The cost of developing a new customer is generally 5 to 10 times higher than maintaining an existing one, and the value brought by retaining an old customer is much greater than that of developing a new one. This is a sales iron rule applicable to any industry, and the same holds true for the baijiu industry. Currently, the baijiu industry is undergoing a difficult reshuffle, with liquor companies suffering losses across the board, and many major distributors also incurring heavy losses. To consolidate the sales channel system, major liquor companies have extended their focus to roadside small shops and mom-and-pop stores, which cannot be ignored at the channel terminal, aiming to solidify terminal sales. Salesmen from liquor companies go deep into streets and alleys, trying to occupy every terminal. However, business in the baijiu industry is very difficult. Distributing to small shops wears out your legs and exhausts your words, often without success, leading many baijiu salesmen to switch to other industries. But there are always stronger players. Some, based on the current market situation, have painstakingly developed methods for distributing to small shops, achieving efficient results. Mr. Zhang, a senior salesman for a second-tier baijiu brand, is such a master. His leadership not only enabled his team to overachieve annual targets but also earned the admiration of younger salesmen. When liquor companies were deeply cultivating terminal store channels, Mr. Zhang, leveraging years of sales experience and current market conditions, summarized a 'Five-Character Guide for Distribution' for dealing with small shop owners, making salesmen more effective and efficient in the market. Baijiu relies heavily on terminals, and although product turnover cycles have slowed, this is not the case in small terminal shops. Mr. Zhang's 'Five-Character Guide' has significantly increased the success rate of distribution to small shops. Specifically, it consists of the following five characters.
Jing (Refined): If you can become a marketing expert, don't stop at being a sales expert Whose words are the least credible? Experts. Whose words are the most credible? Still experts. Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. In sales, if you go out to talk to customers without understanding your own company, products, and policies, it's tantamount to suicide. Therefore, a baijiu salesman must not only be a salesperson for the company but also an expert in the products being sold, fully understanding raw materials, production processes and techniques, and after-sales service guarantees. Additionally, if you can master more, you should broaden your perspective to the industry level and grasp information related to the product industry, because there is much other knowledge surrounding the product. So, a baijiu salesman should strive to become a marketing expert, proficient in market development, maintenance, terminal control, brand promotion, distributor team management, warehouse management, financial management, and more. Mr. Zhang started as a grassroots salesman and is now a baijiu marketing expert with a certain say in the industry. He recounted his first visit to a terminal store. After making full preparations, he entered the store and chatted with the owner, then touted the merits of his product. But after he finished, the small shop owner retorted, 'A certain brand has better quality, higher profit margins, and more display fees than yours. Why should I take on your agency?' He was stumped. From then on, he devoted himself to studying all aspects of the company, not only using professional knowledge to provide professional services to customers but also offering value-added services. Now, small shop owners say of Mr. Zhang: 'When communicating with him, he speaks logically and clearly, seemingly proficient in market development, maintenance, terminal control, brand promotion, and everything else. I almost doubt he's not a salesperson but a sales expert.'
Shou (Teach): Eternal interests, know how to 'teach a man to fish' A good salesman can offer beneficial advice to retail terminals, making it easier for small shop owners to develop a favorable impression and reach cooperation. When distributing to small shops, a salesman must not only help the other party make money but also teach them how to make money. For small grocery stores and mom-and-pop shops, their sales value cannot be ignored. These small shops are not only physically close to customers but also generally have good relationships. People in the community basically know each other, and the word-of-mouth influence of the shop owner is more effective than any advertisement. On the first visit, if you can break through their psychological defenses, you can become a loyal partner. Mr. Zhang has been in baijiu sales for many years. Once, during a visit to a terminal store, he saw the owner reading a product brochure in detail. He greeted the owner, but the owner didn't notice until he approached. He didn't immediately bring up distribution but cleverly asked what the owner was reading and whether he had any problems. The owner then opened up, saying he wanted to take on a beverage agency but wasn't sure if it was good. Mr. Zhang methodically helped the owner answer his questions, eventually also forming a cooperation with him. When Mr. Zhang visits small shops and sees messy displays, he usually offers reasonable placement suggestions. When shop owners ask which products to take on, he also gives sound advice. Once shop owners taste the benefits, they often proactively call him for restocking, and they pay up very conscientiously.
