Recently, social media feeds have been flooded with posts recruiting community partners, with major brands like Nongfu Spring, Coca-Cola, Hengda Ice Spring, Yili, Red Bull, and Totole launching online recruitment campaigns. "Zero cost, zero inventory, zero loss, publish product information in your community group and on social media, direct delivery from the manufacturer, flexible hours, not willing to be lonely, challenge high salary." It can be seen that at a time when epidemic prevention and control is still uncertain, major manufacturers have focused on the community, seeking to quickly find a breakthrough in sales through the promotion of 'home delivery' business. In fact, the epidemic has not affected consumers' spending power; on the contrary, it is higher than ever. Most people had just received their salaries and year-end bonuses to prepare for the New Year when the epidemic hit. They couldn't dine out, visit relatives and friends, and even saved on red envelope money for children. Huge consumer demand was suddenly cut off by the epidemic. Consumers were stuck at home, looking out at desolate streets, bored, playing with their phones, making noodles, and standing brooms upright. So behind the seemingly stagnant consumption, it is only constrained by community grids. As long as you cross this physical limitation and deeply tap into consumers' inner needs, companies can truly open the door to sales growth during this special period. Based on my experience, I would like to share some views on how to operate this model well, hoping to inspire manufacturers. -01- The direction is not wrong; the key is to find sufficient reasons to stimulate consumer purchases At this stage, consumers' demand for FMCG can only be met through terminals within the community or online. Communities have formed strong connections with consumers, becoming the main way for them to shop. The strategy of shifting sales focus to communities is correct. However, truly achieving rapid sales growth through this strategy is not easy. As everyone knows, all consumption requires scenarios. Taking beverages as an example, most manufacturers' product sales scenarios do not fully match the current state of consumers during the epidemic: thirsty after exercise, tired from meetings and overtime, gathering with friends for drinks, etc. Manufacturers should find purchase reasons suitable for consumers who have been 'staying at home, exercising little, living monotonously, and feeling anxious while scrolling through epidemic data' for weeks, so that products resonate with consumers at this moment. Fully combine product selling points to build consumption scenarios from aspects such as health, fun, and enhancing family happiness. For example, a certain ingredient in functional drinks boosts immunity, fruit juices supplement vitamins, a certain low-sodium natural weak alkaline water balances health, cola with chicken wings is the taste of happiness, and a certain brand's family combo: functional drink (dad) + coconut water (mom) + weak alkaline water (grandparents) + children's juice. Finding the entry point for consumer demand is a key step in implementing the strategy, and it is also an important foundation for later guiding partners in community promotion and tapping consumption opportunities. -02- Establish a clear project vision and set phased goals As a new sales model, it is essential to have a clear project expectation: what the final outcome should be, how many steps to complete, and what the focus of each stage is. These should be planned in advance. 1. Create a success image: Each community has one partner who sends product promotions or group-buying information in the community group daily, continuously stimulating community consumers to generate purchase needs, summarizing and feeding back order data, providing quality service to consumers, enhancing brand awareness in the region, and cultivating more heavy users of the product. At the same time, accumulate big data on consumer purchases in the community to provide accurate basis for future consumption strategies. (There may be differences among brands.) 2. To achieve the above goals, we can complete them in several steps:
First, preparation stage (about 3 days): Complete a survey of the number and locations of communities in the city, collect and screen community partners, gather information on terminals operating normally in the community, and understand whether distributors can supply them normally. Second, training and promotion planning (1 day): Train recruited partners, formulate promotion plans, activity budgets, and expense verification requirements. Third, publicity stage (about 2 days): Use employees' WeChat Moments, corporate WeChat official accounts, and various community group shares. Fourth, full launch of activities: Continuously follow up and optimize management processes. -03- The all-powerful Moments may not necessarily find the person you need Major manufacturers are currently recruiting partners mainly through Moments. In limited time, can they quickly hit the right person? If only this method is used, although it is often said that Moments is all-powerful, I feel it is still a bit risky. The month is already half over, and manufacturer friends are truly anxious, while those about to be recruited are watching and indifferent. So the needle-in-a-haystack approach to finding partners is very unsuitable for the current work pace during the epidemic. 1. The right approach: take the initiative as the main method, supplemented by Moments posts. Take out a map, mobilize everyone, and see if employees can cover all large communities in the city. At this time, it must not be only sales personnel; employees living in various communities should also participate. Search in community groups, choose from community supermarket owners, and truly find opinion leaders who have close information exchanges with community residents and have a good reputation. For example, the owner of the community water station, neighbors who do micro-commerce (these people usually send information in the owner group, we can proactively add them), and also screen from community property staff, neighborhood committee staff, food group leaders, mom group leaders, flea market group leaders, etc. 2. Set a feedback time and provide specific screening criteria and a feedback template. Reward employees who first complete the recommendation of personnel. After the recommendation is completed, the project leader should conduct unified and standardized online training for these partners. -04- Effectively motivate and manage partners Manufacturers will definitely give sales commissions to partners in this project, but we need to consider whether the incentive model of no base salary and only commission can truly drive their enthusiasm. 1. Set action rewards around key points of community product promotion For example, commission per box, semi-monthly rewards (adjusted according to the epidemic control time), sales ranking rewards, and also set differentiated incentive policies between brands based on product profit or brand sales focus. It is recommended to use a composite incentive method within the budget. 2. Daily total sales ranking, and sales ranking by brand, flavor, and packaging This not only helps to fully tap and accumulate big data on community consumers' flavor and packaging preferences, but also creates a hot sales atmosphere among partners, fully unleashing each partner's potential. 3. Keep a certain amount of flexible funds and distribute red envelopes in the partner marketing group every day to timely mobilize the enthusiastic working atmosphere in the group Let partners quickly build a sense of brand integration and loyalty, actively offer suggestions, and learn from each other. 