In today's rapidly changing market, even top-tier companies need to respond quickly to avoid being eroded by so-called second-tier 'bandits.' It's nothing new that top-tier experts fail at second-tier companies. TCL's Wu Shihong, Founder Digital's Li Hansheng, UFIDA's He Jinghua... These names, easily picked from the 'Hall of Martyrs,' are prominent and still make senior professional managers at top-tier companies uneasy. But since Tang Jun, the 'Emperor of Hired Hands,' published 'My Success Can Be Replicated,' top-tier experts have been inspired and are now restless and eager to move. Coupled with the fact that many second-tier companies (especially small and medium-sized private enterprises) are hungry for talent, offering high positions, generous salaries, luxury cars, beautiful women, and equity incentives, top-tier experts finally succumb to temptation and jump in. Unfortunately, the outcome we see hasn't changed much: These experts who jumped in lose their ability to ride the waves and are left with only 'underwater swimming' skills. How long can they stay under? As Song Dandan said in the skit 'Torchbearer': That depends on when the lifeguard fishes them out. It seems we need to revisit this old topic from a new perspective to make top-tier experts understand: Success is hard to replicate. This article is divided into two parts, unfolding chronologically. The central theme is: To help top-tier experts (including quasi-experts, fake experts, and future experts) avoid detours and dead ends. Of course, don't think this article is only for friends at top-tier companies. If you're unfortunate enough to be born and raised in a second-tier company, and your boss, fooled by someone, suddenly wants to bring in a top-tier expert and put you all in the cold, wouldn't you secretly want to trip them up or slip them a Mickey Finn to make their demise more spectacular? 【Part One: The Predicament of Top-Tier Experts】 The tangerines of Huainan are sweet and delicious, but when transplanted to Huaibei, they become bitter trifoliate oranges. Why? As the ancient sage Yanzi said: The water and soil are different! Many stars of top-tier stages, who command wind and rain and are renowned far and wide, can't even play a walk-on role on second-tier stages. As a result, many second-tier bosses shake their heads: All talk, no substance... Why is this? Again, it's the water and soil! Different water and soil not only nurture different fruits but also different people! People from different environments, with different survival methods, geography, and climate, develop different personalities, lifestyles, ideologies, and behavioral habits. Xinjiang girls are all good at singing and dancing; Shanghai girls are all eloquent. This is the result of their unique local water and soil. Top-tier companies are powerful (usually industry oligarchs) with fertile soil; second-tier companies are weak (usually market followers or nichers) with barren soil. The gap is as vast as heaven and earth, naturally nurturing two very different kinds of people. Difference One: Standardized Culture vs. Grassroots Culture Top-tier companies develop through standardization, forming relatively complete management systems. In planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating, and controlling, they have clear rules and explicit management measures. The most typical feature of top-tier companies is the prevalence of '-ization.' For example: decision-making proceduralization, assessment quantification, organizational systematization, clear rights and responsibilities, goal planning, business process standardization, concrete measures, behavior standardization, process control... Even a fool knows what to do or not to do. Second-tier companies, on the other hand, standardize through development, with no such '-izations.' They only have the 'Five-izations'—fuzzification, chaos, grassroots, and Jianghu (gangland) culture, culminating in transcendence—you have to figure out what to do and what not to do yourself. At this point, don't think top-tier companies are superior to second-tier ones, or that top-tier talent is more advanced. People from top-tier companies often only know how to follow rules and procedures. Once there are no standards, they lose their bearings and gradually become robotic and regress. In contrast, people from second-tier companies may lack scientific rigor but excel in artistry, honing Chinese skills like assessing situations, advancing and retreating freely, balancing leniency and strictness, and remaining calm and agile. A common sight: Top-tier experts at second-tier companies lament the chaos and lack of standards, not knowing where they are or where they're going, feeling lost and confused. Of course, they also marvel that these second-tier companies haven't collapsed, because by top-tier standards, they should have died eight hundred times over. The common outcome: Top-tier experts are accused of being idle (not doing what they should) and meddling (doing what they shouldn't), quickly sidelined and left on the bench. A top-tier marketing expert once lamented: After joining a second-tier company, the boss always uses the word 'take' when giving orders—'take this market within a year,' 'take this client within a month.' He never mentions market share, profit margins, or other metrics. One word covers all marketing goals—it's too profound! A second-tier boss once mocked: Without an SOP (Standard Operating Procedure), can't you walk or eat? Voice-over: These top-tier experts always have a hurdle they can't cross—doing things is easy, but figuring out what to do is extremely difficult. Difference Two: External Brains vs. Internal Brains The allocation of internal and external resources in top-tier companies can only be described