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I am a distributor from Jiangsu, with a company of over 50 people and annual sales around 10 million yuan. We are a typical example of growing from a small wholesale department into a standardized operation. Along the way, I've slept in warehouses, unloaded goods with salespeople, and experienced the ups and downs of entrepreneurship.

Now that the company is taking shape and staff numbers are increasing, it presents a new challenge for me. Based on my own experience, I'd like to discuss a few issues that bosses should pay attention to in management.

1. Bosses should not do sales themselves Bosses should not do sales themselves, but they can help employees negotiate deals. When a boss steps back from sales, it also empowers and trains employees. Even if a boss could easily close a deal, it's better to let employees do it, giving them a chance to grow.

Recently, the manager in charge of group buying tendered his resignation, citing "excessive sales pressure and inability to meet targets." This made me angry—selling 2,000 cases of beverages a month through group buying is easy; I could do it alone. Why did he say it was difficult? Upon questioning, the account manager said, "Boss, you set the targets based on your own capabilities. Last week, you made a call to Bank Manager Wang and another to Pharma Factory Owner Li, and you sold 2,000 cases. We don't have those social connections, so of course we can't meet the targets." Thinking about it, the boss has a wider network and finds it easier to close deals, so it's unfair to evaluate employees by the boss's standards. After this incident, I stopped doing sales myself because it not only pressures employees but also risks taking credit for their work. Now I only help employees negotiate. Sometimes, when customers ask about pricing or policies, I say, "I'm not sure about that; Xiao Wang handles this. Let her discuss it with you." In reality, when the boss steps back from sales, it's a form of empowerment and training. Even if a deal is easy for the boss, it's better to let employees handle it to give them growth opportunities.

2. Improve meeting efficiency Both one-person monologue meetings and chaotic free-for-alls are inefficient. Improving meeting efficiency is part of management, and bosses should be good at summarizing meeting experiences.

Since becoming a boss, one obvious feeling is the increase in meetings—averaging two per day, that's over 700 meetings a year. Over time, I noticed problems. The first issue was that I spoke while employees listened, but after the meeting, nothing happened—a typical monologue that didn't achieve the goal of brainstorming. The second issue was when I asked for opinions, everyone talked at once, arguing over details and straying from the topic, failing to achieve 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 to avoid chaotic arguments. Second, do pre-meeting work by collecting different opinions in advance to save time. Third, choose the first speaker carefully; generally, the first speaker sets the tone and gives everyone a clear direction. Fourth, the boss should not set the tone first but speak last; otherwise, employees won't speak up. Fifth, during employee speeches, the boss should avoid interjecting, as it makes employees second-guess themselves and adjust their words to please the boss, hiding their true intentions. Sixth, meetings should have minutes; 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.

3. Use the GPS system effectively The purpose of installing GPS is not to monitor people like a feudal landlord, but to help everyone develop good work habits. However, the premise is to clearly communicate this intention to employees.

Introducing modern technology into corporate management has been effective. For example, we use fingerprint machines for attendance and financial software for accounting—simple and convenient. The GPS tracking system has been a controversial management tool in recent years. Some companies believe it monitors employees and causes resentment; others think it greatly improves efficiency and fosters good 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 GPS locators on every vehicle. After installation, I called a meeting with the drivers and explained that the vehicles now have GPS, but I wouldn't tell them where, with the goal of improving work efficiency and earning more money. As a result, our delivery capacity improved overall, and no one slacked off anymore. My purpose was not to monitor them like a feudal landlord, but to help them develop good work habits. The key is to communicate this intention openly, not secretly, so that when problems are found and penalties are given, employees accept them willingly.

4. Give employees face, and they will give you face. Prestige and authority are not gained through harsh measures but from employees' genuine respect. Give employees face, and they will give you face.

To be honest, being a boss is not easy. You must be fair yet diplomatic, authoritative yet approachable. Sometimes, in trading companies, if the boss is too strict and everything is by the book, it becomes impersonal and doesn't align with Chinese management philosophy. So, while adhering to rules, you must also care for employees. When the boss gives face, employees give face in return. Many of our employees come from remote areas and are hardworking and frugal. One employee from Anhui is like that—wearing only the company uniform all year and eating 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, you should also think about what employees need most and give them the utmost respect. Only then will you have prestige, because prestige and authority come not from harsh measures but from employees' genuine respect.

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About us: WeChat Name: FMCG Distributor Professional Consulting Management Account Intro: 20 years of FMCG distributor operation and management experience, specializing in distributor internal management.

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