Today, supermarket channels have become one of the most important sales links in the circulation of goods in the market economy. Promotions, as a sales form, have gradually been recognized and accepted by consumers due to their versatility and direct benefits, alongside the booming development of the supermarket industry. However, as people's understanding of promotions has increased, and with the intensifying vicious competition among manufacturers and merchants, promotions have become a "little trick" that consumers overlook. If manufacturers and merchants reluctantly engage in promotions because "promoting is seeking death, not promoting is waiting for death," then our customers—consumers—are indeed seasoned soldiers cultivated by the successive promotional "wars" waged by manufacturers and merchants. After all, "waiting for promotions when there are none, comparing promotions when there are some, checking the brand after selecting a promotion, and checking the batch number after the brand" has become the "quasi-principle" for many consumers' purchasing behavior.

Promoters, a new profession born with promotions, have become a focus of investment for manufacturers and merchants due to their more controllable and direct effects compared to promotional forms and methods. However, people are not commodities; they possess differentiated subjective initiative and individual differences. To better unify thoughts, standardize behaviors, enhance professional quality, and improve sales execution, promoter training has gradually become one of the important means for manufacturers and merchants.

Currently, the content of promoter training across manufacturers and merchants, aside from industry and product differences, generally boils down to the following points:

  1. Corporate culture training (company introduction, development history, honors, culture, etc.);
  2. Product knowledge training (product name, specifications, price, features, functions, etc.);
  3. Rules and regulations training (job responsibilities, compensation, attendance, reports and meetings, etc.);
  4. Promotional skills training (promotion techniques, Q&A, role-playing, etc.);
  5. Motivation and development training (philosophical stories, discussions, case sharing, interactive games, etc.).

In principle, this seems to be the case, but after practical testing in promotional activities, the results are uneven. Some promoters perform well, maintaining stable sales regardless of the store, while others, whether in good or bad stores, fail to achieve results, leaving only the excuse that the promoters' overall quality and abilities are poor. This phenomenon has indeed become a challenge for manufacturers and merchants in the use and management of promoters. So, what makes a good promoter, and how can novice promoters quickly master practical promotional skills?

The author hopes to explore the key points of quantifying and implementing promoter behaviors through the following case:

Xiao Li is a promotion supervisor at a dairy company. Recently, the company organized a large-scale terminal promotion event, recruiting 150 temporary promoters (college students) to enter supermarkets for promotions. After selection and training, the 150 promoters were divided into groups of three and stationed in different supermarkets. However, within a few days, the differences in promotional results became apparent. Thirteen groups performed very well, while other groups, due to poor performance and concerns about sales commission, demanded to rotate stores with the high-performing groups. Reluctantly, the company complied. However, the originally high-performing stores saw a significant decline, while fortunately, the 13 excellent groups, despite being assigned to stores with previously poor promotional performance, showed varying degrees of improvement. To preserve the promotional results, Xiao Li invited the author to explore the reasons.

After three days of market visits with Xiao Li, the author found that the 13 outstanding groups had very reasonable and effective division of labor and collaboration. Most importantly, each of them had summarized key controllable points in the supermarket promotion process through mutual communication and learning. The author organized these into a process of phased quantitative breakdown of promotional behaviors, which, when supplemented and implemented, proved effective. Here is the written version for discussion.

Phased Quantitative Breakdown Process of Promotional Behaviors: (as shown in the figure)

  1. Preparation: (Standardize and set goals)

    • Material preparation: Check promotional clothing; set up promotional table according to standards; vivid product display; placement of tasting materials and connections (pay attention to standards, not obstructing consumers); display of promotional materials (vivid side facing consumers); selection of personnel standing positions (main aisles, high-traffic areas for guidance, etc.).
    • Psychological preparation: Adjust work state (self-motivation); set work goals (realistic and inspiring); practice smiling; relax (use restroom or deep breathing, etc.).

  2. Observation (Find target consumers):

    • From top to bottom, bottom to top: Observe consumers within reach in this order, focusing on: (1) Clothing: Dress level (focus on brand and quality, "judging by appearance"); cleanliness and appropriateness; shoe style and cleanliness. (2) Determine family role: Single; married; couple; mother and child; housewife; elderly (based on product suitability and target consumers, especially middle-aged women as key targets). (3) Items in shopping basket or cart: Observe the price and quantity of already selected items (preliminary judgment of purchase goals and spending level). (4) Determine if target customer: Based on the above observations, judge whether they are the target consumer for this promotional product.

  3. Interception (Retain target consumers):

    • Greeting: Use an appropriate volume based on distance to attract attention. For example: "Hello, can I help you find something?" or "Hello, are you looking for XX products?" Avoid phrases with obvious sales traces like "Excuse me, can I introduce XX products to you?"
    • Positioning: Stand at a 45-degree angle to the consumer's right, at a distance greater than an arm's length but less than 1.5 meters (this position is physiologically a psychological safety zone for consumers, as per business etiquette).
    • Smile: The effect and politeness of smiling need no further explanation.

