---
title: "Marketing Staff 'Fighting on Paper': How to Satisfy Your Boss?"
description: "For an ordinary salesperson, doing the job well is enough; for one aspiring to rapid advancement, the ability to handle 'paperwork' is indispensable. This article offers practical advice on writing policy application reports, sales plans, summaries, research reports, and marketing diaries that win leadership approval."
author: "刘春雄"
publisher: "New Distribution"
email: "zhaobo258@gmail.com"
telephone: "+8615854817671"
published: "2016-04-30"
language: "en"
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# Marketing Staff 'Fighting on Paper': How to Satisfy Your Boss?

> For an ordinary salesperson, doing the job well is enough; for one aspiring to rapid advancement, the ability to handle 'paperwork' is indispensable. This article offers practical advice on writing policy application reports, sales plans, summaries, research reports, and marketing diaries that win leadership approval.

For an ordinary salesperson, doing the job well is enough; for one aspiring to rapid advancement, the ability to handle 'paperwork' is indispensable.

**How to Write a Policy Application Report That Gets Your Boss's Signature**

Reasons Why Policy Applications Are Rejected

**Common Phenomenon 1:** At every sales meeting, salespeople complain about too few POP materials. Yet, whenever the boss visits the market, they see no POP, but find the dealer's warehouse walls covered with POP.

Imagine: if the boss discovers that policy resources are always wasted like this, will they approve your next policy application?

**Advice:** If the boss finds that policy resources are wasted, future applications will become more difficult.

**Common Phenomenon 2:** Every time a salesperson applies for a sales policy, sales increase rapidly in the short term. However, at year-end, total sales show no change. Will the boss approve future applications?

**Advice:** As long as sales policies do not increase total sales, the boss will become increasingly cautious in approving them.

**Common Phenomenon 3:** Sales policies are often 'intercepted' by dealers. For example, dealers treat promotional policies as profit, so sales don't increase but profits do. Or dealers inflate advertising expenses and pocket the money.

**Advice:** Once it's discovered that sales policies are intercepted by dealers, future applications will be more difficult.

**Common Phenomenon 4:** Some salespeople think the boss is afraid of 'spending big money,' so they use a 'fishing' approach, breaking the application into small amounts that are easily approved. But once the boss sees through this trick, future applications become hard.

**Advice:** Salespeople should not underestimate the boss and should avoid playing petty tricks.

The Boss's Mindset

**Ordinary salespeople think the boss is most reluctant to spend money. The proof is that the boss always 'cuts the application in half.' This is typical 'measuring the boss's belly with one's own heart.'**

**The boss's mindset is:** Not reluctant to spend money, but afraid the money won't be spent effectively. As long as spending a little can earn a lot, they dare to spend more. Therefore, the boss cares more about the 'input-output ratio.'

**Common Misconception 1:** Salespeople often apply for policies with reasons like: 'Our competitor's policy is very aggressive; we must follow.' 'Sales are declining in this market; it's dangerous without a policy.' This threatening approach may scare a few inexperienced bosses but is useless with most. Remember, bosses see such words constantly and are used to them. Moreover, company policy resources are limited; some risky markets may be left alone since investment may not yield returns.

**Common Misconception 2:** Most policy application reports explain why money is needed but rarely state the expected results. The boss sees no output and may think it's a 'policy bottomless pit.'

How to Get Policy Applications Approved Quickly

**Recommended Practice 1:** When applying for a policy, give the boss a bright future. Telling the boss about opportunities is more effective than telling about difficulties. Opportunities excite the boss, who thinks about 'how much to give.' Difficulties give the boss a headache, who thinks about 'whether to give.'

**Recommended Practice 2:** Clearly tell the boss: 'Everything is ready except the east wind—the policy is that east wind. Without it, everything fails.' This implies: 'I've done my part; now it's your turn.' Bosses sometimes fear responsibility, so this is the time to approve.

**Recommended Practice 3:** Tell the boss that 'the dealer is prepared to cooperate with a policy.' Bosses worry about dealers intercepting policies. Many think: 'If the dealer dares to contribute 20% of the cost, the company dares to contribute 80%.' Also, if the dealer is willing to contribute, it shows confidence, as dealers are 'stingier' than manufacturers in using policies.

**Recommended Practice 4:** Tell the boss about the results of previous policies. Salespeople often 'show the head but not the tail'—they rarely report results, or are afraid to. Some salespeople get approvals 'at the sight of the document' because they've earned the boss's trust; their spending has results and evaluations.

**Recommended Practice 5:** Apply for policies in a small, promising market. The boss's mindset is 'water the seedlings when you see them.' This is the 'Matthew effect' in policy use: the better the market, the more willing the boss is to give policies generously. Therefore, doing a small good market is better than a large poor one. If the market shows promise, policies will follow.