as 'armed to the teeth.' This includes: First, detailed internal division of labor, with professional specialization in every field, and departments stacked like a house of cards, bloated enough to compete in sumo wrestling; Second, luxurious external collaborative resources. Taking the marketing department as an example: '4A' advertising agencies (usually one per brand), professional media planning companies, professional retail market research companies, ground promotion execution companies, project-specific market research companies, promotion design companies... everything you can imagine. Second-tier companies have lean internal organizations, typically line-function structures, with the boss even acting as multiple department heads; as for external resources, they're almost nonexistent. A second-tier instant noodle company with annual sales of four to five billion yuan was reluctant to hire an ad agency for planning; the boss directly approached a production studio, acting as both scriptwriter and director. It's easy to see that top-tier companies cultivate specialists and narrow experts, while second-tier companies cultivate generalists and all-rounders. But that's not the key issue. Because top-tier companies have abundant internal and external resources (especially think tanks), they turn to external brains at the first sign of a problem, and over time, they lose their own brains. For example, they demand qualitative and quantitative surveys, or they lack consumer insight; they need a first-class ad agency, or they lack creativity; they spend millions on information, or they don't know the competitive landscape; they spend hundreds of thousands on expensive images, or they can't design high-level posters (even if the poster later dies in the womb or is never posted by salespeople); they hire professional companies to plan media schedules, or they don't know how to allocate resources... No wonder Zhang Ruimin of Haier once scolded marketing personnel: Where have your own brains gone? The common scenario: After top-tier experts join second-tier companies, they launch radical organizational reforms, copying matrix or divisional structures, creating a bunch of directors and managers; introducing buzzwords like BPR, ERP, BU, PMP; and bringing in their old 4A agencies, market research companies, and media companies... The common outcome: They're accused of being 'extravagant' and 'only knowing how to spend money, not make it.' I've heard a second-tier boss angrily curse: These people have no skills other than being spendthrifts. Voice-over: Top-tier experts are like doctors at a 'Grade 3A hospital,' who immediately order CT scans, gastroscopies, MRIs, blood and urine tests... spending thousands on tests without even figuring out what's wrong. Second-tier talent is more like traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, who can't perform major surgeries like opening chests or skulls, but are masters of 'looking, listening, questioning, and pulse-taking.' A few yuan for a dose of herbal medicine cures the ailment with no side effects. Difference Three: Risk Aversion vs. Risk Seeking Top-tier companies, with their large frames and inertia, can't run too fast or they'll trip and fall apart. Therefore, their work style is: steady (which really means 'slow')! Even when opportunities are obvious, top-tier companies go through long, rigorous research and validation. Even if the opportunity is 'now or never,' it doesn't hurt the executives' high salaries, luxury cars, fine wine, and vacation resorts, after all, they're sheltered by a big tree. Most top-tier employees are 'risk-averse,' with a hidden mindset: Don't seek merit, just avoid mistakes. Second-tier companies are different; they move at the first sign of opportunity and quickly deploy. They act on impulse, especially valuing opportunities, even if it means taking risks or skirting the edge of legality. The boss of Hualong Instant Noodles famously said: Do it first, fix mistakes later! A common phenomenon: After top-tier experts join second-tier companies, their forte is 'writing,' especially using strategic tools like SWOT, SPACE, and QSPM to create 'feasibility analysis' PPTs. Outcome: All talk, no action, labeled as 'silver spears' (useless), and discarded like worn-out shoes! ... There are many more differences between top-tier and second-tier companies, but I won't list them all. Unless you have multiple personality disorder! Looking at the combined effect of the three major differences above: Top-tier companies are like wealthy families, raising mostly 'spoiled brats,' similar to 'roosters': outwardly majestic, with loud crowing, endless reports, and eloquent writing; second-tier companies, with barren soil, raise 'poor children who mature early,' similar to 'hens': sharp beaks, small claws, short feathers, and small stature—they don't crow, don't seek credit, don't show off, and don't make a fuss. Roosters crow but don't lay eggs—that's the only real reason top-tier experts fail. Think about it: If you're a high-producing hen, how could you fail? Someone might say: According to you, top-tier experts can't succeed at second-tier companies? Of course they can. HR experts have long given the answer: You must zero out everything from your top-tier experience and start from scratch. Readers, take note: This means completely negating yourself, a 'negation of negation'! A 'phoenix nirvana, rebirth from fire'! But we must warn you: From a human nature perspective, not everyone can be a phoenix in the fire. To completely negate yourself is, for most people, a pipe dream! Listen to the heartfelt words of a few brothers who jumped into the sea and swam underwater, only to want to 'turn back' after failing:
If I had known then, I wouldn't have done it!
