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Currently, more and more companies are engaging in intensive cultivation. In specific market operations, many companies lose control over route management, especially when the market is relatively mature and there is no pressure from new product launches or assessment indicators. This laxity in route management leaves terminal sales reps in a "shepherding" state. Over time, problems accumulate and become difficult to resolve, creating major issues for the company's marketing management.

Below is the full daily report from a market inspector at a meat products company:

Manager:

Hello! Today I visited terminal stores in the city to inspect the implementation of our product's price system and the placement of terminal display boxes. I visited 20 terminal stores and found the following issues:

1. During visits to some terminals in the city's fire protection area, I found that at Hualian Haole Store, the 100g King product had a production date of July, priced at 2.00 yuan per piece. Our 80g halal chicken sausage and 80g halal beef sausage were sold at 1.2 yuan per piece, which is higher than the unified guidance price set by the office. The terminal store owner said the sales rep did not inform them of the price adjustment. In response, I urged the distributor to promptly check terminal sales prices and strictly follow the office's price system to enhance our product's market price advantage and competitiveness.

2. Among the 20 terminal stores visited, our product's sales items were also few, and the sales reps' store omissions were severe. Store owners in this area said sales reps generally do not visit. Standard distribution rate was poor, and display boxes were not placed in a timely manner. In some terminals where display boxes were placed, the stores did not display our products. I requested the distributor to use display boxes to increase the number of items in terminal stores, aiming to improve our product's standard distribution rate, and strictly require sales reps to maintain our product's shelf space during store visits.

Tomorrow's Plan: Inspect the execution of promotions across channels.

Zhang Qiang

At first glance, this seems like a qualified inspection daily report. However, upon careful consideration, many problems emerge.

First: Headquarters inspections should not be superficial, and the wording should not be full of clichés!

Second: The market problems mentioned above are already severe, and the issues in route visits are fully exposed. Rome wasn't built in a day.

Third: Terminal management is already out of control—stores are missed, displays are not done, prices are not communicated, and route reps are operating on autopilot.

...

So, how can one produce a qualified inspection report?

First: Inspect what is assessed.

From the daily report, the focus of this inspection was:

  1. Inspect the implementation of our product's price system.
  2. The placement of terminal display boxes.
  3. Full-item distribution rate compliance.
  4. Other routine management inspections of sales reps.

When assigning tasks to subordinates, the regional manager must clarify:

This month's assessment targets are:

  1. Price standards by item (omitted): Assessment weight: 20% Price tag execution compliance rate: 80%.
  2. Terminal display box usage standards: Assessment weight: 20% Main brand 100g King standard display: 10 pieces (in the middle) Other two items: 5 pieces each (separately) See photo example (omitted) Assessment execution standards: KA: Display boxes not less than * pieces. Placement ratio: 100%. Terminal B stores: Display boxes not less than * pieces, placement ratio 60%. Terminal C stores: Display boxes not less than * pieces, placement ratio 30%.
  3. This month's full-item distribution rate progress schedule. Assessment weight: 30% November 10: Reach 20% November 20: Reach 50% November 30: Reach 80% KA distribution rate target: 100%
  4. Sales target setting: Total task: 50 tons. Breakdown by item (omitted). Assessment weight: 30%
  5. Salary assessment indicator setting: Sales rep: 600 yuan/person Supervisor: 800 yuan
  6. Special project follow-up If completion exceeds requirements, positive incentives will be given according to salary assessment indicators.

Second: Task assignment.

At the beginning of the month, after setting the month's targets and conducting a new product distribution mobilization meeting, the supervisor signs for execution. When signing, the regional manager can appropriately listen to subordinates' opinions. Unless there are special circumstances or reasons, the indicators are not adjusted, and the signature takes effect.

Third: Follow-up and tracking.

Each region reports a distribution progress tracking form daily (omitted), mainly recording and summarizing distributor inventory, distribution progress, and display actions. The regional manager personally follows up on regions that do not meet the progress targets, listens to market dynamics, and if there are anomalies, personally visits the region for first-hand inspection.

Fourth: Inspection.

Inspections come in various forms, including regional manager inspections and audit department inspections. Regardless of the type, the following principles must be followed:

  1. Sudden visits, irregular checks.
  2. Randomly select route manuals, not fixed routes.
  3. Inspect according to standards, let numbers speak.

Inspection steps:

  1. Bring all materials, market inspection forms, such as merchandising scoring sheets, distribution rate comparison tables, and office internal management scoring sheets, as well as the newly reported market distribution progress tables from each region.
  2. Plan before acting: by reviewing headquarters shipment reports, promotional item claim reports, etc., identify abnormal regions for focused inspection.
  3. Enter the market: if there is time to look around upon arrival, it is best to conduct preliminary reconnaissance in key areas such as KA and residential areas, but mainly observe without revealing your identity, otherwise you might leak your whereabouts.
  4. Sudden visit: if the office holds a morning meeting at 8:00, knock on the office door at 7:50. Based on personnel status, such as lateness, record according to the office management scoring standards. Then attend the morning meeting, listen to the agenda and content, and record non-conformities. After the meeting, keep 1-2 sales reps and the supervisor, ask the reps to recite this month's salary assessment indicators, inquire about current progress, and check their work diaries. Then communicate with the supervisor, ask about progress, and review the office's sales rep data ranking. Extract 2-3 route manuals and, together with the supervisor, begin the inspection.
  5. Route inspection: based on the route manual and inspection forms, record each store's distribution, display, customer relations, item variety, visit rate, etc. During the inspection, you can follow the principle of checking every 1st or 2nd store.
  6. Supervisor signs, and the auditor compiles scores based on records.
  7. Inspection daily report: This time, a total of two routes were sampled, covering 20 terminals, including 2 KA stores, 8 B stores, and 10 C stores. The auditor fills in the inspection summary table (omitted) and reports to the regional manager. The regional office compares with the month's initial indicators, conducts comparative assessment, and reports to the regional manager for approval. The final results will be reflected in numbers. If the full distribution rate is only 40%, then the completion rate for this item in the region is 50%. At month-end salary calculation: Sales rep: 30% * 50% * 600 yuan = 90 yuan (deduction) Supervisor: 30% * 50% * 800 yuan = 120 yuan (deduction)
  8. Weak indicator tracking: In the monthly meeting, the regional manager gives "special attention" to supervisors whose indicators are not met, tracks the reasons for non-compliance, issues improvement schedules, and continues tracking. For supervisors with good data performance, praise them and ask them to share their experience.

At this point, a complete route management assessment action is completed. When a complete inspection report is placed on the manager's desk, the basic status of a regional market is vividly presented. Through indicator tracking and improvement, the market is effectively enhanced with data changes!

Route personnel are, to a certain extent, the "frontline iron army" of enterprise marketing. Without strict discipline, this army will be a heap of loose sand, and the company's competitiveness in the market will be greatly reduced, even pushing route management into the quagmire of "flashy but not practical"—good-looking but not necessarily useful!

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