Qin (Diligent): Diligence is the key to life; with small shops, be diligent in communication Proficiency comes from diligence, and is ruined by idleness; success comes from thinking, and is destroyed by following. When dealing with your customers, no matter how good the relationship, don't be too casual or presumptuous. Especially in baijiu sales, competition is fierce. If you successfully distribute to small shops on a street today, they might be taken over by another brand tomorrow if you're negligent. Small shop owners are usually in streets, alleys, and communities, and it may be inconvenient to visit, but you must be diligent in management, communication, visits, and discovery. Trust between people is the bridge to cooperation. Small shop owners are easily influenced by external factors. If you don't work hard, you'll lose one shop today and ten tomorrow. So, diligently communicate with each shop; this makes people feel respected, and cooperation will last long, bringing you more performance. Mr. Zhang knows his customers very well, and he also adjusts his attire, speech, and behavior based on the customer's situation. Once, he visited a newly opened small shop. The owner was moving goods in dirty work clothes. Mr. Zhang, in a suit, went over to help. The owner hurriedly stopped him, but Mr. Zhang helped anyway. After the conversation, the owner finally agreed to cooperate and accepted the distribution, saying to Mr. Zhang: 'You're dressed so clean, yet you helped me with this dirty work, showing you don't look down on me. I must take on your product.' Because of this small shop's success, Mr. Zhang gained distribution to dozens of nearby small shops. From then on, whenever he visited that area, he changed from formal wear to casual clothes.
Cha (Observe): No one thinks they have too much money; learn to adapt to circumstances and combine The market is inherently a mix of opportunities and risks, depending on each person's perspective. If you encounter a problem and think it's a problem, it's definitely a disaster; if you think it's a change, then it's a rebirth. There are over a thousand baijiu brands in China, from national brands to city-level ones, but the market is shared. As a baijiu salesman, you can choose your workplace and company, but you can't choose the market environment. Competition is everywhere, and terminal small shops have become a hot target for liquor companies. In such a red ocean market, you must have sharp eyes to accurately find where the opportunities are! Moreover, you must be good at turning the limited policies in your hands into incentives for increasing distribution, such as promotional policies and material allocation, to increase the ordering frequency of small shop owners. You must also be adept at spotting market opportunities, creating product ordering combinations, and increasing the order volume of small shop owners. This not only accelerates circulation but also boosts order volume, killing two birds with one stone. Mr. Zhang has been a salesman for years, cultivating sharp eyes. Once he detects market changes, he can always get small shop owners to follow his ideas first. Shop A is in a mature community, with people often chatting outside. Summer is approaching, but there are no chairs or umbrellas outside. Seeing this, Mr. Zhang discussed with the owner: if he ordered double this month, he could apply for an umbrella and promotional materials. Adding a table would make customers willing to sit there, boosting the shop's popularity. The owner nodded in agreement. At one point, advertisements for small liquor products suddenly increased in Mr. Zhang's area. He immediately realized competition was coming, and the convenience store opposite a restaurant was his old customer. He asked the restaurant owner about monthly baijiu consumption, and the next day formulated a detailed ordering strategy. He talked to the convenience store owner and stabilized the old customer. Then he swept through all shops adjacent to restaurants in the area, successfully consolidating his product's channel position. Because the consumption data from restaurants was sufficient, it made small shop owners eager, increasing their ordering frequency.
Bi (Compare): You may not have a killer move, but you must compare and analyze data If experts compete in internal strength, then salesmen compete in practical ability. Some say sales has no secrets; you just have to keep exploring, summarizing, and honing your skills in practice. But many sales elites, when easily solving tasks, often rely on their own unique skills. For ordinary salesmen, you may not have a killer move, but you must have your own method. When you've visited hundreds or even thousands of small shops, if they are all your cooperative customers, relying on memory alone is impossible. Therefore, to achieve good performance, you must regularly organize data and create specialized big data for each small shop, including monthly order volume, product specification choices, price range selections, and other comprehensive data, and even more detailed records of the shop owner's personal preferences and related personnel. Fully record the distribution situation of each shop, and make a small comparison every half month or month, and a big comparison every quarter, combined with relevant policies in the period, to analyze the causes of order changes for better distribution. When Mr. Zhang distributes to small shops, he effectively records data on sales, displays, consumers, and other aspects for each shop he visits daily. He also keeps detailed records of each shop's product ordering dates. Therefore, every time he visits a shop, he can make the most correct decisions based on the owner's reactions, giving the owner confidence and also driving sales. Based on regular data comparison and analysis, Mr. Zhang knows the product sales of each shop like the back of his hand. Before the shop owner even complains about a problem, he has already proposed a solution. There are countless baijiu salesmen, but those who excel in baijiu sales all have their own methods. The current baijiu industry is in a difficult situation. Simply lowering prices to communicate with mass consumers is just an incentive, but training a sales team that can win over small shop owners is more down-to-earth. This not only consolidates the channel system but also more effectively drives mass consumption.
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