Tantalizing Sales and Traps To be honest, promoting FMCG products in counties, townships, and villages is as elusive as a black hole. With 800 million rural residents, if we could earn one cent per person per month, it would be an astronomical figure. However, the rural reality of "different accents within three li, different customs within ten li," muddy and bumpy logistics, and low living standards make it difficult to find the balance point between investment and return. With both tantalizing potential sales and silent traps, expanding and maintaining county, township, and village markets is like treasure hunting on a deserted island, full of risk and delight. Based on our years of observation and firsthand experiences, we summarize the following.
First, Decision-Making Scenario Analysis "Why isn't our product in this store?" A blonde, blue-eyed president of a Global 500 company asked a salesperson at a township savings office, causing laughter throughout the room. The accompanying foreign managers were at a loss. Two years later, after massive financial investment, his product quietly withdrew from the county and township markets. We are even more pleased to see that Zong Qinghou personally visited the front lines for local guidance, and research documents flew like snowflakes to headquarters. Today, in remote areas, only Wahaha bottled water is available at the Henan pancake stalls. This demonstrates the flattest, most efficient, and most direct model for formulating county, township, and village promotion strategies and tactics.
Second, Testing Scenario Analysis During early market trial promotions, it is taboo to rush all resources at once. Many companies seek rapid growth and pour all resources into the market. Although sales increase noticeably, later it becomes difficult to distinguish which type of resource played the decisive role, leading to wasteful spending. The proper approach should be:
- Test product market penetration through customer trials and terminal display trials;
- Test marketing push-pull effects through terminal displays, end-cap posters, incentive policies, and temporary promotional staff;
- Test brand influence through TV, newspaper, billboard, and other advertising. By testing in these three tiers and obtaining data, we can clarify the proportion of each resource's contribution, then integrate and advance together, maximizing promotion value.
Third, Market Scenario Analysis When I first entered townships, I invited several township store owners to smoke a pack of 10-yuan cigarettes. Everyone seemed happy, and even at the butt, they took a strong drag. Through conversation, I learned that in many townships, the township head smokes 6-10 yuan cigarettes, the village head smokes 1-3 yuan ones, and ordinary farmers smoke 0.2-0.5 yuan ones. This consumption difference made me realize that understanding county-level market demand requires more effort. So I conducted tiered surveys. In county towns, big brands like Unilever's Lux and P&G's Safeguard are increasingly accepted by consumers. However, due to strategic neglect, high prices, and poor logistics, township markets are like a screen blocking them out. Meanwhile, many excellent small and medium enterprises, using convenient motorized tricycles, thorough knowledge of local customs, and suitable supply, thrive in the vast potential market, creating regional brands that meet the needs of ordinary people. From this, we know that the county-level market is divided into three tiers: county town, township, and village groups. It is essential to have a product series and differentiate quality, image, and price to position at these three levels. Only then can business opportunities be limitless. For each FMCG project, if the product strength is weak, the product line is not rich, and the initial investment is not sustained, it is difficult to solidify the market foundation. It is better not to venture into this field.
Fourth, Operational Scenario Analysis Due to economic environment and consumption capacity constraints, most townships and villages lack professional washing and care terminals, with food and grocery stores being the majority. Leveraging these channels is most conducive to lowering the center of gravity. Crucially, operating washing and care business through these diversified stores, using merchandising to highlight our product image and enhance cash conversion, is a shortcut for cooperation. In county-level markets, constrained by transportation, manpower, and traffic, the lower the level, the weaker the consumption capacity, and product and capital flow rates often decrease at the margin, while costs and profits increase at the margin. Making the county town a benchmark and focusing on townships, rewarding second-tier distributors with motorized tricycles and motorcycles for distribution, and radiating to village group outlets, can have a connecting role. Conversely, doing village group distribution and sales first, working upstream, can also achieve the effect of "rural areas encircling cities." We can decide based on the competitive situation.
