Facing industry changes, many baijiu companies are beginning to change or seek transformation. Some are changing their organizational structure, some are changing their marketing models, some are laying out e-commerce, and some are connecting the upstream and downstream chains, hoping to control the last mile of the channel to intercept consumers. Regardless of the change, the core is that manufacturers want to communicate directly with terminal outlets or consumers, and the previous extensive marketing models or market operation methods in the baijiu industry have been unanimously abandoned by major baijiu companies. After the brutal development of the golden decade, the baijiu industry has entered a period of turbulence in recent years. Although small and medium-sized baijiu companies are struggling or even exiting the market, freeing up market share, it has not restored the glory of the golden decade for industry leaders or local leading companies. This shows that industry concentration has not brought an increase in overall market capacity, and the entire baijiu industry is inevitably shrinking, rather than the so-called "weak recovery" claimed by the industry itself. Facing industry changes, many baijiu companies are beginning to change or seek transformation. Some are changing their organizational structure to better serve the market and distributors, shortening the chain; some are changing their marketing models, learning from FMCG models like Jingjiu, Six Walnuts, and Unification, so that manufacturers control the market and terminals to respond faster to market needs; some are laying out e-commerce to share the young people's online shopping market with e-commerce products, occupying the commanding heights of the future; and some are connecting the upstream and downstream chains, laying out O2O, hoping to control the last mile of the channel to intercept consumers. Regardless of the change, the core of these transformations is that manufacturers want to communicate directly with terminal outlets or consumers, and the previous extensive marketing models or market operation methods in the baijiu industry have been unanimously abandoned by major baijiu companies. From the actual effect of the transformation, except for industry leaders who use their deep brand strength to implement strategic maneuvers and expand their markets through continuous attempts, the vast majority of local leading companies or regional small and medium-sized baijiu companies are transforming towards fast-moving or refined management, with the most typical learning template being Jingjiu. There are already numerous articles in the industry about how to learn from Jingjiu, with various interpretations filling magazines, newspapers, and the internet. I won't join that crowd; instead, I will analyze the fast-moving or refined management of baijiu from my own perspective and practical experience over the past few years. Why should baijiu transform to fast-moving or refined management? The core of FMCG operation is "visible, available, fast turnover, and good service." To achieve this, there must be a professional and stable team constantly patrolling the market. When brand power is similar, the competition lies in familiarity with the market, customer relationships, and service capabilities. The reason baijiu did not adopt fast-moving or refined management during the golden decade was that the industry was not closely aligned with the market, brand influence was sometimes deep and sometimes weak, and the main issue was the complex interests involved. The fragmentation of consumption and rapid upgrading of consumption led to pure fast-moving management not meeting the needs of rapid enterprise development and profit maximization. It was not until the national anti-corruption campaign and the purification of the civil service that baijiu returned to the dining tables of ordinary people, and the fast-moving attributes of baijiu reappeared. This is also confirmed by various baijiu companies re-establishing their big single product strategies, because ordinary people's consumption needs to be concentrated, has a herd mentality, and is also a need for enterprises to focus resources. What kind of baijiu companies are suitable for fast-moving or refined management? In the baijiu industry, "fast-moving" has been renamed "refined," which is relative to the previous extensive management, meaning to cultivate the market meticulously. Theoretically, any baijiu company can carry out refined management, but the key is that the company itself must have a clear strategic positioning and long-term goals, especially not to be concerned about temporary gains or losses, and to be able to endure loneliness. Generally speaking, if there is a popular single product or a base market, or if the market has a certain sales scale to support it, refined management can be carried out to further increase market share. The usual standard is that a county-level market with sales of 5 million yuan or more, or a prefecture-level market with sales of 10 million yuan or more, can carry out refined management of baijiu. Of course, markets without this scale can also be carried out, but the company's positioning for that market must be clear: is it a strategic market or a market to disrupt competitors? If not, a purely cultivation market can also be tried, but not too many, otherwise it will consume the company's resources and drag it down. How to carry out refined management of baijiu?

