I know a friend in the food industry who was given an important task by his boss: to tackle the tough problem of secondary distributors. He worked hard from 6 AM to 9 PM, shuttling through various channels every day. He handled unsold goods and returns at restaurants, supermarkets, and tobacco and liquor stores. He had no special skills, just diligence, and now he has risen from a basic salesperson to the company's manager.

1 First visit: the store is crowded, and the boss ignores me? That's okay. Let's get acquainted. I follow the standard customer visit steps. The focus of this visit is to show samples, explain policies, and ask if there are any customer complaints to handle. Also, I give you two small gifts. You won't let me put up posters? That's fine. See you next time. As I leave, I say, "Since this is our first meeting, it's normal that you don't order. We're not just here to sell; we come once a week to provide service. After a few more visits, once we get familiar and trust each other, we can cooperate."

2 Second visit: the boss still ignores me? That's okay. I still follow the standard customer visit steps. This time, there are fewer people in the store, so there's space. I do merchandising and inventory management: I help tidy up the shelves, wipe the dust off the products with a cloth, and do FIFO (first in, first out) for your products (even if they're not ours). I tell you, "There are two boxes with older dates; I've put them in front for you to sell first." And here's a surprise: I've exchanged the two damaged packages from last time.

3 Third visit: lukewarm greeting, no money to stock up? That's okay. I still follow the standard steps. This time, the focus is on cleaning the display cabinet. I bring a basin of hot water with laundry detergent and clean the display cabinet thoroughly. I tell the boss, "In winter, the refrigerated display cabinet doesn't need to be plugged in, but it still needs maintenance, or it won't work in summer." "Last time I did FIFO and put the older products in front, but this time they're buried inside again? That's okay, I'll rearrange them for you. The warehouse is too dark, so I use my phone's flashlight to check the production dates and put the older stock in front." In the freezing cold, I'm sweating from the work. As I leave, the boss offers me a cigarette and says, "Thanks for your hard work." I know I'm making progress; next time I'll make my move.

4 Fourth visit: the boss's wife firmly refuses to order! After the previous efforts, I had won over the boss, but this time his wife ruined it (I thought to myself, luckily there's only one wife). That's okay. I still follow the standard steps. The wife loves money, so this time I focus on the profit story. I show her orders from other stores and call a driver to deliver wine to the neighboring store in front of her. She's tempted but doesn't act, saying, "Let me think about it." I reply, "That's fine. Whether you order or not, I'll come every week to provide service." Before leaving, I replace all the posters and banners in the store with new ones and give her a ballpoint pen.

5 Fifth visit: a wasted trip, all for nothing? Bad luck. Both the boss and his wife are out, but the boss's mother is watching the store. She speaks a dialect and mumbles, so I can't understand her. I'm about to cry. Just then, the sky darkens and it starts to drizzle. I quickly help her move the products from the storefront inside. After all that work, my clothes are soaked. The old lady seems touched and invites me inside to sit. This time, taking advantage of the boss and his wife being away, and since the old lady is easy to talk to, I place our products in the best positions on the shelves, hang ten hanging banners from the ceiling, and stick six posters on the wall near the entrance. The store looks like a model store for us. The old lady insists on giving me a drink. I can't refuse, but as I leave, I put the money on the windowsill and run off. I can't take advantage of her.

6 Sixth visit: finally, we get down to business! Great! All three "top executives" are present: the boss, his wife, and his mother. The old lady sees me from afar and calls me in for water. The boss offers me a cigarette. Only the wife is still lukewarm, but she gives me a smile. Haha, I can finally sit down. My six months of sales experience tell me that few deals are made standing up. If the owner gives you a stool, you have a chance. I quickly sit down, drink some water, smoke a cigarette, and chat with the boss. I say, "I know you haven't decided to order, but please don't be unwelcoming. I'm here to serve. Running a small store isn't easy, so you should be cautious about stocking up. But I want to know what your concerns are. Is there something I haven't explained clearly?" The wife says the main issue is that customers don't ask for our new brand. Thanks to the posters I put up last time, a few people asked if they had the product. I'm overjoyed inside—finally, we're talking about the product. I start using various sales techniques: "If you only sell what customers ask for, you won't make money. You need to sell what you want to sell to profit." "Last time, the posters got people asking. This time, I'll not only put up posters but also set up an empty-box display reward to boost consumption." "Start with half a box to try. Also, I'll apply for a promotional policy for new store opening and display rewards (though the promotion ended two days ago)." "Out of the five supermarkets in this community, you're the only one that hasn't stocked up yet..." The wife is still hesitant, but the boss gets angry: "Young man, you've been so sincere and come so many times. Stop dawdling. I'll decide: we'll take two boxes." In the end, I only place an order for one box—I have to give the wife some face; she's also a 'top executive' in the store. As I walk out, I breathe a sigh of relief. This stubborn customer is finally won over. It took six visits to sell one box of new product. The most important thing is that this store has started ordering from me. If they order one new product today, I can get them to sell the full range in the future. As long as I keep up with follow-up service, this store will be "my dish."

7 Actually, I just wanted to have a word with you When I first entered the industry, I thought sales required being "smooth, clever, and sharp as a tack." But later, an incident taught me a lesson. I remember two months into the job, there was a hotel where I used all these tricks, but the owner was as stubborn as a mule. I was at my wit's end. So, I started going to his store during the lunch rush every day. I didn't sell or talk about profits. I just helped wipe tables, serve dishes, and sweep the floor. I'd work for an hour and leave. The next day, I'd come again. I did this for nearly half a month. Finally, the owner couldn't take it anymore. One day, he kept me for a meal and said, "I'm afraid of you. You come every day, say nothing, and just work. You're driving me to insomnia. Look, whatever you think can sell in my store, send me a little of each. I'm not doing this for any other reason, just because you're a sincere person." From then on, I understood what kind of person can do well in sales. It doesn't matter if you're eloquent; what matters is persistence and hard work, pushing yourself. I've even seen customers who wouldn't let me in and kicked me out. My secret is that there are no good or bad customers, only different ones. I visit persistently and never give up:

You won't let me sell? I'll just hand you my business card and get acquainted, right? I'll give you two small gifts and leave, right? I'll put up a poster for you, right? I'll help handle customer complaints, right? I'll wipe your shelves, right? If you're washing vegetables, I'll help wash them, right? If it rains, I'll help move your goods inside, right? If you can't make change, I'll help exchange some coins, right? If your child is crying, I'll help soothe them, right? If all else fails, I'll come to your store for lunch, buy a pack of cigarettes or a rag, and strike up a conversation, right?......

Excerpted from: "Deep Distribution: Work Skills Model for Sales Personnel in Small and Medium Terminals" by Wei Qing. This article is published with authorization.

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