should emphasize on Research and
Development to a great deal in order to make continuous improvements and minimizing the risk of
failure.

Question: How do Macro Environment factors affect Sales Organization and Market potential?

The demographic profile of our existing and potential customers majorly consist of single, married
working females, age 18 to 30. In Pakistan, with the increase in career opportunities for women the
demand for our National recipes has increased greatly.

The economic conditions do not have much impact on the sales of our products. As we deal in products
which are less costly and can be bought on affordable prices.

Our recipes are in accordance with social and cultural norms of the society.
The GDP is showing a declining trend from the past three years as it fell from 7.1 to 1.23%. Inflation is
also at its peak, in these tough times National Recipes have successfully managed to retain its profits by
selling manufacturing its products cost effectively.

Question: What are your Strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT)?

Strengths: National Foods has a very broad product line that includes different types of Masala
powders, kheer mix, ketchup, custard powder, pastas, achars and many more.
It is dealing with more than 380 distributors which is its biggest strength as none of our competitors
have such a vast distribution channel. It also has 500 people working as the field force and all of them
are employed by National Foods.
National food possesses specific manufacturing competence for example use of imported machinery
and high quality ingredients in manufacturing of powder mix that maintain the quality of product.

Weaknesses: Our major weakness is the declining gross profits due to the increase in operating

21
expenses. We have not been able to increase our gross profits since the past 3 years.

Threats: Political instability and competitors in the market. Especially our unpopular products like
Custard and Kheer are facing intense competition from the new competitors entering in the market.
Also, the law and order situation

Opportunities:

Straight forward, the birth rate of Pakistan at the moment is an opportunity for us. Apart from this, the
increase in literacy rate is also an opportunity for mass marketed foods. GDP can also prove to be an
opportunity- but in countries unlike Pakistan. Coming back to literacy rate, how does that affect us?
Well young lady it has a major affect on the consumption of our Masalay. Women like you, women of
today, are now career oriented. More focused towards their aim. As a result, they need to balance their
time. Women no longer have the time or energy to create fresh Masalay. Let me give you an example,
my sister in law is a masters in English Literature from Karachi University. She can't even cook a
decent fried egg. National Foods is capitalizing on that aspect, such women will use our Masala packets
because they are convenient and easy to use.

Question: What are your major sales objectives?

Our sales objectives are very simple: Retaining leadership and earning profit. I can brag a lot about
customer orientation and customer value. Believe me, everyone does but the truth remains,
shareholders need profits. Leadership is a tricky business. To retain your leadership requires major
sales efforts. The leader can charge a premium whenever they like. Hence, our main objectives revolve
around keeping our shareholders happy.

Question: But what about key account management? Don't you manage your key accounts in a
way which generates customer loyalty?
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Answer: Well, this concept of key accounts has basically evolved since Olpers came into being. We
offer big retail discounts to major retail stores. In addition to the discounts, we give them commissions.
These discounts and commissions are not for the common man. We maintain separate accounts for
Aghas, Mottaz, Imtiaz, Ghaffars and all these retail stores. Imtiaz has been apportioned Rs.16 lakh
from National. In addition to these, we have adapted to these new trends of International Modern Trade
(IMT). Makro, Metro and the hyper marts are examples of such IMTs. So now what happens is, we
have separated an input/output system for all these. The decision of shelves, the placement, the share
we get (primary and secondary) are taken in accordance with the IMTs. Also, we provide a higher sales
personnel for MTS and big units. For instance, wherever there are higher sales, follow up is more.
Increased sales visits and sales calls are examples of follow ups.

Question: How do you coordinate your sales objectives with the sales personnel and the other
departments?

Answer: Yes this is a very big problem. Here, the finance department tries to keep lower costs of
production. The production is concerned with employee welfare. We are the sales department, our main
concern is to generate sales and attain profitability. But one thing which is good here at National Foods
is that the director controls everything himself so the coordination is very smooth. For instance, if this
was peak time for a product for which I had anticipated an amount of sales, and I was sitting in my
office at 12 am, there is no doubt I would be screaming at the logistics department. But if the director is
handling the coordination with the logistics, it is a given that I wont be yelling at my director. The
sales operation manager creates a buying based on anticipated forecasts. The HOD's get together before
the end of the month to discuss anticipated budgets for their departments. They discuss which products
are profitable, how the buying will be achieved, how customers can be attracted, how sales volume or
political instability might thrash the situation, the disturbance by the vendors.. all the issues are
discussed beforehand. Else, what will happen is at the time of execution when shortfalls or delays
occur, everyone would be placing allegation on the other.

