In interactions with distributors, the most frequently reported issue is that products are not moving or are moving slowly. Of course, if product movement were not a problem, other issues would likely resolve themselves as sales grow, and there would be no problems to report.

  1. Understanding the market is more important than finding products Every off-season, distributors, especially small and medium-sized ones, find the market too quiet and have no business, so they start visiting manufacturers to find good products. Of course, it is reasonable for distributors to supplement their product lines to increase profit sources based on their own operations, and manufacturers have figured out this psychology, packaging their companies and products attractively, creating near-perfect marketing plans to pull distributors on board. Thus, it is not uncommon for them to hit it off. After the distributor pays for the goods under the manufacturer's urging, the next steps are distribution and promotion... But even in the peak season, the products don't move! Problems arise, complaints follow, and eventually, when they can't bear it anymore, they join the ranks of those looking for "ideal" products. The lifeline for distributors is not the product, nor the manufacturer, but the market. "Distributors are regional animals; it's enough to do well in their own territory." Only by studying and knowing the market can distributors gain the initiative with manufacturers and win development space. Many distributors complain: "All first-tier brands already have agents in the local market, and we don't have well-known brands to represent, so development is difficult." Actually, that's not the case. If you understand the market better than the distributors representing first-tier brands, and can provide reference plans for some brands based on market characteristics, competitive characteristics, and market breakthrough characteristics, many good brands will come to you proactively. If you don't understand the market, even if you get a good product, you can't guarantee success.
  2. Find the breakthrough point for the product Intensifying competition has led to finer market segmentation, requiring more precise product positioning and thus determining the appropriate sales channels. But many distributors do not make precise judgments about product positioning before distribution, and some even have habitual thinking: mid-to-high-end liquor goes to hotels and group buying, mid-to-low-end liquor goes to circulation, food stalls, C/D restaurants, etc., and they push products to market quickly based on this conventional approach. What's the result? Because the rules of priority, sequence, and rhythm are not clearly grasped, the core breakthrough point in the market is not focused, and eventually, the product becomes hard to move in restaurants, circulation is ineffective, group buying is minimal, and it falls into a deadlock where things are done but results are not prominent, and market breakthroughs are difficult. This should be the most common phenomenon many distributors encounter in product operation and market execution.
  3. Distribution rate is not everything; matching is key Distribution rate is important, but matching is more important, i.e., the number of terminals that match the product's sales, so that terminals that match the product can basically sell it. Especially in the initial stage of a new product launch, it is crucial to choose appropriate terminals for focused operations. Matching distribution rate not only builds sales momentum but also sets a benchmark influence. However, over-distribution or aimless distribution can sometimes be a hidden bomb for market movement. This is why many distributors say, "My product has a high distribution rate, but it just doesn't sell."
  4. Don't forget the terminal recommendation rate Recommendation rate refers to the quality of recommendations from sales terminals. Recommendation rate builds the kinetic energy of the product. That is, through the construction of leader terminals, fully leverage their enthusiasm for recommending new products, form a demonstration effect, establish product consumption influence and confidence among other follower terminals, and achieve a point-to-area pull for other terminal sales. "Leader terminals" are those with strong new product recommendation capabilities, larger scale, longer operating history, and influence over other terminals and consumers. So, if you want a new product to move quickly, while pursuing distribution rate, you must also pursue recommendation rate. Identify those leader terminals that can both "guide" consumption and "control" prices in the early stage, focus resources, attack key points, and rely on the recommendations of these leader terminals to quickly form product movement. Only when potential energy and kinetic energy are efficiently combined can you form the perfect combination for product movement. A new product can only sell well if someone is willing to sell it. Solving the willingness issue means solving the terminal push problem. The reasons terminals are willing to "bother" to push new products are simple: better customer relations and higher profits. Making them feel valued and without worries about after-sales is important. A new product should basically ensure terminal profits are 1.5 times that of best-selling competing products to fully stimulate the terminal's enthusiasm for pushing it. The amount of terminal profit must not be directly reflected in the product price, otherwise it would be low-price selling, but rather in the form of channel promotion activities and cooperative methods.
  5. Product movement also needs market atmosphere support Create a market atmosphere for product movement, induce consumers, change their acceptance psychology, and pull terminal sales or recommendations. Market atmosphere comes from four levels: first, product display; second, stack display; third, material atmosphere; fourth, city activation.
  6. Product display: The quality of product display is mainly reflected in four levels: First, the displayed products. For core leading products, the display effect and value must be strengthened. For example, among Gujing Gongjiu's Year Original Pulp series, the Tribute Edition, 5-Year, and 8-Year versions, both in quantity and position, surpass the 16-Year and 20-Year in the same category; Second, the quantity of display. For core stores, generally adopt 3x4 or 3x5 (variety quantity x product quantity), for ordinary stores 3x2 or 3x3, and for large displays, ensure larger display quantities or dedicated counters through independent agreements, requiring the best display surface to be no less than 24 bottles; Third, the display method. According to product grade, arrange from high to low on cabinets or shelves, or place in a row with the highest-priced product in the middle and others arranged sequentially. The display surface must have price tags; Fourth, the display position. The quality of the position determines the visibility rate for customers.
