Small stores are one of the most headache-inducing customer groups for frontline salespeople in FMCG practice. They are often difficult, picky, and bargain-hungry, making them the 'troublesome' segment. How can you turn 'troublesome' into 'easy'?
- Make Customers Remember You Some books emphasize the importance of 'image.' So, as a novice salesperson, I followed the book's advice, dressed sharply in a suit and tie, and went to see terminal customers, but it backfired. Later, I found out why through conversations with customers:
Boss: "When you first came, all dressed up like a general manager, talking at length about your company and products, do you know what I was thinking?" Salesperson: "What were you thinking?" Boss: "I thought you were crazy! I meet hundreds of salespeople like you every day, all saying the same things, and I'm tired of hearing it. Besides, look at my store—it's busy all day. I don't have time to listen to your spiel. You come in talking about your company and products without knowing anything about me or my situation. Why would I listen? So, I just wanted you out so I could get back to business!" Salesperson: "Then why was your attitude better the next time I came?" Boss: "Because there were no customers, and you helped me move goods, right?"
Hearing this, I suddenly woke up! He was absolutely right. How can I make customers remember me? How can I stand out among the many salespeople? Later, I summarized a few points:
Dress neatly and cleanly If there is a uniform, wear it to show professionalism. Avoid overly unique styles that might make customers think you're unreliable. Also, don't dress like a general manager—it will create distance and might even lead to customers cursing you behind your back.
Avoid long-winded speeches Briefly introduce yourself. Instead of rambling on and rushing to sell, observe the customer's environment. Use your eyes, remember, and think!
Find opportunities to help customers On the first visit, eliminating unfamiliarity is key. The best way is not through words but through actions. In offline sales training, salespeople often ask me how to quickly get familiar with small stores, what to talk about when there's no topic, or what scripts can build trust quickly. My answer: Instead of chatting, take action. If there's a chance, find something to help the customer with!
Make Customers Understand You
Personnel Situation a/ Mom-and-pop stores
- Owner's wife: In mom-and-pop stores, the wife usually manages money. Building good relations with her makes payment collection easier.
- Children: They are a window for emotional connection. Sometimes praising the child or buying them an ice cream can change the boss's attitude significantly.
- Staff: The hardest to deal with in distribution are often not the bosses but the staff. Remember! Because more work is executed by staff. For example, if you go to collect payment, even if the boss agrees, if you have poor relations with the accountant, you won't get paid. If you have poor relations with the sales staff, even if the boss approves your product, they won't push it, and it won't sell, eventually leading to returns and lost opportunities.
b/ Competitors You need to know which competitor's personnel have good relations with the boss. This may not be achieved in one visit, but always keep it in mind, observe carefully, and ask and listen.
- Product Situation a/ Competitive Products You can observe some issues with your eyes regarding the products in the customer's environment. On your first visit, customers won't tell you much, so use your eyes. Note down what you see and research it after returning. If you are a frontline manager, ask your salespeople what competitors they saw. If they can't even name the competing products, educate them! Recording competitors is for homework to understand more and have topics for the next visit. Many people don't know what to say when meeting customers because they don't understand. So, how deep should you understand competitors?
- Brand: Besides the products you see, consider other products from the same manufacturer that the customer doesn't carry. Ask yourself why the customer only carries this single item and not others.
- Price: Not every customer's purchase price is the same. Understand the general market price and compare it with your own. Remember, don't just look at price because price isn't the only factor!
- Manufacturer: Learn about competitor manufacturers from your company. Small and medium customers usually know little about manufacturers and are eager for more info. If you can share insider news, they'll appreciate it! (This also shows your superiors that you're eager to learn!)
b/ Related Products You might ask: What's the use of knowing those? They're not our products. Ha, that's true. But here's a truth: any product the customer sells is related to your sales! For example, if you sell 'Bull switches,' but you understand the 'light bulbs' the customer sells. They seem unrelated, but not really. If you appropriately discuss products unrelated to yours, offering advice and opinions, what will the customer think? They'll think: 'This guy, unlike other salespeople who only talk about their own products, cares about my other products and knows a lot. Interesting!'
c/ In-store promotions and info Promotions and info help you understand what competitors are doing, but ensure accuracy. Many promotions aren't updated promptly because salespeople are lazy.
- Customer Flow Situation a/ Busy vs. Quiet Times When it's quiet, the boss has time to chat. When it's busy, your visit is futile; not noticing is bad, but hindering business is worse.
b/ Main Customer Groups A former salesperson of mine followed a customer for a long time, had good relations, but the customer never ordered. So, I accompanied him on a visit. The customer was near a university campus, buying copy paper for students to print review materials, earning only a few cents per sheet, so the product grade was low. The salesperson ignored the customer group positioning and kept pushing mid-range products, which not only failed to reduce costs but increased them. No matter how good the relationship, it was futile. Many salespeople fail because they overlook customer groups.
Make Customers Trust You
Sincerity Putting sincerity first is because many customers have been deceived by salespeople. They promise everything before payment but fail afterward. So, a sincere salesperson is the foundation for customer acceptance.
Professionalism Good salespeople must be proficient in their field, know all relevant knowledge, and have unique insights different from peers.
Consider Customer Interests Salespeople who only think about how much to sell and commission, regardless of suitability, stuff products into customers' warehouses. This is most hated. A former colleague, to hit targets, forced 200 boxes of copy paper on a customer who could only sell 50 boxes a month. Then raw material prices dropped, causing huge losses. No one trusted him again, and he and his product left the market!
Learn to Say No You might wonder: It's always customers rejecting us. Refusing business is crazy, right? Wrong! When customers make unreasonable demands, you must learn to refuse! Business is equal; both parties must benefit. There's no one-sided deal. Also, refusing unreasonable requests is self-respect!
Keep Promises Always fulfill promises to customers. If you can't, say so clearly. Don't make empty promises. Customers remember every commitment.
Be Loyal and Compassionate Be loyal and compassionate to customers, not ungrateful. Help when you can within your principles, and don't be petty. Also, when talking with customers, don't always discuss business; talk about family and emotions to build bonds beyond business.
OK, if you want to quickly build trust with customers, do the above work seriously!
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