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As the year-end approaches, the annual sales targets are set again. As the name implies, the growth in task volume is inevitable. The sales targets are broken down layer by layer by month, quarter, and year, and subdivided by channel, which can be completed in a few hours. But then we face the 365 days of next year's sales achievement. How do we accomplish the sales targets?
Facing the pressure of sales, there are policies from above and countermeasures from below.
According to the peak and off seasons, in months when sales can be achieved, appropriately lower the target to ensure several months of overachievement, securing salary and bonuses first. The rest of the sales targets are all pressed into months that cannot be completed. It's okay to suffer for a few months, after all, merits and faults are mixed.
Unfortunately, the old tricks don't work anymore! The company has stipulated the task ratio for each month, and the sales target allocation is just right, leaving no loopholes. The off-season is not off, and the peak season is even stronger.
There is still a way, which is to use all the expenses in the few months that are hopeful to complete, and let the other months sell naturally! Relying on piling up expenses to achieve the target for a few months, the harm of this practice doesn't need to be elaborated!
This trick doesn't work either! The company has stipulated the expense quota for each month, no overspending, no borrowing in advance.
The crying child gets milk, so cry! Find a bunch of difficulties and reasons, repeatedly negotiate with the company, maybe you can reduce the burden a bit, and let others bear more!
Thinking well, times have changed! Marketing has entered an era of emphasizing execution. Bargaining with the company means being laid off.
Complaining is useless. Knowing there are tigers in the mountain, we still go there. Even if the incremental target is not scientific, as long as we achieve different degrees of growth every month, it is a good explanation. After all, times are progressing, and the company needs to develop.
Let's calm down and objectively analyze how to achieve next year's sales targets!
The first thing to consider is how this year's sales were achieved?
- From which channels did 80% of sales come from (the 80/20 rule)?
- Which are the important channels, secondary channels, and potential channels? What are the sales proportions of each?
- What is the proportion of natural sales in the 80% of sales? What is the proportion of resource-supported promotions?
- How much expense was spent on the 80% of sales? In which aspects of the channels were these expenses invested? Which aspect has a larger proportion of expenses? Is the input proportional to the output?
- Is there any waste in the use of expenses? In which aspects is there waste?
- Which product items are the main contributors to sales? Which products are the main products and which are the supporting products?
- Were there new products in this year's market development? Did new products bring us growth? How much growth?
- Did the market capacity of the entire industry grow this year? How much did it grow? How much did we grow? If not, what is the reason?
- Have the channels been subdivided? Which are our advantageous channels? Which are our disadvantageous channels? Which are our blank channels?
- Do channels need to be integrated? Why? Can channels be extended? Which part of the channels can be extended? How to extend?
- Are there any loopholes in channel management? What are the loopholes? From which aspects to make up for them?
Through the comprehensive analysis of the above questions, determine the channel operation strategy for the next year. The purpose is to focus on advantageous channels, making them the main source of production for the next year, penetrate and develop potential channels, gradually enter blank channels, shift the marketing focus downward, extend channels, and use expenses where they should be used, making them a source of incremental growth.
The second thing to consider is how much do we really know about our competitors? (SWOT)
- Who are our main competitors?
- What are the main competitors' channels? Which channels are the main sources of sales for competitors? What is our sales share in these channels? Are competitors better or worse than us?
- What are the advantages of the main competitors' channels? How big is the gap between us and them?
- Is it possible for competitors to extend their channels? Which channels can be extended? What impact will it have on us? Why?
- What is the competitors' publicity strategy? Compared with our publicity strategy, which is better? Why? What strategy do we use to counter it?
- What are the main advantageous products of competitors? What are the sales volumes respectively? What specifications and prices? What promotional means did competitors use? What was the effect? Is there a possibility of growth next year? Approximately how much will it grow? How much impact will it have on our sales?
- Are our product prices advantageous? Are our promotional means effective? Compared with competitors, where are our shortcomings? What needs to be adjusted next year? How to adjust?
