Consumers don't like it, so they won't take it. In the past two years, consumers have become more rational. They have a certain level of product recognition and their own selection criteria. They won't easily accept a product just because of a promotional activity or a salesperson's hard sell. Therefore, when most distributors choose a new product, they first look at whether it will be accepted by local consumers. Thus, it's best for manufacturers to send their sales staff to visit the market before recruiting distributors, to understand the product needs of consumers in the recruitment area. This will help manufacturers successfully recruit distributors.
No brand awareness, so they won't choose it. For distributors, a product with a strong brand influence significantly reduces marketing difficulty, so they usually place great importance on brand awareness. One distributor said that no fewer than five manufacturer sales reps visit or call the company every day, all wanting to promote their products. Generally, if a product has decent brand influence, he will patiently listen to the introduction, but he shows no interest in unknown brands or those he has never heard of. After taking on a product, distributors have to do a lot of promotional work. Even if their channels are strong, if the brand has no appeal, it's hard to promote. Rather than wasting energy on that, it's better to concentrate manpower and resources on promoting existing products. For larger distributors, they don't lack products, so it's not easy for manufacturers to win them over. Brand should be considered a "door opener."
I already have this, so I don't need it. Every distributor first considers whether the company really needs a new product and whether it fits the current product structure adjustment needs. Especially now, distributors pay more attention to adjusting their product structure. Duplicate price points, categories not needed, overlapping brands, manufacturers they've worked with before, or products that don't align with company strategy can all be reasons for rejection. "Our company doesn't need this product right now; it doesn't fit our product structure" is one of the most frequent reasons heard by recruitment staff. Of course, this problem is hard to solve, but it's not impossible. To reduce unnecessary expenses and wasted trips by sales staff, manufacturers should conduct market research in advance when recruiting in a certain area. If the region lacks products in that price range or if the brand is well-known there, recruitment becomes much easier. When I visited the market in Huzhou recently, a local distributor told me that wines with the word "raw pulp" (原浆) sell well, so distributors are willing to sell popular products regardless of their product structure. If a "raw pulp" product went to Huzhou for recruitment, it might achieve good results.
The manufacturer doesn't value the market, so they won't do it. When a manufacturer values a market, it indicates they will invest heavily, and distributors in that area will naturally benefit. Everyone wants to be valued, and distributors are no exception; no one wants to be a "sacrifice." Often, the manufacturer's attitude toward the market plays a decisive role in whether a distributor decides to choose the product. Recently, a distributor asked me about a certain brand. He said he was closely watching the product but didn't dare to take it on because he didn't know the manufacturer's true attitude toward his market. "If they're just going through the motions, my money will be wasted. It's not worth spending time and money on such a manufacturer. If they really value our market and are willing to invest, then I'm willing to take it on and work with them." If manufacturers can clearly state their attitude and future plans for the market, rather than recruiting just for the sake of recruiting, that might attract distributors more than the product itself. To show they value a market, manufacturers should, if possible, establish a model market to increase other distributors' confidence in the manufacturer and product. If they can't build a model market, they should send a recruitment team to visit and assess the market before recruiting, and invest in local advertising to create awareness and atmosphere.
Profit is too low, so they won't do it. Businesspeople want profits. Without substantial returns, distributors' motivation to choose new products will decrease. Due to intense competition among brands, distributors face high pressure, so some companies have increased support for distributors and made concessions on profit in their recruitment policies this year. However, some distributors have mentioned that the policy support promised by manufacturers usually requires distributors to pay upfront, and then they receive wine or promotional items as compensation. If the product sells well, these items are acceptable, but if sales are mediocre, they become a burden. Additionally, some manufacturers have poor credibility; when distributors seek reimbursement, the manufacturer delays repeatedly, which is very annoying. When distributors choose new products, they first conduct market research on the manufacturer and product. Once they learn of untrustworthy behavior, they won't cooperate. There are also manufacturers that deceive distributors by setting very high profit margins, but after distributors pay, they don't honor their promises and may even take the money and run. Now distributors are very cautious when choosing partners, so manufacturers must set reasonable profit distribution to meet distributors' expectations, increasing the likelihood of cooperation.
The product doesn't appeal to the eye, so it's not acceptable. When introducing a new product to distributors, most distributors' first reactions are: Which manufacturer? What's the price? What's the alcohol content? What's the packaging? Is it a leading product? These may not be decisive factors, but they are the first elements and first impressions. The quality of these first impressions directly affects distributors' willingness to learn more about the product. Of course, in certain regions and periods, these factors can become decisive. For example, in Shandong, locals are accustomed to low-alcohol drinks, so alcohol content might be the first consideration. In the era of mass-market liquor, products around 100 yuan are also popular among distributors. In wedding banquets or township markets, packaging is a major reference. What kind of product suits what region should be the first step in recruitment, not just recruiting because the manufacturer wants to develop a market. Designing products that fit the consumption characteristics of a region may make recruitment smoother.
Unpleasant cooperation, so they won't do it. The quality of the manufacturer-distributor relationship is directly related to the rationality of the cooperation model. Many manufacturers only briefly describe the cooperation model during recruitment and don't pay much attention to it. And when sales staff visit the market, unclear explanations of the cooperation model have also lost many potential cooperation opportunities. A good manufacturer-distributor model can greatly interest distributors. For example, when Yanghe Laozihao recruited, they proposed a strategy of "full respect, full trust, full autonomy; manufacturer handles marketing, distributor handles sales, separating marketing and sales," which attracted many distributors' attention. When distributors looked at the Yanghe Laozihao recruitment brochure, they only briefly glanced at the manufacturer and product introductions, but they raised questions about the cooperation model and asked staff for detailed explanations. At the recruitment meeting, distributors also paid close attention to further cooperation models, showing the importance of the cooperation model in recruitment. In the current industry situation, as distributors' status gradually rises, equal, open, and free cooperation models are more favored by distributors. Giving distributors enough policy support and operational freedom may win their favor, facilitating quick transactions and long-term cooperation.