The environment at second-tier companies is simply not a place for humans!
To adapt to a second-tier company, you'd have to split your personality and go insane!
Many methods and classic practices proven effective at top-tier companies must be thrown into the recycle bin!
You need unprecedented force to negate yourself! ... Seeing this, you might say: I worked hard to make something of myself at a top-tier company, and now I have to start over? Why bother? You're absolutely right! Top-tier companies fight as a team, a war of overall resources. Experts are 'invulnerable' because they hide in safe command posts, doing 'planning in the tent, winning a thousand miles away.' Second-tier companies are different; they need leaders who lead from the front, charging into battle, a place of 'facing blades and arrows, never looking back,' a place where you build a new Great Wall with flesh and blood! Don't try to refute my point by citing Tang Jun's success. With Tang Jun's IQ and ability, no one in the 300 years before or after him (600 years total) will surpass him. Using the words of internet celebrity 'Sister Feng' to comment on this 'Emperor of Hired Hands' might be most apt. So remember: An American comedy master would face great challenges playing Greek tragedy; and if you leave a top-tier company, you might be nothing at all. Of course, if you're determined to make the journey, knowing you must negate and zero out, not predicting success or failure, and resolved to burn with passion, then go ahead. 【Part Two: How Top-Tier Experts Can Break Through】 Top-Tier Experts Fail at Second-Tier Companies, Then Rise Quietly Dancing gracefully at a top-tier company isn't hard. Because in top-tier companies, the stage, lights, sound, accompaniment, choreography, stage manager, props, costumes, makeup—all are handled by professionals. You just follow the established framework, perform each move according to the SOP, and before you know it, you might become a 'dance master.' At second-tier companies, it's completely different. For a top-tier expert to survive at a second-tier company is already a miracle. To dance gracefully and as beautifully as Tang Jun is even harder than reaching the sky. At second-tier companies, you have to handle both front-stage and backstage work yourself. Most top-tier experts, before they even get to make their grand entrance, are exhausted and stumble off stage; even the few who make it to perform often find the boss dismantling the stage mid-performance, just as they're showing off their moves... Even with Mei Lanfang's skills, without the spotlight, music, and costumes, what can you do? In the previous 'Part One' of this series, I made a point: In China, where the concept of professional managers and the market are immature, every move by top-tier experts is fraught with dangers and hidden reefs, and their success at second-tier companies is rare. Of course, if you want to dance at a second-tier company, you must heed the 'Three Disciplines and Eight Points for Attention' in this article. But I must solemnly state that these 'Three-Eight' clauses are, logically, necessary conditions, not sufficient conditions. That is, if you don't follow them, you'll definitely fail; but even if you follow them 100%, success isn't guaranteed. ▲ Discipline One: Break the 'Four Olds' To succeed at a second-tier company, top-tier experts must put the following four old things into the 'recycle bin' and empty it completely. (1) Old Subordinates Many top-tier experts, upon joining a second-tier company, love to bring over their former Zhang Liang, Xiao He, and Han Xin (advisors and generals), hoping to replicate Liu Bang's empire. Even worse, they want to move their entire sales team, gathering 108 Liangshan heroes under their command, so when they're in trouble, these brothers will come charging in like 'Brother Gongming, don't worry!' 'A fence needs three stakes, a hero needs three helpers'—that's true. But little do they know that bringing old subordinates plants the seeds of factional strife, effectively declaring war on existing employees: You're not my people! You're not good enough! From what I've seen, top-tier experts who bring old subordinates usually die in factional fights. (2) Old Resources Old resources come in two types. One is 'people leave, tea gets cold': For example, the government relations and channel relations that gathered around you at a top-tier company have long turned to ice after you left. A buddy of mine used to work for a world-class pharmaceutical company, with connections reaching the heavens, much like Hu Shitai of Rio Tinto in his early days. Whenever there was a public crisis, he'd bring up the embassy, elevating a trivial matter to 'international relations' to intimidate timid folks. Unfortunately, these connections can't be taken with you. Just look at Hu Shitai's fate to understand. So don't keep bragging about how you once handled a provincial official or made some official pay tribute to you—these stories can easily backfire. Clear them out early to avoid embarrassment. The other type is 'people leave, tea stays warm': For example, advertising agencies, market research firms, production companies, etc. These resources are sycophantic; as long as they can make money from you, they'll follow you. But these resources are easily linked to 'character.' Once your character is questioned, that's the day you're ruined. 