  7. Stack display "Goods sell like a mountain" is an efficient product display method in any period. Generally, in-store stack displays should be no less than 10 cases of liquor, supplemented with standardized material displays, such as large L-shaped display boards, shopping bag displays, and full-case stickers.
  8. Terminal atmosphere Whether it's wall painting atmosphere inside or outside the store, cabinet eyebrow production, or the use of vivid materials like posters, price stickers, plastic paintings, or banners, all must be done to the extreme to surpass competitors to have a chance. In terminal atmosphere creation, if you cannot surpass competitors in quantity and variety, you must achieve a certain form of atmosphere to the extreme, strongly attracting consumers' eyes and minds.
  9. City activation City activation means embedding product advertisements into consumers' lives, visible everywhere. Common forms include TV, newspapers, radio, outdoor, highway billboards, door heads, and walls. If the company's advertising budget is relatively insufficient, you must choose one form and do it to the extreme, maximizing influence and effect with minimal resources. For example, choose a certain area or street, focus only on painted door head ads or painted wall ads, and create model areas or model streets.
  10. Product activity best stimulates product movement Products that sell well in the market are not necessarily well-known brands, but they are definitely the most active brands in the market. Develop plans to help core terminals grasp core consumer groups and core consumption venues, using a combination of promotions, experiences, tastings, public relations, and events to push new product sales and let consumers quickly accept the product.
  11. Channel promotions: For the liquor industry, at least 4 channel promotion activities should be done within a year. You can choose one in early March (one before the off-season), one at the end of April (May Day wedding peak), one in July (Teacher's Appreciation Banquet), one at Mid-Autumn Festival (before the peak season), one at New Year's Day, and one at Spring Festival. As for the form of activities, it must be flexible and varied: prizes in kind for stocking, travel prizes for stocking, display prizes, lucky draws for stocking, cumulative sales rewards, etc. But you must grasp the time nodes, end on time, and launch the next wave of activities. The cycle time of the same activity must not be extended.
  12. Consumer promotions: Not only can the product itself have scratch-and-win cards, but there must also be buy-give promotions for terminals, tasting experiences, lucky draws, buying to smash golden eggs, community events/buying to participate in other entertainment activities, and public relations gifts for core consumers (combining online and offline adds fun, is easy to spread, and stimulates sharing).
  13. Core store promotions: Choose terminals with high foot traffic, strong radiation, and matching product sales, especially catering terminals. Jointly run a series of consumer promotions in the store and fully disseminate the promotion information, such as buy large get small, buy two get one, buy liquor get dishes, dine get liquor, limited-time liquor gifts, limited-table liquor gifts (gifts for the first few tables), lucky draws, one-yuan purchase, two-yuan purchase, etc. (Combining online and offline makes it easier to spread and share.)
  14. Core area promotions: For areas or streets with concentrated terminal networks and large target consumer groups, such as low-end liquor for food stall clusters, concentrate sales personnel, promotion personnel, and market personnel to run consumer promotions continuously and cyclically in this area until target consumers in the area can self-select this product when consuming at this price point. If such activities can be sustained for about 20 days, the effect is quite significant, and you can basically move to another area or district to develop a second model area.
  15. Core consumer leader public relations: When resources allow, establish a group of opinion leader consumers who have formed initial impressions of the product through trials. Let opinion leaders influence ordinary consumers to expand market sales. You can use gift liquor public relations activities for opinion leaders, continuously expanding the core consumer group to help terminal sales and create a market movement atmosphere. In all consumer activities, there is no faster, more cost-effective, and quicker way to start the market than giving away liquor to let consumers drink it. But generally, companies would rather slowly endure than do this, which actually increases investment. A rule: If a terminal can restock more than three times in a short period, your product is likely to become their main push product, and they will find it easy to sell because they have mastered the tricks of selling your product. If a consumer can consume your product more than three times in a short period, they have successfully accepted the quality, taste, and other selling points of your product.
  16. Customer relations depend on service quality and problem-solving ability, not hard-selling visits The establishment of channel customer relations is not about the frequency of visits, but about bringing actual value to terminal customers. This is mainly reflected in two levels: first, the material level, such as extra support beyond regular channel stocking promotions, like gift liquor, small gifts, consumer tastings, and even promoter support; second, the spiritual level, such as care and attention to customers, shared hobbies or language, and each visit bringing constructive guidance and advice, not necessarily about the product but about the key customer's business or life. -END- Content Selection Click the title below to read directly: [Line Sales Representative Practical Operation Guide (with full PPT download attached)