Editor's note: We are accustomed to living in inertia, ignoring the bits and pieces of life; we are used to seeking answers from books and others, overlooking our own wisdom. Gathering the small details of distributors' lives and operations, reflecting real and effective management concepts, please follow the serialized distributor management stories updated each issue.

I am a distributor from Liaoning. Like other small and medium distributors, my company is not large, but it has a pile of problems. For management, I believe the most important thing is to manage people well. It can be said that managing people is a tedious task, but small things can reflect big principles. Based on my company's situation, I will share my insights on employee management.

  1. "Encourage" new employees to "make mistakes" Give new employees more suggestions rather than opinions; fully respect the personality of post-80s employees, encourage more and criticize less.

The HR manager always complains about not being able to recruit people, which annoys me. We spend so much money a year, why can't we find anyone? A couple of days ago, the company organized interviews and kept two new hires for evaluation. Coincidentally, the company organized a promotional event, so I had both new hires participate. Through this event, I selected one of them for two reasons: first, she dared to speak, approaching any customer to sell; second, she had strong self-confidence, even when rejected, she didn't lose heart but actively sought the next customer. Daring to speak and strong self-confidence are her strengths and personality traits. Everyone says post-80s employees are hard to manage, but I don't think so. Take this employee, also post-80s, with a distinct personality. In my communication with her, I didn't oppose any of her ideas but gave suggestions based on my experience, like "Don't you think doing it this way might be better?" or "You could also try this method," fully developing her personality. Additionally, I deliberately let her make mistakes. For example, I assigned her to maintain some major clients with whom we have a very good relationship. The purpose was to put pressure on her and accelerate her growth. On her first meeting with a major client, she got the address wrong, first calling him "Uncle" and then "Brother," but for someone who has achieved success, they are open-minded and won't nitpick with a young person. Later, this employee became a backbone of the company. For new employees, especially post-80s, my view is to fully respect their personality, encourage more, and criticize less.

  1. Let employees feel "warmth" Competition is good, but excessive competition can harm the entire team; for post-80s employees, most have affluent families as support, unlike the 70s generation who needed a stable job, so they won't cherish the job as much.

Now let's talk about the post-80s employee issue. A post-80s employee who had already produced results resigned. After leaving, she sent me a text message: "Mr. Hu, thank you for your help during this time, but I've decided to leave. For me, I need not just a salary, but a warm working atmosphere. I want to work happily. The competition in our company is too intense. When I sincerely asked senior employees for advice, they were indifferent, with no emotion at all. Finally, thank you for your encouragement." After reading this message, I was deeply moved and reflected a lot. As the boss, I face greater survival pressure. Pressure must be distributed to employees, so encouraging competition is inevitable. In business competition, no one talks about warmth, but within the company, there should be "temperature." Competition is good, but excessive competition can harm the entire team. Also, thinking that ensuring employees' income will retain them is wrong. For post-80s employees, most have affluent families as support, unlike the 70s generation who needed a stable job, so they won't cherish the job as much. Happy living and passionate work are their new needs. We must pay attention to this group's changes to retain post-80s employees.

  1. Use both kindness and severity with "thorny" employees "Thorny" employees are not submissive because they have "thorns," which are their abilities; a good boss must dare to take responsibility, and a boss who can pay for employees' mistakes will surely win their respect.