Fifth, Competitive Scenario Analysis In FMCG, to increase the chance of success, you need to first "ambush" and then "draw the sword," meaning you must thoroughly understand the situation, plan meticulously, and then strike the market with lightning speed, never giving competitors a chance to follow up and attack. Many top players in FMCG regions have a "fierce" response speed, full of wolf-like aggression. When a brand is about to make a major move, it needs to pay attention to the support capability of upstream suppliers, the growth capability of potential competitors, the competitive capability of current competitors, and the promotion capability of downstream distributors, adjusting strategies in a timely manner.
Sixth, Channel Scenario Analysis "Son, your Uncle Niu's truck is here, get ready to unload," "Wife, Xiao Ma is almost here, just say I'm not in." This is a true portrayal of rural promotion. In the three-tier network of county, township, and village, the uneven quality of terminals, routes not on maps, and unfamiliar dialects and human relationships determine that professional competence must be combined with an amateur perspective to achieve the goal of "doing it for a long time is more important than doing it big." Most customers are accustomed to relationship marketing based on familiar people, familiar vehicles, familiar goods, familiar prices, familiar times, and familiar routes. We need to use fixed routes, fixed vehicles, fixed times, fixed staff, fixed prices, fixed maintenance, and fixed merchandising operating models to support this rural reality of "different accents within three li, different customs within ten li." "Old Ma, five packs of laundry detergent, 160 yuan, here's the money." I have seen many times how an old salesperson who has spent half his life in townships casually takes a few items from the truck, throws them on the counter, and settles the account. Customers often pay quickly. Upon reflection, doing one thing to the extreme is an advantage. Old salespeople, besides being recognized by their familiar faces, all understand that managing a customer's inventory and sales is equivalent to managing the customer's cash box; paying attention to competitors' inventory and sales is equivalent to paying attention to our voice in the industry. Every time they distribute goods, the items they seemingly casually throw to customers are based on years of terminal experience and tacit understanding of customers' immediate needs, so goods arrive and money comes.
Seventh, Management Scenario Analysis "Customers are the market, stores are the network." On the basis of pursuing a 100% distribution rate for FMCG products, targeted support should be given to terminals: protect the big, support the weak, and keep the small. In practice, it is not uncommon for salespeople to overload large customers with stock, causing terminal indigestion, while ignoring small customers, leading to frequent "weaning" situations. Price differences last forever, Inventory without omission, Distribution must be lean, Merchandising at its best, Sales with multiple series, Payment collection clear to the last cent. These five points are the operational formula summarized by hundreds of foreign enterprise employees during my two years in the market. Every detail missed is a mistake.
Eighth, Preparedness Scenario Analysis Brand, sales, profit, and cash flow are the four pillars of FMCG operations. In the early stages of distribution, you often hear about whether goods sell well or not. When sales are good, terminal customers become profit-oriented. Grasping inventory, price differences, distribution, display, sales, payment collection, and merchandising, the faster the flow, the fewer customer complaints. The long-term efficiency of the sales support system is the key to victory. "The closer the head and feet are," the more conducive to seamless operations. Sales—the biggest fear is that the front line is under pressure while the rear has no supplies. The most painful thing for salespeople is to serve the market well while also "serving" internal staff who allocate resources. It is necessary to regularly have sales, sales support, and strategy personnel cross-train in each other's positions for deep experience.
Ninth, Public Relations Scenario Analysis In operating rural markets, those in cars cannot beat those on bicycles, and those on bicycles cannot beat those carrying goods on their shoulders. If you make store owners feel you are superior, you are asking for trouble. Only salespeople who can eat from the same pot, sleep in the same leaky house, drink the same cup of wine, and smoke the same pack of cigarettes with the target group can create a good cooperative platform.
Tenth, Related Planning Scenario Analysis Generally speaking, products used by cadres' families first often play a leading role in the surrounding area. It is common for some junior cadres' family members to run a grocery store or do small business. Cooperating with them can sometimes result in relatively large group purchases. The packaging cost investment should consider high practical value for the consumer group, making it easier to open the wallets of ordinary people. For example, daily condiments packed in basins and sold at a bundled price by second-tier distributors can achieve good sales. Retail stores are happy to sell spoonful by spoonful and then earn the basin as profit, greatly enhancing market penetration. In fact, those in FMCG must either be saints or madmen. Many people quit due to the fast pace of mental, physical, and financial demands. Those who persist for years become like the skilled oil seller, thoroughly familiar with local conditions and with a growing number of relationship customers. The actual operation is "eight periods and one day": testing period, focusing period, distribution period, growth day, cultivation period, blowout period, nirvana period, value-added period, and sustained period. The full implementation process and typical cases are summarized below.