Question: How do you implement your sales objectives?

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Answer: I am happy to announce to you, that by the grace of Allah, last year we had toped our budget
by 2.2%. Our implementation is effective because the maximum forecast variations we have are of 8-
10%. We implement our objectives by first clearly communicating them to the sales personnel so they
know what they are striving for. Regular meetings are held for this purpose. We also provide training
every year to refresh the main concepts instilled in our personnel.

Question: What are your core strategies?

Answer: Our strategies include objective action plans to hold our current market position. Basically, we
strive for low cost strategies. Our products are designed for the entire market. Some of them are
targeted towards one specific group more than the other, but they are used by the entire market: men,
women, children, seniors. Hence, to be cost effective we adopt an overall cost leadership. We strive to
find out any possible way with which we can cut our cost of production. All our tactical plans or
objectives are based on this strategy.

Question: Which tactics do you use? Push tactics or pull tactics?

Answer: Okay thats a close question young lady. I would want to maneuver but I'm fasting and I
would hate to lie. To be very frank, we use the push tactics. It may be embarrassing for companies to
admit it, but truth remains, in Pakistan most companies use push tactics. Honestly, marketing remains
on its bench but lets say for instance that out marketing budget is Rs.100, there are 10 people who are
present to share the profits with us. We focus on below the line activities. We set up displays to push
the products to the shops and retail stores. It should seem like the shop is ornamented with our
products. Let me tell you about the failure of many firms in Pakistan for e.g. The United Colors of
Benetton. It used to rely on stock management. It failed to understand the psyche of Pakistan. Here in
Pakistan, the customers prefer to shop from loaded stores. Stores which have abundant inventory of
products. This represents variety for them. Here most of the customers are those who are influenced by
the buying decisions of others. This is known as 'word of mouth'. What we aim to do is basically
decorate the shops with our products. Why? Just to confuse you in your decisions. So basically, we
want to push or somewhat throw our product towards the retailer. As I mentioned earlier, we are

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persistent in fact diligent in our key account management efforts. However, recently our pull strategy
has gotten stronger with better recruitment practices. This gentleman who just passed by was the
marketing manager at Philips in the United States and is now working with us. Many other such experts
have joined the organization and they've been generating many innovative and positive ideas for
marketing. Hence, in recent times our marketing has gotten stronger too with Rs.2 crores budgeted for
copies and print media advertisements along with TV commercials.

Question: How do you communicate your tactical actions with your regional sales managers?

Answer: We have elaborated the categories of our profitability and then communicated them to the
regional sales managers'. For instance, we have three different flavors in ketchup: regular ketchup, chili
garlic and hot and spicy. The lowest sales are for hot and spicy. The highest sales returns are also for
that. And it generates the lowest profits. So we have set a mix, established a ratio. Wherever we see
performance like this, we retreat our products. We are looking for the competitor to steal our market
share. So these strategies are communicated to the regional or zonal sales manager. In turn he stops to
push that product to the retailers. So it's a whole cycle which starts with a shift in the strategy.

Question: How do you implement your sales plan?

In National foods good communication with the sales force acts as a key factor to implement the sales
plan successfully. For that matter sales operation manager arranges a meeting where senior sales
manager addresses the sales force and makes them aware of the sales objectives, strategies and tactics
to be used for the implementation of the sales plan for the forthcoming period.

Question: Is it implemented at all levels?

Level of coordination among all the departments is very strong in National foods. All the managers sit
together, discuss and respect each others views and try to create a bind that would give profitable
results in future.

Question: What training do you provide for implementation?

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Sales people are trained to manage their time and respond to challenges competently. They are
provided with continuous support, advice, information and guidance that helps them to carry out their
tasks effectively and efficiently.

Question: How do you evaluate the sales plan?

