Tomorrow at 8 PM, this platform will host an online salon sharing session in a WeChat group titled: "What Preparatory Work Should Distributors Do Around Building Their Own Platform?" Interested friends can long-press the QR code at the end of the article to register for free and participate in learning. When adding, please reply with the keyword: Learning First conduct, then work. Conduct is an art; work is a science. As the cornerstone and image ambassador of the company, how should regional managers grasp the art of conduct to win the mutual trust of distributors and the company, and carry out business efficiently and effectively? Here, based on long-term experience in marketing management, I would like to discuss with you the prohibitions of conduct for regional managers. The prohibitions of work will be discussed in another article. First Prohibition: Discussing company right and wrong in front of clients. Regional managers work hard outside all day, but due to different work content, headquarters staff "stand and talk without back pain," unable to put themselves in the regional manager's shoes. Therefore, some harsh systems or cumbersome procedures may make regional managers "outraged." In addition, due to overall company considerations, certain policies may differ from expectations, so regional managers may also feel disappointed. And if the market encounters twists and turns, the inner pressure and grievances are imaginable. Despite the above problems, these are "internal contradictions among the people." Regional managers must understand and tolerate them from a certain height, and absolutely must not discuss right and wrong in front of clients. A regional manager from a well-known domestic beauty company once came to our company to discuss cooperation. Initially, the manager showed the company's momentum, talking eloquently about marketing strategy and product advantages. But when I pointed out many loopholes in its distribution policy and distribution contract, unexpectedly, the manager suddenly became agitated and turned to attack his boss and supervisor, thinking they knew nothing. He said: "I already said their approach wouldn't work. To be honest, our company's internal management is a mess, and I've long wanted to quit. It's because you're shrewd that you didn't fall for our trap. The distributors who signed contracts with me this time are definitely doomed. Our company will definitely collapse within a year or two. To tell you the truth, the products on our promotional brochures are not yet capable of being produced; they are all products from others with our labels for photos. Your company is so strong, why not cooperate with us to develop?" Needless to say, we certainly would not do business with that company. Of course, cooperating with that manager is absolutely impossible. Who would trust a general who defects at the critical moment? As the saying goes, "Take money, eliminate disasters for others." He was taking the company's salary and spending the company's travel expenses to ruin the company's reputation. However, the boss and supervisor of that company should also reflect: Why did the regional manager become so desperate about the company and attack it without restraint in front of a client he met for the first time? And that manager must wake up: attacking his own company in front of clients not only harms the company and loses the recognition of distributors, but may also ruin his own career. Because loyalty is the primary moral quality that professional managers must possess. If you are completely disappointed with the company, then leave decisively, but as long as you are still in the company for a day, you should be responsible for the company for that day. Second Prohibition: "Mixing" with clients. Because regional managers are stationed outside all year round, far from the company and family, loneliness is inevitable. Some regional managers do not strive for progress and even play mahjong and cards with distributors and their staff, thinking they have "mixed" well with distributors and handled relationships well, but in fact it is the opposite. When I inspected a regional market, the distributor in that market complained in front of the regional manager: "Look at you, playing computer games during work hours, playing mahjong with my employees after work, where is your mind on the market? You are not my person, so it's inconvenient for me to manage you. Playing mahjong at night, no energy during the day, and you leave after work. No chance to discuss issues with you. Moreover, because you set an example, the company atmosphere is ruined. People think, even headquarters staff are like that... We invest so much..." Regional managers should understand: the most fundamental bond between us and distributors is interest. The basic work of a regional manager in the local market is to assist distributors in sales and promotion. If the mind is not on the market and there is no ambition, no matter how close you get to clients, you cannot win their respect. Regional managers should go deep into the market, not mix with clients in life. Familiar places have no scenery. To maintain your personality charm and professional quality, it is necessary to keep a certain distance from distributors. As personnel stationed by headquarters, you should put in twelve times the