Testing Period—To Jump High, First Crouch Down To jump high, first crouch down. Through supermarkets, retail, and street stalls, understand the entire process of customer purchases. Through residential areas, work units, hotels, and other target groups, understand customer reactions to usage. Only then can you avoid being like a blind man on a blind horse, approaching a deep pool at night. First, start with double-blind testing. Decision-makers select consumers relatively evenly based on geographic area and consumption level distribution. Temporarily remove the names, logos, and packaging of the most popular products on the market and our own laundry detergent and other products, number them, and offer them for free trial. During this process, the test executors are also unaware of the brands, to investigate consumer acceptance of our upcoming products' quality, fragrance, dosage, etc. "What exists is reasonable." When I conducted rural market tests in northern counties and townships, survey data showed that many households used one to two times more than county customers. Many subjectively judged that testers were just trying to take advantage. But when I visited users on-site, I understood that in many villages, laundry detergent is used to fry dough sticks to enhance puffing, mixed with pesticides to improve spraying precision and adhesion, and used to wash pots, dishes, faces, bodies, hair, and clothes. Its functions are seemingly incredibly amplified. "If your laundry detergent had more fragrance, it would sell better." A casual remark from a village head's wife indeed increased our product sales. Pay attention to the details of customer purchases, and even more to the entire process of customer usage. In our subsequent usage surveys of various products, we intentionally or unintentionally discovered:
Washing clothes, bathing, and shampooing in northern counties and townships are team activities and a form of fun, organized, tacit, and with relatively fixed times. It is normal for people to borrow and share washing and care products. Therefore, conducting market surveys, on-site sales, and brand promotion at riversides, bathhouses, and barbershops is equally feasible.
Most men use only half a bag of sachet shampoo at a time. Adding an extra seal line in the middle of each bag, a humanized design, can trigger greater market demand. Most sachet shampoos are 5 ml. When divided into two connected bags, we can make them 3 ml * 2 bags, selling 1 ml more per use than other brands. A nine-story tower starts with a pile of earth. Competing from the single-cell level increases our chances of winning.
Soap is a high-end consumer product in rural areas, with laundry soap serving as a substitute. Adding fragrance can also boost sales.
Small sample products are generally favored by grassroots travelers. Placing similar products at stations and hotels can effectively increase market coverage.
Empty shampoo bottles can store needles, thread, mung beans, seasonings, etc. When broken, they can be cut into shoe soles, placed under a pair of shoes during daily farming to extend shoe life. Therefore, the environmental friendliness and sturdiness of shampoo bottles are important.
Due to price differences, bulk laundry detergent is more easily accepted than bagged, generating sales and deepening channel penetration, but it harms brand image. Second, conduct atomic-level testing. With the same target group as the double-blind test, preferably entrusted to a third party, ask consumers to rate the product's concept, packaging, advertising, price, and usage effect on a scale from extremely dissatisfied, dissatisfied, satisfied, very satisfied, to extremely satisfied. Targeted planning and adjustment help avoid weaknesses and leverage strengths in market operations. "Country folks don't know goods; they just pick the big ones." I have personally experienced that concentrated laundry detergent, accepted by urban consumers, was distributed in township markets through various marketing methods, but the target consumers' wallets remained closed, leading to massive returns. Decisions made without understanding the consumption trends at this level caused the project's market cultivation to be congenitally deficient, ending with terminal complaints, distributor grievances, and decision-makers' failure. The successor adjusted to puffed laundry detergent, and the market stabilized only after six months of substantial investment in manpower, materials, and funds. Third, targeted trial sales—select representative supermarkets, retail points, township, and village group terminals for sales. Identify the best-selling prices, models, and packaging of our test products and competitors at each consumption level. Summarize these diamond-level information resources. The magic of the network lies in speed. For orders or customized requests to manufacturers, when large-scale distribution begins, it helps our products circulate quickly, allowing sales to create a corresponding brand. Summary of this period: Through research tools, we accumulated a large amount of market introduction data and usage scenarios, helping us focus on the industry, position ourselves, and maintain the mindset of "information superiority" through long-term use of relevant research tools. This system greatly enhances our ability to lock onto target markets, giving us the first high ground in competition. "Three years old determines eighty." Customers will view a product promotion like a child. The next step is to enrich the functions of experimental terminals to maximize their effect, lifting the market and driving overall development.