  1. Build a team based on market size The number of team members is determined by market size, regional area, and channel refinement, with no fixed standard. Generally, a 5 million yuan county-level market adopts the 1+5 model, that is, one team leader plus five salespeople; a 10 million yuan prefecture-level market adopts the 1+10 model, that is, one team leader plus ten salespeople. Salespeople are divided into hotel, circulation, township, and even group-buying salespeople if group buying is strong in some places. From team building, refined management of baijiu is quite different from pure fast-moving or the Jingjiu model, and it cannot be solved by blind replication. There are common points and many differences, which is also the fundamental reason why some FMCG salespeople are very uncomfortable after switching to refined management of baijiu. I personally prefer to find beer salespeople to carry out refined management of baijiu, because beer must deal with hotels, which is similar to baijiu. What needs to be corrected is the "generosity" of beer salespeople when negotiating with hotels to buy stores. The accounting model for beer buying stores is quite different from baijiu. If not corrected or controlled, beer salespeople can spend the entire annual store-buying budget of baijiu after negotiating a few stores. The most important person in this team is the "1," the team leader. Whether the market strategy can be implemented and whether the team's combat effectiveness can be reflected and improved depends on this "1." Therefore, the selection and training of this "1" is particularly important. The other salespeople need to be trained in execution and constantly instilled with core operational points, which we summarize as "basic work + selling + service."
  2. Sort out products and determine core main single products The previous strategy of full-channel and full-price coverage should be adjusted and sorted out. Refined management emphasizes product focus. It is necessary to find the main product suitable for market development and focus on cultivating it. If there are too many products, the business team's focus is not concentrated, and the force points will be dispersed. I personally think that a main product should be placed in the most popular price range in the market, so that outlets and consumers in that price range are clear. In addition, there must be at least one popular single product in the market, regardless of the price range. If there is no popular single product, the early operation will be very difficult. Salespeople will be hit by outlets when communicating with them. Over time, salespeople's confidence will be frustrated, team stability will be questioned, and market operation will become increasingly difficult. Therefore, without a popular product leading the way, the power of refined management of baijiu will not be shown.
  3. Weaken the first-tier distributors and directly control terminals In markets where refined management is carried out, the market function of first-tier distributors will be weakened, and their interests need to be redefined and redistributed. What do first-tier distributors mainly do? First, distribution: responsible for the distribution of goods in the market; second, warehousing: helping manufacturers stock up during peak seasons, because current outlets are not enthusiastic about stocking up, so the stocking function is all on the first-tier distributors and manufacturers; third, capital turnover: first-tier distributors need to sell on credit to hotel outlets and prepare funds to stock up from manufacturers; other functions such as service and selling exist but are weakened. Direct control of terminals means that these terminal outlets are controlled by the manufacturer, and the manufacturer's salespeople directly serve and sell to terminal outlets. These terminal outlets include channel terminals and hotel terminals, as well as supermarkets and group-buying terminals, that is, all outlets that can sell goods should be included in the refined operation. Someone might ask, "You weaken the first-tier distributors and directly control terminals, so where do the second-tier distributors go?" The second-tier distributors are eliminated! The fundamental of refined operation is to eliminate the second-tier distributors! At best, they are just one of our terminal outlets. Their wholesale functions must be completely removed, because the outlets they face have all been brought under our control, and their goods cannot go down!
  4. Survey and classify outlets Refined operation means meticulous cultivation, requiring us to find all outlets that can sell goods in the market, regardless of size. After finding them, classify them into ABCD categories based on their selling capacity and formulate policies. It is emphasized here that the policies for large and small outlets must be equal. A-class outlets will not be given different policies just because they sell more, as this would artificially create second-tier distributors again and violate the original intention of refined management. So where are the differences in support for ABCD outlets? They are reflected in the service of employee visit frequency and support for paid display fees! Outlets that sell more have different display fee standards, which should be determined based on the actual situation of each market. Of course, for some core outlets that truly have selling capacity, the company can organize these outlet owners for self-driving tours or overseas trips, provided the accounts are calculated well and based on the company's own operating conditions. They must go on the trip, not be converted to cash or sold as travel quotas. Only in this way can we consolidate the confidence of outlets without lowering prices, protecting the stability of the product price system.