effort compared to the distributor's sales staff, setting a positive, solemn, sincere, and down-to-earth example for the team. A successful person must be able to overcome loneliness. Regional managers should make full use of all possible time to continuously learn and enrich themselves. Only in this way is it beneficial to the company's development and personal prospects. Of course, proper and moderate entertainment is necessary, but absolutely not to the point of losing ambition. The confidence and determination of distributors come from the company's confidence and determination. If regional managers are immersed in "revolutionary wine every day, corrupting the party style and the stomach" in a song and dance of peace, which distributor would have confidence and go all out to operate our products? Third Prohibition: Being lax and undisciplined. As a regional manager, you must be strict with yourself in daily work and show your professionalism. Regional managers are often in a "no-man's land": headquarters cannot manage due to distance, and distributors find it inconvenient to manage because "they are not my people." Therefore, relatively speaking, regional managers have considerable freedom in work hours and content. But some regional managers are too free. In our company, a regional manager once had such a situation: his wife came to visit, he called the distributor and didn't go to work for five days; he wanted to go to another place for study, called the distributor and didn't go to work for a week. Even more cleverly, he had already arranged with the distributor and the distributor's staff that if the company called to check attendance, they would say "just went out," thinking they could fool everyone. The result proved that this was like burying his head in the sand. The distributor later complained, "It's better if such a regional manager is not here." If a regional manager is so lax, sometimes accompanying his wife to travel, sometimes going far away for study, working off and on, without any work enthusiasm, how can distributors share hardships with us and fight together? I remember that at that time, Sanzhu Company had the motto of "three same": same inside and outside, same in sunny and rainy days, same whether leaders are present or not. Regional managers should indeed take these "three same" as basic requirements. Only those with a high sense of responsibility and mission can achieve a career. If you hold the idea of "ring the bell as long as you are a monk," the final outcome will only be "helplessly, flowers fall, and a river of spring water flows east." Fourth Prohibition: Being tempted by small gains. Some regional managers do not focus on doing the market well but instead calculate on the expenses reimbursed by the company. Last year, a distributor in a certain market of our company called to complain: "I went on a business trip with your regional manager. Not only did I bear the travel expenses, but he also asked me for invoices to reimburse at your company." Such a regional manager is despised by distributors from the bottom of their hearts, and of course, the company does not dare to entrust him with important tasks. A distributor's impression of the company comes intuitively from whether the regional manager is a "gentleman" or a "petty person." Many distributors are skilled in socializing and very thoughtful in entertainment. As a professional manager, you should not be moved by small gains and should be clear in your mind. When I went to a market in Central China for research, since it was my first time there, the distributor was very enthusiastic, booked the hotel, paid the room fee, and when we went out together, he rushed to pay the bill, and at the end, quietly put the tickets and invoices into my pocket. I did not show any reaction along the way, but after returning to the company, I clearly marked the expenses borne by the distributor, and then called to warn the regional manager of that market not to be moved by the distributor's "thoughtfulness." Later, when the distributor came to the company headquarters, we paid the hotel room fee according to the corresponding standard, indicating that we did not take advantage of him, and reciprocated. Because of this, the distributor trusted the company very much. As a result, when the market encountered setbacks, the distributor still called to say, "As long as the company has confidence and determination, we will absolutely follow. Because we absolutely trust your conduct." Another time in the northern market, I failed the "alcohol test," and was dragged out to play late at night by the distributor and regional manager. The next day after sobering up, I quickly treated them as the host at my own expense, because I deeply knew that I must not let the distributor and regional manager think I was a person who only eats, drinks, and takes advantage of others. And from then on, entertainment was limited to ceremonial drinking. No matter how the client persuaded, I remained unmoved and absolutely did not overdrink. Because this is not only my personal image but also the company's image. It is inevitable for regional managers to have social engagements outside. In Central China, there is a saying: "Wine style is work style, wine capacity is courage, wine bottle is level." In such an environment, it is impossible to