Focusing Period—Ignite at a Fixed Point, Spark Spreads "A single spark can start a prairie fire." The terminals and customer groups activated during the testing period are our models for attracting more partners. Before the market is about to launch on a large scale, such terminals must be managed by dedicated merchandisers and salespeople, seizing stack displays and end caps to significantly boost sales. Simultaneously, add seven functions to these terminals to exceed customer expectations for product needs, price matching, channel convenience, and service quality. The resulting strong radiation will make market expansion unstoppable. Specific operations are as follows:
First, benchmark demonstration function—using banners, POP, stack displays, end caps, music, in-store TV ads, and personnel promotion as resources, arrange each terminal to maximize the influence of each product, creating a sales scene that triggers impulse purchases, attracting attention for large-scale distribution.
Second, training function at all levels—the sales atmosphere can cultivate target consumers' brand awareness. We can also invite upstream and downstream partners to visit sales scenes to enhance cooperation confidence, train promotional staff's explanation ability during promotion, hands-on ability during merchandising, and train salespeople's data collection, summarization, and analysis abilities during distribution, preparing for tacit cooperation during large-scale operations.
Third, brand communication function—build stack displays like building a temple, make promotional leaflets like wedding photos. Such sales will be maximized, and brand communication will be most profound. Because temples are subconsciously desirable to many, and wedding photos are pleasing to most, the absolute sales generated create an absolute brand.
Fourth, cash conversion function—when our visual merchandising makes customers feel comfortable in sight, hearing, taste, and touch subconsciously, transactions will come naturally. With promotional staff explanations, brisk sales will not be difficult.
Fifth, laboratory function—we place a tall, fluttering flag with the company logo on the stack display, and a small box near the end cap where the color, fragrance, and texture of washing and care products are displayed. These all contribute to sales growth. Whether strategic planning or tactical actions, testing in representative terminals first before promotion is a steady and fast strategy.
Sixth, competition and cooperation function—once fierce market competition begins, terminals with benchmark functions should play the vanguard role. We provide key support and maintenance, which helps us reference excellent peers in competition, advance wisely, jointly suppress and eliminate weak brands, and consolidate market position.
Seventh, information collection function—purchase, sales, storage, damage, and loss; daily market changes; each promotion activity; terminals with laboratory functions leave valuable data for us to interpret and predict the next direction. Summary of this period: This stage connects the previous and next. Using the network points activated during the testing period as a fuse, focus resources on these terminals, ignite at a fixed point, quickly attract high attention from various types of terminal owners, and preheat for large-scale distribution.
Distribution Period—The Purpose of Professionalism Is Comfort "If you want to be professional, you must first look professional." FMCG veterans know this truth. After visiting the leading stores in each township and reaching consensus, implement a permanent visit plan with the "seven fixed" model to achieve a good distribution rate. This is a strategic layout of accumulating small victories into big ones.
First, fixed visit routes—a county-level market has 300-800 outlets. In the first month of distribution, we must formulate a visit route that does not miss a single terminal outlet. In the second month, adjust for rationality. In the third month, it must be stabilized to avoid scattered distribution like a shotgun.
Second, fixed identification vehicles—long-term maintained customers will feel a sense of familiarity when they see our vehicle from afar, reducing communication costs.
Third, fixed delivery times—before loading goods the day before, call each customer to be visited in a pre-sale mode, record their current inventory and next day's replenishment quantity. Appear regularly and punctually every week, building credibility subtly.
Fourth, fixed distribution staff—familiar faces make it easier to sell benefits. We can naturally place products in customers' hands or in front of them, use a calculator to help them summarize the investment and return of our products, stimulate more cooperation desire. When leaving, attach a sticky business card in a visible place at the terminal so customers can contact us promptly when needed, making it convenient for everyone and our sales.