'Don't tie your shoes in a melon patch, don't adjust your hat under a plum tree.' Even if your old ad agency was first-rate, I advise you to drop the idea of bringing them in. Because almost every company has an unwritten rule: If you have talent but no virtue, your talent is useless! (3) Old Information Don't talk about how your old company did things, even if you're just trying to motivate, encourage, or teach. It easily invites hostility and opposition. For example, I've witnessed this retort: What do you mean? If your old company was so great, why are you here? Of course, there's no need to bring over research reports, industry secrets, or planning documents from your old top-tier company to curry favor (even though everyone knows these resources are as plentiful as garbage at top-tier companies). Because these things aren't necessarily valuable, and bosses are shrewd; your new boss will worry you can't keep your mouth shut in the future. In short, this information should be quietly digested, not exposed publicly—When a person knows 'what can be done but not said,' they're basically mature. (4) Old Language Never use phrases like 'we used to' or 'you now'—this is bound to create class conflict, and you'll eventually be overthrown by the proletariat or lower class (because your salary puts you in the upper class). This is the biggest taboo of all! Also, don't pepper your speech with the English-Chinese mix common at top-tier companies, like 'You are sales' or 'He is marketing.' Even the great writer Lu Xun condemned such 'fake foreigners.' How can ordinary employees at second-tier companies tolerate your worship of foreign things? Your new boss might secretly laugh at you too. ▲ Discipline Two: Don't Take a Single Needle or Thread from the Company At top-tier companies, holding a position (especially in American-style companies) basically means enjoying the high life: luxury cars, five-star hotels, first-class flights, beautiful secretaries, unlimited expense accounts (entertainment, phone, etc.)... As long as the company doesn't explicitly forbid it, you can spend without guilt. At second-tier companies, be careful. The following behaviors will earn you points for your work and performance: Learn to fly economy class and take second-class seats on bullet trains;
Don't keep the company car exclusively for yourself; allow others to use it when you're not, like taking employees to the airport or transporting promotional materials to hypermarkets on weekends;
Have a secretary or assistant of the same gender;
Avoid business trips to overly attractive scenic spots like Sanya or Lijiang, which easily evoke 'tourism';
Don't frequently travel to your hometown, where your children are fostered, or your in-laws' place—these places evoke 'family visits';
When inspecting markets, avoid scenic spots; for example, in Chengdu, don't check shelf presence at Dujiangyan—these places evoke 'vacation';
If you take a taxi, note the start and end points and the reason;
Use a magnifying glass to mark personal calls on your phone bill and don't claim them for reimbursement;
When treating people to meals privately, never claim it under a distributor's name (many second-tier companies require the name and phone number of the guest and will call to verify);
Don't take company property home, even a bottle of drink or a box of instant noodles; ... ▲ Discipline Three: Abandon Colonialist Thinking Even if you come from a universe-class company, never act like a savior or look down on everything with old imperialist eyes. You're not a savior, and second-tier companies don't need one. You're not here to rule, exploit, or oppress. Learn to be humble and respect every aspect of the second-tier company. Only by being low-key can you win others' approval and make them feel your respect for the company. Of course, being low-key requires overcoming human weaknesses like vanity and the need for control. The key to being low-key is: Don't compete with subordinates for benefits: When your team earns bonuses or perks, they're for everyone; you take nothing! (Your income should be enough; remember Niu Gensheng's words: When wealth is shared, people gather; when wealth is hoarded, people scatter.)
Don't compete with peers for credit: If it succeeds, it's the result of joint collaboration; if it fails, be a man and take responsibility alone!
