Preface

  1. Definition of a regional manager: a person who leads troops into battle. The military is a matter of national importance; the land of life and death, the path of survival and destruction, must not be ignored.
  2. Enterprises are like feudal states; the current market is in a period of marketing warring states, with chaos as the theme and industry concentration as the goal.
  3. The goal of war is peace; when industry concentration reaches a certain level, marketing begins to weaken. Downsizing during peacetime is normal.
  4. Viewing marketing from a war perspective, marketing is a process of offense and defense.
  5. Brand is the will of the people. Thought: Use the orthodox to engage, use the unconventional to win; uphold the orthodox and employ the unconventional! The "orthodox" refers to leading troops (management), and the "unconventional" refers to fighting (marketing tactics). For an enterprise, the regional market manager is an important organizational unit in the marketing system. The specific actions of enterprise marketing are basically executed through this link, and it is the fundamental point for the enterprise marketing system to function. The improvement of regional market managers' capabilities is an important part of enterprise marketing. This article systematically describes how regional managers operate in the market.

First, the responsibilities of a regional market manager Thought: Job standards are important, but what kind of job standards are needed to produce a qualified regional manager? Even if such standards exist, can they produce a batch of qualified regional managers? From a theoretical perspective, various versions of regional market manager job responsibilities have long existed, even detailed to specific industries or enterprises. However, when we seriously engage with these managers, we find that few can fully recite their responsibilities. Even if they can, we find that the enterprise's job responsibilities are either incomplete or the standards do not match actual work. For example, the job responsibility standards for a regional manager in a convenience food industry:

  1. Execute the company's marketing strategy and plan regional market development;
  2. Formulate regional marketing plans and break down sales targets;
  3. Provide accurate information on market trends, demand changes, competitors, and customer feedback;
  4. Supervise the construction of offices and business development, implement regional payment collection; supervise the implementation of the marketing center's sales policies and the execution of various systems;
  5. Control office expenses in the region, directly participate in and host important customer business negotiations and transactions;
  6. Train and guide business personnel, evaluate subordinates' work, and assist in formulating and implementing performance improvement plans. Problems with the above job standards:
  7. Although they are the enterprise's own job guidance standards, they are not targeted and are almost suitable for all FMCG industries.
  8. The standards do not fully describe the actual work of regional managers. Most importantly: job responsibilities only provide "daily work" guidance for regional managers, meaning they can only work for the sake of work, not provide help in actual combat, lacking practical operational guidance. The uncertainties in regional managers' actual combat vary with personal character and market differences, making it impossible to set standards for each individual. So how to solve this problem? We use the food industry as a template to analyze the job responsibilities of regional managers from a practical perspective: First, marketing itself is an industry with a wide coverage, requiring generalists. Moreover, the industry changes rapidly. Even if we could accurately describe the work of regional managers, it would be complex, boring, and not easy to remember, and it must meet the needs of people with various levels of understanding, requiring a high level of writing organization. Second, the biggest drawback of written standards is not whether they can be comprehensively described, but whether they can ensure accurate execution. The large amount of information in marketing work makes standards complex, and complex standards easily lead to "routine response" in execution, eventually making these so-called standards useless paper. Third, the purpose of job standards is to guide action, thereby making the enterprise's marketing team consistent in goals and unified in action. Fourth, marketing work is carried out in a dynamic, uncertain time and space. Many people in this industry feel unconstrained. In actual contact, many marketing executives lament: "These guys can't be led; they are simply a bunch of bandits." The biggest characteristic of bandits is that they do not like too many rules and regulations. So, can enterprises bypass this link? When we look at the problem from another angle, things become simple. Since the market is a battlefield, the marketing team is an army. Using military management ideas to regulate these "bandits" naturally simplifies things. In the enterprise marketing system army, regional market managers are officers at various levels. The duty of an "officer" is nothing more than leading troops into battle. The process of battle is the process of offense or defense. In other words: offense—opening up territory; defense—protecting the homeland. So what troops does the regional manager lead? First: Direct troops. Including office (business department) directors, salespeople, promoters (stockers), and other brothers. Second: Mercenaries. Channel members include first-tier, second-tier, and even terminals. They are mercenaries because they have no blood relationship with the enterprise. Compared to the former, they have weak combat effectiveness, loose discipline, and lack the ability to attack cities and seize territory, but they are suitable for logistics and transportation work. How can these "troops" be led well? First: Agree on rules and follow up with assessment. Let them (especially mercenaries) eat, and even drink and eat meat in large quantities when conditions allow, but only on the basis of doing the work well (assessment follow-up). An army that cannot even eat cannot be led, unless the whole world cannot eat. Second: The way to govern the army is to reward and punish appropriately! Employees do not do what is hoped but what is assessed. Assessment must be linked to interests, and mercenaries are no exception. When they get "cash," they must understand where it comes from, that is, understand that their income is proportional to their efforts. Assessment should focus on long-term "cash" security, making mercenaries understand: as long as they take the hill, there will be wine, meat, and cash. To do this, you must keep your word and not rely on "hype." Third: Strict military discipline, teach first, then kill! After clarifying military discipline, continuously train and inform. For those who knowingly violate the law, kill them in front of the whole army. However, military discipline should not be too harsh; individual skill errors can be ignored, as long as training is followed up. Fourth: Appropriate elimination. The camp is iron, the soldiers are flowing water. New soldiers have innate advantages over veterans in execution. Continuously inject fresh blood to build the execution capability of the whole army! Fifth: Expansion with "measure." Enterprise development and management development must be synchronized. If the "expansion" speed is too fast, it will cause a disconnect in enterprise management or capital. There is a similar case in the food industry: the once popular "Wugudaochang" (Five Grain Tao Chang) rapidly expanded its army and fought, causing a shortage of supplies. Recently, under the wave of collective "wage protests" at various branches and channel members collectively demanding payment, it is surrounded by enemies.

