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In the new era of competition, going downstream and intensive cultivation have become the main themes of marketing, making county and township markets increasingly important. Whoever can win consumers in the shortest time, with the fastest speed and best methods, will be the winner in the future market. As many companies shift their market focus downward, county-level distributors are becoming more important and irreplaceable, and their market operations can directly determine the fate and future of the enterprise. For enterprises to develop and distributors to survive, county-level markets must be broken through, and the key to success lies in the words "fast" and "efficient."
So, how can we efficiently and quickly break into county-level markets?
1. Product Breakthrough: Coordinate Leading Products and Breakthrough Products
Many distributors fail to quickly break into county-level markets mainly because they have too many products. They stock as many varieties as the manufacturer offers, mistakenly believing that with so many products, if one doesn't sell well, they can switch to another. This leads to a lack of clear product focus, and trying to sell everything well results in selling nothing well.
Therefore, when selecting products for a specific county-level market, distributors should ensure clear product priorities and a reasonable structure.
Highlight leading products: No matter how many products the manufacturer has, there may only be one or two that are suitable for the distributor's county-level market. For example, when choosing bottle liquor, the most competitive price range in the market is usually 8-15 yuan per bottle. Distributors should not select multiple products from the same category to sell simultaneously.
Define breakthrough products: Once the leading product is selected, consider breakthrough products. Breakthrough products are those used to compete with rivals. Although they may eventually be sacrificed, they can help the leading product enter the market smoothly and defeat competitors.
Target competitors with a "low-high" pricing strategy: Set the leading product's price higher than existing competitors' products, leaving room for promotions to suppress rivals. For breakthrough products, keep the price roughly on par with competitors or slightly higher by 5-10%, allowing direct price competition.
Let leading and breakthrough products cooperate to attack competitors' high-volume stores one by one. Breakthrough products, being cheaper, can easily generate sales and satisfy store owners, so first let them gain recognition, then leverage the leading product to make profits and build brand image. This pincer movement forces competitors to make concessions, leads them by the nose, and eventually drives them out of the hotel.
Of course, no tactic is foolproof. Distributors should note: always maintain price consistency between breakthrough products and competitors' products. Low pricing is a competitive tactic, but when engaging in terminal battles, never reduce prices across the board. Low pricing is just a surface strategy to disrupt the opponent's rhythm and force them to lower prices, used in key battle zones and particularly difficult hotels.
The benefits of this strategy are obvious:
It makes the leading product more prominent because its higher price allows for more promotional space, giving distributors more resources to flexibly conduct various activities to guide consumption.
It clarifies the target, directly engaging the opponent in a "bayonet fight," forcing them to respond.
It makes the opponent unknowingly enter an "ambush zone," where two products attack one of their leading products. Especially in hotels where the opponent sells well, they will definitely try to protect their leading product and fight back, leading to promotions, which mean lower prices, which mean gradually reduced profits, eventually forcing them to withdraw.
2. Rapid Distribution: Manufacturer-Dealer Collaboration to Seize Time and Space
Distribution is not unfamiliar to distributors. In the overall marketing process, it is one of the simplest procedures, but seemingly simple distribution hides great wisdom. To put it seriously, "success or failure hinges on distribution."
I once served a liquor company and visited a distributor in the market. This distributor had been stocking goods for nearly 8 months, but sales were poor. He said, "We work hard. We go out early every day to distribute, but consumers just don't recognize our products. There's nothing we can do but take it slowly."
I deeply admire this distributor's loyalty and perseverance. There are many such distributors, but why do they face this situation? Because they distribute just for the sake of distributing. So, no matter how hard they try, it's in vain.
Marketing is about opportunity cost. Doing the same thing with different methods in the same time yields completely different results. As the ancients said, "Same trade, different profits," which probably means this.
The best way to solve problems is to prevent them. How to distribute effectively?
Manufacturer-dealer cooperation: The manufacturer takes the lead, with the dealer assisting, to jointly form a distribution team. Specifically, the manufacturer and dealer can jointly set up a distribution team and delivery vehicles, with at least 6 people and 3 vehicles. The personnel dispatched by the enterprise should preferably be the salesperson responsible for that market, or someone with management and distribution experience.
Concentrate on one or two areas for rapid distribution. Each vehicle should have at least 2 people. When distributing in township markets, generally at least 2 vehicles and 4 people are needed. If vehicles and personnel are sufficient, consider conducting distribution activities in several places simultaneously.