The company has two "thorny" employees, one old and one young, whom business managers generally can't control, and sometimes they even defy me as the boss. Some say, "Just fire such disobedient employees." "Thorny" employees are not submissive because they have "thorns," which are their abilities. Admittedly, both have strong business skills; no matter how difficult the market to open or the payment to collect, they can handle it with ease, while others can't. For the "old thorn" Lao Liu, my principle is to manage using his weaknesses. Lao Liu has a habit of loving to drink, which is probably why he chose to be a liquor salesperson. Once I talked to him, saying, "Uncle Liu, with your experience and ability, you could be a vice president in our company, but why have you been a salesperson for so many years? I think, first, you don't want to do management because it's too worrying; second, drinking isn't a big problem, but it affects your normal work and your personal authority." After the talk, I asked him to think about it. Later, at a company meeting, I told everyone that if anyone had complaints about Lao Liu, they should tell me, and no one could drink during work hours. On one hand, I fully respected Lao Liu; on the other hand, I emphasized company rules. With this combination of kindness and severity, Lao Liu became much more disciplined. The other "little thorn" Xiao Zhang is clever and often comes up with good ideas, but he acts first and reports later. For this, I first affirmed his cleverness, then told him to report before doing work, and only do it after I approve. If problems arise, I take responsibility; if it goes well, the credit is yours. It can be said that a good boss must dare to take responsibility, and a boss who can pay for employees' mistakes will surely win their respect.

  1. Bosses should manage their emotions Whether right or wrong, losing control of emotions is a lose-lose for both boss and employee; bosses should pay attention to how they talk to employees, but fundamentally, bosses must be tolerant and generous.

My biggest flaw is being impatient and unable to control my emotions. Once, I was talking to an employee in my office, and my temper flared up, and I yelled at the employee. The employee left dejectedly, and I got a reputation for being undignified and petty. For a boss, whether you're in the right or wrong, losing control of emotions is a lose-lose for both yourself and the employee. To change this bad habit, I now discuss controversial topics in a coffee shop, where I can relax and the atmosphere is good, so I can't get angry, forcing myself to change my habit of losing my temper. Through this, I think bosses should pay attention to how they talk to employees, but fundamentally, bosses must be tolerant and generous.

I am a distributor from Jiangsu, with a company of over 50 people and sales around ten million yuan, typical of a company that grew from a small wholesale department to a standardized operation. In this process, I've lived in warehouses, unloaded goods with salespeople, and experienced the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. Now the company is taking shape, and staff are increasing, which is a new challenge for me. After reading several issues of the "Boss Management Insights" series organized by "Sugar, Tobacco, and Wine Weekly," I was inspired. Based on my experience, I'd like to discuss a few issues bosses should pay attention to in management.

  1. Bosses should not do business themselves Bosses shouldn't do business themselves, but they can help employees negotiate deals; bosses stepping away from business is also a form of delegation and training for employees. Even if a boss can easily close a deal, it's better to let employees do it, giving them a chance to grow.

Recently, the business supervisor in charge of group purchases resigned, citing "excessive sales pressure and inability to complete." This made me angry. Selling 2,000 cases of beverages a month in group purchases is easy; I can do it alone. Why say it's difficult? Upon questioning, the account manager said, "Boss, you set tasks based on your own understanding. Last week, you called President Wang of the bank and Boss Li of the pharmaceutical factory, and sold 2,000 cases. We don't have such social connections, so of course we can't complete it." Thinking about it, bosses have broader networks and find it easier to negotiate, so of course we can't assess employees by the boss's standards. After this incident, I stopped doing business myself because it not only puts pressure on employees but also risks taking credit for their work. Now I only help employees negotiate. Sometimes, when customers ask about prices and policies, I say, "I'm not sure about that; Xiao Wang handles this. Let her talk to you." In fact, bosses stepping away from business is also a form of delegation and training for employees. Even if a boss can easily close a deal, it's better to let employees do it, giving them a chance to grow.

  1. Improve meeting efficiency Meetings where the boss dominates or where everyone talks at once are inefficient. Improving meeting efficiency is part of management, and bosses should be good at summarizing meeting experiences.