Second, regional manager market development Thought: The good defender hides in the nine earths; the good attacker moves in the nine heavens. For an enterprise to develop and grow, it must have strong market development capabilities. Regional managers' market development has almost become a required course. How to do the "offense" well? First, let's look at some troubles from frontline regional managers in attack:

  1. Facing the market to attack, hesitating, not knowing which "city gate" to attack from.
  2. The market is hard to conquer, and expenses become a bottomless pit.
  3. Year after year of investment, blooming every year, but no fruit.
  4. In a market with multiple brand competition, after defeating one competitor, another appears. While busy, competitors often create an "unkillable" myth in local markets! Most of these are caused by recklessness, rushing into battle, and confusion. Therefore, before attacking, regional managers must master the following principles:
  5. Plan the "situation." Planning the situation refers to the competitive landscape of similar brands in the entire market and trends affecting the consumer market. For example, in the food industry, changes in taste, consumption habits, and consumption upgrades.
  6. Plan the "layout." The choice of entry point in the local market determines the success or failure of the "campaign." For example, whether to attack from top to bottom or use rural areas to encircle cities; "setting the layout" must be firm and accurate!
  7. Plan the "rules." Every market has a leading brand. For example, in the instant noodle market, Master Kong's Braised Beef Noodles is the first brand in the high-price segment, whether cup or bag. This brand almost determines some "rules" in the market, such as terminal prices and promotion methods. For these rules, whether to follow, break, or re-establish, the regional manager must make an accurate choice! So, how should regional managers do the "planning" well? Plan then act—first plan "self," then plan "opponent." A. How to plan "self" first?
  8. Must first set a clear combat goal and obtain support from the company's strategic resources.
  9. Unify the opinions of subordinate troops and boost their morale.
  10. Understand whether your product is suitable for the attack market.
  11. Choose the right "vanguard" and prepare enough troops and ammunition for him.
  12. Formulate a complete reward and punishment system and timetable, personally supervise the battle, and coordinate the company's various friendly forces (such as vehicles, personnel, visual merchandising props, product appearance preparation, etc.) B. How to plan "opponent"?
  13. Allow sufficient time for market research and data collection. Mainly include: opponent's product structure, channel members, profit distribution, promotion methods, mainstream terminal control models, etc. During data collection, subordinates can use fixed forms and samples for sampling visits. The regional manager must take time to visit the market personally and follow up on reports with random checks. Criticize those with inaccurate information and kill those who fabricate!
  14. Based on relevant information, organize subordinates for simulation exercises. The key is to analyze the opponent's "troop deployment," find weaknesses and strengths, and compare with your own product and troop resources, continuously correct and improve. At the same time, find your "vanguard" in the exercises.
  15. "Capture a tongue." With the development of the market economy, job hopping has become fashionable. If you can capture the highest commander of the opponent's region, the gains will be greater, and there is even the beauty of the opponent collapsing without a fight, but it is not easy. Consider capturing a veteran to your camp. After "squeezing him dry," you might give him a gun and let him fight as a guide. Of course, this seems like an "unfair" act. If you are a "fair" person, you can ignore this. When these preparations are complete, you can consider entering the attack state.
