---
title: "Developing Foodservice Outlets: The Nine-Character Secret to Relationship-Based Breakthroughs"
description: "In FMCG marketing, winning at the foodservice terminal is often seen as the key to market dominance, but high entry fees and tough conditions deter many manufacturers and distributors. This article presents a nine-character strategy—'seize opportunities, leverage networks, build platforms'—for using relationship-based approaches to successfully develop foodservice outlets, illustrated with real cases."
author: "杨旭"
publisher: "New Distribution"
email: "zhaobo258@gmail.com"
telephone: "+8615854817671"
published: "2015-06-11"
language: "en"
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# Developing Foodservice Outlets: The Nine-Character Secret to Relationship-Based Breakthroughs

> In FMCG marketing, winning at the foodservice terminal is often seen as the key to market dominance, but high entry fees and tough conditions deter many manufacturers and distributors. This article presents a nine-character strategy—'seize opportunities, leverage networks, build platforms'—for using relationship-based approaches to successfully develop foodservice outlets, illustrated with real cases.

Winning at the terminal wins the market; succeeding at the terminal seems to be a marketing maxim. By and large, foodservice terminals have become the hot potato that manufacturers and distributors fight over. Of course, terminals also seize the opportunity to raise the bar and increase their own value, making many manufacturers and distributors hesitate, even turning pale at the mention of terminals. But if enterprises want to develop the market and increase market share, they cannot cross the chasm of foodservice terminals. Foodservice terminals are an important part of an enterprise's market expansion, and also the first step of a long march. As the saying goes, 'the hardest part is the beginning.' In fact, developing foodservice terminals is even harder. The reason is that foodservice terminal development faces problems such as high entry barriers, high costs, poor returns, many conflicts, and long payment cycles. Faced with these problems, enterprises are overwhelmed and helpless.
Currently, for manufacturers and distributors, there are two paths when developing foodservice terminals:
The first path relies on strength: with money, things are easy.
Unless your brand has extraordinary brand pull like Moutai or Wuliangye, you have to rely on economic strength. That is, when developing foodservice terminals, if the terminal demands various 'exorbitant taxes and levies' such as entry fees, shelf fees, promotion fees, and sponsorship fees, as long as you feel it is necessary to enter, you use money to 'settle' it. This approach is obviously a big move, seemingly efficient, but actually risky. Not all manufacturers and distributors can afford it. In practice, most fail. Clearly, this method of 'smashing' open terminals with money is not advisable.
The second path relies on cleverness: relationship-based breakthrough to get things done.
Relying on cleverness is not about being opportunistic, but about using a relationship-based strategy of grabbing connections, finding connections, and building connections to develop foodservice terminals. This strategy can reduce costs and risks, and also reduce conflicts in cooperation. It is effective and efficient, making it undoubtedly the best choice for manufacturers and distributors in developing foodservice terminals.
But how can manufacturers and distributors implement relationship-based breakthroughs when developing foodservice terminals? Based on my years of practical experience, I have summarized the nine-character secret of relationship-based breakthrough strategy for terminal development: 'seize opportunities, leverage networks, build platforms.' Details are as follows:
Seize Opportunities
Seizing opportunities is the most critical point of relationship-based breakthrough. It is both a principle and a skill. That is, when developing foodservice terminals, manufacturers and distributors should be good at observing, seizing opportunities, and implementing relationship-based breakthroughs at the right time. As we all know, most foodservice terminals are private or individual businesses. Whether your product can enter the store and whether fees are required are usually decided by the terminal owner and the person in charge. Therefore, when developing foodservice terminals, you should be good at and dare to contact the boss and key personnel, understand the details, cater to their preferences, build relationships, get close, and increase emotional bonds. Don't miss any opportunity around you, such as birthdays, weddings and funerals, opening celebrations, and other events related to the boss and key terminal figures. These are good times for relationship-based breakthroughs. Seizing these opportunities not only achieves twice the result with half the effort, but also lays a good foundation for later cooperation.
