In the blink of an eye, I have transitioned from a professional manager to a trade partner and marketing consultant. Over a decade of professional management has brought both the joy of success and the lessons of failure. This article is dedicated to commemorating that bittersweet, sentimental marketing career. For what it's worth, here are some thoughts for reference:

  1. In a company, some things can be said but not done (e.g., "employee interests first"); some things can be done but not said (e.g., layoffs and pay cuts). Understanding this can save you many detours.
  2. Promotion, wealth, learning, and growth are the most genuine dreams of every marketer.
  3. The best systems are those tied to money.
  4. Choice matters more than effort; I have seen countless mediocre people rise swiftly, and many talented people suffer misfortune, feeling that fate plays tricks.
  5. If your dream is to be a professional manager, it's better to go to a large enterprise, which offers a big platform and resources to achieve great things.
  6. Political struggles in large enterprises are often fierce; be mentally prepared.
  7. Infighting is sometimes tolerated and even welcomed by the boss.
  8. Knowledge of professional managers in large enterprises tends to be "narrow and deep," while in small enterprises it tends to be "broad and shallow."
  9. Believing that effort alone guarantees success, or that success can come without effort, are both signs of immaturity. As Zeng Guofan said, self-cultivation lies in oneself, but success depends on heaven.
  10. If you think you can, you can; if you think you can't, you definitely can't.
  11. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
  12. Having connections in high places makes things easier.
  13. The downside of good companies is that they often make incompetent people in high positions think highly of themselves. The upside of bad companies is that they force grassroots marketers to rely on no platform, ultimately honing their skills.
  14. If your desire to get rich is strong, entrepreneurship is the only way. It's nearly impossible for marketers to get rich on regular salary, unless through gray income.
  15. Few marketers can resist the temptation of gray income, just as few can resist the temptation of beauty.
  16. Marketing has patterns but no fixed rules.
  17. Marketing is a road of no return. Once a marketer becomes a marketing director, that's the end of the career ladder. The ultimate destination is either entrepreneurship or manager shareholding. Entrepreneurship can be hoped for, but manager shareholding is desirable but not attainable.
  18. A colleague asked me how to interpret the boss's words, "Work hard, and I won't treat you unfairly." I said, if you're still young, maybe you can give it a try.
  19. Marketing is a young person's game; some things can't wait. Money is recognition of one's value and ability. Incentives detached from money are the most ineffective.
  20. Books often tell inspirational stories, teaching us to work for ideals, not money. I often wonder, working for ideals is natural, but why can't we work for money?
  21. Lock onto an industry, a company, and a career, and you will eventually succeed. If you must change, you can change companies; if you must change again, you can change industries; but never change careers lightly.
  22. A man should be tough on himself (in career) and kind to himself (in hobbies).
  23. Marketing matters often lie outside marketing itself, such as your knowledge reserves and learning.
  24. In a company, everyone is both a chess player and a chess piece.
  25. Heaven rewards the diligent; that's not a lie.
  26. At the annual meeting, when the boss talks about the hardships of entrepreneurship, I ponder; when employees raise their hands to pledge loyalty, I become wary; when someone "cries bitterly," I smile.
  27. No one can defeat you except yourself.
  28. I truly hope that good is rewarded with good, and evil with evil.
  29. Endure a word and the wind calms; step back and the sea and sky open.
  30. Things you can't figure out are just because you lack height.
  31. In the marketing community, a person with great ambitions and a pursuit of success is often surrounded by rabble.
  32. I thank those who helped me; they are my benefactors. I also thank those who framed or looked down on me; they are also my benefactors—they inspired me to achieve.
  33. So-called benefactors are those who inspire you to strive for progress and fight harder.
  34. Company political struggles are purely dung beetles fighting over dung.
  35. Power games are a double-edged sword, harming others first, and ultimately harming oneself.
  36. Marketing is essentially three things: speaking well, writing well, and doing well. "Speaking well" means communication and presentation skills; "writing well" means the ability to write summaries and reports; "doing well" means execution.
  37. The best motivation is self-motivation, and the best self-motivation is actually a habit of correct thinking and action.
  38. The best team motivation is just four words: promotion and wealth.
  39. Managing teams and distributors ultimately comes down to four phrases, sixteen characters: convince with reason, move with emotion, entice with benefits, and control with consequences.
  40. "Read classics, watch news." In today's flood of information, calming down to read a few classics will benefit you immensely.
  41. Marketers often have worldly stereotypes, like "eating, drinking, whoring, gambling" or "glib tongues." In reality, these are just packaged images. True marketers are those with ideals, pursuits, who are grounded and insightful, and who are "learned, thoughtful, questioning, discerning, and diligent."
  42. In this materialistic and deceitful society, a marketer without firm beliefs and persistent pursuits can easily lose themselves and drift with the tide.
  43. Management is nothing more than setting people, time, quantity, goals, standards, and rewards and punishments.
  44. If there's a chance to be lazy, one will be lazy; if there's a chance to be corrupt, one will be corrupt.
  45. Marketers only do what is rewarded or punished, not easily what is expected.
  46. Paratroopers (external hires) have the highest casualty rate, simply because they are often "appointed in times of crisis."
  47. If you love someone, let them do marketing; if you hate someone, let them do marketing.
  48. How to allocate sales targets? It's usually "GDP + growth rate + completion rate + others (market level, competitors, gut feeling)." Actually, this is not entirely scientific. My method is to allocate based on the above indicators, retaining 5-10% flexible space, then adjust regionally afterwards. How to adjust? Look at process indicators (key tasks, channel development and maintenance, terminals, etc.) and result indicators.