  5. Form alliances and segment channels Because refined operation increases the resources invested by baijiu companies and significantly raises costs, support for first-tier distributors will inevitably be weakened. If first-tier distributors are too scattered, with multiple distributors in one market, products will be dispersed, especially the main products. Without sales support, the operating costs of first-tier distributors will increase, and input-output will not be proportional, which will seriously dampen their enthusiasm. If they fall out with the manufacturer, causing a lose-lose situation, it would defeat the purpose of refined management. Therefore, if a county-level market with 5 million yuan in sales has only one distributor as the distributor, this problem is easily solved. Our solution is to mobilize the distributors in that market to form an alliance, bringing all distributors of core products into one distributor, with operations handed over to the manufacturer, and these distributors only need to contribute capital according to shares. With a business scale of 5 million yuan, the distribution fees are still considerable, and distributors will not lose too much. Forming an alliance does not mean excluding capable distributors. Some capable distributors prefer to operate independently. For these people, customized products can be launched for cooperation, not included in the refined operation assessment. There are also customers who specialize in group buying, with small annual volumes but high per-bottle profits. We can also develop group-buying products separately to meet their needs. One principle is that core single products and core products must be distributed by the distribution alliance to ensure that the major business share is in the hands of the manufacturer. At the same time, due to the continuous improvement of brand influence, cooperation requests from major distributors or group-buying distributors should be met as much as possible with customized and group-buying products to maximize market share and create a prosperous market atmosphere.
  6. Reverse price calculation to stabilize the market A key factor in the success of refined management is the control of the price system. Are outlets willing to cooperate with us? Why should they cooperate? It is because the manufacturer's ability to control prices satisfies outlets, and whether the manufacturer can give outlets the expected product operating profit. These are what manufacturers should pursue in refined operation. Jingjiu's profit to outlets is not the highest among similar products, but it is definitely not low. Most importantly, Jingjiu's profit to outlets is very stable, and outlets do not need to worry about losses on their purchases. How does Jingjiu do it? First, reverse price calculation: the supply price to hotels and the supply price to channels are unified, but the rebates for different channels are different. If a first-tier distributor does not operate according to this model, they will be punished or even have their distribution qualification terminated. Second, over the years, Jingjiu has continuously raised its supply price to terminals based on consumption upgrades, ensuring that outlets do not suffer from overstocking or losses. Outlets always regret stocking too little rather than too much during each price increase, ensuring their enthusiasm for stocking. So, what does Jingjiu's approach mean for refined management of baijiu? First, the necessity of the post-rebate model. Refined management of baijiu goes further than Jingjiu by signing contracts with cooperative outlets. In addition to annual display support, there is rebate support after unified supply prices, usually in the form of quarterly rebates plus annual rebates. If an outlet lowers prices to disrupt the market, their rebates will be canceled, so the handle is always in the manufacturer's hands. Second, it controls the price to consumers, not artificially raising or lowering it, making consumers feel the product's cost-performance is always the highest. Third, it eliminates outlets' concerns about stocking losses or price cuts, because their profits are fixed. To earn more, they can only actively recommend and sell more. The post-rebate model should not be applied to too many products, only to popular or main products. Applying it to all products would make the market stagnant and unable to stir up, so everything should be done in moderation.
  7. Focus resources to build the brand The biggest advantage of refined operation is the ability to focus human and financial resources on what the manufacturer wants to do, such as building big single products or building the brand. Another advantage of refined operation is the ability to concentrate resources on consumer engagement, with all activities targeting consumers. This is a good interaction: the better the brand is built, the more it can promote refined work and reduce communication barriers between salespeople and outlets; and markets with good refined management can further enhance brand influence, allowing outlets to directly feel the brand's power. It can be said that since refined management, we have done fewer and fewer channel promotion activities and more and more consumer-oriented activities, which also allows us to quickly understand what consumers want and what activities they like best, enabling us to take measures to adjust and respond in the first time.
