30+ industry experts, 100+ B2B platform founders, and 800+ manufacturers and distributors gathered in Fuzhou to discuss the internet transformation of the FMCG industry.
"Peak season for sales, off-season for market development" has become an unwritten rule. Off-season market development involves market research and activity planning, competing on the diligence of salespeople and the generosity of promotional policies. This issue shares a tactic: "meeting at the frontline market."
"Meeting at the frontline market" is what the author refers to as "innovation." Specifically, it means that sales managers set the meeting location at the place where market problems occur, leading the team to solve problems on the spot. Just a change in meeting location can bring huge benefits to the team and performance.
First, "meeting at the frontline market" improves the efficiency of problem-solving. Distributors or terminal retailers report problems encountered during product sales to salespeople, who then relay them to sales managers. In this transmission process, important information may be lost, so decisions made by sales managers based on this may not precisely solve the problems. Moreover, decisions made by sales managers are also passed through salespeople to distributors or retailers, which also leads to information loss and reduced efficiency. Therefore, if sales managers, upon receiving feedback on important market issues, immediately take the sales team to verify with the distributor or terminal, study solutions together, and ultimately provide a clear attitude and method for solving the problem, this will greatly improve problem-solving efficiency.
Second, "meeting at the frontline market" effectively boosts team morale. When sales managers lead the team to solve market problems, team members feel they are not fighting alone but have the whole team brainstorming and solving problems on the ground. The energy inspired by this "encouragement" should not be underestimated, especially during off-season industry adjustments when salespeople face high performance pressure and lack confidence. People need a reason to persevere, and this attitude of "teamwork and problem-solving" is most valuable.
Third, intense competition inevitably requires distributors or companies to improve service quality and value customer relationships. "Meeting at the frontline market" increases contact between sales managers and distributors or terminal retailers, effectively consolidating customer relationships. On one hand, sales managers visiting the stores of distributors or terminals and communicating face-to-face about market issues itself shows the importance placed on the merchant. On the other hand, sales managers leading the team to discuss market problems makes distributors or terminals feel that the team is truly dedicated to the market, instilling confidence in the company and eliciting support and cooperation.
Fourth, "meeting at the frontline market" also helps stimulate salespeople's enthusiasm for discovering and solving problems. In the previous problem-solving mechanism, sales managers were disconnected from the market, unable to understand the complexity of market issues, leading to impractical solutions that put salespeople in a difficult position. Meanwhile, problems reported by salespeople were not well addressed, and over time, they lost the motivation to find and solve problems. If sales managers and salespeople work together at the frontline to solve problems, sales managers can understand the salespeople's situation, naturally reaching consensus on many aspects and making the problem-solving process smoother. When salespeople's reported issues are taken seriously and resolved quickly and effectively, increasing sales revenue, their enthusiasm for discovering and solving problems naturally increases.
"Meeting" Action Guide
"Meeting at the frontline market" is an efficient way to solve operational and sales problems, but to achieve ideal results, some preparation and groundwork are needed.
Pre-meeting Preparation
First, establish "meeting at the frontline market" as an important part of the company's operating regulations, and announce at the sales meeting how to execute and the frequency, to attract salespeople's attention. Generally, a frequency of 1-2 times per week is sufficient.
Second, require salespeople to go to the market with an observational attitude and carry a "Problem Record Form" to register problems reported by distributors and retailers one by one.
Third, compile statistics on the "Problem Record Form" to summarize common problems in the market.
Fourth, select typical cases from the common problems and report them to the sales manager along with the common market issues.
Fifth, the sales manager evaluates the problems and cases and selects two cases to solve on-site within a week.
Sixth, the salesperson corresponding to the case coordinates with the distributor or terminal to agree on a meeting time.
Seventh, after finalizing the meeting time and problems to be solved, the sales manager should communicate with the salesperson who reported the case about the merchant's situation in advance, and the salesperson should inform the sales manager of details to ensure the rationality of decisions.
