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Currently, more and more companies are adopting intensive market cultivation. In specific market operations, many companies lose control over route management, especially when the market is relatively mature and there is no new product promotion or pressure from assessment indicators. This laxity in route management leaves terminal sales reps in a "shepherding" state. Over time, problems accumulate and become difficult to resolve, creating major issues for the company's marketing management.
Below is the full daily report from a market inspector at a meat products company:
Manager:
Hello! Today I visited terminal stores in the city to inspect the implementation of our price system and the placement of terminal display boxes. I visited 20 terminal stores and found the following issues:
When visiting some terminals in the city's fire protection area, I found that at Hualian Haole Store, the 100g **Wang product had a production date of July, and the 100g **Wang was priced at 2.00 yuan per piece. Our 80g halal chicken sausage and 80g halal beef sausage were sold at 1.2 yuan per piece, which is higher than the unified guidance price set by the office. The terminal store owner said the salesperson did not inform them of the price adjustment. In response, we urged the distributor to promptly check terminal sales prices and strictly follow the price system set by the office to enhance our product's market price advantage and competitiveness.
Among the 20 terminal stores visited, our product's sales items were relatively few, and the salesperson's store omissions were severe. Store owners in this area said the salesperson generally does not visit. The standard distribution rate was poor, and display boxes were not placed in a timely manner. In some terminal stores where display boxes were placed, the stores did not display our products. We require the distributor to use display boxes to increase the number of items in terminal stores, aiming to improve our product's standard distribution rate, and strictly require salespeople to maintain our product's shelf space during store visits.
Tomorrow's plan: Inspect the execution of channel promotions.
Zhang Qiang 2007.12.2
At first glance, this seems like a qualified inspection daily report.
However, upon careful consideration, many problems emerge.
First, headquarters inspections should not be superficial, and the writing should not be full of clichés!
Second, the market problems mentioned above are already severe, and the issues in route visits are fully exposed. Rome wasn't built in a day.
Third, terminal management is already out of control: store omissions, no displays, no price notifications, and route reps are operating on autopilot.
...
So, how can one produce a qualified inspection report?
First: Inspect what is assessed.
From the daily report, the focus of this inspection was:
- Inspect the implementation of our price system.
- The placement of terminal display boxes.
- Achieving the full-item distribution rate.
- Other daily management inspections of sales reps.
When assigning tasks to subordinates, the regional manager must clarify:
This month's assessment targets are:
Price standards by item (omitted): Assessment weight: 20% Price tag implementation compliance rate of 80%.
Terminal display box usage standards: Assessment weight: 20% Main promoted brand: 100g Jinwang standard display of 10 pieces (in the middle) Other two items: 5 pieces each (separately) See photo example (omitted) Assessment execution standards: KA: Display boxes not less than * pieces. Placement ratio: 100%. Terminal B stores: Display boxes not less than * pieces, placement ratio 60%. Terminal C stores: Display boxes not less than * pieces, placement ratio 30%.
This month's full-item distribution rate progress schedule. Assessment weight: 30% November 10: Reach 20% November 20: Reach 50% November 30: Reach 80% KA distribution rate target: 100%
Sales target setting: Total task volume: 50 tons. Broken down by item (omitted). Assessment weight: 30%
Salary assessment indicator setting. Sales rep: 600 yuan/person Supervisor: 800 yuan
Special project follow-up If completion exceeds requirements, positive incentives will be given according to salary assessment indicators.
Second: Task assignment.
At the beginning of the month, after setting this month's targets and conducting a new product distribution mobilization meeting, the supervisor signs to execute. When signing, the regional manager can appropriately listen to subordinates' opinions. Unless there are special circumstances or reasons, indicators are not adjusted, and the signature takes effect.
Third: Follow-up and tracking.
Each region reports a daily distribution progress tracking table (omitted), mainly recording and summarizing distributor inventory, distribution progress, and display actions. The regional manager must personally inquire about regions that do not meet progress targets, listen to market dynamics, and if there are anomalies, personally visit the region for frontline inspection.
Fourth: Inspection.
Inspections come in various forms, including regional manager inspections and audit department inspections. Regardless of the type, the following principles must be followed:
- Surprise visits, irregular checks.
- Randomly select route manuals, not fixed routes.
- Inspect according to standards, let numbers speak.
Inspection steps:
Bring all materials, market inspection forms, such as merchandising scoring sheets, distribution rate comparison tables, and office internal management scoring sheets, as well as the newly reported market distribution progress tables for each region.
Plan before acting: By reviewing headquarters shipping reports and promotional item claim reports, identify abnormal regions for focused inspection.
Enter the market: If there is time to look around upon arrival, it is best to conduct preliminary reconnaissance in key areas such as KA and residential areas, but mainly observe without revealing your identity, otherwise you might leak your whereabouts.
Surprise visit: If the office holds a morning meeting at 8:00 AM, knock on the office door at 7:50. Based on personnel status, such as lateness, record according to the office management scoring standards. Then attend the morning meeting, listen to the agenda and content, and record non-conformities. After the meeting, keep 1-2 sales reps and the supervisor, have the reps recite this month's salary assessment indicators, ask about current progress, and review their work diaries.
Then communicate with the supervisor, inquire about progress, and review the office's sales rep data rankings. Extract 2-3 route manuals and, together with the supervisor, begin the inspection.
Route inspection: Based on the route manual and inspection forms, record each store's distribution, display, customer relations, items, and visit rate. During the inspection, you can follow the principle of checking every other store or every two stores.
Supervisor signs, and audit personnel tally scores based on records.
Inspection daily report: This time, a total of two routes were sampled, covering 20 terminals, including 2 KA stores, 8 B stores, and 10 C stores. Audit personnel fill in the inspection summary table (omitted) and report to the regional manager. The regional office compares with the month's initial indicators, conducts comparative assessment, and reports to the regional manager for approval. The final results will be reflected in numbers. If the full distribution rate is only 40%, then the completion rate for this indicator in this region is 50%. At month-end salary calculation: Sales rep: 30% * 50% * 600 yuan = 90 yuan (deduction) Supervisor: 30% * 50% * 800 yuan = 120 yuan (deduction)
Weak indicator tracking: In the monthly meeting, the regional manager gives "special attention" to supervisors whose indicators are not met, tracks the reasons for non-compliance, issues improvement schedules, and continues tracking. For supervisors with good data performance, praise them and ask them to share their experience.
At this point, a complete route management assessment cycle is completed. When a complete inspection report lands on the manager's desk, the basic status of a regional market is vividly presented. Through indicator tracking and improvement, the market effectively improves with data changes!
Route personnel are, to a certain extent, the "frontline iron army" of corporate marketing. Without strict discipline, this army will be like loose sand, and the company's competitiveness in the market will be greatly diminished. It may even push route management into the quagmire of "flashy but not practical."
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