  16. Choose the right attack season. Products generally have peak and off seasons. If you attack in the off season, not only may circulation be poor, but morale may also be damaged. Generally, prepare in the off season and start attacking about a month before the peak season for better results.
  17. Aim at the opponent's weaknesses, formulate a battle plan, and communicate it up and down to achieve unity of purpose. While clarifying attack steps, establish combat principles, such as: blitzkrieg, war of attrition, war of position, siege warfare...
  18. Timely grasp the progress of the battle. In the early stage, focus on distribution rate assessment. Based on customer vehicles, personnel, and capital, evaluate whether the distributor's delivery capability supports it. Formulate distributor delivery areas and standards, "cook according to the rice," and timely choose distribution layout to ensure smooth channels while minimizing terminal service complaints! While mastering your own data, also analyze changes in opponent data, predict the opponent's moves as much as possible, and block them in time.
  19. Reasonably use your own resources. While planning expenditures, fully understand the essence of "Tian Ji's horse racing," play to strengths and avoid weaknesses. In the attack phase, avoid outdated tactics like "flooding the golden mountain" and "parallel advancement." Concentrate resources on the opponent's soft spots, focus the attack, and tear open the market like a dagger.
  20. Several principles during the attack process:
  21. Do something, do not do something. Not every market can be attacked. For example, when the distance from the home base is too far, the transportation radius is too large, and the enterprise cannot set up a factory there, even if the opponent has loopholes, learn to "give up." Otherwise, after huge expenses, even if you take the market, you will retreat without being attacked!
  22. Know yourself and know your enemy. The biggest consequence of blind attack is a huge waste of resources. The purpose of marketing is to maximize enterprise resources; waste is a desecration of marketing!
  23. Uphold the orthodox and employ the unconventional. The so-called orthodox, for the enterprise, is resource plundering and accumulation. That is to say, any "war" has a purpose. There are few things in the world that "lose money but gain reputation." The purpose of enterprise marketing is profit. The enterprise can accept stage-by-stage "loss-making promotions," but once it falls into the "promotion quagmire" for years, the market will collapse without attack. The so-called unconventional is the marketing behavior adopted by the enterprise to achieve the above goals. The purpose of marketing is to maintain the survival and development of the enterprise.
  24. Go all out. When facing competitors, once you launch an attack, you must draw blood with every move, even "kill" the opponent! Try to avoid "war of position" in the attack; otherwise, there will be a war of attrition where "you lose 800 to wound 1,000." For competitors of similar strength, the goal of attacking in a local market is to lock in the position of "first brand" and seize the right to formulate market rules!

Third, regional manager market defense In any war, there is no scene of only attacking without defending; the same is true for marketing. Only by standing undefeated can an enterprise think of ways to "defeat" others. A good regional manager must have the ability to "defend and counterattack." When a local market is attacked by competitors, the regional manager must strategize and "make the enemy vanish with a smile."

