---
title: "Starting from Scratch: The First Lesson for Sales Representatives"
description: "This article explains the crucial roles of sales representatives in a company—matchmaker, soldier, and diplomat—and outlines their responsibilities towards consumers, channel partners, the company, and themselves, emphasizing their importance in driving sales and market success."
author: "郭旭"
publisher: "New Distribution"
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published: "2014-11-10"
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# Starting from Scratch: The First Lesson for Sales Representatives

> This article explains the crucial roles of sales representatives in a company—matchmaker, soldier, and diplomat—and outlines their responsibilities towards consumers, channel partners, the company, and themselves, emphasizing their importance in driving sales and market success.

Warm reminder: Click the blue text above “FMCG Distributor Professional Consulting” to learn more about marketing and distributor internal management.

The Roles of Sales Representatives: Matchmaker, Soldier, Diplomat
If the boss doesn't manage the company, the company can still develop; if the general manager goes abroad on vacation, the company can still operate; but if all sales representatives resign, the company will face a life-and-death crisis.

Why are sales representatives so important? What are their roles in the enterprise?

1. Matchmaker
The process from consumers knowing a company's product to gradually liking, purchasing, consuming, and being loyal to it is like a process of "acquaintance," "falling in love," and "marriage" between consumers and the company's product. The "matchmaker" is the company's sales representative.

When a sales representative enters a market, they must first understand which consumer groups will "fancy" your product and what consumption needs of these groups your product meets. Then, introduce your findings to the distributor, who acts as the "best man" and "bridesmaid" for your product. Together, you deliver the product to the "wedding hall" (stores, retail outlets). Finally, let consumers happily "marry" your product and leave behind the "bride price."

2. Soldier
The strength of an enterprise depends on the size and strength of the market it owns. A brand with strong markets across the country represents a large national enterprise; a brand with only a few small regional markets represents a small enterprise.

To own more and better markets, enterprises need more and better sales representatives to expand territories and develop markets. When all enterprises think this way, competition for market territory begins; the sales representatives are the "soldiers" fighting for their enterprises in the market.

3. Diplomat
Sales representatives are on the front line, dealing with various people such as consumers, distributors, distributor's salespeople, secondary distributors, retailers, industry and commerce bureau personnel, technical supervision bureau personnel, and so on.

When interacting with each person, sales representatives represent the enterprise and its image, acting as "diplomats." They must communicate well with all types of people regarding every question raised about the enterprise. Especially when handling matters such as company promotional policies, payment collection policies, distributor territories, product quality issues, and administrative fines, they should provide accurate answers within their responsibilities and authority; for matters beyond their authority, they should report to superiors as soon as possible and convey instructions to relevant personnel.

Responsibilities of Sales Representatives
In front of consumers or distributors, sales representatives represent the enterprise more than the general manager does. Sales representatives must not only understand the above three roles but also shoulder corresponding responsibilities.

1. Responsibility to Consumers
In a sense, sales representatives' salaries and bonuses are paid by consumers. Without developing and owning more consumers, sales performance cannot improve or break through. A successful sales representative must first be responsible to consumers.

(1) Conduct classified research on the market under their charge, identify the consumer groups they serve, and understand their characteristics, economic status, and consumption patterns;
(2) Provide products needed by target consumer groups in the market;
(3) Discover potential needs of target consumer groups in a timely manner, accurately assess the trend and scale of needs, and recommend the company develop corresponding products;
(4) Inform as many consumers or potential consumers as possible about the company's promotional and feedback activities;
(5) Quickly answer and resolve consumer questions or complaints;
(6) Pay special attention to key consumers who frequently purchase the company's products, listen to their opinions and voices;
(7) Raise objections and provide reasonable suggestions when the company's practices harm consumers.

2. Responsibility to Channel Partners
Sales representatives cannot conquer the market with bare hands; only those who are good at finding allies can successfully operate a market. Sales representatives' allies are every interest group in the channel: distributors, sub-distributors, retailers, shopping mall promoters, etc. A sales representative who can take responsibility for each interest group can integrate the interests of all parties, achieving a "multi-win" state in the channel while serving their own products.