Eighth, inform other salespeople of the meeting time and problems to be solved to promote their thinking on the issues.
Key Points During the Meeting
First, the sales manager holds the meeting at the store of the distributor or terminal with problems, and designates someone to take written minutes. This serves as a record of a practical case and as a guide for solving similar problems.
Second, try to give a clear attitude towards solving the problem during the meeting, and actively refine the methods and steps, so that distributors and terminals feel the significance of the meeting.
Third, during the meeting, the sales manager should give relevant salespeople sufficient respect and speaking rights, so that distributors and terminals feel that the salesperson has the ability to fight for their interests, which is conducive to future cooperation.
Post-meeting Summary
First, the sales manager personally supervises the relevant salespeople in implementing the solutions proposed during the meeting.
Second, distribute the meeting minutes and require salespeople facing similar common problems to use them as a guide to solve market issues.
Third, invite the distributors or terminals involved in the case to "share their experience" and communicate with other distributors or terminals facing similar operational problems.
Fourth, the sales manager organizes a meeting for salespeople to discuss the problems and shortcomings encountered during "meeting at the frontline market" to improve the quality and effectiveness of the next meeting.
New Food Era · New Distribution —— 2016 China "FMCG + Internet" Summit Forum ——
This is a grand event focused on how FMCG industry channels should transform under the trend of Internet+ transformation
Conference Agenda
08:00-09:00 Registration 09:00-09:05 Host opening 09:05-09:35 2016 China FMCG Industry Trend Analysis Report - Zhao Bo 09:35-10:05 FMCG Enterprise Transformation Strategy and Path - Liu Chunxiong 10:05-10:35 Opportunities and Challenges Brought by FMCG Channel Reform - Field 365 CEO Liu Zhao 10:35-11:05 Reconstructing Distribution Channel System, Promoting Urban Retail Upgrade - Alibaba Retail Link General Manager of Backend Tian Yuan 11:05-11:25 Channel Efficiency in the Internet Era - Benlai Holding Vice President Fu Xiaoyun 11:25-12:00 Roundtable Forum - Brand Transformation: Improvement vs. Reconstruction? Guests: Liu Zhao, Liu Chunxiong, Fang Gang, Chen Feng, Shi Zhengchuan, Deng Xia 12:00-13:30 Lunch 13:30-13:50 Distributor Transformation: Urban Distribution Trend - Weijie City Distribution CEO Wang Qi 13:50-14:20 Roundtable Forum - Why Distributors Should Do Logistics in Transformation Guests: Zhao Bo, Wang Qi, Liu Zhongmin, Tang Guangliang, Wang Cheng, Sheng Yan 14:20-14:40 How FMCG Enterprises Leverage the Internet to Take Off - Xijiu E-commerce Operations Director Wang Hui 14:40-15:00 Detailed Explanation of Zhongshang Huimin's "One Machine, Two Wings" Strategy - Zhongshang Huimin Vice President Su Xiaoxin 15:00-15:20 Category Value and B2B E-commerce Development Strategy - Yijiupi CEO Wang Chaocheng 15:20-15:40 Supply Chain Finance as a Lubricant for B2B Driving Traditional Business - 51 Order CEO Chen Xian 15:40-16:00 Zhanghe Cloud Factory Helps Upgrade FMCG Supply Chain - Zhanghe Tianxia CEO Yang Lixiang 16:00-16:30 Integrating Small and Micro Retail, Reconstructing Business Ecology - Quanshi Vice President Miao Dong 16:30-16:50 B2B Investment Principles and Ideas - Junlian Capital Vice President Zhao Mingwei 17:00-17:30 Roundtable Forum - Who is the King of FMCG B2B Models? Guests: Fu Xiaoyun, Zhuang Jianzhong, Jiang Tao, Zeng Weiqin 17:30-19:30 Dinner
For manufacturers and distributors who want to transform, this grand event is not to be missed. Interested friends can long-press the QR code below or click "Read Original" to register.
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