Better to Rely on Yourself Than on Others

Enterprises are not banks; policies are not money printers. Policy resources are always limited. Most applications are rejected, and even if approved, they are often 'cut in half,' possibly missing the best timing.

Where do policies come from? They come from 'price space,' or policies are an integral part of price. Since that's the case, it's better to rely on yourself than on others. Salespeople can 'create policies' by 'repackaging' the price of new products with dealers, leaving enough policy space. Thus, while others worry about applications, you may have a continuous stream of policies to invest in the market.

**How to Write a Sales Plan That Reassures Your Boss**

Most salespeople see writing sales plans as a chore or think the boss is 'making work.' So they write plans perfunctorily. Most sales managers also see plans as optional routine. Without them, management seems incomplete; with them, they seem useless.

**Typical Phenomenon 1:** When asked about their sales plan, the classic answer is: 'I gave it to the manager.' As if the plan is for submission. Or: 'It's in my diary.' Plans are plans; actions are actions.

**Typical Phenomenon 2:** When asked about each salesperson's plan, sales managers typically say: 'It's in the drawer.'

**Typical Phenomenon 3:** Most sales plans contain only two items: sales breakdown (often detailed by time, region, customer, product, but everyone knows the more detailed, the more deceptive in China's real marketing environment) and promotion or policy application plans. It seems that if policies aren't in place, failing to meet the plan isn't the salesperson's fault.

**Typical Phenomenon 4:** Some plans are very detailed, down to daily itineraries and tasks. This is also a meaningless fake plan because a small unexpected event can invalidate such rigid plans.

**Concept 1:** Excellent salespeople are good at making plans and executing them effectively. Excellent managers are good at making plans for others and supervising their implementation.

**Concept 2:** Having no idea but good performance exists, but it's not universal, cannot be replicated or promoted.

**Recommended Practice 1:** Without a qualified sales plan, never let a salesperson go to the market. They may not create value but generate costs. Sales management must revolve around sales plans. Process management mainly checks if the process matches the plan.

Case: A food company's monthly planning meeting lasted over 10 days. When sales targets were assigned, salespeople quickly produced plans. As usual, they were just sales breakdowns and promotion plans, with no work plans. We required: 'Monthly work plans must be detailed enough that anyone can see that if executed faithfully, the month's tasks are guaranteed. Only then are they qualified to go to the market.' Therefore, each salesperson's plan had to be reviewed and questioned in front of all managers. The best salesperson revised their plan 3 times; the most, 6 times.

**Recommended Practice 2:** Break down sales plans into 'existing volume' and 'incremental volume,' then require separate work plans for 'maintaining existing' and 'achieving incremental.' Breaking down the 'nature of sales' is more important than the 'quantity.' Sales work is determined by the nature, not quantity.

Maintaining existing volume focuses on old customers, channels, terminals, and products, using promotions and price cuts. Achieving incremental volume focuses on new customers, channels, terminals, and products. For example, 'help dealers develop 10 secondary dealers,' 'help dealers develop 30 terminal customers,' 'assist dealers in promoting new products'—these are the tasks for incremental volume.

**Recommended Practice 3:** Sales plans should have two goals: 'sales target' and 'work target,' with the latter more important.

Failing the sales target affects monthly assessments, 'hat' (position) and 'ticket' (income). Failing the work target forces monthly 'sales pushes.'

'Work targets' improve market fundamentals and continuously boost sales, including new market development, new product promotion, market center shift, secondary dealer and terminal customer development, and terminal promotion. Although important, they are often diluted or forgotten due to more urgent sales targets.

Without improving market fundamentals, salespeople resort to frequent promotions and price cuts to meet sales targets. Therefore, frontline managers should focus on completing work targets to achieve sales targets.

Marketing management should arrange work based on 'work targets,' not 'sales targets.' Process management mainly monitors 'work target' execution; result management mainly assesses 'sales target' completion.

**How to Write a Summary That Earns You Recognition**

Manager's Mindset

**Common Phenomenon:** Some salespeople are indignant: why aren't top performers praised, while average ones are appreciated? They conclude that leaders like flatterers. This is typical 'measuring the superior's belly with a subordinate's heart,' due to not understanding the manager's mindset.

**Manager's Mindset 1:** Many think leaders care most about sales performance, but that's an illusion. Leaders are most interested in work achievements—what valuable things you did. Sales stars get routine rewards; those with outstanding work achievements get exceptional encouragement. Routine rewards are required by company rules; exceptional encouragement comes from the heart.

**Manager's Mindset 2:** Reward those with merit with material rewards, called 'compensation.' Reward those with ability with rewards, called 'empowerment.' More plainly: don't use power to reward meritorious officials.