  1. Clarify the nature of the attacked market. If it is the enterprise's base market, then it must be highly valued from both tactical and strategic perspectives, just like the enemy has stepped into the territory and approached the capital; a life-and-death battle is inevitable!
  2. Try to find out the enemy's intentions, troop deployment, and formation. If the opponent is a "big guy," then understand the opponent's product structure, personnel configuration, and even the commander's personality. If the opponent relies on distributors for channel warfare, then while fully analyzing the profit comparison of both channels, assess the stability of your own channel. If the opponent uses deep distribution tactics, then pay attention to the following three aspects: A. The degree of control over the market's commanding heights. B. The execution capability of your personnel compared to the competitor's troops. C. The composition of the opponent's business personnel. Because in many food industries, "deep distribution" and "channel cultivation" methods have been skillfully used. In this system, the enterprise's branch is the nerve center, and distributors are merely "delivery men" or "porters." Once the "nervous system" has problems, the whole army may collapse. There is much to do in destroying the opponent's "nervous system," after all, it is defending the homeland at your own doorstep.
  3. "Orthodox" defense, "unconventional" attack. In defense, the ability to counter moves is essential. At the same time, you must have some "miraculous calculations." For example, fully utilize the advantages of the base market. When the opponent lays out an attack in the off season, appropriately retreat, lure the opponent to ship goods in a short time, then suddenly strike, block the channel, and suppress the competitor's terminal shipments to the lowest point until large-scale expiration and returns occur. The key is to force the competitor's channel funds to be occupied on a large scale, profits damaged, morale greatly reduced, and thereby shock the entire channel industry, making it unwilling to take over for a long time.
  4. Accurate blocking. In reality, many regional managers have experienced the story of "the wolf is coming," especially with the loudest cries from distributors. If you cry wolf too often, you become tired. Therefore, to accurately detect the wolf's tracks, a standard early warning system must be established: such as regular monitoring of competitor business personnel numbers, outlet numbers, product appearance, visual merchandising indicators, etc. At the same time, prepare a mature market emergency plan. Once the early warning system alarms, act immediately. Blocking methods should be "short, flat, fast," blocking the competitor outside the defense line in the shortest time, at least defeating the opponent in "morale." Strive to resolve the battle in a short time, concentrate superior forces, and annihilate the opponent. After all, the war is burning at your own doorstep, and you suffer the most.
  5. Pay attention to brand aging, timely product upgrades or add new products to supplement the product line. While making your brand fuller, do not give the opponent opportunities. When understanding that the regional manager is to lead troops into battle, not only will regional managers understand their job responsibilities, but enterprises will also understand the standard of a good regional manager: not only can fight, but also lead troops.

Fourth, what is an invincible army? Thought: In the ups and downs of the business sea, how many heroes have bent at the waist! But where did they "die prematurely"? Was the army not strong, the equipment not good, or... In today's increasingly mature competition, the era of lone heroes has passed. The history of relying on one or two golden salesmen to support an enterprise is increasingly distant. The basic components of an enterprise marketing system are iron discipline + iron army. As for brand, it is nothing more than the enterprise's political slogan + political behavior (enterprise strategy, product appeal, and market performance), precisely speaking, it is the will of the people! For example, a convenience food that cannot even pass hygiene standards and is short in weight will inevitably fail even with the most beautiful advertisements and the most advanced marketing in the world! Because the "will of the people" in the consumer market does not support it! 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 Sales, 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 Visual Merchandising, New Market, Market Operation, Learning, Book Recommendations, Inventory Management, New Salespeople, Consumer Promotion, Execution, Old Products, Expired Product Handling, Model Market, Investment Attraction, New Media, Distributor Development, Performance Assessment, Assessment, Annual Planning, Shopping Guide, Morning Meeting, Display, Transformation, Stock Pressure, Holidays, Distributor Cost Control, Channel Operation, Marketing Theory and Laws, Brand Truth, Order Meeting, Team Management, Training, Debriefing, Debriefing Report.