---
title: "A Decade in FMCG: Seven Personal Competencies Every Salesperson Should Possess"
description: "With over a decade in FMCG sales, the author reflects on the industry's low entry barriers and intense competition, noting that internet giants are now bypassing distributors to reach end consumers directly, signaling an impending industry reshuffle. To survive, salespeople must develop seven key personal competencies: communication, self-control, observation, patience, learning, execution, and analytical skills."
author: "陈晓明"
publisher: "New Distribution"
email: "zhaobo258@gmail.com"
telephone: "+8615854817671"
published: "2018-01-31"
language: "en"
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# A Decade in FMCG: Seven Personal Competencies Every Salesperson Should Possess

> With over a decade in FMCG sales, the author reflects on the industry's low entry barriers and intense competition, noting that internet giants are now bypassing distributors to reach end consumers directly, signaling an impending industry reshuffle. To survive, salespeople must develop seven key personal competencies: communication, self-control, observation, patience, learning, execution, and analytical skills.

In my more than ten years in FMCG sales, I have learned a great deal: our industry has low entry barriers, is a mix of good and bad, and competition has always been fierce. Today, many internet giants have also begun to enter our industry. Using advanced e-commerce tools, they bypass distributors and supply directly to end terminals, indicating that a major reshuffle in our industry is not far off. In this process, to survive continuously, we must possess outstanding personal abilities. **So, what personal abilities should FMCG salespeople have? In my opinion, the following major abilities must be mastered:**

**1. Communication Skills**
Communication is an indispensable ability for salespeople. Communication has two meanings: first, accurately collecting the other party's information, understanding their true intentions, and accurately conveying your own information to them; second, through appropriate communication methods (such as tone, intonation, facial expressions, demeanor, speaking style, etc.) to reach a consensus between the two parties. Good communication is the key to sales success.

For example: A salesperson from a certain XX brand had negotiated multiple times with a major distributor boss in a certain region, but the other party consistently refused to accept their products. Later, he invited a sales elite from his company to visit that "stubborn" boss together. When they met the boss, the sales elite noticed that the other party was under 35, had already made a name for himself in the market, represented several major international brands, and had a good terminal network. After a brief introduction, the sales elite humbly stated that he was there today to "chat" and "make friends," to "learn and understand the local market situation." During the subsequent two-hour conversation, he mostly just said "right," "uh-huh," and "impressive." At the end of the conversation, the boss said, "I really enjoyed chatting with you." In the final five minutes, the sales elite mentioned a simple plan and operational approach for entering the market, and the boss readily agreed. In contrast, the original salesperson had approached the boss directly with: "We are XX manufacturer, a well-known brand. It's your loss if our products don't enter your market." This made the boss resentful, feeling that famous companies and brands were nothing special. This shows that communication ability is crucial in the sales process.

Details to note in communication: **1. Learn to listen; 2. Speak less yourself; 3. If you speak, get to the key points; 4. What the customer wants to hear is the key point.**

**2. Self-Control Ability**
Due to the special nature of sales work, salespeople often need to work independently. They have to develop customers and maintain customer relationships every day, and these tasks cannot be fully supervised by leaders. Therefore, sales managers can only use daily reports to control their daily behavior and daily meetings to understand each person's work status. However, if salespeople really want to slack off, it is very easy. For example, they might deliberately go to distant customers; or claim a half-hour meeting took three hours. This approach not only harms the company's interests but also hinders the salesperson's own development, preventing them from ever becoming true sales elites.

For example: Mr. Cao, the regional general agent for a well-known domestic brand XX, rose from a grassroots salesperson. When he first started in sales, regardless of wind or rain, he left at 8 a.m. every day and returned at 10 p.m. At noon, when hungry, he would eat bread and drink mineral water. He did not take a day off for three months and finally signed his first customer. It is precisely because of this strict self-development requirement and good self-control that Mr. Liu (note: the text says 刘先生, but earlier it says 曹总; likely a typo) achieved his current success. This achievement was not forced by "daily visit forms" or "daily situation reports," but entirely by self-control.

To improve self-control, you need to: **1. Self-analyze and set clear goals; 2. Start with small things in daily life; 3. Regularly self-warn; 4. Regularly self-suggest and motivate; 5. Never give in or make excuses for yourself; 6. Regularly engage in relaxation training.**

It should be noted: **1. Resist various temptations; 2. Do not complain about things; 3. Stay calm and composed; 4. Promote good and eliminate evil in desires, etc.**

**3. Observation Ability**
Observation is not just simply looking, but using professional insight and existing knowledge to ponder, analyze, and discover important information.