Fifth, fixed product price differences—the price system for FMCG products is extremely sacred. One terminal's price chaos can cause channel turmoil in a township. Fixed distribution prices combined with various incentives, such as buying one case of laundry detergent and getting a box of Zhonghua toothpaste, or rewarding non-company brand-name products during regional sales competitions, with practicality as the principle, can implicitly support price control and channel stability.
Sixth, fixed maintenance procedures—the best loading position on the truck, promotional banners hung in place, POP posted in place, the best outbound position in the warehouse, the best display position in the terminal, clear price tags, terminal staff explaining to customers in place, 1.5-3 times sales-to-inventory ratio in place, permanent multi-faceted maintenance will have a dripping water effect. Whenever customers call long-distance complaining about poor sales, and I travel thousands of miles to the location, the main reason is often that these basic steps are not perfected.
Seventh, fixed merchandising methods—a single-shoulder backpack is a salesperson's treasure bag, containing recent company policies, glue, business cards, calculators, staplers, and other items forming a mobile office. But remember to put a rag in it. At each terminal, besides arranging goods in good display positions and neatly, wipe clean both our products and competitors' products. In the market, most salespeople ignore things after collecting payments. This attitude of helping customers manage their business with practical actions and being responsible after the sale will make most customers highly trust and cooperate with you. The purpose of professionalism is comfort. A rag can wipe out a strong market; this simple repetitive behavior can be called the "FMCG Bible," and it is not an exaggeration to describe it as core competitiveness. Implement these seven fixed points, repeat simple things correctly, achieve the relationship marketing state of familiar people, vehicles, goods, prices, times, and routes, and the foundation is solid. Of course, to become an industry leader, you must give before you take. There are three distribution essentials to learn from.
First, distribute "benefits" not "good goods." The circulation speed and thin profits of FMCG products determine that communication and transactions need to be fast. When the vehicle arrives at the store, first use banners and POP for external visual merchandising, making transactions easier. Using this method, my initial distribution rate is often over 90%. For the remaining 10% of customers, some say they have no money. No problem, barter trade: I buy a case of your instant noodles. Now you have money, right? You can stock my goods. The store owner will often laugh and curse while putting your goods on the shelf. Some refuse no matter what. Fine, borrow your counter to display goods for a while, and we'll do on-site sales promotion. Soon a few bags are sold. Then talk to the owner, and communication will be much easier.
Second, distribute "value" not "price." "Do you have dirty clothes? Let me wash them for you." When first distributing in a new area, we often use this method: explain while demonstrating. For the first few times, only let customers stock two or three bags of laundry detergent, help them with display, and use frequent small purchases to clear the market. Persisting through all seasons, the salesperson's hardworking hands can wash out an upward-developing market.
Third, distribute "buying points" not "selling points." One example has made me laugh for years. Just after distributing whitening soap to a familiar township terminal, no one had seen such a product. A girl came to buy soap. The store owner picked up a piece of whitening soap and told the girl, "This thing whitens your face. Look how white this soap is." The girl paid without hesitation. Clearly, the store owner's sales proposition matched the customer's benefit point, and profits followed. Laundry detergent has strong decontamination, shampoo has a cooling effect, and soap kills bacteria and promotes health. Cultivate terminal staff with unique product functions and correct customer benefit points, supplemented by spiritual and material incentives. When customers have more benefit points, our goods will definitely be good goods. We summarize the entire market operation with the rhyme "Three Disciplines and Eight Points for Attention in County and Township Operations": Every salesperson must remember, the three disciplines and eight points; First, all actions obey orders; only with strict discipline can we win; Second, take nothing from customers, even a needle or thread; integrity makes customers happy; Third, collect payments promptly, save expenses, and reduce consumption; We must adhere to the three disciplines, and never forget the eight points. First, speak sincerely and friendly; honesty and courtesy are the magic weapon for reputation; Second, be diligent with hands, mouth, and feet; plan county and township sites well first; Third, promote with posters and leaflets; highlight customer benefits and never forget; Fourth, don't ask if people want it; introduce with a smile at the storefront; Fifth, merchandise and display precisely; frontline training in place builds a solid foundation; -END-