---
title: "Distribution: The Fundamental Skill for FMCG Professionals"
description: "Distribution is the fundamental skill in the FMCG industry. To achieve low-cost and effective distribution, distributors must prepare thoroughly, standardize the process, and pay attention to details."
author: "New Distribution"
publisher: "New Distribution"
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published: "2014-06-28"
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# Distribution: The Fundamental Skill for FMCG Professionals

> Distribution is the fundamental skill in the FMCG industry. To achieve low-cost and effective distribution, distributors must prepare thoroughly, standardize the process, and pay attention to details.

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Distribution can be called the "fundamental skill" of the FMCG industry. As the saying goes, "A minute on stage requires ten years of practice off stage." For distributors or manufacturers, to achieve the thrilling leap from product to currency, they must realize it through channel distribution. So, how should distributors distribute products at low cost and effectively?

**[Preparation]**

Make thorough preparations before distribution. As the saying goes, "Preparedness ensures success, unpreparedness ensures failure." To achieve orderly and effective distribution, you must make full preparations before distribution.

This includes the following aspects:

1. **Vehicles**: Before the troops move, check the vehicles first. Vehicles are the top priority in distribution. Distributors must inspect and repair vehicles before distribution, and handle road maintenance fees, management fees, and routine maintenance in advance. If a vehicle is inspected, detained, or damaged during distribution, "making last-minute preparations" will be time-consuming, labor-intensive, and costly, and may delay distribution or sales opportunities.

2. **Distribution tools**: These are items used during distribution, such as the "Daily Distribution Report," "Promotional Item Redemption Form," "Customer Order," and other related receipts and forms. Having these prepared ensures a calm and orderly distribution, making the day's distribution planned, step-by-step, and efficient.

3. **Promotional items**: These are promotional products or gifts necessary for distribution, such as promotional items given with products or prizes promised to downstream distributors. Only with thorough preparation can distribution personnel go out with confidence and achieve better market performance.

4. **Reasonable planning of distribution route maps**: The purpose of planning a distribution route map before distribution is as follows:
   - **Make distribution more economical**: A route map allows for more reasonable and scientific route arrangement, saving distribution time and costs, thereby reducing distribution costs.
   - **No "missed fish" in distribution**: After designing and planning the route map, all sales outlets should be filled in. This makes distribution clear at a glance and avoids missing outlets, preventing route duplication or "rework."

   Two principles can be applied here:
   - **Linear principle**: If outlets can be arranged on one route, do not separate or branch them. This allows for straight-line distribution and step-by-step execution.
   - **Point principle**: If outlets cannot be on one line, group nearby outlets together based on the number of sales outlets in a certain area, following the principle of proximity. This point-centered, radius-based distribution method saves time and costs, allowing for steady progress.

   With a reasonable distribution route map, distributors can plan the sales area as a whole, enabling them to strategize from home and distribute over long distances.

**[Execution]**

Standardize and normalize distribution. Once a distribution vehicle goes out, it is often out of sight, but it must remain within control. To achieve the effect of "people are thousands of miles away, but the law's eyes are everywhere," distribution must be standardized, process-oriented, and normalized.

This includes the following points:

1. **Standardize the market distribution work content of marketing personnel**: For example:
   - Normal replenishment: supplementing orders at sales points, recommending main products;
   - Display improvement: adjusting displays in wholesale/retail stores, including stacking boxes and shelves;
   - New product distribution: recommending newly launched products;
   - Promotion execution: informing about promotional policies;
   - Customer complaint handling: handling expired products and resolving disputes with wholesale/retail stores;
   - Information collection: collecting competitor prices, promotions, and other information;
   - Form filling: filling out daily work forms and promotional forms.
   Moreover, quantifiable content must be quantified and detailed for supervision.

2. **Eight steps of visit during distribution**:
   - **Preparation before entering the store**: Tidy up appearance; check and update or post outdoor posters.
   - **Good opening after entering the store**: Find an appropriate time and place to talk with the customer.
   - **Check shelf and inventory**: Check inventory on shelves; check warehouse inventory; check displays or special display areas.
   - **Tidy products**: Place products in positions with more sales opportunities; check customer inventory, adjust inventory using the FIFO principle; record quantities and ages of expired products; organize and seal unstocked inventory.
   - **Sales replenishment**: Provide professional order suggestions based on product inventory.
   - **Promotional product distribution**: Introduce the company's promotional activities, promote strategic products (second flavor, new products), and confirm today's order.
   - **Objection handling**: Warn store owners about expired products and give clear answers to customer objections within your authority.
   - **Administrative tasks**: Post POPs, hang banners; collect and record competitor promotional information. Finally, say goodbye and leave.

   The eight steps of visit are the most basic check of whether a distributor's marketing personnel are well-trained and skilled in distribution. Those who execute the eight steps well often achieve better distribution results.

3. **Determine the distribution cycle**: To sustain good distribution results, distribution must be regular, timely, and continuous, not sporadic. For example, classify downstream customers into A, B, C categories (core, key, and general customers) and determine the distribution cycle accordingly: core customers once a week, key customers once every ten days, and general customers once every half month. Standardization, process orientation, and normalization of distribution will make distribution work systematic and rule-based, maximizing distribution effectiveness.

**[Penetration]**

Pay attention to distribution details. Details determine success or failure. In distribution, details are equally important.

Distributors should pay attention to the following details during distribution:

1. **Wording**: Pay attention to standard scripts during distribution. Some marketing personnel are careless, not sweet-tongued, and poor at addressing customers, which can significantly affect distribution quality.

2. **Forgetting to bring related items**: Such as promotional items, rebates, discounts, or prizes promised to downstream customers. Such oversights can cause downstream distributors to feel resentful, and customers may even refuse to unload goods. Therefore, check before leaving to ensure all necessary items are brought. If an accident occurs, sincerely apologize to the customer to gain understanding.

3. **Marketing personnel's lack of attention to appearance**: While inspecting the market, I often find some marketing personnel unkempt and sloppy during distribution. They may call customers by their first names, or sit down casually and eat customers' snacks like melon seeds or candies, causing customers to feel extremely disgusted, though they may not say it, which damages the distributor's image.

4. **Irregular and untimely distribution**: After one distribution, the next may be unpredictable, with no regularity. When the next distribution occurs, they find that the previous goods have been sold out long ago. This kind of distribution makes downstream customers distrustful, making them hesitant to purchase, and it is difficult to establish true partnerships.

In summary, distribution is no small matter. To truly distribute effectively, you must prepare fully, continuously standardize the process and content, and pay attention to daily details. Only by focusing on the big picture and starting with small details can distributors distribute with purpose, be more targeted, truly distribute products at low cost, maximize profits, and continuously improve their distribution capabilities.

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