From Classroom Theory to Industry Reality: ABB’s Sales Director Brings Real-World Insights to SDMIMD

SDMIMD, Mysuru organised a guest lecture on The Sales and Distribution Management (SDM) at its campus. Mr. Yogesh Sholapurkar, Sales Director at ABB was the resource person for the session.

In a session packed with actionable insights, Sholapurkar outlined the dynamics of achieving sales excellence in today’s competitive environment. He emphasized the importance of smart target setting, urging teams to align goals with real market capacity through intelligent segmentation and account-based strategies. On incentive engineering, he discussed tailoring motivators to different roles—revenue for sales managers, profit margins for leadership, and data quality and leads for CRM teams.

Discussing channel management, Sholapurkar described partners as “force multipliers,” highlighting the need to nurture relationships, manage pricing conflicts, and empower proactive collaborators. He also underscored the growing role of digital transformation, with tools like Power BI and e-commerce platforms becoming essential for lead management and sales visibility.

A key theme throughout the lecture was balance—especially between direct and channel sales. While direct sales drive engagement with major accounts, channel partners enable broader market penetration, creating a sustainable model for success. Sales excellence is not about aggressive tactics but about authenticity and alignment—placing customer-centricity above product-pushing, grounding planning in market realities, and upholding transparency as the foundation of trust.

Dr. Nandakishore Shetty, Associate Professor- Marketing was present during the session.