Every marketer who has just entered the marketing crucible will feel that being a marketer is difficult, and dealing with clients is exhausting, sometimes even feeling at a loss. Based on my own experience, I have summarized some marketing insights, hoping to inspire friends who are interested in marketing.

Question 1: Your company's product packaging is not attractive?

Response:

  1. What packaging do you think looks good? How about L'Oréal's packaging? How about P&G's packaging? In fact, according to our domestic aesthetic standards, their packaging is not beautiful at all, but they sell well. As the saying goes, "One white covers a hundred uglies." Because they are strong brands, no matter what they look like, you would think they look good, right?
  2. Actually, whether packaging looks good is mainly judged by your own aesthetic standards, just like a piece of clothing. What you think looks good may not be considered good by others, right? The key is that most customers think it's good. You buy our products not for your own use but to sell. If it were for personal use, you would buy what you like. You buy it to make money. It doesn't matter if you don't like it; as long as consumers like it. There is a Hong Kong singer named "George Lam" whom you must know. He has a hobby of collecting various sunglasses from around the world when he performs. He has all kinds of sunglasses at home. Someone suggested he open a sunglasses store and make money, but he said if he did, it would close within three days. When asked why, he said all his collections were bought according to his own aesthetic, and what he likes doesn't mean others like it. The same applies to packaging.
  3. To be honest, I personally don't like the packaging of some of our products either. But why do we still use it? Have you thought about it? Because we are a multinational company, the packaging is decided after market research. We can't just make it up at home.
  4. Even if you don't like our packaging, the key to good sales still depends on product quality and manufacturer support, right? Some products on the market have packaging that, by our aesthetic standards, is not good, but they have been selling well for years. It's just because the product quality is good and the manufacturer support is good. What do you think?

Analysis:

  1. Whether packaging is good or not has no fixed standard; it's relative. Guide distributors to understand that their business purpose is to make money, and what they don't like doesn't mean others won't like it.
  2. We are a multinational company; how could we produce bad packaging? Guide distributors to focus on our brand's international background.
  3. The fundamental purpose of a business is to make a profit. Guide them to focus on our product quality and support.

Question 2: I think your product's fragrance doesn't smell good.

Response:

  1. Our products are all imported from abroad as finished goods, and only repackaged domestically. The company originally wanted to import everything, but later considered that foreign countries don't pay much attention to packaging, while domestic consumers value it highly, so we chose domestic repackaging. The fragrance is the international version, unlike some manufacturers who claim to be imported but actually only bought raw materials or formulas abroad, and still produce domestically, so their fragrance can cater to domestic consumers.
  2. Foreign consumers have stronger body odor, so the fragrance is stronger. This also shows we are purely imported, right? If we also produced domestically like other manufacturers, how could we not know your preferences? Like KFC, when it first came to China, its menu didn't seem to suit Chinese tastes, but it sold well. Now that its sales in China are large, it has gradually adjusted to Chinese habits. I think once our company reaches a certain scale in China, the overseas headquarters will also appropriately cater to Chinese consumers.
  3. Fragrance is also a matter of opinion, like a dish served in a restaurant. Ten people tasting it will give ten different opinions—some find it too bland, others too salty. It's hard to please everyone.
  4. I don't know if you've studied fragrances carefully. The most famous perfumes are from Paris, France. Everyone knows that truly imported good French perfumes are hard to smell directly. Why? Because the fragrance in the bottle is concentrated. When applied to the body, it dilutes and oxidizes with oxygen in the air, creating a harmonious effect. That's why you shouldn't put your nose to the bottle opening to smell perfume. Our products use good plant-based essences, so the scent changes when applied to the skin.

Analysis:

  1. Most people choose fragrances based on personal preference, and most don't know much about essences. Reinforce the idea that good essences don't smell good directly.
  2. Guide distributors to focus on our pure import status, turning a potential weakness into a strength.

Question 3: Your product price is too high. How can we operate? And it's not well-known, so it's hard to do?