  4. Inquiry (Reconnoiter target consumers' purchase purpose):

    • Ask if they are selecting promotional product categories: Judge by the consumer's gaze and whether there are similar products in the basket/cart, and ask appropriately.
    • Ask about purchase purpose: For gifts (friends, family, children, elderly); personal use; special purposes (welfare, banquets, etc.). Combine with your product to ask, preferably in a binary choice format to facilitate answering without invading privacy. For example: "Are you buying this for yourself or as a gift?"
    • Ask who the end user is: Ask who will use it (self, family, children, elderly, superiors, friends, etc.) to tailor the presentation and recommendation to the consumer's purchasing psychology.
    • Perceive key purchase concerns: Based on first impressions and verbal skills, discern the consumer's key concerns (brand, certification, production date, price, etc.).

  5. Interaction (Describe and demonstrate the product):

    • Use analogies to explain the product: Highlight product features; emphasize advantages over previous or similar products, but never disparage similar products. For example: "You've used anti-dandruff shampoos before, right? Our current product is different from the old anti-dandruff shampoos; it focuses on conditioning, nourishing the scalp epidermis, controlling oil secretion, preventing dandruff, and thus achieving the effect of removing and stopping dandruff."
    • Vivid demonstration, show credentials: Present the most vivid aspects of the product, such as "National Inspection-Free Product" or "China Top Brand" certification marks and text.
    • Periodic questioning to induce interaction: Avoid a "bragging" monologue; every 3-5 sentences, engage in Q&A interaction, using "yes/no" questions for key information, and affirm the consumer's responses. For example: "Saponin has been considered by traditional Chinese medicine as a remedy for dandruff and skin spots since ancient times, right?"
    • Guide consumers to answer their own concerns: As above, use Q&A or "yes/no" questions to let consumers draw conclusions themselves.

  6. Inducement (Present promotional offers and benefits):

    • Promotional policies: Emphasize the current promotional offers, highlight the limited time or quantity, and strengthen the desire to purchase.
    • Compare with pre-promotion natural conditions: Compare with similar products' natural conditions (specifications, price, etc.) or the product's previous situation to reinforce the promotional benefits.

  7. Calculation (Show tangible savings):

    • Calculate costs, highlight savings or extras: Emphasize the cost savings from promotional offers, or the value of gifts, bundled items, trial products, etc., to maximize the savings figure.
    • Calculate average usage cost per unit: For price-sensitive consumers, calculate the cost per unit of use (e.g., per use or per day) to minimize the impact of price.

  8. Opportunity (Seize the moment to close):

    • Listen for purchase signals: Pay attention to changes in facial expressions and eye contact; detect the consumer's focus and the moment they decide to buy through their demeanor, actions, and words.
    • Distinguish consumer types: Differentiate between "value-conscious," "know-it-all," "hesitant," "independent," and other types, and use appropriate strategies to motivate them (the author will elaborate in a separate article).
    • Timely request the purchase: When purchase signals appear, make the request to buy, facilitating the purchase behavior.

  9. Pressure (Facilitate the purchase decision):

    • Use language techniques to resolve doubts: Use "quantity selection" questions to persuade and facilitate the decision, avoiding "yes/no" questions that might lead to abandonment. For example: "Since you know XX products so well, would you like to buy one or two?"
    • Apply moderate pressure on purchase quantity: For "hesitant" and "browsing" consumers, do not give up; moderately increase purchase pressure. For example: "You've been looking for a while; you're clearly an expert. Don't you think you must buy one of these great products? It would also help me out!"

  10. Reminder (Explain usage and precautions):

    • Explain usage: When the consumer decides to buy, help them pick up the product and hand it to them (in hand, basket, cart; for large items, help transport), and explain how to use it.
    • Explain precautions: As above, and emphasize key points.

  11. Recommendation (Help find next purchase target and provide advice):

    • Ask about other purchase goals: After the purchase decision and handing over the product, proactively ask if you can provide other help or services. This builds rapport and ensures the consumer actually pays for the product.
    • Provide tailored advice and insider information: Based on the consumer's identity and characteristics (family role, age, etc.), provide relevant promotional information to enhance goodwill and ensure the actual purchase and payment.

  12. Continuation (Create opportunities for repeat purchases):

    • Thank for the purchase: Accompany the consumer for a short distance, thank them for choosing the product, invite feedback and suggestions on the product and your work, to build rapport and ensure payment.
    • Create next purchase opportunity: After thanking, suggest that if the product works well, they are welcome to buy it again.
    • Create extended purchase opportunities: Encourage them to recommend the product to relatives and friends if they are satisfied.

In summary, the phased quantitative breakdown of promotional behaviors is described in twelve key points, but in practice, it should not be rigidly followed; rather, it should be applied flexibly. The actual promotional process is influenced by many factors such as location, time, and store management, so it cannot be generalized. However, the key points should be taught and trained through promotional training sessions, with timely summaries, so that each promoter understands the significance of these key points and uses quantitative management to standardize and enhance their promotional execution and control capabilities.

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