Salespersons Liven up Jakarta Fair

The presence of salespersons at an event such as the Jakarta Fair is not just to sell products. Their smiles and greetings also help make the 53rd exhibition lively and energetic.

KOMPAS/ERIKA KURNIA

Talia (20) is a sales promotion girl (SPG) for a motorcycle brand from Japan at the annual Jakarta Fair Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, Saturday (18/6/2022).

Sunny weather and enthusiasm colored the Jakarta Fair (PRJ) on Saturday (18/6/2022). The 53rd edition of the largest multiproduct exhibition in the country – even in Southeast Asia – took place in conjunction with Jakarta's 495th-anniversary celebration.

The atmosphere of the exhibition, which was held at the Jakarta International Expo, Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, was even more lively with the presence of salespeople in colorful uniforms. They always provided a friendly smile while greeting visitors.

"Good afternoon, excuse me, can I have a moment of your time," said one sales promotion girl (SPG), who were more numerous than their male counterparts. A moment later, explanations flowed about a product and its complementary brochures.

The salespeople are part-time workers. The majority are young, aged 17 to early 20s. Some just stand guard at the booth. There are also those who have to wander around the exhibition carrying products in both hands or pushing carts to reach more visitors.

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One of them was Talia, 20, who sat in one of the motorcycles in a booth owned by a Japanese automotive company. The woman with shoulder-length hair acknowledged that her looks had largely landed her this job.

"Besides that, the requirements are most related to product knowledge. Applicants must know about motorcycles, the models, prices, engine capacity. If the customers ask more in-depth questions, we will direct them to the [company’s] sales department directly," said the fourth-semester student majoring in international relations from a private university in Jakarta.

Talia has been a salesperson 10 times since November 2021. At the motorcycle booth at PRJ, she was on a 22-day contract for Rp 500,000 (US$33.68) per day. Previously, at least, she was paid Rp 300,000 for exhibitions of other companies. She did not bother with the whispers of people who looked down on her work.

Still in the PRJ arena, Valerie Elviani, 17, was passionate about offering packaged dairy products.

“The 200 milliliter packets for teenagers. If 125 ml, for children. There are dates, chocolate, strawberry, and plain flavors. All contain maxinutri with calcium, phosphorus and vitamin B2," she said smoothly.

KOMPAS/ERIKA KURNIA

A saleswoman offers her wares to visitors at the Jakarta Fair Kemayoran square, Central Jakarta, Saturday (18/6/2022).

The teenager, who is waiting for her high school graduation, had the target of selling 65-75 packets of milk every week.

"Exciting. This is my first time working as an SPG. I gain a lot of experience in selling and promoting products, even though I'm tired of standing up for a long time," she said.

The resident of Cengkareng, West Jakarta, has a work shift from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. four days a week during PRJ.

“Parents say be careful, don't give up easily. It could be that people who were previously not interested will want to buy it," said the girl, who was paid Rp 15,000 per day.

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The money she earns as a salesperson can help her mother, who works as a cashier, and her father who lost his job because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Other Generation Z salespeople, such as Shalom, 19, also enjoyed being the SPG of a financial technology company at PRJ. This student majoring in psychology at a university in Depok, West Java, had to raise her voice so she could be heard amid the noise and the mask she had to wear while working.

The Jakarta resident was paid Rp 200,000 per day. If she works full-time for 25 days, she will get Rp 5 million or slightly higher than the minimum wage for Jakarta, which is Rp 4.6 million.

Exhibition needs

Statistics Indonesia (BPS) includes part-time workers in the working category in the National Labor Force Survey. Data shows that the number of people in the workforce who make a living as a salesperson is one of eight main types of jobs. In February, there were 26 million workers in that category, up from 19.69 percent of the workforce in February 2021.

The majority of these workers have a high school education (SMA) background. About 20 million of those in this labor category work in wholesale and retail trade, and car and motorcycle repairs.

Of the total sales force this year, 17 million work in urban areas. By gender, women dominate this category of workers.

At a car or motorcycle exhibition, good-looking human resources are still needed. This is fundamental because the attraction is there.

The general chairperson of the Indonesian Exhibition Company Association, Hosea Andreas Runkat, said the presence of salespeople was a basic need as an attraction for exhibitions outside online networks.

“For example, at a car or motorcycle exhibition, good-looking human resources are still needed. This is fundamental because the attraction is there," he said.

Digitization can undoubtedly reduce the need for salespeople. However, mass and face-to-face product promotion still requires the sales promotion girls and sales promotion boys. It can be said that the smile and greetings of salespersons also guarantee the life and splendor of the 53rd Jakarta Fair.

This article was translated by Hyginus Hardoyo.