Secondary distributors assist for rapid distribution. Manufacturers or dealers are relatively unfamiliar with township markets. The best way is to let secondary distributors lead the way, first distributing along their channels, then expanding to unfamiliar areas, which speeds up distribution. (Initially, secondary distributors may be unwilling to assist; they will cooperate only after receiving extra subsidies or seeing successful model areas created by the enterprise.)
Specialized division of labor. Reasonably arrange personnel tasks: who negotiates, who posts POP, who unloads goods, who collects payments, who signs sales agreements, who arranges displays, who establishes customer files, etc. These tasks should be carefully prepared and rehearsed in advance to speed up distribution.
Create publicity. Distribution is also one of the best forms of publicity. For example, gathering vehicles together and playing music or corporate promotional materials through vehicle speakers can enhance distribution effectiveness.
Plan the distribution route to speed up the process. Before distribution, make a detailed plan for the entire route to avoid detours. Contact customers in advance or send someone to communicate, ensuring time efficiency and success rate.
During distribution, manufacturers and dealers should note the following:
Manufacturer personnel must be professional and possess certain communication and management skills. Since dealers generally have poor management and salespeople have low skills, manufacturer personnel must be professional.
Manage the distribution process well: adhere to the system of reporting in the morning and summarizing in the evening. Through daily meetings, train and improve dealer personnel's sales skills, and list and solve problems one by one, not leaving them for the next day's distribution.
Vehicles and personnel must be concentrated and not act independently; otherwise, it's hard to achieve the expected results.
Have two or three product policies for distribution, but not too many, for terminal customers to choose from.
Act quickly during distribution; if personnel and vehicles are not in place, do not rush to distribute.
Distribute small quantities, and follow up frequently.
Ensure POP advertising and product display policies are well communicated during distribution; it's best to develop a standard operating manual.
When using secondary distributors to lead the way, consider giving them a certain profit margin so they are motivated to contribute their network and personally take you to distribute.
It's worth noting that manufacturers and dealers must cooperate throughout the distribution process, as this not only reduces problems but also brings direct benefits: first, manufacturer personnel are more professional, speeding up distribution and helping dealer salespeople improve skills; second, from the terminal's perspective, they are more willing to accept manufacturer products and services, so manufacturer participation enhances terminal sales confidence; third, through rapid joint distribution, they can suppress competitors, giving them no breathing room in a short time, and win precious development time and space.
3. Defeat Competitors One by One: Attack Their Weak Links
In actual market operations, if we observe carefully, we can easily find many weak links in competitors.
For these weak links, new brands should adopt a strategy of defeating them one by one. For example, a liquor company attacked competitors' catering terminals.
First, its attack targets were very clear:
In a county-level market, select hotels where competitors provide poor service or no after-sales service.
Select hotels where competitors once sent sales promotion staff but have withdrawn.
Select hotels with good business but where competitors have not sent sales promotion staff.
Select a few hotels where competitors sell well, usually 3-5.
Second, its attack methods were quite "lethal":
Offer high commissions to waiters to induce them to sell the products.
Poach competitors' salespeople in the area with high salaries.
Recruit competitors' hotel promoters with high wages.
Implement large rewards with high winning rates to block competitors and attract hotel owners' interest.
Of course, these rewards are targeted. Once a hotel is selected, continuously "bombard" it until the competitor withdraws. Note: when delivering goods to hotels, give big prizes on the spot; don't install them all at once in proportion and wait for consumers to win. Otherwise, you might wait until the flowers wither, and the big prize may never come out.
4. Focus on Core Work: Stabilize Profits and Consolidate the Market
Many liquor companies and distributors have good methods in this regard.
Capture core customers: Set monthly and annual sales rewards or points-based redemption rewards in policies, using monthly/annual sales rebates or single-product time-based cumulative points to stabilize customers.
Capture consumers: Set up prizes, add red envelopes in liquor boxes, scratch cards on bottle caps, irregular promotional activities, tasting events, etc.
Capture displays: For example, rewards for one month of display, one quarter, or one year, with rewards increasing as the time period extends.
Capture advertising: Either don't advertise, or if you do, invest thoroughly. The form can be single (e.g., only wall ads, painted door headers, or in-store KT boards), but the placement must be thorough, extreme, and explosive.
Capture consumers through exclusive events, such as zodiac commemorative items (12 zodiac signs), collect all 12 to redeem prizes; Water Margin 108 heroes, collect them all to win travel or material rewards; and restaurant gift vouchers like "spend 100 get 50" are all good ways to lock in consumers.
In short, there are many ways to capture customers. Only by capturing customers and consumers can enterprises and distributors lock in profits, thereby stabilizing their position in county-level markets and laying a solid foundation for truly breaking through the market.
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