Response:

  1. The high price is because of good quality. As the saying goes, "You get what you pay for."
  2. Each product has a different positioning. There are cosmetics for a few yuan and others for thousands. You need to decide who you're selling to. Our main consumer group is people aged 30-45 who have money and want good cosmetics. As living standards improve, this group is growing. Your goal is to make money, right? On one hand, you sell one bottle and make 200-300 in sales; on the other, you sell to a dozen people and still bargain, ending up with the same amount. Which business would you rather do?
  3. Our company entered this industry relatively late. Because of that, we missed many good opportunities, so we have to do things fundamentally well to gain a foothold in this competitive market. That's why we focus on quality. Only companies with good quality can develop long-term. You can look at any brand that is doing well and sustainable; its product quality must be good.
  4. There are countless cosmetics on the market, and everyone is playing the price game. If you also offer a product at the same price as others, they've been around for three to five years and have some recognition. Why would they let you make money? When choosing a brand now, you need to differentiate, that is, avoid competition to make money. What do you think?
  5. Our company's lack of market awareness actually has benefits. The advantage is that our product price is not transparent, so distributors can have fatter margins. Also, our market protection will be stricter because we've seen that manufacturers with poor market protection end up with distributors not making money, so they stop selling their products. How can such manufacturers make money, let alone develop stably long-term? Our company follows a basic principle: Only when distributors make money can we make money!
  6. How well-known is Olay? Why don't you do it? First, because it already has suitable distributors. Second, because it has been operating for years, the brand is more mature and stronger, so its requirements for you are higher, and the profit margins are correspondingly lower. To put it bluntly, distributors have almost become its movers. New product launches bring higher profits. It's like Diao brand washing powder. When it first launched, no distributor wanted to do it, and the manufacturer's terms were very favorable. Which visionary distributor didn't make a fortune? Now it's a big brand, and how many distributors nationwide regret it?
  7. Even the best brand needs a promotion and publicity process when launching. It's precisely because we want to grow with you that we give you such a large profit margin. I think you know we are an imported brand. Actually, the price to you is not high; the operating margin is similar to some domestic generic brands. Why? Because we understand the difficulty of market operation, and we are willing to give you an ideal profit. Together, we can build this brand. Our current products are repositioned after analyzing other manufacturers' products. They are new and have longer life cycles, making them easier for the market to accept.

Analysis:

  1. Explain the well-known truth: good quality costs more. Guide distributors not to get stuck in the price vortex but to focus on value—cost-performance ratio.
  2. Everything has two sides. Highlight the positive side and use a strengths-based approach to guide distributors to agree with you, the product, and the company.
  3. Businesses operate for fame and profit. New products and new brands can't bring fame, so focus on profit.
  4. The saying "the latecomer surpasses the early bird" is true. Latecomers can avoid the mistakes and falls of predecessors, stand on the shoulders of giants to develop products and markets, so many latecomers do surpass.

Question 4: Your company's distribution support is too little. Many companies have strong distribution support, some even 1:1.

Response:

  1. Our company also has a distribution policy. What is distribution? The purpose is mainly to consider that when you start with our products, besides taking goods, you also have to pay staff wages, decorate the store, and cover many other terminal costs. To reduce your capital pressure, we lend you some goods first to help you develop the market. We don't have distribution in overseas markets, so our distribution is different from other domestic manufacturers. Other manufacturers' distribution is essentially a gift. Our distribution must be converted to expenses only after you reach a certain sales volume.
  2. Our company's policy is also decided after in-depth market research. Our senior management surveyed and compared manufacturers and distributors nationwide. Manufacturers with unlimited distribution die quickly because they have to consider their own profits. If they distribute a lot and still want to make money, how? First, they cut production costs, compromising quality. Second, they inflate the price and give more distribution, but it's still "the wool comes from the sheep's back," right? Distributors who get too much distribution also fail because they have no pressure. Many small distributors focus not on sales growth but on how to cash in the manufacturer's distribution. Moreover, manufacturers and distributors with distribution often have many conflicts, and most end up parting ways over interests. So for the healthy long-term development of both, our distribution policy is strictly controlled. You can see that fewer and fewer manufacturers in the industry are recklessly distributing. Now it's hard to find a regular manufacturer that gives large distribution, because after years of market exploration, they all find this path doesn't work.
  3. Many manufacturers' distribution is just a word game. They understand distributors' psychology. They promise 100% distribution, but it's not that for every dollar of goods you take, you get a dollar of distribution. They split it into 5 or 10 times, so each time you get just over 10%. They advertise it as 100% distribution. In fact, many manufacturers quietly include many assessment clauses in the contract, making it hard to actually get. Besides, if you calculate, suppose you do our brand for three years, how many hundred percent distribution would that be? Also, if a product is originally 20 yuan, because you want distribution, the manufacturer raises the price to 40. What distribution wouldn't they agree to? It's still your money.
  4. We actually don't want to give distribution. Why? If the original price is 30 yuan, we can just negotiate to 25 yuan, cash on delivery, and it's simple for both of us to settle accounts, right? But many distributors don't understand this. You give them a good price, but they still can't resist the pie-in-the-sky temptations from other manufacturers. We are win-win, right? You want to make money, but if the manufacturer tells you they're losing money to operate the market, would you believe it? So when we enter the domestic market, we have no choice but to have what others have, just to avoid explaining too much.
  5. Our product quality is excellent. We implement other policies to help distributors develop. For example, we help distributors hold distributor conferences to develop sub-distributors, help distributors design product promotion plans, so that distributors' products move faster, and they naturally make more money. Also, the company often holds training for distributors and their sales staff, so that while distributing our products, they improve their own and their company's risk resistance. You want low prices, more distribution, big support, and good quality. Ha, that's like wanting a horse to run fast without eating grass. Is there such a good product? If there were, it would have been taken long ago, and people in your area would have fought over it.

