I once heard a story from friends: A salesperson was delivering goods to a retail store, but the shelves were full, so he simply placed the products in the warehouse. After some time, the salesperson made a follow-up visit but didn't check whether the store had any stock or where it was placed; he just routinely asked the owner if the products had sold out. The owner, without looking up, said, "No." Of course they hadn't sold out—the products were all in the warehouse! After another period, the salesperson asked again if the products were sold out. The owner, remembering the products were still in the warehouse, felt embarrassed to tell the salesperson, so he said, "No, this product isn't selling well." The salesperson then reported back to his boss, "This product isn't selling." Imagine: this kind of behavior—delivering without merchandising, unloading and leaving, not caring where the products end up, whether they are displayed, or how they are displayed—how can such disregard for the market lead to sales, even with a good product? In fact, distribution is not a superficial walk-through but a deep engagement. 01 Salespeople Are Not Delivery People Salespeople are not delivery people. Delivery people only deliver goods; if the customer doesn't want the goods, they can leave. But salespeople must face customer rejection, even criticism, and change the customer's mind, turning the impossible into possible. Therefore, as a salesperson, you must do everything possible to get customers to accept the product, ensure every retail customer sees the sample and packaging, knows the price and profit, and understands the product's unique selling points and the bright future of the brand and product. Every customer visit must be effective. The more serious and responsible the salesperson, the easier it is for retail customers to order. Conversely, if the salesperson is perfunctory, you can't expect customers to order or sell the product. 02 Distribution Is a Gradual Process Product distribution is not achieved overnight, especially for new brands and new products. You cannot rush. Customers need time to understand and accept the product. Salespeople should not expect that one visit will result in an order, though some customers may order immediately, but that's rare. Salespeople should visit retail customers once, twice, three times, or more, continuously answering questions and building trust and goodwill, eventually leading to orders. The process of visiting customers is the process of getting them to fully accept the brand and product. This process cannot be rushed; it requires patience and persistence! 03 Don't Skip the Distribution Diary During distribution, keep a market diary, learn to analyze, summarize, and improve, and find suitable distribution methods. A good memory is not as good as a pen. Keeping a market diary means recording the details of each day's distribution, including the route, detailed customer information (address, phone, owner, products sold, competing products, etc.), and also noting which customers ordered, which didn't, why they didn't, and when to visit again. This helps refine distribution strategies and plan for the next distribution. Therefore, be sure to write good distribution notes and use the diary effectively. 04 Distribution Is Important, but Merchandising Is More Important Help the store owner place products on the shelves, and set up price tags and promotional posters. Then, schedule the next visit to check inventory. When checking inventory, promptly replace expired or damaged products to avoid harming the brand's reputation. Additionally, not only ask about sales but also personally go into the store and warehouse to count the stock of each product, compare it with the previous distribution registration form, and preliminarily calculate the number of products sold to prepare for restocking. Remember, terminal distribution should not be a mere formality. All goals are ultimately achieved through successful execution, and all execution issues are about the frontline staff's implementation. Source: Food Business -END-