- Do the competitors' advantageous products target our advantageous products? Welcome to follow the public account (FMCG Distributor Professional Consulting Management) Which products? Is there a gap? Why? Was this year's response strategy effective? What adjustments are needed? How to adjust?
- What is the competitors' media strategy? Through which media? What about our media strategy? Which is more effective? Why?
- What is the competitors' operation model? What about ours? Which is better? Does it need adjustment? How to adjust?
- How many potential competitors are there? What impact will they have on us? Is it possible for potential competitors to increase next year? Why?
- Which tier do the main competitors belong to in the region? What about us? What is the gap? What about potential competitors?
- What channel customers do competitors have? Are there any problems with competitors' channel customers? What problems? What channel customers do we have? Are there any problems with our channel customers? What problems? How to solve them?
Through the analysis of competitors, we need to give ourselves an accurate positioning in the region, establish the main attack target, find the opponent's weakness, seize the vital point, curb the development of competitors, ensure the completion of sales, and consider the possible changes of competitors, prepare for contingencies in advance, and reserve some flexible expenses for use.
The third thing to consider is to compare the combat effectiveness of our team with that of the competitor's team.
- What is the competitor's personnel organization framework? How are channel personnel matched? How many people? Through what channels are personnel recruited? Is turnover high? Why?
- What about our organization framework? How are channel personnel matched? How many people? Compared with competitors, is it reasonable? Why? What adjustments are needed?
- How is the competitor's personnel salary composed? What about the assessment system? What about ours? Which is more reasonable? Why? Does it need adjustment? What adjustments?
- What is the mental outlook of the competitor's team? What about ours? Which is better? Why? What work is needed to mobilize the team's mental outlook?
- Is our team's personnel turnover frequent? Why? What adjustments are needed?
- Is the competitor's team dedicated? In what aspects? What about our team? In what aspects? Is there a gap compared with competitors? Where is the gap? How to adjust?
- How is the execution of the competitor's team? In what aspects? What about ours? What management needs to be strengthened? How to strengthen?
- What is the competitor's business process? What about ours? Which is more effective? Do we need to adjust? How to adjust?
Through the comparison of team combat effectiveness, find our advantages and shortcomings, and make targeted adjustments. The purpose is to rather have one lion than two sheep. At the beginning of the next year, it is very important to adjust the organizational structure and build a combat-effective team.
The fourth thing to consider is our logistics system.
- What logistics system is the competitor using? What about us?
- What advantages does the competitor have in logistics? In what aspects? What about us? In what aspects? Is there any possibility of improvement? How to improve?
- Does the competitor have any shortcomings in logistics? In what aspects? What about us? In what aspects? How to adjust?
- Compared with competitors, whose logistics system is more complete? Why?
- How does the competitor assess logistics distribution? What about us? Which is more reasonable? What adjustments are needed? How to adjust?
- What logistics system will be determined for the next year? What is the process for channel distribution? How to monitor? Is the responsibility division clear when problems occur? How to clarify?
Through the comparative analysis and summary of logistics, find out the causes of problems and solutions. In the next year, ensure the quality of distribution service and logistics support, so that the whole team can devote themselves to the front-line battle, with sufficient, timely, and in-place ammunition supply.
The fifth thing to consider is the status of after-sales service.
- What is the competitor's after-sales service process? What about ours? Which is better? Do we need to adjust? What adjustments are needed?
- Are channel customers satisfied with our after-sales service? Why? What adjustments are needed?
- Are consumers satisfied with our after-sales service? Why? What aspects need to be strengthened?
- What is the after-sales service process for the next year? Is it well considered?
Sales never end. Only by improving our after-sales service system can we maintain more consumers and customers, and increase customer and consumer brand loyalty.
The sixth thing to consider is the industry's target consumers.
- Have we studied target consumers? How did we study them? Did it guide our sales work? Was it effective?
- Who are the loyal consumers of competitors? What about ours? Is there a difference? What differences? Why?
