---
title: "Don't Let Departing Salespeople Take Your Customers"
description: "In the FMCG industry, it's common for salespeople to switch jobs, and some take many secondary terminal customers with them, causing headaches for distributors. This article analyzes why this happens and offers solutions, using the case of Manager Yang, a liquor distributor in Hebei, whose sales manager and four salespeople left after the Spring Festival, taking many customers and disrupting his operations."
author: "师顺宽"
publisher: "New Distribution"
email: "zhaobo258@gmail.com"
telephone: "+8615854817671"
published: "2015-08-26"
language: "en"
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---

# Don't Let Departing Salespeople Take Your Customers

> In the FMCG industry, it's common for salespeople to switch jobs, and some take many secondary terminal customers with them, causing headaches for distributors. This article analyzes why this happens and offers solutions, using the case of Manager Yang, a liquor distributor in Hebei, whose sales manager and four salespeople left after the Spring Festival, taking many customers and disrupting his operations.

In the FMCG industry, it's common for salespeople to switch jobs, and some take many secondary terminal customers with them, causing headaches for distributors. They interact with terminal customers daily, and over time, they develop relationships. Once they leave, they often persuade these customers to primarily sell other products, leading to severe customer loss, sharp sales declines, and even short-term operational difficulties. So, how can liquor distributors retain terminal customers after salespeople leave?

【Case Analysis】
Manager Yang is a liquor distributor in a county-level city in Hebei. The city has a population of over 500,000, with 150,000 in the urban area, 226 catering terminals, and 364 supermarket terminals. The townships have a population of 350,000 (12 townships, 375 natural villages), with over 450 catering terminals and over 2,600 supermarket terminals (Manager Yang hasn't established a systematic terminal database, lacking thorough understanding of terminal stores, but has good relationships with over 20 secondary terminal distributors).

Manager Yang's company is family-managed: he handles communication with manufacturers and maintains relationships with key terminal distributors; his wife manages finances; his brother-in-law oversees the warehouse. In sales, there is 1 sales manager, 8 salespeople (1 mainly for group purchases), 6 drivers, 5 box trucks, and 2 vans. Manager Yang deals in high, medium, and low-end liquor brands and 2 beer brands, with annual sales of over 14 million yuan. However, after the Spring Festival this year, the sales manager and 4 salespeople suddenly left, taking a large number of terminal customers, throwing the company into disarray.

After Salespeople Leave,
Why Do Distributors Fall into a Passive Position?
The issue of salespeople leaving and taking many terminal customers is representative. Using Manager Yang as an example, we can analyze why distributors lose many terminal customers after salespeople leave.

Lack of a Comprehensive Terminal Database
Although many terminal outlets sell Manager Yang's products, in daily work, he focuses on short-term sales volume and hasn't established a comprehensive terminal database. He only maintains personal relationships with large-scale terminal distributors. However, to firmly control the channel, one must "not ignore small customers while focusing on large ones" and establish a systematic and comprehensive terminal database. The database should include: specific addresses of terminal stores, owner names, phone numbers, types and quantities of products sold, and sales overview for each store.

Neglecting Field Visits
Usually, Manager Yang only maintains emotional connections with his secondary distributors and rarely visits other terminal outlets. Without a comprehensive database, it's no surprise that he's helpless when employees leave and take many terminal customers.

Insufficient Care for Employees
Sales is a job that is both "hard" and "heart-wrenching." Whether in scorching summers or freezing winters, salespeople must rush around the market every day. Additionally, they face various customer demands. Due to family management, Manager Yang lacks corporate culture to retain employees and shows insufficient care. For example, when a salesperson returns after a tiring day, the first thing said is "How much did you sell today?" If sales are low, Manager Yang shows displeasure, showing no concern for the salesperson. Therefore, salespeople harbor both "resentment" and "grievance" at work, and after leaving, they may take many terminal customers out of revenge.

When salespeople propose to leave, Manager Yang doesn't reflect on his own behavior but becomes even more unfriendly, such as deducting wages or commissions. This hostile attitude intensifies the salespeople's rebellious psychology.

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