4. Quickly replace partners with negative attitudes or lack of progress; even if there is a vacancy, never blindly patch it up One reminder: the regional sales personnel of the community must join the partner interaction group to facilitate objective evaluation and supervision of their market partners' performance. -05- How to go further in service Consumers are picky, and they will not lower their pursuit of quality service even during special times. If companies can make good use of this psychology and strive for perfection in details, they will more deeply occupy consumers' minds, accumulate more fans, and generate more repurchases. 1. Fresh products with transparent ingredient and date information Taking beverage companies as an example, the products provided at this stage should be fresh, and the production date should preferably be from the current year. At this time, consumers have enough time to check your product ingredients and dates. 2. Design exquisite care cards and send them with the goods On the card, you can write how to disinfect and wash hands after receiving express delivery during the epidemic, and say that XX Company is fighting the epidemic with you, letting quality products accompany you through more meaningful moments. In terms of tone, it is better to use some popular internet buzzwords and topics that young people currently use. 3. Creative product drinking guide For example, Coca-Cola can have multiple ways to drink: "Zero-Degree Temptation" (drink at minus four degrees for a cooler feeling), "Ginger Cola Warms the Heart" (heat with ginger), cola with chicken wings for the whole family, etc., letting consumers feel your product is fun and interesting, adding color to boring life. 4. Include appropriate essential gifts with the goods Considering that consumers are staying at home during the epidemic and have a greater need for fresh fruits and vegetables, you can include some with delivery. If you can include a mask, it would be even more thoughtful. 5. Repurchase: consumer customized points card If the company has its own points mall, that's even better. During the epidemic, if consumers purchase a certain amount or a certain number of times, they can exchange for exquisite gifts, or if they reach a certain number of boxes, they can enjoy discounts, etc., to increase repurchase frequency. -06- How to manage and apply accumulated consumption data This model will accumulate order data from some communities. After summarizing the data, it is necessary to analyze and summarize to find the consumption habits and product preference differences of each community, providing support for future sales decisions for community channels. 1. First, analyze the sales data of each community's products by brand, packaging, and flavor, and find the top three consumption preferences and zero-order categories in each community. 2. Provide the analyzed data and conclusions to the corresponding regional frontline sales staff to more accurately understand the characteristics of their sales areas, and carry out targeted distribution in community outlets or around the life trajectories of community consumers. 3. When launching new products, you can refer to the consumption habits of each community and prioritize promotion or free samples in areas with higher matching. -07- Establish a routine management manual for partners The community partner model should exist on a regular basis and should also become a regular channel for the company's new sales. Then, will the original community convenience store format conflict with this situation? You can view these two sales models as a combination of online promotion and offline experience. Manufacturers should support each other in operation, not only using online partners to attract orders from community consumers, but also echoing online in physical stores, so that when online consumers arrive at the store, they can also feel your product at the first time and in the first position, achieving the purpose of strengthening brand influence and increasing online repurchase rate. 1. Standardized professional marketing communication Fully summarize the online operation experience of partners during the epidemic and set standardized actions for partners. The current good micro-commerce operators are very professional in the details of online sharing, and we can learn from them. For example, what time of day to share, and how to phrase the promotion in each time period to attract consumers' attention. 2. Personalized and high-quality detail service Follow up on customer opinions such as delivery service, ensure half-hour delivery within the community, and provide personalized and differentiated quality services. This has been introduced earlier and will not be repeated here. 3. Grasp consumer promotions during key festivals For example, on February 14 (Valentine's Day), carry out a "Buy Family Combo and Get Red Roses" activity; during the school season, carry out a "Buy Children's Juice and Get a Pencil Case" activity, etc. Interact with consumers: if they share photos of drinking on Moments, they can double their points or participate in lucky draws. 4. Establish consumer files for each community Pay attention to high-frequency purchasers, continuously increase overall purchase frequency and average order value, and hold monthly partner meetings to establish a monthly review and summary management mechanism. -08- Leveraging efficient digital information tools will give you an edge The entire activity is actually quite complex in detail. If partners edit promotional information with dense text, the consumer experience will definitely be poor; if consumers order directly in the group, statistics will be cumbersome; finally, partners entering daily sales data into spreadsheets is error-prone, and verification through group order screenshots or inventory counts is also prone to errors or fraud. Therefore, if you can leverage digital information tools, your strategy execution will definitely be superior. The use of community promotion apps (or mini-programs) is not new in other industries. For example, a certain clothing brand's community agents can use mini-programs to generate beautiful promotional posters. After sharing the poster, consumers can click to purchase. The mini-program has already categorized clothing types, styles, and prices. After selection, they can order online and fill in the delivery address. The backend has set up an order feedback path, and all orders will be summarized to the nearest delivery customer's mobile terminal based on delivery location. The backend can export daily order information, including order time, order SKU, delivery time, and consumer suggestions. In addition, all consumers can also become second-level agents and enjoy commission. First-level community agents can share their agent QR code. After scanning, consumers can join. In addition to enjoying purchase discounts themselves, they can also use their influence to ask friends to help sell goods, allowing the product community sales network to rapidly fission and develop. The use of digital tools can bring more flexible and interesting promotional forms, such as full reduction coupons, mini-games to win prizes, cross-category joint promotions, etc., greatly improving operational efficiency in commission accounting, service evaluation, and tracking sales opportunities. At present, during the special stage of the whole society's fight against the COVID-19 epidemic, it is necessary for all departments and employees of manufacturers to unite, have keen insight, actively innovate, use new technology to promote transformation, seek breakthroughs with new strategies, quickly heal the economic trauma caused by the epidemic, and achieve high-quality development of sales performance.