When launching a new product, no matter how scientific and comprehensive the marketing plan or how intense the advertising bombardment, if the product lacks distribution coverage, everything is empty talk. To improve distribution coverage, it is essential to first formulate reasonable promotion policies and cultivate a first-class sales team to execute them. During the author's tenure as a regional manager for a large fruit-milk beverage company, there was a prefecture-level market where the product had been on the market for a long time, but sales just wouldn't pick up. Upon visiting the market, the distribution rate in C and D class stores in the urban area was only about 10%, and the county-level distribution channels were not well-established. The distributor said, "The product's brand power is too weak locally, the product entered the market late, competitors are very strong now, and the resistance to product distribution is too great." Without investigation, there is no right to speak! The next day, I followed the distributor's salespeople to deliver goods and conducted a market survey at the same time. After a day, I discovered the root causes of the low distribution rate:

  1. The distributor's after-sales service was too poor; they basically didn't handle exchanges or returns, the market maintenance cycle was too long, they didn't keep promises, and their credibility was low. Since our product had a short shelf life, ordinary supermarkets dared not stock it.
  2. The distribution price in this market was far higher than the manufacturer's suggested price, leaving little profit for the terminals, so they were unwilling to sell.
  3. The salespeople's selling skills were indeed too mediocre. Back at the distributor's place, I discussed the market issues with the distributor and reached a four-point consensus:
  4. Sell at the price stipulated by the manufacturer.
  5. Be responsible for exchanging or returning slow-moving products in the market.
  6. Determine the market maintenance cycle.
  7. To promote rapid product distribution, the distributor would allocate a portion of their own profits to reward first-time ordering customers. The distributor's salespeople had already formed a mindset that "the product is hard to sell," and they had some fear of the distribution work. So I used facts to speak and took action to restore their confidence. I took Xiao Zhang and Lao Li to deliver goods together. In one morning, we visited 20 stores and closed deals with 14, a success rate of 70%. Xiao Zhang and Lao Li were puzzled: "Why do they refuse when we push it, but when you go, they accept?" I said, "Failure always has a reason, and success always has a method." First: Know yourself and know your enemy
  8. Understand the competitors' selling points, advantages, distribution rates, terminal supply prices, retail prices, and promotional activities.
  9. Understand the characteristics of the store's business district, its operating conditions, business direction, the personality of the store manager, existing competitor brands, and their sales performance.
  10. Be clear about your own product's competitive advantages and disadvantages, and play to strengths while avoiding weaknesses during the sales pitch.
  11. Communicate more with superiors, report problems found in work, offer good suggestions, and seek support. Second: Tempt with profit Supermarkets operate for profit. When a supermarket manager chooses any new product to stock, the first consideration is whether this new product can bring benefits to the supermarket. The main points are four:
  12. Higher profit margin than similar products.
  13. If profit margins are similar, the known market sales volume is far greater than similar products.
  14. Promotional expense support.
  15. The product has unique selling points or strong brand appeal; even if it doesn't make money, it can attract foot traffic. As a salesperson, you must clearly recognize which advantage your product has. If you cannot explain what returns the product will bring to the customer, no matter how much you say, it's futile! Third: Eliminate concerns The second consideration for supermarket operators when choosing a new product is sales risk.
  16. What is the product quality like? Is it produced by a legitimate enterprise?
  17. FMCG products generally have a shelf life. It's unknown whether they will sell well. What if they become slow-moving? What if they expire?
  18. Is the supply stable? Can market maintenance keep up? If the product sells well, what if supply can't keep up?
  19. What is the supplier's reputation? Will they fulfill their promises? This requires salespeople to make thorough preparations:
  20. Bring all relevant sales documents, including the "Three Certificates" (business license, production license, and inspection report).
  21. Tasting method: Let customers taste the product personally, and impress them with product quality.
  22. State in advance whether exchanges and returns are handled, and make commitments on exchange cycles, restocking cycles, delivery times, etc., according to company requirements.
  23. Introduce the distributor's operational strength and credibility to customers, and if necessary, sign sales agreements or promotion agreements. If you gain the customer's trust, you have already succeeded halfway. Reply with the following keywords to categorize and read related professional articles: Sales Supervisor, Second-tier Management, Regional Manager, Distributor Management, New Channels, City Manager, Competition, 2015, Manufacturer-Dealer Game, Product Slow-moving, Terminal Visit Management, Route Management, Deep Distribution, Internal Management, Sales Skills, Profit Improvement, Recruitment, Distribution, Daily Management, Team Motivation, Channel Promotion, Sales Misconceptions, New Product Launch, Township Market, New Product Pricing, Sales Target Achievement, Closing Deals, Market Visit Inspection, Baijiu, Beer, Sales Increase, Agency Products, Cross-region Sales, KA, Terminal Merchandising, New Market, Market Operation, Learning, Book Recommendations, Inventory Management, New Salespeople, Consumer Promotion, Execution, Old Products, Expired Product Handling, Model Market, Franchise Recruitment, New Media, Distributor Development, Performance Appraisal, Assessment, Annual Planning, Shopping Guide, Morning Meeting, Display, Transformation, Stock Pressure, Festivals, Distributor Cost Control Channel Operation, Marketing Theory and Laws, Brand Truth, Order Meeting, Team Management, Training, Debriefing, Debriefing Report.