After becoming a boss, one obvious feeling is having more meetings. At an average of two per day, that's over 700 meetings a year. After many meetings, I gradually noticed problems. The first problem was that I spoke and employees listened, but after listening, it was over—a typical one-man show, not achieving the goal of brainstorming. The second problem was when I asked everyone to speak, they all talked at once, arguing over details and deviating from the topic, not achieving the desired effect. Both situations reduce meeting efficiency. To address these, I made some changes. First, limit the number of attendees to only relevant people, avoiding noisy arguments. Second, do pre-meeting work, collecting different opinions in advance to avoid wasting time. Third, choose the first speaker carefully; generally, the first speaker sets the tone, giving everyone a clear direction. Fourth, the boss shouldn't set the tone first but speak last; otherwise, employees won't speak up. Fifth, during employee speeches, the boss should avoid interrupting; otherwise, employees will worry if they said something wrong and might change direction to please the boss, not expressing their true intentions. Sixth, meetings should have records; often, decisions made in meetings aren't executed because there's no record and no follow-up. These are lessons from hundreds of meetings. I don't know if they'll work for other companies, but after implementing them, our meeting efficiency has greatly improved.

  1. Use the GPRS system well The purpose of installing GPRS is not to watch people work like a landlord in the old society, but to help everyone develop a work habit through this means, provided the intention is clearly communicated to employees.

Introducing modern technology into corporate management has been effective. For example, we use fingerprint machines for attendance and Kingdee software for finance—simple and convenient. The GPRS tracking system has been a controversial management tool in recent years. Some companies think installing it monitors employees' actions and causes resentment; others think it greatly improves efficiency and helps develop good work habits. I lean toward the latter. Previously, our delivery drivers were lazy; after delivering a batch, they'd return to the warehouse or find a place to play cards, affecting delivery efficiency. To solve this, I installed GPRS locators on every vehicle. After installation, I gathered the drivers and explained that the vehicles now had a positioning system, but I wouldn't tell them where it was installed. The purpose was to improve work efficiency and earn more money. As a result, the company's delivery capacity improved overall, and no one was lazy anymore. My purpose wasn't to watch people work like a landlord in the old society, but to help everyone develop a work habit through this means. But the premise is to clearly communicate this intention; you can't do it secretly, or when you catch employees making mistakes and punish them, they won't accept it.

  1. Give employees face, and they'll give you face. Authority and prestige aren't gained through harsh measures but from employees' genuine respect; give employees face, and they'll give you face.

Honestly, being a boss isn't easy; you need to be fair and also a two-faced person; you need to be authoritative and also approachable. Sometimes in trading companies, if the boss manages too strictly and everything is done by the book, it won't work because there's no human touch, and it doesn't fit Chinese management philosophy. So while adhering to systems, you also need to pay attention to and care for employees. This way, the boss gives employees face, and employees give the boss face. Our company has many employees from remote areas who are hardworking and frugal. One employee from Anhui is like that; he wears only the company uniform all year and eats simply. At the year-end benefits distribution, I specially instructed the office to buy him two sets of brand-name clothes. After the New Year, this employee performed even better. So as a boss, while studying how to manage people every day, you should also think about what employees need most and give them the fullest respect. Only then will you have authority, because authority and prestige aren't gained through harsh measures but from employees' genuine respect.

I am a distributor in a prefecture-level market in Hunan, mainly representing first-tier brands like Luzhou Laojiao and Great Wall dry red. The company has over 50 people and is in a development period, with internal management being a major issue. In my understanding, management includes two aspects: on one hand, the boss must manage himself; on the other hand, manage employees. As a manager, the boss must first understand his role in the company's development. Only after clarifying this can we talk about employee management. Below, I'll share my feelings during management and discuss with peers the self-management of bosses and management of employees.

  1. Bosses should be shrewd but not too clever A boss who doesn't share profits with employees, fearing they'll get too much, is neither shrewd nor clever.

Bosses are essentially businessmen, and businessmen are shrewd; a boss's shrewdness is earned through lessons. In the early days of the company, I suffered many losses due to lack of shrewdness. Initially, I represented a small Sichuan distillery's liquor, paid many fees, but the factory reneged and didn't honor them, losing a lot. Later, a friend introduced a product, I paid, but the goods weren't shipped. In short, I stumbled through, learning to be shrewd. But being shrewd is one thing; bosses shouldn't be too clever, especially with customers and employees. When cooperating with customers, if you only calculate your own accounts and not theirs, you'll lose many cooperation opportunities. If you're too clever with employees and value money too much, you won't retain them. Previously, when I saw employees earning more, I was afraid—how much salary would that cost! Now, when I see employees earning more, I'm happy because if everyone earns more, I earn more easily. To ensure employees earn more, I set up a "chain award" in assessments. I assign monthly tasks to business managers, who then assign tasks to each salesperson. If a salesperson exceeds the target, there's a bonus commission for the excess. If a salesperson completes the annual task, there's an additional reward; if sales are the company's top, there's also an excellence award. As a boss, if you don't share profits with employees, fearing they'll get too much, you're neither shrewd nor clever.