Too many products, so they're not happy. This year, companies face high performance pressure, so some manufacturers have increased product development, trying to boost performance by adding distributors. But the company may be willing, while distributors may not. Some distributors have reported that if a company has too many products, it may initially give consumers the impression of popularity, but over time, consumers become confused and less interested in choosing. Especially for brands that have been on the market for many years, although they once achieved great results, over time they may be surpassed by competitors, as very few products dominate the market; every brand has some sales. After comprehensive consideration, distributors are unwilling to choose products from such mature companies. In fact, they don't reject the company itself, but the cost of promoting new products is rising year by year, so they prefer to operate brands with potential in the market rather than overly mature ones. This has become a significant point of conflict: manufacturers want to develop more products and create more performance, but distributors fear that too many products make the market difficult.
Too much initial payment, so they won't talk. During the golden decade of industry development, distributors made money easily and had ample funds, so they didn't pay much attention to the initial payment amount. At that time, manufacturers' recruitment thresholds were relatively high. Now, with declining product profits across the industry, distributors have less disposable capital, and manufacturers have lowered thresholds. Despite this, distributors are more sensitive when choosing new products because they fear being "trapped." If the manufacturer requires too high an initial payment, distributors face higher inventory pressure and greater risk. Distributors who suffered from inventory pressure in the past two years are afraid of being pressured again. Let me give two examples of famous liquor manufacturers. Both are national famous liquors, but due to different initial payment amounts, distributors' attitudes were completely opposite. Brand A, due to its high visibility, attracted many distributors during recruitment, and because of its lower initial payment, the transaction rate was impressive. Moreover, some large distributors paid far more than the minimum standard. Brand B's visibility is no less than Brand A, and its market foundation is also good. Many distributors were excited when they first heard about the product recruitment, but they immediately lost enthusiasm upon hearing the initial payment amount. In fact, Brand B had already lowered the initial payment, but not enough, causing interested distributors to hesitate. Manufacturers should set appropriate initial payment amounts based on the period and the type of distributors they want to recruit, not based on their brand awareness, as this could backfire.
The "model" is not grounded, so it's not appropriate. A company's operational model plays a very important role in product promotion. If the company's approach fits the local market conditions, the product may be successfully promoted; otherwise, it won't. Additionally, distributors have their own methods for operating products. If they don't agree with the manufacturer's methods, the likelihood of cooperation decreases significantly. So before choosing distributors, manufacturers also roughly understand the local market situation and the distributor's development history. During conversations, both sides assess each other. If their ideas align, cooperation may be possible. When I visited distributors, they said that since last year, many companies have launched new products and have recruitment needs, but some manufacturers haven't studied market characteristics enough, so their operational models aren't very grounded. Distributors often say "NO" to such companies. For example, when a manufacturer recruits in a prefecture-level city, they might choose distributors by district, or they might choose one agent for the whole city, who then recruits sub-distributors. Distributors have their own considerations for these two models. Some distributors with strong capabilities want more profit, so they might be willing to be the exclusive agent for the whole city, while others, considering risk resistance or having better channels in only one district, might only want to be an agent for one district. Therefore, when formulating recruitment models, manufacturers should adapt to local conditions and individual distributors, maintaining flexibility to recruit suitable distributors.
Arrogant attitude, so they won't succeed. Manufacturer sales reps represent the company's image. Their every move reflects the manufacturer's attitude toward distributors and the market. Since distributors are at the lower end of the industry chain, the relationship has long been "manufacturer strong, distributor weak," giving distributors less say, which has led some manufacturer sales reps to be arrogant and insincere toward distributors. But in this era of "competing for distributors," distributors have no shortage of brands and opportunities. If manufacturer sales reps maintain old habits, they easily provoke distributor resentment. A distributor told me that recently he was interested in a new product from a large company, and the manufacturer happened to be recruiting in his area. But after the sales rep visited him once, the distributor decisively canceled his desire to represent the product. The reason was simple: because the company was large, the sales rep unconsciously showed arrogance and didn't respect the distributor. However, this distributor is influential in the local liquor circle and rarely receives such "treatment." The distributor believed the manufacturer might not value his region enough, hence the attitude, which could lead to reduced market investment in the future.
Poor service awareness, so they won't play. Whether the manufacturer's follow-up service is adequate is hard to tell before and during the early stages of representing a product. There are many uncertainties, so many distributors are conflicted and hesitant when taking on a product, but few proactively consider this issue. When I visited the market, I found that at the beginning of recruitment, everyone's focus was mostly on the product itself and the manufacturer, and they didn't actively ask about the quality of follow-up service. Many distributors think that if it's a large manufacturer, the after-sales service won't be bad. But the reality isn't so optimistic. After taking on new products, many distributors complain because the manufacturer doesn't provide timely follow-up and service, losing confidence in both the manufacturer and the product. Recently, when I investigated a market, I found that a product's poor service to distributors became known to all local distributors, and the product's reputation suffered, making recruitment for the manufacturer's new product very difficult in that area. Distributors are interconnected; once you touch a distributor's bottom line, you might offend not just one distributor but a group. To avoid this, manufacturers shouldn't just focus on the short term but should fulfill promises promptly and implement them thoroughly. One crucial point is to strengthen the sales team in that region to ensure smooth policy implementation.
Source: Jiu Shuo (酒说)
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