Many distributors excel at winning over consumers but often find themselves at a disadvantage when dealing with manufacturers, working hard but not being appreciated. When asked why, the reasons can be summarized as follows: First, consumers are unsuspecting individuals who are easily influenced by distributors' planned guidance; manufacturers are planned organizations, making it difficult to change their established strategic plans. Second, consumers are individuals, and when faced with distributors' layered tactics, they typically fight alone; manufacturers are organizations, so distributors either face a group with a group or one person against a group, making it hard to stay ahead in the game. Third, winning over consumers is often a one-time affair, where occasional tricks may never be seen again; dealing with a manufacturer is long-term, and some underhanded tactics, even if they work temporarily, won't last forever, leading to awkward encounters later.

Because distributors are naturally in a weaker position in manufacturer-distributor interactions, they sometimes miss out on benefits they should receive due to improper methods, while taking on responsibilities they shouldn't. This is especially common in resource requests.

So, how should distributors request resources from manufacturers without being snubbed? I've heard various industry insiders offer advice: some say resource requests must be in writing, not just verbal; others say to show commitment and strong execution; still others say you have to spend money to make money, investing your own resources first to attract more. These methods have had some success, but failures are also common. So, what is the most effective standard approach for distributors to request resources from manufacturers?

Given space constraints, I'll briefly introduce five standard strategies, which are progressive and help distributors clarify their approach to resource requests.

1. Align with Headquarters' Plans We all know it's difficult to change a person's plans, and even harder to change a company's predetermined plans. If a distributor's business focus is not within the manufacturer's annual plan, getting resource support becomes even harder. So one effective way is to align your business development focus with the manufacturer's annual plan. How to do that?

First, assess the proportion of your business that each brand represents. Generally, if a brand accounts for more than 30% of your total sales, your business focus should roughly align with that brand.

Second, at the end of each year or beginning of the new year, after the manufacturer's annual policy is confirmed, distributors should confirm key tasks for the coming year with the manufacturer's sales personnel. The steps are: work with the salesperson to identify 1-3 things the manufacturer must do in the regional market and 1-3 things they encourage distributors to do. The must-dos are key, and you can gauge them by the manufacturer's annual budget allocation; for encouraged tasks, you can selectively cooperate based on the budget and your own development direction. This is also a way to set your annual work priorities.

Finally, remember that the first activity of the new year should be something the manufacturer requires and also aligns with your own development direction. Prepare quickly, apply quickly, and execute quickly. The timing and amount of expense reimbursement will give you a sense of the manufacturer's resource availability and efficiency.

2. Participate in Regional Plans National policies may not suit every regional distributor. There are two scenarios: one is that the policy direction deviates from regional realities; the other is that the distributor's development direction diverges from the manufacturer's. In the second case, the distributor should reflect: if you're diverging from a brand that accounts for a large portion of your sales, it might be time to switch brands or industries, as few distributors thrive without manufacturer support. In the first case, to gain support, you need to create regional highlights with the regional sales staff.

Typically, regional staff will make annual plans based on the overall sales policy and local conditions. This is a critical time for distributors to closely engage with regional sales staff. Communicate your work priorities thoroughly with the regional manager and integrate your plans with theirs. Many sales managers are inspired by distributors and incorporate regional innovations into their plans, reporting them to the company. I know a distributor in Dongguan who, when the regional manager was making annual plans, frequently invited the manager to Dongguan for good food and drink, chatting with him every day during that period. As a result, many of the plans included the distributor's key tasks.

3. Take Small Losses to Gain More The first two methods are about blocking at the source, but many distributors miss that opportunity. How can they ensure successful resource requests? An old Chinese saying goes, "Losses are blessings." To ensure effective resource support for every activity, taking small losses is a surefire way to increase the approval rate of expense requests.

Distributors should know that companies have standards and quotas for expense requests. When funds are tight and requests are harder to approve, but your market urgently needs activity support, proactively lowering your expense standards and increasing your own investment ratio before applying for the remaining amount not only accommodates the regional manager's difficulties but also addresses your urgent needs. There are countless examples of distributors arguing over expense standards and ending up on bad terms.

4. Bundle Activities and Get in Early Applying for expenses on a per-activity basis is short-sighted. Smart distributors are already trying to apply once and use multiple times, bundling routine activities into a single expense request.

Manufacturer expense investments, especially for activities, are usually ongoing. If it's a key expansion area for the manufacturer, your region has the conditions to implement it, and the activity type is replicable, consider bundling all activities within a certain period. For example, community promotions are routine and brand companies typically invest long-term. If you apply for each community separately, the cost per application is low but the process is cumbersome. After thorough market research and preparation, you can consider applying for multiple similar community activities in one bundle. Of course, using results and numbers in your report will increase the approval rate.

5. Non-Monetary Resources Are Also Resources Resources, especially money, are always limited. What should distributors do if they can't get cash expenses?

In resource requests, distributors should establish a basic awareness: money is a resource, goods are resources, people are resources, tangible resources are resources, and intangible resources are also resources. So the strategy is: first apply for expenses, preferably cash; if not, apply for materials; if no materials, ask for manufacturer personnel to help with activities; if no personnel, request the company to design materials while you pay for them; or get written authorization and titles to integrate other people's resources.

Of course, if you get nothing at all, there are only two possibilities: either the manufacturer has major problems and can't operate normally, or you, the distributor, have major problems and might be dropped by the manufacturer at any moment!

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