Don't compete with the boss for fame: Even if you're hired as general manager, you're at best Emperor Guangxu, with the Empress Dowager always above you. Don't forget to thank the Buddha's light for its blessings. ▲ Point One: Don't 'Crouch Before Jumping' Let me expose a hidden rule: Professional managers who switch jobs often like to play the 'crouch first, then jump' game. 'Crouching first' means deliberately making performance look worse after taking office (blaming the predecessor), driving results to rock bottom. Common tactics include: returning or destroying products with bad dates in the channel, intentionally giving up some battlegrounds (like closed channels), deliberately letting a few contracts fall through, letting the team slack off for a while... 'Jumping later' means it's easy to grow rapidly from a very low base, especially when the contract is up for renewal, showing 'impressive year-on-year growth' and creating an illusion of time and numbers for the boss. This game seems to play the boss, but actually plays yourself. Because the 'degree' is hard to gauge: On one hand, many players crouch and never jump again, because they've handed the market to competitors; on the other hand, many players' jump speed is slower than the boss's patience, so they're cut early, leaving the 'impressive growth' results to their successors. ▲ Point Two: Make a Splash During the Honeymoon Period In marketing, you can't stay still for six months like Tang Jun suggested—not speaking, not taking a stance, not doing anything. You must make a brilliant debut and score a quick win during the honeymoon period. Otherwise, you'll be seen as a 'silver spear'—all talk. As we know, the honeymoon period is short, usually no more than six months. You must use the boss's trust and support to marshal resources and win a battle, establishing your authority and military merit! Tip: It's best to target a top-tier company; if you succeed, you'll be worshipped! Even if you fail, losing to a top-tier company is a glorious death! The most effective method is focus. Marketing focus brings unexpected results: simultaneous growth in sales and profits. There are many ways to focus: focus on a region, a channel, a product, a concept... These can be used alone or in combination. A second-tier company obviously can't compete with top-tier companies nationwide, but if you concentrate all the company's people, affairs, and resources on one point, you can cleverly change the balance of power in a local market, making it possible to beat a top-tier company. Huawei vividly calls this the 'pressure principle': concentrate resources on key success factors and strategic growth points with intensity exceeding competitors, focusing human, material, and financial resources to achieve breakthroughs. Mao Zedong's 'Concentrate Superior Forces to Destroy the Enemy One by One,' drafted for the Central Military Commission on September 16, 1946, is essentially about focus. If you still don't understand the power of focus, look at Li Yunlong's tactical deployment to Second Battalion Commander Shen Quan in 'Bright Sword': 'All 20 light machine guns in the regiment go to your second battalion... As soon as the grenades stop exploding, charge immediately. All 20 machine guns open fire simultaneously, and the firepower must not be interrupted. If someone is hit, someone behind must fill in. A 30-meter charge takes less than a minute.' ▲ Point Three: 'Management Micro-Cycle' Matters More Than Sales Once you've made a brilliant debut, you've earned the authority and credentials for reform, and many small difficulties and troubles will resolve themselves. At this point, you should consider doing things that help 'sustainable sales.' The most criticized problem at second-tier companies is, frankly, 'marketing myopia'—doing only short-term things. Of course, how to prevent 'marketing myopia' is a matter of 'complex if you make it complex, simple if you make it simple.' It's complex because it's a systematic project that can't be completed overnight; it's simple because you can design a 'management micro-cycle' to escape the common trap of 'work revolves around sales, sales revolve around promotions.' The 'management micro-cycle' has four steps:
Give frontline managers a work goal besides sales: improving market fundamentals and continuously increasing sales, including new market development, new channel development, distribution network building, terminal activation, consumer promotions, etc.
Break down the work goal to every frontline executor and quantify it. For example, this month, assist distributors in developing 2 township sub-distributors, help sub-distributors develop 20 terminals, execute cut-case displays at 30 terminals, place 50 secondary display racks, run 3 buy-one-get-one promotions to attract 1,000 consumers...
Establish a monitoring system to ensure the broken-down goals are effectively executed. Once anomalies are found, take corrective action immediately, revising work goals and execution plans.