stay aloof. But we must be clear in our hearts: in interpersonal communication, always stay sober, do not sell out the company and your own personality for some petty gains, and be despised. Do not be blinded by gray interests and slide onto the path of illegal crime. Fifth Prohibition: Blindly promising distributors. In order to prompt distributors to pay for goods or increase advertising investment, some regional managers sometimes get carried away and blindly promise distributors regardless of the company's sales policy, resulting in failure to fulfill promises and a trust crisis. Regional managers must clearly define their responsibilities and rights, interact with distributors with neither arrogance nor humility, seriously consider distributors' proposals, fully support distributors, but at the same time, for distributors' accusations and excessive demands, they must be able to stabilize their position, explain confidently and patiently, and adhere to principles that must be adhered to, never drawing cakes to satisfy hunger. Once, a regional manager, in order to facilitate a contract in the Northeast market, promised that as long as the distributor purchased 50,000 yuan of goods, the company would reimburse the round-trip airfare for two people from the distributor. The company naturally did not agree to this practice, resulting in the distributor forming a bad impression of the regional manager. Know that a promise is worth a thousand gold. "Trust" is the foundation of standing in the world. We must never easily promise, but once we promise, we must be true to our word, and our actions must bear fruit. Sixth Prohibition: Not communicating actively and timely. Some regional managers are like kites with broken strings outside, free and unfettered (but the ending of a broken kite is very dangerous). Besides the necessary reports, they often do not communicate with relevant supervisors and departments for ten days or half a month. As a result, information and emotional flow are blocked, and the company's confidence in them declines. Since regional managers are thousands of miles away from headquarters, it is necessary to proactively report market conditions, personal insights, and experiences to the company at least once a week. This not only makes you feel that you have an organization to rely on and find a sense of belonging, but also deepens the company's understanding of you and gives you more freedom to play. Frank, equal, unrestrained, and heartfelt communication will create a happy mood for work and life. Lao Mi's "happy football" theory is absolutely a universal truth. Happiness is also productivity. Seventh Prohibition: Being arrogant about achievements. No matter which department of the company, its work is important, and we must coordinate well under the premise of understanding. Some regional managers think they are bleeding and sweating on the front line, so they either speak harshly to personnel, planning, customer service, and technical support, or shirk responsibility, leading to insufficient cooperation from relevant logistics support departments. "Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself." To win the respect of others, you must first respect others. Remember: only by sowing seeds in spring will you harvest a golden autumn. Eighth Prohibition: Reporting false information. As frontline soldiers deep in the market, regional managers must truthfully and timely report market conditions to the company. Some regional managers only report good news and not bad news. Every report is that the situation is gratifying, but in reality, they repeatedly fight and lose, and sales have been declining. Hence the saying: "When expressing attitudes, bold words; when reporting, sweet words; when summarizing, nonsense." At the end of each month when filling out performance reports, regional managers, in order to get commissions or look good, exaggerate the numbers on the report. Since reports often require the signature of the distributor, the distributor has to cooperate out of face. In fact, the distributor is full of anger inside. Because the company cannot understand the real situation of the market and cannot make decisions conducive to the market, it ultimately affects the distributor's own interests. At the same time, paper cannot wrap fire, and the company will eventually know the truth, thus losing trust from the company. We must never be the little boy in the story of "The Wolf Is Coming": ruining ourselves because of lies. The above "Eight Prohibitions" can be summarized into a twenty-four-character "Three Character Classic": "Be loyal, strive for progress, be strict with self-discipline, pay attention to details, be true to your word, communicate diligently, emphasize coordination, and do not exaggerate." If regional managers do these twenty-four characters well, they will certainly create a good interpersonal atmosphere among distributors and the company, thus achieving twice the result with half the effort and creating good performance. At 8 PM on the 26th, this platform will host an online salon sharing session titled: "What Preparatory Work Should Distributors Do After Building Their Own Platform?" Interested friends can long-press the QR code below to register for free and participate in learning. 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