(1) Each interest group cares most about its own profits and interests. Sales representatives should set channel prices reasonably to give each link reasonable profit and interest margins;
(2) Pay attention to the needs and problems of allies at each link, promptly resolve their questions, complaints, and needs, fulfill promises made or planned, and inform them of progress and results;
(3) Care about allies' business and development, provide timely business advice and suggestions, and sincerely act as their consultant;
(4) Pay special attention to the product categories customers want to distribute; do not just provide whatever products customers ask for, but also objectively analyze competitors' products for customers;
(5) Provide comprehensive and correct explanations of the company's promotional policies and advertising strategies to encourage customers to understand and actively respond and act.

3. Responsibility to the Company
"Entrusted by others, be loyal to their affairs." Every time an enterprise appoints a sales representative, it entrusts them with a city, whether to attack or defend; sales representatives must not disappoint the stage and expectations the enterprise gives them.

(1) Distributors are strategic partners of the enterprise. Sales representatives should promote the company's boss to gain distributors' respect, promote the company to gain their trust, promote the company's products to drive their interests, and promote themselves to gain their friendship;
(2) Channels are the necessary path for product circulation. Sales representatives should continuously expand the network by developing blank outlets, strengthen the network by improving weak outlets, and ensure network smoothness by handling network crisis points;
(3) Products are the weapons for performance. Sales representatives should master the features and advantages of the company's products, love their products, report product performance in the market truthfully to the company, and provide suggestions;
(4) Market share is limited at a specific stage; if you don't occupy it, competitors will. Sales representatives should carefully observe competitors' signs, such as pricing, sales visibility, promotions, packaging, new products, and attitudes of specific customers or consumers, learn from competitors' advanced practices, discover their mistakes and crises in time, and attack to seize market share;
(5) Market archives are important bases for enterprises and sales personnel to study markets and formulate strategies. Sales representatives should truthfully fill in and report market analysis, work plans, network information, competitor materials, marketing diaries, etc.;
(6) Personal image represents the enterprise's image. Sales representatives should use standardized business language, maintain a neat appearance, and ensure that visual materials, product catalogs, photos, charts, and documents shown to customers are clean and tidy;
(7) Processes and systems ensure the normal operation of the company and market. Sales representatives should follow, implement, and maintain the company's processes and systems;
(8) Sales volume is a hard indicator for measuring sales representatives' ability. The effect of every task ultimately reflects through sales volume. Completing sales targets assigned by the company at each stage is an unshirkable responsibility;
(9) Profit is the lifeline of an enterprise; an enterprise that cannot create profit cannot survive long. For a market, the enterprise can not make money in a specific period, but it absolutely cannot lose money for a long time. When formulating market operation plans, sales representatives should consider the input-output ratio, creating both sales volume and profit for the enterprise.

4. Responsibility to Oneself and Family
A sales representative who is not responsible for themselves will certainly not be responsible for the company or others.

(1) Plan your career, with clear improvement goals at each stage.
A soldier who doesn't want to be a general is not a good soldier. Sales representatives cannot be sales representatives forever. If a sales representative cannot become a marketing manager within five years, they are probably not an excellent one. Accumulate steps to reach a thousand miles; gather streams to form a river. Require yourself to improve a little every day, so you will make great progress in a year and a big change in three years. Progress comes from learning, practice, and summary.

(2) Create good living conditions for your family.
As an adult, a sales representative will soon or already bear the responsibility of supporting parents, raising children, and caring for a spouse. To fulfill these responsibilities, you cannot rely solely on spiritual care; you need financial support. Therefore, sales representatives should not only be qualified but also be able to create excellent performance, earn more salary and bonuses, and be further promoted and valued by the company!

Guo Xu: Founder of the "Net Sales" theory, one of the top ten experts in the training expert group of "Sales and Marketing" magazine. He pioneered the "Net Sales" theoretical system, which has been highly praised by the marketing community. He has served as Marketing Director of Baixiang Group and Market Director of Fujian Qinqin, among others.

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