And so on, cycling endlessly. This 'management micro-cycle' is no different from the familiar 'PDCA.' Don't despise it as too mundane. In 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes,' Guo Jing, when first learning the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, was clumsy and only knew one move, 'Kang Long You Hui' (Regretful Dragon). But mastering that one move made him a match for few in the martial world. Moreover, the 'management micro-cycle' doesn't touch the vested interests of conservative forces; it's a minor surgery on the organization's habits and behaviors, with a small wound, easy for members to accept, and can be implemented subtly. Remember: As long as you aim at work that generates continuous sales growth, through strict management and supervision, second-tier companies can enter the fast track of continuous improvement. Of course, your reputation and substantive position will rise accordingly. I emphasize: This move is like 'Kang Long You Hui'—its power is endless. ▲ Point Four: Don't Rush Brand Building Brand is something that can't be explained in a few words. Similarly, brand building can't be accomplished in a year or two. At top-tier companies, everyone talks about brand; not talking about brand seems to lack taste. But at second-tier companies, brand can't be eaten; without sales support, 'brand' is just two meaningless Chinese characters. But many top-tier experts, upon joining second-tier companies, start fooling the boss into creating a century-old brand like Coca-Cola, and the boss is overjoyed. The first thing these experts do is roll up their sleeves and overturn product positioning, brand concepts, VI (visual identity), etc. (Poor accumulated brand assets go up in flames). Even worse, they collude with ad agencies, violate professional ethics, fabricate a vague new concept, produce a hundreds-page integrated marketing communication plan, and burn through tens of millions in media budget. The outcome is obvious: Ads everywhere, but sales don't improve, and the company bleeds out. The top-tier experts, pockets stuffed with ad agency kickbacks, quickly flee. ▲ Point Five: 'Deep Marketing' Over 'Deep Distribution' Sales managers nurtured at top-tier companies mostly pursue 'making it convenient for consumers to buy their desired products anytime, anywhere, in any way.' Coca-Cola's '3A' principle, the first 'A' being 'Availability,' means 'make the product ubiquitous.' Anyone with common sense knows: Second-tier companies definitely have low distribution rates. But low distribution is a result, not a cause. If you naively think that making products 'ubiquitous' will solve the problem of rapid growth for second-tier companies, you're too shallow and ignorant. But there are many such people. Many top-tier experts, upon joining second-tier companies, start buying or citing Nielsen data, reversing cause and effect: As long as distribution reaches the level of a certain top-tier company, sales will naturally catch up. So these experts, as if finding a treasure, begin pursuing 'deep distribution':
Carpet-bombing to collect and establish terminal CRC (Customer Relationship Cards).
Dividing routes, expanding terminal route sales reps, and doing 'street sweeping.' Unfortunately, these hundreds of thousands of CRC points are never successfully activated, just meaningless Excel spreadsheets. Meanwhile, the market is flooded with near-expiry and expired products, killing a perfectly good market. Coca-Cola pursues 'ubiquity' because it's already the 'first choice in consumers' hearts.' If the issue of consumer willingness to buy isn't solved simultaneously, 'ubiquity' will only kill you faster! 'Deep marketing' is about organically combining consumer pull with channel push, so 'water flows naturally.' 'How can the canal be so clear? Because there is living water from the source.'—This ancient poem also annotates 'deep marketing': Consumers are the living water; otherwise, the channel is stagnant, and all sales points are dead points. ▲ Point Six: Don't Blindly Copy Old Management Systems Top-tier companies have a dazzling array of management systems, the most common being 'budget management.' This tool is used to set strategy and operational goals, monitor strategy execution, and manage business processes—it's a small soldier doing great deeds. But at second-tier companies, you must adapt to local customs, because many companies don't do budget management at all and still perform well. Conversely, some companies that adopted budget management made a mess of it—a classic case of 'tighten and die'! A sales director from a world-class beverage company became general manager of a domestic juice company. Based on his rich experience at a top-tier company, he quickly found many loopholes in the juice company's sales management, with 10%-20% of sales expenses unaccounted for (actually going into the pockets of managers at various levels). So he copied a 'budget management' system for expenses, requiring every sales rep to break down monthly expense plans by customer, region, and product. This system was commonplace at top-tier companies, but it led to this GM's downfall. Why? On one hand, this budget management made the 'water' too clear, so 'fish and shrimp' couldn't survive, and many salespeople jumped ship; on the other hand, it brought too many constraints to managers at all levels, adding many troublesome steps, especially since plans couldn't keep up with changes, requiring frequent budget revisions and back-and-forth approvals, too much paperwork, often missing opportunities. Compared to the long-standing loose management at second-tier companies, this was a huge human conflict and challenge, leading to a collective mutiny