During peak season, market demand surges, and companies place great emphasis on sales growth and market share capture. Many salespeople rely heavily on this period to achieve their annual sales targets and profit growth, making it a critical time for demonstrating their value.
Xiao Zhang, a veteran salesperson for a well-known beverage brand, had served distributors in the local market for three years and knew the market well. As summer approached, signaling the peak season, he breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he wouldn't need to push distributors to place orders or worry about meeting targets. So he didn't visit the market or stock up in advance before the peak season. He only communicated with distributors a few days before the peak to place orders, then felt everything was fine and waited for the company to ship. However, because the company faced high demand during this period, many best-selling products were in short supply, and the company couldn't ship large quantities in the short term. Additionally, distributors in other markets had already paid and placed orders in advance, entering a queue for shipment. Xiao Zhang failed to communicate with the factory's dispatch department about supply issues.
Due to delayed order chasing and late orders, many goods were not shipped in time. Meanwhile, competitors in the market, having prepared in advance with stock pressure, order meetings, and terminal promotions, had already filled most terminal inventory by the time Xiao Zhang's distributor received goods. This made it difficult for Xiao Zhang's market to push inventory, leading to a failure to grasp the peak season sales rhythm. The distributor's sales were flat, with no growth compared to last year, and market share actually decreased. The distributor complained that Xiao Zhang didn't urge the company to coordinate and ship earlier, missing the peak season opportunity. The company's leadership also noted Xiao Zhang's low contribution during peak season, and he was not included in the semi-annual promotion list. Xiao Zhang regretted his actions. Due to his lack of attention and preparation for the summer peak season, he strained customer relations and lost the company's favor.
In this case, Xiao Zhang failed to recognize the importance of the summer peak season, so he didn't take measures to boost sales, missing a chance to advance his career. Instead, his mistakes put him in a passive and embarrassing position. So how can salespeople leverage the peak season to increase sales, choose key entry points to enhance market performance, and win the battle for peak season sales?
- Cultivate a Genuine Sense of Importance
As peak season approaches, many salespeople, especially veterans, pay lip service to its importance but don't truly take it seriously, secretly rejoicing instead. They think that with peak season, they don't need to persuade customers to place orders, targets will be met, and salaries are secure. This mindset leads to passive sales performance and prevents sales from reaching their peak.
In many markets, peak season growth boosts annual sales and builds a foundation for the off-season, helping achieve annual targets. If you don't push during peak season and only place orders as planned, strong competitors will fill terminal inventory and seize key opportunities, causing your products to stagnate and grow slowly. Therefore, salespeople must genuinely prioritize the peak season.
Conduct market research, mobilize terminal customers to stock up in advance, develop promotional policies, hold effective order meetings, and execute terminal promotions. Use every strategy to drive terminal sales and ensure significant growth. If the peak season arrives but you're unprepared, competitors will have already succeeded, and your prospects will be bleak. Being one step ahead means staying ahead. So, to achieve good sales results in peak season, you must truly value it.
- Use Peak Season for Market Development
Market development during peak season should not be neglected. Good market development not only ensures sales growth but also showcases a salesperson's skills and strength. For consumers, peak season is a critical time for brand recognition. High distribution rates and strong sales during this period can change consumer perceptions of products and brands.
Salespeople should complete market development before peak season, including displays, advertising and promotions, and terminal inventory. Proper market maintenance during peak season will steer your market in a positive direction.
Additionally, strengthen services and deepen cooperation with terminals during peak season. Provide support for market development, such as enhancing storefront images for active customers and maintaining good relationships with terminals. This can spur market momentum and potentially widen the gap with competitors through a peak season campaign, benefiting post-peak market breakthroughs and growth.
Market highlights and infrastructure development will solidify a sustainable and healthy market foundation. Don't neglect development in favor of selling during holidays, only to lose ground to competitors and fall behind due to peak season mistakes.
- Develop New Outlets
Many companies, especially leading brands, use the number of outlets as a measure of market health. The more outlets, the more likely the market is a model. However, in practice, many small outlets with low sales volume and slow turnover may choose to sell only one brand. If competitors capture these small shops, it's hard to win them back.
Salespeople should seize opportunities to develop new outlets during peak season. During peak season, many small shops also see increased demand. If competitors neglect maintenance, these small terminals may become loyal customers again because you paid attention to them during peak season. Developing new outlets and promoting new products during peak season can boost your market development and enhance your reputation. It's easier to succeed in outlet development and new product launches during peak season, giving local salespeople momentum for expansion.
- Ensure Product Supply
In many cases, peak season leads to stockouts of best-sellers, insufficient supply, or delayed shipments. This can cause distributor complaints and dissatisfaction, affecting their cooperation during the off-season and retailer satisfaction and long-term partnership stability. Salespeople must thoroughly visit the market, understand demand, communicate stocking needs in advance, and maintain ongoing communication with the company's dispatch department. Encourage distributors to pay and place orders early, and follow up on shipments to ensure supply.
Maintain good customer relationships and future cooperation. Don't let distributors run out of stock during peak season, missing out on profits, which leads to blame and a tarnished company image.
Peak season is a critical time for salespeople to shine, grow, and advance. It requires advance preparation, effective implementation, proactive communication, and multi-faceted execution of measures to improve market performance and sales, satisfying distributors and earning leadership recognition. Create opportunities for your own advancement and win the summer peak season battle.
Excerpted from "The First Book for FMCG Salespeople: From Beginner to Master"
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