In National foods evaluation of the sales plan is done on quarterly basis. It is carried out by comparing
the planned results with the actual outcome. Generally the forecasted error is more or less 10% which is
almost ignorable.

Question: What corrective actions do you take?

During the past few years not much deviation has been observed in actual results when compared with
the forecasted ones. However, in national foods push tactics were used at greater extent but over the
last few years pull tactics have also been strengthened to diminish the minor forecasted error. Effective
daily reporting system is also practiced in the company.

SUMMARY
National Foods has a separate Sales Department which deals with almost 400 distributors. Thus, it

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follows a systematic approach for sales forecasting. As sales forecasting is the starting point for
assumptions used in various planning activities. National Foods successfully coordinates with the other
functional departments like Human Resource and Finance when making its sales forecasts. On the basis
of the forecast, they estimate the market and sales potential of their different Strategic Business Units
(SBUs).According to the sales manager, National Masalas are the cash cows ( the most revenue
generating products) among the other product lines. National Foods incorporates advanced MIS
techniques in the information gathering process in order to estimate its sales potential in the market.
Due to the political instability the GDP has shown a decreasing trend in Pakistan, therefore the industry
sales have been affected due to the decrease in the national income. Yet, National Foods manages to
achieve its estimated sales revenue because of its affordable prices.

A proper analysis of the past 3 years is done which includes competitor actions, firms market share,
SWOT analysis, development of different products and territories, the macro environment factors and
most importantly what have they learnt from their past mistakes. National Foods has been established
since 40 years, hence, it has a vast experience in the competitive market. They successfully anticipate
the competitors future actions and do not face price wars as such. They have 80% of the market share
and estimate a large sales potential especially for National Masalas. Macro environmental factors, for
example demographic trends have increased the demand of National Recipes as its demographic profile
is showing an positive trend which mainly comprises of working women. National Foods keep a
regular check on its product life cycle and give emphasis on the products which have reached the
Growth and Maturity stage like National Masalas. They keep on introducing new recipes in order to
survive in the competitive market. They also focus on the changing consumer patterns and their tastes.
They review their competitive advertising media frequently in order to attract more people towards
their products.

National Foods sales objectives are retaining leadership in the areas where they serve as leaders,
attaining leadership where they have star products and earnings profits which indicate higher share
holder equity with an increased dividend yield.

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National has a customized key account management system whereby it incentivizes its key account by
offering big retailer discount, maintaining separate key account profiles and allocating a higher
percentage of sales personnel to key accounts. Additionally, the input/output system for IMTs is
managed separately and they are included in decision making of the firm. National Foods sales
objectives are specifically and clearly communicated to its sales personnel in order to ensure that the
focus of the company is not deviated.

Coordination of sales objectives is a difficult task underlying any company. However, National has
taken steps to ensure that the coordination is as smooth and as effective as possible. The director
manages the coordination which in turn ensures employee support. Also, for effective direct
communication, the HODs conduct a meeting before each month to discuss budgeting, allocation of
resources, provision of personnel, implementation of plans etc. Any errors the departments anticipate
are brought up at this stage which reduces future allegation and blame placement.

National Foods follows a low cost strategy whereby the firm strives to lower its cost of production
which leads to lower market price and a therefore a higher market share.

National Foods adopts push tactics. The product is PUSHED towards the retailer. It aims at
ornamenting the retail stores with its products in accordance with the Pakistan consumer psyche. The
Pakistani market prefers to purchase a product from stores which seem abundant in product variety.
However, recently it has also focused on attaining prospective customers by creating a PULL.
Advertising through electronic and print media has been adopted.

In National foods, with the intention of implementing the sales plan sales meeting is setup where the
plan is disclosed to all the staff. Then everyone is taken into confidence and subsequently the plan is
communicated to the sales force. Sales people are then informed about the goals, strategies and tactics
to be used. For that matter the sales people are constantly motivated and instructed so that they are able
to achieve the tasks proficiently, skillfully and expertly. The sales plan is evaluated by comparing the
forecasted with the actual results. Over the past few years the forecasted error has been 10% showing
how efficiently the plan is usually build up. To overcome the error timely corrective actions are taken in
order to achieve the desired profits.

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