  8. Deeply cultivate the market and release the potential of township markets After refined management, the potential of township markets is further released. Urban markets are more affected by major brands, and the rise of e-commerce and mobile internet has made information more flat, with consumption convergence and personalization effects appearing and increasing simultaneously. The living space for local brands and small and medium-sized baijiu companies in large cities and urban areas is further squeezed. The implementation of refined management prompts us to further shift our perspective to townships and villages, squeezing out the market for miscellaneous brands and counterfeit products that once occupied townships and villages. Our personnel go to the countryside or even station directly in townships. Our brand promotion activities such as "thousands of townships and ten thousand stores" and "entering villages and households" go directly to townships. Our red and white event orders go directly to consumers' homes in townships and villages. We respond to the call for new rural construction by covering beautiful storefront advertisements and wall advertisements directly on outlets in townships and villages. We organize township and village secretaries, village directors, chefs, clan leaders, and other opinion leaders to visit the distillery directly, experience and observe on-site, thereby increasing their sense of participation and experience, making them our voluntary word-of-mouth promoters in township and village markets. The consumption upgrade and market purification in township markets can help us add nearly half of the market share, firmly occupy the bottom of the pyramid, and consolidate the mass foundation of our products.
  9. Grasp hotels and diversify hotel cooperation Refined operation is about picking up the hotel market that was previously abandoned! The once "chicken rib" market should be revitalized under the control of refined management. In addition to dedicated hotel personnel responsible for hotel visits and services, the operation of hotels should be systematically upgraded. For example, classify hotels based on their customer sources and business direction, and select different products for cooperation. Hotels should be assessed on tasks to tap their on-site selling ability and enhance their sense of participation in cooperation. For hotels with strong self-promotion for banquets and special features for package banquets, customized products can be developed for exclusive sales, thereby increasing the profit space for cooperative hotels and strengthening hotel stickiness and dependence on the baijiu company. It is also possible to jointly carry out consumer activities with hotels to increase hotel popularity. If possible, the baijiu company can bring hotel owners, head waiters, management, and outstanding service staff selected by the hotel to visit the distillery, strengthening their identification with the company and turning them into voluntary salespeople. The fast-moving or refined management of baijiu is the result of the industry's own transformation and a response to industry development needs. From advertising liquor to hotel terminal "plate in plate," from trunk consumer "plate in plate" to bribery marketing, from extensive marketing to refined management, these are marketing products of specific stages, with no inherent superiority or inferiority, only different needs and responses at different stages. In this sense, refined management of baijiu is only a transitional tool for the stage, and there is no need to mythologize or alienate it. But if you don't do refined management at this stage, just like not doing trunk marketing in the previous stage, your fate of being eliminated by the industry will not change. So, the era of refined management of baijiu has arrived. If you don't understand it, you can only pray for heaven's blessing to survive. (This article is from the media platform of "Sales and Marketing" magazine.) Excellent product recommendation reasons:
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  11. Unique and eye-catching packaging: The patented dragon claw bottle design is the first sci-fi and fashionable beverage bottle internationally, extremely outstanding in terminal display. The advanced imported sports cap, first introduced in China, is fashionable and cool, with a very high technical threshold.
  12. Distinct selling points: China's first brain gold drink, a brain-health drink, with fun and fashionable bottle design, is a guarantee of product popularity.
  13. Weak competition: Shanlong is a completely original category and appearance, with few competitors.
  14. Huge consumer group: Targeting students and teenagers, it can explode quickly in channels where young people gather, such as schools and internet cafes.
  15. Small investment, big profit. Can be tried in small quantities, with a terminal retail price of 5 yuan and huge profits. Due to busy work, please do not disturb friends without experience or channels. National blank market hot recruitment No more after missing Long press the QR code below to directly add Manager Lin's WeChat: Guangdong Heyuan Fengsheng Food and Beverage Co., Ltd. Website: WWW.FOODSUN.CN -END- The best FMCG distributor learning platform in China Focusing on providing professional, practical, and useful tutorials for enterprises and distributors Committed to helping Chinese FMCG distributors grow rapidly The most professional and practical knowledge base in the FMCG industry Reply with the red number below to get the corresponding content Reply with number 1 to view the complete knowledge base | 001 Excellent article selection | 002 Distributor market operation | 003 Terminal visit management | 004 Sales supervisor skills | 005 Sales improvement techniques | 006 Channel expansion | 007 Managing distributors | 008 Distributor development | 009 Distributor internal operation management | 010 Team management | 011 Efficient distribution techniques | 012 Sales manager's eighteen skills | 013 KA operation methods and strategies | 014 First lesson for new salespeople | 015 Internet, brand | [Long press QR code to follow] Join QQ/WeChat group, please click: Read the original text