by the sales team, a 'strike' for half a month. Everyone knows that second-tier companies have serious deficiencies in systematic management. But 'what exists is reasonable'—as long as their management and business models keep the company alive, how can you call them 'dying' or 'decadent'? On the contrary, the best isn't necessarily the most suitable. I also advise against hastily introducing seemingly elegant organizational forms like matrix or divisional structures from top-tier companies. As for advanced operational processes and systems like BPR, EPM, and ERP, don't blindly copy them either. ▲ Point Seven: Grasp Sales with One Hand, Profits with the Other Top-tier companies have too fine a division of labor, and many experts lack a holistic business view. The marketing department drafts plans, the sales department meets targets, and as for profits, it seems nobody's responsibility. Many directors with over a decade of experience never worry about profits or look at the company's P&L statement. At second-tier companies, don't forget that profit is the lifeblood of a company and the driving force for growth. The ultimate purpose of business activities is to make money. If you forget the importance of profit, you'll make an unforgivable mistake. So remember: Sales is just a means to ensure profit; sales is not the goal. You can't think: If you want performance, you sacrifice profit; if you want profit, you sacrifice performance. For second-tier bosses, sales is the fish, profit is the bear's paw—they want both, and they expect you to find a way to get both. Therefore, while grasping sales, you must also grasp profits, learning to achieve maximum output with minimum input. This is a shortcoming of top-tier experts, and you really need to humble yourself and learn from second-tier bosses. Especially in second-tier companies, which rely mainly on cost leadership for competitive advantage, you must strengthen internal management and let the concept of cost permeate every aspect of production and operations. A sales manager from a leading instant noodle company became GM of a Henan-based noodle company with annual sales of only 300-400 million yuan. Sales doubled in a year, but profits were poor, and he was eventually ousted. Because this guy was a 'terminal' hero who conquered markets on horseback, but he didn't understand what was happening at the 'source.' And instant noodles are a raw-material-dependent industry, earning only one or two li (0.01-0.02 yuan) per pack. You need to work hard on packaging materials, noodle weight, oil content, production loss, labor costs, manufacturing expenses, regulatory labeling, etc. Any slip-up leads to 'diseconomies of scale' and losses. Once the company stops making money, it's time to send you packing like a 'plague god.' ▲ Point Eight: Know When to Advance and Retreat For top-tier experts, after leading a second-tier company to a new stage through 'superior tactics,' you need to consider whether the company's next stage still needs you, or whether you can still lead it to a higher level. If the answer is unclear, consider bowing out gracefully. Don't cling to the idea that you're a hero who made history and should control the company's direction. Leaving at the peak of glory is called 'understanding the way.' This not only wraps you in a mysterious halo, allowing you to jump to a better platform, but also prevents the second-tier company's pragmatism of 'use and discard' from burning you. China's professional managers are immature, and the soil they grow in is equally immature. Keeping your career record with 'big wins, small losses' and 'more wins than losses' is your dragon-slaying sword for navigating the world! If you're sure the company's next stage still needs you, I still suggest you pretend to leave, staging a little drama to see if the boss has the sincerity of 'three visits to the thatched cottage.' For the deep-seated problems of second-tier companies, professional managers are ultimately 'external causes.' Without the boss's internal drive for reform, even a 'guru-level' expert will become cannon fodder. If the boss's sincerity is truly evident, congratulations, you've successfully 'seized the momentum.' If so, with favorable timing, geographical advantage, and human harmony, Tang Jun's success might be replicated in you. New Lyrics for 'Three Disciplines and Eight Points for Attention' Top-tier experts, every one, keep in mind, the three disciplines and eight points. First, empty the recycle bin, break the four olds to win. Second, don't take a needle from the company, the boss will support and like you. Third, abandon the savior mentality, strive to embrace the masses. The three disciplines we must follow, the eight points don't forget. First, abandon workplace hidden rules, don't crouch before you jump. Second, make a brilliant debut soon, focus is a treasure. Third, manage the cycle well, performance can hit the fast lane. Fourth, brand can't be eaten, sales are the ultimate reliance. Fifth, don't just push without pulling, deep marketing over distribution. Sixth, comply with employee nature, don't copy management systems lightly. Seventh, grasp both hands, always watch profit targets. Eighth, retreat bravely at the rapids, understand the way, seize momentum, secure a bright future. Follow discipline mainly by self-awareness, don't violate self-management. The world is treacherous, remember every rule, top-tier experts are welcome everywhere. Second-tier companies forever advance, all rejoice, we both win. Source: Hejun Business School Tips will be paid 400-2000 yuan upon adoption China FMCG + Internet Professional New Media Dedicated to FMCG manufacturers' transformation and channel digital solutions