---
title: "Five Strategies for Effective Incremental Growth in Mature Regional Markets: Sweep, Flatten, Expand, Boost, and Promote"
description: "During a training session, a trainee asked how to increase sales in a regional market after the initial 'honeymoon' period with the product has passed and sales have plateaued. This article offers five practical strategies: developing blank markets, flattening distribution channels, expanding into new outlets, increasing per-store output, and promoting new products."
author: "崔自三"
publisher: "New Distribution"
email: "zhaobo258@gmail.com"
telephone: "+8615854817671"
published: "2015-07-16"
language: "en"
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# Five Strategies for Effective Incremental Growth in Mature Regional Markets: Sweep, Flatten, Expand, Boost, and Promote

> During a training session, a trainee asked how to increase sales in a regional market after the initial 'honeymoon' period with the product has passed and sales have plateaued. This article offers five practical strategies: developing blank markets, flattening distribution channels, expanding into new outlets, increasing per-store output, and promoting new products.

During a training session, as I interacted with trainees, one stood up and asked: "When a company's product enters a regional market, after the 'honeymoon' period between the product and the market passes, the market gradually calms down, and sales become lukewarm. How can we increase sales in the regional market?"

This is a common market operation challenge. After a product experiences a 'passionate collision' with the market and sales surge, a bottleneck in sales growth inevitably follows. At this point, regardless of how well or poorly the market is performing, even sustaining a small growth percentage becomes extremely difficult. However, in an era where details determine success, it is not impossible to increase market growth by adopting certain 'penetration' strategies and methods. Here are my five suggestions:

**Regional Sweeping:**
Develop blank markets. When a sales region faces the situation where increasing sales in individual markets won't yield significant growth, it's necessary to examine whether there are still blank markets or customers within the region. This includes two aspects: first, blank markets within the region that are available for development; second, whether there are downstream distribution customers in already-developed regional markets that can be tapped. Since the sales increase from a single market is generally not substantial, to achieve rapid growth across the entire sales region, marketers must 'sweep'—that is, eliminate blank markets within the sales area. For example, a sales manager responsible for a prefecture-level market with nine counties has developed seven, leaving two undeveloped. These two blank markets become the incremental markets to strive for. Once a new market is activated, even a single distribution pass can bring significant sales growth to the region. This is the fastest way to achieve rapid incremental growth in a regional market.

**Channel Flattening:**
Introduce incremental models. If the sales region has achieved 'full coverage' and all county-level markets have been fully developed, the method for growth is to introduce new incremental models, such as deep distribution or intensive channel cultivation. Deep distribution, or intensive channel cultivation, means flattening the channel and shifting the marketing focus. Previously, the focus was on distributors; now, it's about assisting distributors in overseeing sub-distributors and directly controlling terminals. Therefore, companies need to strongly support distributors who have distribution capabilities and awareness of serving downstream channels. Manufacturers and distributors must further clarify their roles and functional positioning. For instance, manufacturer personnel handle terminal development, shelf management, and customer relationship maintenance; distributors and sub-distributors handle product delivery and payment collection; terminal retailers handle product promotion and execution. By clarifying division of labor and letting professionals do professional work, the channel value chain can be transmitted orderly and effectively, laying a solid foundation for sales growth.

**Expanding New Channels:**
Cover new outlets. The third method to increase market growth is to cover new outlets. This includes two aspects: first, developing newly emerging sales outlets, such as newly established retail stores or other new channel formats that can sell the product, like business clubs; second, sales outlets not previously captured, such as competitors' sales channels or retail outlets in remote areas. For the first point, we must view sales channels dynamically. 'As the Yangtze River pushes waves forward,' each year some old outlets close due to poor business, while new ones spring up like bamboo shoots after rain. These new outlets are targets for us to capture and guarantee growth. For the second point, regarding competitors' sales outlets, we must find ways—such as offering gifts, granting larger distribution areas to major outlets, or zero-risk operations—to attract them to sell our products, directly boosting sales growth. For uncovered outlets in remote areas, we can extend our 'tentacles' by designating reasonable sales areas and routes, sometimes leading to unexpected miracles. For example, a liquor company decided to implement a 'carpet-style' coverage method to increase sales, developing rural markets, including market stalls, grocery stores, and village stands about 70 kilometers from the city. Surprisingly, although they expected small sales, every distribution trip returned triumphantly. Because the area was remote, many manufacturers, considering costs, were unwilling to deliver there, making it a 'niche' sales area. After finding this 'blue ocean,' the company's product sales increased significantly.

**Boosting Per-Store Output:**
Increase per-store sales. After achieving nearly seamless coverage of outlets, to significantly increase market growth, we must focus on increasing per-store output. In economics, there's the 80/20 rule: 80% of sales come from 20% of major customers. To increase per-store sales, we must firmly grasp these major customers. This still includes two aspects: first, customers naturally classified as A, B, or C based on sales volume—core, key, and general customers. Second, the probability that B and C customers, through their own efforts and company support, may convert to A-class customers. For established A, B, and C customers, companies must focus resources, invest heavily in key customers, and 'use good steel on the blade,' avoiding equal effort or 'eating from the same big pot,' and emphasizing input-output ratios. Simultaneously, for the second type of customers, based on their potential, willingness to cooperate, and distribution capabilities, provide key support and cultivation to maintain dynamic balance and survival of the fittest among A, B, and C customers. For customers, increasing per-store sales requires the following: First, terminal distribution—cover as many outlets as possible. Second, product display and terminal visualization. We are in a visual economy; through terminal visualization, products can stand out, be 'easy to see, easy to select, easy to grab,' increasing sales opportunities. Third, promotional activities. Use novel, distinctive promotional methods to communicate with customers and stimulate consumer purchases. For example, a liquor company launched a 'Drink and Win a Gold Buddha' campaign, where opening a bottle gave a chance to win a 'blessed' gold Buddha, attracting many consumers to try, leading to natural sales growth.

**Promoting High-Growth New Products:**
Promote new products. Apart from price wars and advertising wars, another avenue for sales growth is promoting new products. When market sales become flat, launching new products can 'excite' the stable market and even activate a 'shocked' market. In old markets with old products, transparency in product, price, and profit makes it difficult to motivate channel members to promote actively. By promoting new products in old markets, new growth points can be added, and channels can gain new profit points—a 'win-win' situation. Therefore, by introducing new products, especially differentiated ones, the market can 'rejuvenate' and usher in a new sales peak. For example, a beer company launched a new fruit beer product. Since this product sits between beer and beverages, it's a marginal product that expanded the consumer base, allowing people who couldn't drink beer—like the elderly, children, and taxi drivers—to consume it. Combined with good taste, it rapidly expanded market share, leading to a significant increase in sales volume.

In summary, to increase growth in regional markets, it's necessary to consider new breakthrough points. After abandoning traditional price wars, advertising wars, and promotional wars, companies can take a multi-pronged approach: introducing new products, developing new markets, increasing outlet coverage density, and boosting per-store sales. By finding 'market gaps,' continuously 'eroding' and 'penetrating' the market, and squeezing competitors, the goal of increasing market growth can ultimately be achieved.

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