Case: A bouquet of flowers in exchange for 18,000 yuan
This is a true story I personally experienced. At that time, I was responsible for terminal marketing at a beer company in Henan. One of my salesmen, named Zhang Jun, had visited the owner of a medium-sized restaurant many times but failed because of the 18,000 yuan entry fee. At that time, the terminal had good business, with an estimated annual beer sales of about 80,000 yuan. Therefore, the salesman was unwilling to give up on this terminal, but was at a loss. However, during another visit, he overheard the owner (a woman) telling someone that her birthday was in a few days. After hearing this, the salesman didn't say much and took his leave, because he knew the opportunity had come.
On the morning of her birthday, salesman Zhang Jun bought a bouquet of flowers and went to the terminal. The owner happened to be there. He presented the flowers to the female owner and wished her a happy birthday and eternal youth. A bouquet of flowers and a simple blessing moved the female owner deeply. She didn't know what to say, but quickly called the salesman to her office and immediately took out 500 yuan to express her gratitude (because he was the first person to send her flowers and blessings that day). Of course, the salesman didn't take it. The next day, she took the initiative to call Zhang Jun and told him he could deliver the beer, and waived the 18,000 yuan entry fee. In this way, a bouquet of flowers brought 18,000 yuan.
Later, the salesman learned that the owner was a divorced woman. Since her divorce, she had never received care from her ex-husband or children, and even her employees didn't care about her birthday. In such a situation, the salesman gave her care, blessings, and respect, which naturally made her extremely grateful.
Leverage Networks
When developing foodservice terminals, manufacturers and distributors should be good at leveraging social connections. These connections should preferably have a certain relevance or affiliation with the foodservice terminal, such as health and epidemic prevention departments, public security and fire departments, industry and commerce tax departments, or the terminal's supervisory departments. You can also mobilize employees, relatives, and friends to explore relationships with the terminal's friends and relatives. By leveraging these networks, the terminal will generally show respect for the 'Buddha' even if not for the 'monk,' making entry relatively smoother. Of course, it should be reminded here that you should use these networks to build your own relationships and integrate new emotions, not use administrative relationships to bully with power. Otherwise, even if you enter the store, you won't sell well, and it's better not to enter.
Case: From 'gambler' to friend
I have a friend who specializes in developing foodservice terminals in the night market. When he was developing a terminal, he encountered one with very good business, but the entry fee was very high, 15,000 yuan. Moreover, if he wanted to put in promoters, he had to pay 800 yuan per person per month as promotion fee, and the settlement method was monthly. The entry conditions were very harsh. But he really wanted to enter this store. Just as he was hesitating, he suddenly thought of a person—the head of the local police station.
It's a long story. He got to know the head because he was caught for gambling, and later they became friends. He then went to the head and explained the situation, hoping the head could help. Because the nightclub was within the head's jurisdiction and the head knew the owner, after the head intervened, the terminal owner showed respect for the 'Buddha' even if not for the 'monk.' As a result, he only asked him to show a token of appreciation, and he took 2,000 yuan and settled it. Moreover, the cooperation was very pleasant later.
Build Platforms
What if you don't have social connections or networks to leverage? The key is whether the manufacturer or distributor can create and build a platform themselves, and then use this platform to build relationships and networks. For example, establish a restaurant manager club or a fraternity. First, invite the terminal owners and key figures to join, make friends first, and then do business. When people have emotional bonds, things naturally become easier.
Case: The store manager club helped him leap forward
Lao Yue is a distributor of a distillery in Maotai Town, Guizhou. Because he had just started his business, his economic strength was weak, and he didn't have a secondary distribution network. So he decided to start with foodservice terminals, but he knew the difficulty of developing them. However, unexpectedly, he didn't adopt the traditional terminal development model. Instead, he took a different path and established a 'XX Restaurant Manager Club.' At the first session, he invited more than 40 restaurant terminal owners and key personnel, and spent money to invite a hotel management expert to give them free lectures. In the evening, he invited them to taste the wine he represented. After the first session, he established good relationships, and some became good friends. Later, through further contact, he successfully entered more than 10 foodservice terminals, saving several times the terminal development cost. After a year of operation, this small distribution department sold 2 million yuan worth of products. Imagine if he had adopted the traditional development approach, not to mention 2 million, he would be lucky not to lose money.
Developing foodservice terminals is indeed a difficult task for manufacturers and distributors. But no matter how difficult, as long as you persist, be innovative, master the 'nine-character secret' of relationship-based breakthrough, and be good at using cleverness, you will surely be able to pry open the door of foodservice terminals.
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