For example, if you stroll through a terminal store, ordinary people might only see what products are on promotion and at what price. But a professional sales elite might see much more. For instance, why are products selling well? What is the price? What are the gifts? What material is the packaging made of? How is the product made? What is the packaging like? What about color, shape, material, etc.? What are competing brands promoting? What are the specific times and activity formats? Are there more or fewer competing brands in the store? Who increased, and what threats do they pose to our company? If, after training, you still cannot see these hidden useful pieces of information, then such a person is not suitable for sales.

Observation ability is not acquired overnight; it needs to be continuously improved through daily accumulation in work. As an experienced salesperson, I believe this ability is not lacking; otherwise, you are just lucky and have muddled through.

To improve observation ability, note: **Keep a notebook, record the people or things you observe in your daily work, and analyze them.**

**4. Patience**
Patience is the hardest to achieve. Anyone who has done sales knows that at the beginning, when there are no customers, you must learn to be patient. Many people who enter the sales industry give up halfway because they cannot persist. You may need to endure for a month, six months, or even a year before accumulating some customers, and only then can performance and income improve accordingly. Therefore, opportunists are not suitable for sales and will never become sales elites. During the sales process, patience is still very necessary. For example, if you have an appointment with a customer and arrive on time, but the customer has something urgent or is in a meeting, what can you do? You can only be patient; otherwise, you might lose the customer. It is clear that without patience, you cannot become a sales elite.

It should be noted: **Patience has no time limit.**

**5. Learning Ability**
Salespeople need a wide range of knowledge, such as marketing knowledge, financial knowledge, management knowledge, and related industry knowledge. Sales is a competition of comprehensive quality. Facing cumbersome knowledge and information, without strong learning ability, it is difficult to compete. Therefore, in today's speed-driven world, whether you have good learning ability is the key to becoming a sales elite.

Suggestions for improving learning ability: **1. Read a book every week; 2. Take notes while reading; 3. Reflect on the notes.**

**6. Execution Ability**
Execution reflects the comprehensive quality of a salesperson and is also a spirit of not giving up until the goal is achieved. When salespeople encounter difficulties during plan execution, it is normal. If they use the excuse "it's too difficult, I can't do it," then such people often find it hard to achieve results. Therefore, true sales elites never simply emphasize difficulties; instead, they focus on how to overcome them, and in the end, they find solutions and achieve sales breakthroughs.

For example: In a certain city, there was a large chain store that held an extremely important position in the terminal market. XX Company wanted to get its products into the store and assigned this task to salesperson Zhang. Zhang learned that this store was the leading terminal store in the area, with extremely strict requirements for manufacturers. But the company required entry at a "reasonable" cost as soon as possible. How to execute this order? Zhang was restless and anxious. After visiting the store's operations manager, Wang, several times, he returned empty-handed. At this point, Zhang learned from Wang's subordinates that Wang's brother worked at a real estate company. He found an opportunity to proactively get to know Wang's brother, became friends with him through various means, and then, with the brother's recommendation, reconnected with Wang. In the end, Zhang successfully completed the task. Such examples are not uncommon in sales work. Therefore, execution means finding a way to achieve results. Results are what leaders care about most and are an important manifestation of the difference between sales elites and ordinary salespeople.

Friendly reminder: **1. If you are driven by systems, you will be eliminated sooner or later; 2. If you are led by leaders or excellent people, you will eventually have enough to eat; 3. If you take the initiative, your gains will be unimaginably large.**

**7. Analytical Ability**
Analytical ability is inseparable from careful observation. Observation provides information, and analysis draws conclusions.

For example: When you see a product in a terminal store, can you analyze anything? Does the placement position have hidden meaning? How is the price set? Is the price reduction due to strong competitive pressure, a drop in raw material prices, or oversupply? These indirect pieces of information can only be obtained through meticulous analysis. Similarly, in negotiations with customers, you must analyze the other party's "bottom line" and mindset from their words and actions, and then analyze whether there is room for price reduction and how much.

To improve analytical ability, note: **Keep a notebook, record the people or things you observe in your daily work, and analyze them; over time, you will naturally develop a set of analytical methods that suit you.**

In summary, in future market competition, the above seven abilities are essential. Perhaps you do not yet possess all of them, but as long as you are aware of the fierce competition and want to become a sales elite, then from now on, stick to your beliefs, summarize more, and learn more. You will surely become an invincible sales elite in the market. Believe in yourself, and believe that the future will be brighter!

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