  1. Don't train all salespeople to be "Sun Wukong" Most salespeople need a "foolproof training manual" they can use directly; if training fails, the fault lies with the boss.

To improve employees' business skills, we're willing to spend on training, but often the results are poor. The teachers we hire are well-known marketing and training experts, but after training, only a small portion of salespeople benefit; the vast majority stay the same. Later, I analyzed and found my starting point was wrong. As a distributor, we all want employees to receive practical skills training that experts can use immediately. But the fact is that what experts teach goes beyond the current level of salespeople. For the vast majority of salespeople, what they need is basic skill mastery, that is, doing standard actions, visiting customers repeatedly. At this point, teaching them how to operate the market is beyond their ability. It's like a photography expert teaching students who don't even know where the camera function buttons are about composition and backlighting. In reality, students need to find the buttons, adjust them, and then shoot like using a "point-and-shoot camera." Similarly, for salespeople, telling them how to arrange a supermarket display and what requirements to meet is far less effective than showing photos of good and bad displays side by side; the contrast makes it memorable. The root of our training misconception is wanting to train all salespeople to be "Sun Wukong," hoping they can ride the clouds and have seventy-two transformations. In reality, most salespeople need a "foolproof training manual" they can use directly. Therefore, if training fails, the fault lies with the boss.

  1. Motivation should be continuous One important job of a boss is to find ways to make employees happy; when employees are happy, the boss's motivation is done well.

I used to be a salesperson and know it's not easy; this job requires strong resilience and patience, plus a bit of "psychology." At the start, salespeople are highly motivated, but after a while, they enter a plateau. During this period, income stabilizes, work becomes boring, and drive and momentum decline. At this time, motivation is needed. Our method is continuous motivation. For example, after an activity ends or during holidays, everyone relaxes together, balancing work and rest; with energy, there's vitality. Additionally, the company has a canteen that prepares four dishes daily. No matter when salespeople return, the chef is there to serve them, making employees feel that every day is different. I believe one important job of a boss is to find ways to make employees happy; when employees are happy, the boss's motivation is done well.

  1. "Master-apprentice" is not a good method Without a cultivation mechanism and system, the workshop-style "master-apprentice" method is not a good approach for efficiently operating trading companies.

The company recruited batch after batch of new people but couldn't retain them; those who stayed grew slowly. To solve this, I thought of having senior salespeople mentor new ones, i.e., master-apprentice. I thought the "masters" had rich experience and strong practical skills, and through direct teaching, "apprentices" would understand business easily and get started quickly. The idea was good, but within two months, all six new "apprentices" left, and the "masters" were full of complaints. Later, similar situations occurred twice. So I began to reflect on what went wrong. Through understanding, I found I hadn't clarified several key issues before adopting this method. First, do senior salespeople have the ability to mentor new people? Second, do they have the time? Third, will mentoring affect their income? In reality, due to the lack of corresponding assessment and incentive systems, most senior salespeople saw mentoring as extra work, and some even snatched clients developed by new salespeople to complete tasks. Many "apprentices" couldn't bear the "exploitation" and chose to leave. After these new salespeople left, they had strong opinions about the company and spread negative word, causing significant harm. Unexpectedly, the "master-apprentice" method brought hidden dangers and increased costs. I think this problem stems from not considering the senior salespeople's perspective, and the company hasn't formed a mature cultivation mechanism and system. The workshop-style "master-apprentice" method is not a good approach for efficiently operating trading companies.

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