Source: Yunjiu Toutiao (ID: YJTT2016) Assess the situation, position in advance, and quickly open the market. Sun Yaochi, general manager of Kaifeng Shengyu Xiang Trading Co., Ltd., is a post-80s who has been in the wine business for only 4 years, but he has set a record: starting with 10,000 yuan in 2012, his company's wine sales exceeded 10 million yuan in 2015. He has successively operated products in Kaifeng such as Korean low-temperature milk, Heika 6-hour functional drink, Rio pre-mixed wine, and Yanghe Xiaoqu. These new products often took off after he took them on, and distributors jokingly called him the "New Product Trendsetter" of Kaifeng's wine industry. ❶ Starting with 10,000 Yuan Turnover Increased 13 Times in One Year In 2005, 21-year-old Sun Yaochi graduated from university and entered the Bank of Kaifeng, Henan. Two years later, unwilling to settle for a stable job, he gave up his iron rice bowl and joined a Korean food company, becoming the head of its Henan market. In 2012, the company launched a new low-temperature milk product nationwide. Sun Yaochi, who was preparing to start his own business, thought the product was good, so he paid a 10,000 yuan deposit and became a distributor for the product. Thanks to strong company support and his familiarity with the market, he earned 130,000 yuan in less than a year. In April 2013, the functional drink Heika 6 hours came to Kaifeng to recruit distributors. The astute Sun Yaochi felt an opportunity. His market research revealed that functional drinks were a large market, with only Red Bull dominating and Lehu and others following closely; the industry was likely to see a hit product. At that time, another local agent was hesitating whether to take it on. Sun Yaochi decisively approached the manufacturer and secured the Kaifeng agency with an initial order of 100,000 yuan and an annual task of 1 million yuan. After signing the agency agreement, Sun Yaochi spent 10,000 yuan to buy two second-hand vans and began delivering goods to community supermarkets and grocery stores. At this point, he made a bold decision: to sell on credit to all initial stocking outlets, pressing out 250,000 yuan worth of products and incurring considerable debt. But due to precise timing, excellent product quality, and his drive, the terminals quickly sold through and reordered. In the first year, the company sold 2.16 million yuan, more than twice the manufacturer's task. As for why he dared to bet on an unknown new product, Sun Yaochi admitted that before becoming the agent for Heika 6 hours, he had done market research and found that the product was mainly selling well in Xinjiang and Henan. Markets around Kaifeng, such as Luoyang, Zhumadian, and Luohe, had already started, making Kaifeng a value depression. This was why he dared to invest heavily. Assessing the situation, positioning in advance, and quickly opening the market became one of his proven principles for successfully launching new products. ❷ Betting on Pre-mixed Wine Earning 150,000 Yuan in One Day Heika 6 hours solved the initial survival problem for Sun Yaochi's company and cultivated his habit of seeking and evaluating new products. In 2014, a chance visit to a bar allowed him to catch the pre-mixed wine trend. In 2014, Sun Yaochi went to a bar in Sanlitun, Beijing, with friends and tasted pre-mixed cocktails for the first time. At the time, he thought the sweet and sour taste was not particularly impressive, but that night he and his friends consumed a lot, and pre-mixed wine was selling well in the bar. Out of professional habit, he immediately investigated the cocktail market and found that in big cities, drinking cocktails in nightclubs and bars was popular. Returning to Kaifeng, he found that Rio, under Baorun Company, was recruiting distributors locally. Many local distributors were skeptical about whether pre-mixed wine could succeed. With the successful experience of Heika 6 hours, Sun Yaochi unhesitatingly secured the Rio agency for Kaifeng. In 2014, pre-mixed cocktails entered a period of rapid growth. With product placements in youth dramas like "iPartment," "Running Man," and "You Are My Sunshine," the consumer market began expanding from first-tier cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen to second- and third-tier cities. By then, Sun Yaochi's company had over 10 people and 6 vehicles, and had established a sales network in Kaifeng, suddenly hitting the peak of the trend. Because the product sold so well, Sun Yaochi mainly supplied wholesale to large customers. Some channels that were previously high-threshold, such as KA, supermarkets, hypermarkets, and mid-to-high-end restaurants, saw the popularity of pre-mixed wine and also approached him for supplies, enriching and perfecting his sales network. During the 2015 Spring Festival, Sun Yaochi earned 150,000 yuan in one day by selling pre-mixed wine. The company's annual sales exceeded 10 million yuan, making it the champion of Rio's East China region. ❸ "New Product Trendsetter" In 2016, the pre-mixed cocktail market entered a period of adjustment. Sun Yaochi, on one hand, stabilized his existing market and channels, and on the other hand, began looking for new products with potential. At this time, "Yanghe Xiaoqu" produced by Yanghe Co., Ltd. came into his view. Having successfully launched new products multiple times, Sun Yaochi had his own criteria for selecting new products: first, it must be from a well-known large brand; second, the product quality must be excellent, and the packaging should make consumers' eyes light up; third, it must be able to support long-term market development. "Yanghe Xiaoqu" met all his requirements. In May 2017, Sun Yaochi began communicating with "Yanghe Xiaoqu," and a "competitor" emerged. A local agent who was interested in "Yanghe Xiaoqu" first paid a 30,000 yuan deposit. When Sun Yaochi learned of this, he immediately flew to the company and had in-depth communication with senior management, presenting his complete operational plan. After receiving approval from "Yanghe Xiaoqu" senior management and coordination, he finally obtained the agency rights for the Kaifeng urban area. In August 2017, the first batch of "Yanghe Xiaoqu" arrived. Sun Yaochi designed a plan for product placement and sell-through. He combined the 125ML, 375ML, and 480ML products into 6-bottle sets and placed them in terminals. Terminals that displayed according to regulations would receive the products free as display fees if they did not sell within 3 months. If they sold, the terminal could also get a free case for every case ordered. With no sales risk, the product was placed in over 1,000 B- and C-class restaurants in Kaifeng within a month. To drive sell-through, Sun Yaochi first adopted "entertainment marketing." After work every day, employees wore inflatable "Yanghe Xiaoqu" models and performed at restaurant entrances to liven up the atmosphere. Employees were given meal allowances and would eat at the restaurants after performances, helping owners create buzz. Because the inflatable models were unique and the roadshow format was eye-catching, many restaurant owners proactively invited "Yanghe Xiaoqu" to come and perform. At the same time, Sun Yaochi required employees to collect empty "Yanghe Xiaoqu" bottles, clean them, and place pothos or other plants in them on restaurant tables. The crystal-clear, beautifully shaped bottles became a scenic feature and the best "promotional material" for restaurant terminals. After four months of operation, "Yanghe Xiaoqu" had become a well-known brand in Kaifeng from a new product. Sun Yaochi stated that because many cooperative distributors recognized his ability to launch new products and were willing to work with him, the year-end ordering meeting could achieve orders of over one million yuan. "Yanghe Xiaoqu" is likely to recreate the glory of Rio in the Kaifeng market. Reflecting on his four years in the wine industry, Sun Yaochi said that as a post-80s new wine merchant, his success in launching new products can be attributed to, first, being good at grasping major trends and directions, conducting market research to seize the most promising products. Second, being good at "stepping back to see the bigger picture" and daring to innovate and try in marketing. Finally, the market is full of new products that change quickly. Distributors should have a long-term vision, choose well-known brands, and collaborate with manufacturers to aim for the future. Only then can they achieve success. What do you think of this post-80s entrepreneurial story? 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