- What are the consumption characteristics of consumers in the region? Which channels are the main channels for consumers to purchase?
- What factors affect consumer purchase behavior in different channels?
- In the channel, what promotional means can increase the possibility of consumers buying our products? What is the possibility? How to ensure effective implementation? Is the input proportional to the output?
- Do we have a consumer education and guidance plan to cultivate loyal consumer groups? How is it planned? Long-term or short-term? Through what means? Are these means complete? What adjustments are needed? How to adjust?
- What are the media that affect consumer purchases in the region? Why?
- Have we cared about consumers? In what ways?
Only by thoroughly analyzing our target consumers can sales work have direction. Otherwise, no matter how perfect the product and promotion means are, it is meaningless, because understanding consumers makes our work effective!
The seventh thing to consider is how to spend next year's expenses.
- How much is next year's expense? Have you made a usage plan? How was it made?
- How much is the management expense (office expenses, personnel expenses, etc.)? How much is the promotion expense (promotions, store entry fees, display fees, stack fees, advertising promotion resource fees, etc.)? How much is the logistics expense (distribution fees, vehicle rental fees, fuel consumption, etc.)? What are the proportions? Compared with this year, is there any improvement? What improvements? Is it reasonable?
- Has the management expense been subdivided? Is the budget reasonable? Has the rationality been demonstrated? Are personnel salaries linked to sales and expenses? How are they linked?
- Has the promotion expense been broken down by month, quarter, and year? Is it linked to sales? How is it linked? Has the rationality been demonstrated? Have unexpected factors been considered?
- Has an expense early warning system been established? What system? Is it reasonable?
- What to do when the current month's expense is insufficient? How much of next month's expense can be borrowed in advance? Is it reasonable? How to control?
- How much expense is invested in key channels? What expenses? Why? What about secondary channels? What about blank channels?
- Has the expense been subdivided by product item promotion? How is it subdivided? Does it conform to the overall promotion strategy?
- Is there a reserve for flexible expenses? How much is reserved? For which aspects? How to use?
- How are warehouse losses and logistics losses regulated? Is it reasonable? How to control? Which part of the expense is it included in?
- Are there other factors to consider? What factors?
Through careful calculation and layer-by-layer subdivision of expenses, adhering to the principle of spending the least money to do the most things, we can implement our expenses in practice and make them play a role.
The eighth thing to consider is whether there are problems with ourselves as managers (self-analysis).
- Have you conducted self-analysis as a regional manager?
- Have you summarized the management problems of the year? What problems exist? Have they been corrected in time?
- What aspects need continued efforts? Have you made a plan? How to implement it?
- What is your biggest weakness? How to overcome it?
- What is your mentality? What adjustments are needed?
- What details in management need attention?
- Have you planned your career? How did you plan it? Is it realistic and feasible?
Is it a sheep leading a group of lions, a lion leading a group of sheep, or a male lion leading a group of lions? Which is better? Of course, employees don't like leaders who are inferior to themselves. So we need to conduct self-analysis, let employees feel that you are a master, exert your leadership charm, and lead the team to sprint towards next year's sales!
For a comprehensive market analysis, you can design a questionnaire as an indicator for employee year-end assessment, summarize employee feedback, conduct objective analysis, public account: kxpjxszyzxgl. You can also convene all employees for a discussion meeting, convene customers for a communication meeting, analyze and refine, and draw objective conclusions. Of course, don't forget to conduct comparative data analysis and demonstration, and don't forget not to be arbitrary!
Have you clarified your thinking?
If you have, you have found the priorities of your work. According to the priorities, deploy your troops!
If you are not a senior decision-maker, task indicators, expense indicators, product planning, etc., are not something you can control. If you are only a regional manager, then clarify the above thinking and apply the right remedy!
Remember, the early bird catches the worm, and the latecomer suffers! Only when you react faster than competitors in all aspects of marketing management can sales achievement be possible!
Put on your running shoes and run quickly!
How to achieve next year's growth sales target? Do you have any ideas now?
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