  49. Branding is actually very simple, so simple that everyone understands it. Branding is also the most complex, so complex that some "brand experts" make a living from it.
  50. Better to violate heavenly rules than to offend public sentiment.
  51. There is only disclosure, no truth.
  52. Packaging matters more than reality. Marketers' resumes often have water; perhaps a manager offered a million salary was originally earning only two or three hundred thousand.
  53. The root of conflicts between manufacturers and distributors is unfair distribution of profits, because the final consumer price cannot be infinitely expanded; it's governed by market laws. Therefore, in the profit chain of product circulation, both manufacturers and distributors want to squeeze more profit from each other.
  54. One of the greatest qualities of a successful salesperson is: not playing by the rules.
  55. The front line is always the source of innovation.
  56. Beware of marketers who are sweet-talking and flashy but insubstantial.
  57. Marketers who are submissive and groveling are pitiful, pathetic, and lamentable!
  58. Data can reveal the truth, but it can also conceal it.
  59. Marketers sometimes need a bit of dominance, heroism, and the spirit of "who else but me," even if thousands oppose.
  60. Without responsibility (job duties), where does a sense of responsibility come from?
  61. Laissez-faire management harms and helps: it harms those without direction and helps those who are proactive.
  62. In reports, use more tables, data, formulas, or models; you will benefit immensely.
  63. Even if it's fake, data is better than pure text narration.
  64. The wise accomplish things; those with simple hearts and firm ideals accomplish great things.
  65. It's undeniable that flattery is a good communication tool.
  66. Be a righteous person, manage the petty.
  67. Negative incentives for process indicators, positive incentives for result indicators.
  68. In a company, you don't necessarily have to start from the bottom.
  69. To see if a company is worth joining, check if its toilets are clean and if its employees look sunny.
  70. When you don't need favors, you're equal to anyone; when resigning, you're on equal footing with the boss.
  71. A low posture in front of the boss means either you need something from him, or you admire him, or both.
  72. The essence and core of management were already clarified by the ancients: "If you can win hearts, dissent will disappear; from ancient times, those who know war are not warlike. If you don't assess the situation, both leniency and strictness will be wrong; later rulers of Shu should think deeply."
  73. If you thoroughly understand how religions manage believers and how governments manage people, you are the most brilliant management expert.
  74. Try a few times to manage from the top down: go directly to the front line as a sales assistant or salesperson.
  75. Bamboo shoots become bamboo only after falling to the ground; fish become dragons only after swimming.
  76. It's undeniable that showing off is somewhat useful; if you show off long enough, you become awesome.
  77. Some companies or jerks do unjust things under the banner of justice.
  78. Companies and employees, if they put themselves in each other's shoes, both benefit greatly.
  79. We are all ordinary people controlled by invisible powerful forces; either join them or adapt to them.
  80. The scene of decline is within fullness; the mechanism of growth is within decay. Therefore, a righteous person in peace should be cautious and guard against danger; in change, should endure with patience to achieve success.
  81. Civilize the spirit, toughen the body.
  82. In this materialistic, deceitful, and complex society, calming down to read a few books will benefit you immensely.
  83. Being far from home, food and sex are human nature, but don't forget to manage your time well.
  84. Those who wait long will fly high; those who bloom early will wither soon.
  85. Most marketing trainers are people who have never done sales; this is an industry where outsiders train insiders.
  86. Training is like cooking—the highest level is achieving both color, aroma, taste, and nutrition. But facts tell us that most marketers still value color, aroma, and taste; lively atmosphere is more important than knowledge.
  87. In some industries, the main role of regional managers is to be the operator for agents and the marketing consultant for small accounts.
  88. Great wealth comes from fate; small wealth comes from diligence.
  89. Learn to be grateful.
  90. Warm heart, cold eyes; proud bones, humble mind.
  91. The Way is in my heart; no need to seek outside.
  92. Outstanding performance requires full effort and heavy pressure.
  93. Don't be afraid, don't regret, don't torment yourself, don't cry over spilled milk.
  94. Paranoids either succeed or die.
  95. When talking to others, say only three-tenths of what you think; don't reveal your whole heart.
  96. Drink to slight intoxication, view flowers at half bloom; excess is as bad as deficiency. Getting drunk hurts both body and heart.
  97. "Alcohol capacity reflects sales, alcohol character reflects character"—pure nonsense.
  98. Corporate culture is figuring out the boss's mind.
  99. Report level by level, but complain by skipping levels.
  100. As long as thinking doesn't slide, methods are always more than difficulties.
  101. When there's work, do it; when there's no work, plan.
  102. Focus on work during work hours; think about work outside work hours.
  103. Goal—Plan—Action—Review—Feedback—Improvement.
  104. Think carefully—act quickly—communicate frequently.
  105. Action is the key to success.
  106. Those who waste time waiting for perfect cooperation accomplish nothing.
  107. There are at least three ways to achieve anything.
  108. Effectiveness matters more than being reasonable.
  109. With heart (full effort) and brain (scientific methods), nothing fails.
  110. Not knowing what to do is the beginning of being fired.
  111. Outstanding performance requires full effort and heavy pressure.
  112. Improvement is endless.
  113. Find problems, analyze problems, solve problems.
  114. If I'm told to do it, nothing gets done; if I want to do it, nothing fails.
  115. The meaning of communication is to achieve your goals by all means.
  116. Details determine success or failure.
  117. Be loyal to the company and loyal to the leader.
  118. Plan weekly, arrange daily.
  119. All behaviors at work influence and determine your personality, and personality determines destiny.

Source: Market Department Network Reports will be paid 400-2000 yuan once adopted.

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