Leaders always reward those with performance but promote those good at summarizing and refining, because they can turn others' experience into their own and individual experience into collective. Leaders may not have great personal performance but can lead others to achieve.

**Manager's Mindset 3:** Completing sales targets is just the 'baseline,' like not boasting about 'not breaking the law.' It usually only keeps your 'hat' (position), not enough for recognition. To gain recognition, you must understand the company's 'strategic intent'—the issues the company 'cares most' and 'worries most' about.

**Manager's Mindset 4:** Leaders publicly praise 'obedient' salespeople but privately praise 'disobedient' ones. They need many 'obedient' ones to achieve goals, but also a few 'disobedient' ones to break through goals.

What Kind of Summary Reports Do Leaders Need?

**Common Phenomenon:** Most summaries emphasize 'how to execute company policies,' 'how to work hard and smart,' 'how to overfulfill tasks.' This is a summary that satisfies the leader, not one that moves them.

**Recommended Practice 1:** Summaries should be from the company's perspective, not personal. For ordinary salespeople, summaries are routine. For leaders, they seek paths to the future. If you summarize from a personal angle and do well, the leader may acknowledge superficially. If from a company angle, the leader may promote you. Personal angle: you're a good salesperson. Company angle: you're leadership material.

Case: A agricultural company entering Guangdong market: 10 salespeople achieved only 2 million yuan in sales that year, less than one salesperson in other regions. But the boss was satisfied because they found a way to solve 'no credit sales in Guangdong.' From a personal angle, that sales volume wouldn't interest the leader. From a company angle, solving credit sales meant finding the golden key to Guangdong.

**Recommended Practice 2:** If you have any innovative approach, even a small spark, summarize it. Leaders can easily find executors but rarely innovators.

**Recommended Practice 3:** Excellent salespeople not only achieve results but also turn methods into patterns or models. Leaders care more about models than sales figures because models can be widely replicated, which is what leaders care about.

**Recommended Practice 4:** If a leader's approach is widely criticized, adding fuel to the fire won't help. If you think the leader is right, prove it with actions and use your summary to provide 'timely help' when the leader is criticized.

**How to Write an Insightful Research Report**

**Common Phenomenon:** Many salespeople complain that leaders don't understand or support their work. Often, the fault lies not with the leader but with the salesperson. If the leader lacks an overall understanding of your market, why should they support you? Ask yourself: 'What measures have I taken to help the leader understand the market situation and my situation?'

Ordinary salespeople may know their market; excellent ones ensure the leader knows it. Remember, the leader learns about the market through you; the information you provide determines the support you get.

**Common Phenomenon 2:** A company president sent two salespeople to develop the southern market. They were unsure and asked me. I asked: 'What do you plan to do?' They said: 'Find some customers and ship goods first.' I told them: 'Do you really think the boss is foolish enough to send just you two to develop the entire south? He's testing the waters because he's uncertain. If you do well, a larger team will follow. Your task is to thoroughly investigate the market through actual sales and explore a new model for developing the south.'

Going to market with a task → finding dealers → shipping → dealing with endless problems: this is how many enter the market.

**Common Phenomenon 3:** Most research reports only state the market situation without analysis, with conclusions like 'sheep don't eat meat, tigers don't eat grass'—meaningless for marketing.

The primary task when entering a market is research, not to survey but to 'insight'—to see the essence behind the surface.

**Recommended Practice 1:** Whenever you enter a new market (new to you), quickly send a report to the leader with your overall understanding. When a new leader arrives, provide a market report so they can accurately understand your work.

**Recommended Practice 2:** An insightful research report doesn't just tell 'what is' but gives three conclusions: First, is it worth doing—the market's value; Second, can it be done—where are the opportunities; Third, how to do it—where is the breakthrough.

**How to Write a Marketing Diary That Records Your Growth**

Ten years ago, a young salesperson just six months out of college showed me a diary filled with questions and ideas. Many were naive and impractical, but some were feasible. I thought then that this person would go far. Indeed, a year later he achieved a market breakthrough and drove company-wide success. Now he's a general manager.

There's a strong 'positive correlation' between diary writing and becoming a hero. While marketing heroes voluntarily write diaries, diaries are becoming the 'public enemy' of many salespeople. 'It's distrust of us.' 'Better to visit more customers than waste time on useless diaries.' These are common excuses—how high-sounding! Some say marketing diaries have 'original sin' because they assume salespeople are untrustworthy and need supervision.

Actually, diaries give salespeople a tool to 'record their growth.' Well-designed diaries are also effective workbooks, teaching how to plan, summarize, and capture fleeting creative inspirations.

Diaries are tools for self-reflection. Surveys show salespeople can't accurately recall work from a week ago. Diaries provide a tool for systematic reflection.

Whether or not the company requires it, develop the habit of keeping a marketing diary.

- END -

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