Analysis:

  1. Directly state our distribution policy to avoid any illusions, and don't compare our products with small generic brands.
  2. Analyze why the company has this distribution policy, and guide them to understand that distribution looks good but is actually "the wool comes from the sheep's back."
  3. Tell distributors that the company has healthier, more effective, and more long-term methods to help them profit and develop together. Such policies are more effective than distribution. As the saying goes, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."

Question 5: What support will you give me if I do your products? Will you send salespeople to help me sell?

Response:

  1. I don't know what kind of support you want. Our approach may differ from other manufacturers. We have general support, but we can't promise this and that like other manufacturers. Many manufacturers will tell you they treat all distributors equally. Do you believe that? Suppose you are our agent, and a sub-distributor takes 1,000 yuan of goods and keeps asking for support. Would you give it? Another sub-distributor takes 10,000 yuan a month, and even if they don't ask, you'd proactively give support. Why?
  2. We definitely support distributors because if we support them and they get ideal profits, they will keep paying us. If we ignore distributors and let them operate on their own, it's impossible to build the market. How much can a new distributor order? 50,000? 100,000? 150,000? If we just wanted that payment, would we import products from abroad? If a distributor initially ordered 50,000, and they work hard and we support them, they can pay 50,000 every month. How much is that in a year? Two years? Three years?
  3. But we can't support all distributors equally. Our relationship is simple: distributors pull the cart, and we manufacturers push it, right? Many distributors always think about how the manufacturer supports them. They are locals, but they don't open outlets. They want the manufacturer to do everything. If we do everything, why should we let them make money? The manufacturer spends a lot of money, but if the distributor doesn't move, what's the effect? If the puller doesn't move, and only the pusher pushes, when will you get over the hill? I don't mind if you're angry, but we won't support those who can't be helped. If you can do 20,000 a month, we help you reach 30,000 or 50,000. Sales is about adding icing on the cake, not sending charcoal in the snow. That's not how a business works. It's the same with your sub-distributors.
  4. Are you worried that once you do well, we won't support you? Is that possible? If we don't support you, how do we build the market? If we really didn't support you, I wouldn't spend so much effort haggling with you here. I'd agree to any condition, sign the contract, get the money, and then not fulfill promises like some manufacturers. What could you do? The reason I'm negotiating with you is that I must fulfill what I promise. If I can't do it, I won't promise. I can't deceive you, right? Besides, if I support you and you do better, then when distributors from neighboring cities want to be our agents, I don't have to say much. I can just send them to see you.
  5. We basically don't send salespeople to the market casually. Labor in Shanghai is expensive. Add travel and other costs, how much is that? Where does that money come from? It comes from distributors. Originally, we wanted to give you more gifts, but after calculating costs, we don't. Originally, there was a purchase activity, but after calculating, we don't notify you. If we give you nothing, how do you do the market? Besides, our people might be capable, but they don't know your local area. They can only see the surface, like which store is big, but that store might be dishonest. Your own salespeople are different. They visit every outlet daily and know which ones are trustworthy. They can do business better than our people. Also, if we send someone, would you dare give them goods? Would you dare let them collect payments? What if something goes wrong? Your own salespeople might be less capable, but you can trust them. You know their homes and families. You can train them gradually. Of course, later when you have certain sales and there are distributors in surrounding markets, we will definitely visit often. So not only should you do well with our products, but when you feel it's appropriate, you should also introduce us to good customers around you. That way, we can send people down more often.

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