Imagine meeting an old friend, classmate, or neighbor you haven't seen in years. After shaking hands, you blurt out, "I'm now in multi-level marketing and selling insurance; I want to sell you a product..." I think before you finish, they're gone. Real insurance agents and MLMers aren't that foolish. They don't start by selling. They first show deep concern and tell you benefits—like MLM can make you rich. As for insurance... after you die, your wife gets rich. The professional term for 'benefits first, then selling' is 'highlight value first, tell the profit story, then talk about price.' When opening the door for business, shop owners (especially small terminal owners) care most about 'profit,' so telling profit stories is always one of the most effective selling methods and a necessary skill for sales reps. If you think telling a profit story is as simple as subtracting cost from selling price, you're wrong. Truly mastering the profit story is not easy. Let's learn 21 ways to tell profit stories. Topic 1: Tailor the profit story to the audience. Confucius said, 'Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself.' He definitely didn't say, 'What you want, do to others.' People are different; what you like, others may not. If you praise a monk's luscious hair, you might get hit. If you give a beggar 100 yuan, he'll thank you for days! If you go to America to give Bill Gates, the world's richest man, 100 yuan, you're lucky to come back alive! When telling profit stories, different people need different methods.

  1. Tailor the profit story to the audience: In small terminals, two types of people can decide to stock: the owner and the store manager/buyer in small supermarkets. Different identities and times have different needs: owners generally care more about profit; during new store openings, owners care more about whether it can bring foot traffic or enhance the store's image. Store managers/buyers generally first care whether best-selling products are already in the store (otherwise the boss will scold them), then whether their monthly assessment targets are met. Sales reps should tailor profit stories accordingly.
  2. During regular negotiations with shop owners, emphasize product sales profit: "Boss, this Shuangmiankuai instant noodles is our best-selling new product locally. It's on TV ads and has a scratch-card consumer promotion. Our company gives you a box for 20 yuan, 24 packs per box, that's 83 cents a pack. With our bonus, net cost is 80 cents a pack. Retail is 1.5 yuan a pack, so you earn 70 cents per pack, a return rate of over 87%! Because our company's promotion is strong, sales and price are guaranteed. Trust-Mart did a poster promotion with this product last week and sold over 800 boxes in two weeks. Guess their poster price? They also sold at 1.5 yuan (they usually sell at 1.7). You're at the entrance of a residential area; if you sell at 1.5, you can calculate your profit yourself."
  3. During new store openings, emphasize profit, delivery convenience, damage exchange, and merchandising support: "Boss, you have great taste; this location is excellent. Our company wants to cooperate with clients like you with good store image. I've already calculated the product sales profit for you. Let me share good news: I want to apply to make your store a model store. For your new opening, we'll enhance your store image for free—put up high-quality laminated posters, install waterproof and sun-proof wrapping film on the exterior, and hang lanterns as a sign at the entrance. We'll also give you a stack display reward (let me show you our model store standard photos)... You just need to maintain these items. We'll give you two cases of goods as a reward and support each month. Moreover, model stores get priority VIP service; we visit weekly, and with one phone call, we deliver. Products with dates not past half shelf life can be exchanged. Promotions will prioritize model stores to boost your business. For well-located and cooperative stores, we might even apply to make a store sign and lightbox."
  4. For store managers/buyers in small supermarkets, emphasize that other stores have already stocked and sell well: "The largest Wanjia Supermarket near your community has already stocked and is doing a magazine promotion; you can check it out. Also, Hongcheng Supermarket at the community entrance and Haodi Convenience chain at the intersection have stocked and done end-cap displays. Hongcheng even wants us to do a Mid-Autumn Festival stack display with a buy-one-get-one promotion. I'm holding them off because they're too close to Haodi and might cause price wars. Your store is in the residential square, with a better location. If you want to do it, I can support you." (Implication to the buyer: these key stores in the area are your competitors; if they're doing so well and you don't have it, the boss might scold you one day.)
  5. For well-managed small supermarkets, probe the buyer's assessment indicators: A few well-managed small supermarkets imitate large supermarkets in assessing store managers on several indicators (sales, gross profit, expenses, inventory, etc.). During communication, you'll find which indicator the store manager is interested in, indicating pressure on that indicator this month. Then prescribe the right remedy: if he cares about performance, emphasize activities to boost sales and foot traffic; if he cares about gross profit, push high-priced new products; if he cares about expenses, present the model store support plan.
  6. Time the profit story well: Observe when the boss 'gets interested,' then 'add fuel to the fire': When the boss starts asking detailed price questions or uses a calculator to figure profit, it means he's psychologically assuming the product is in the store and seeing how much he can earn. At this moment, seize the opportunity to calculate profit in detail (see below for specifics).
  7. See who in the store cares most about profit: Sometimes small terminal owners are cautious and have many concerns about new products, but the boss's wife is more 'money-minded' and likes to calculate carefully; she's easily moved by profit and doesn't consider 'whether it will sell,' 'how's service,' 'can we return,' 'will it tie up capital' etc. So next time, your key negotiation target is the boss's wife. Topic 2: Boss, let me calculate a detailed account for you. A profit story is definitely not as simple as cost minus selling price. Boss, you've been in business for years; you've already calculated profit thoroughly. Pull up a small stool, sit down, and listen to me calculate a detailed account in over ten ways to see how much you can really earn.
  8. Price difference and promotion policies generate unit profit: Keywords:
  1. Purchase price: Deduct all promotional bonuses to calculate 'naked cost.' (Case omitted.)
  2. Retail selling price: Terminal owners don't set prices based on their own costs but first look at what the neighboring store charges. So sales reps should emphasize that other stores sell at this price, and our company stipulates all terminals sell at this price. Our price tags and posters indicate this price, building the owner's confidence in the retail price.
  3. Return rate: Unit profit divided by 'net unit purchase price' equals return rate. For example, in the case at the beginning: the owner usually only remembers earning 70 cents per pack. 70 cents isn't much, but if you calculate the return rate of 87%, it sounds more convincing!
  1. Gifts generate profit:
  1. Fumando's 'Every Box Has a Gift' gives a towel. Most consumers won't buy a whole box; when the box is opened, you can hang the towel and sell it for at least 3 yuan, adding 3 yuan profit per box.
  2. "You have such a large hotel; you need to give employees New Year benefits. Buy 10 boxes of oil and get 10 bags of rice. You can give them to 6 employees, killing two birds with one stone, saving you from buying them."
  1. Exclusive product price management protects your unit profit:
  1. "We only distribute to one outlet per village, so there won't be price wars among several outlets. Also, the products we give you are different from those in large supermarkets, so price wars in town won't disrupt your prices. Your profit is guaranteed. As long as you display and recommend actively, this product will always bring you profit."
  2. After a community store owner hears my new product introduction, he asks: 'Will you deliver to other stores?'—This owner worries about price wars among stores in the same community. And this owner's store is better in location and size. I reply: 'For the first month of the new product launch, we plan to select only one good store in this community to help run activities and build the product. At least this month, I won't supply other stores.'
  1. Sales volume generates total sales profit: "The price difference profit is here; it's up to you to take it. Whether sales are big or not, I won't say—you see for yourself—give reasons why your product sells, like advertising and promotion support, and cite specific cases and numbers of other stores selling well." (Specific methods to build owner confidence in sales are in the next section.)
  2. High consumer consumption per occasion generates per-customer profit: "Our liquor is light, mellow, and doesn't cause headaches. High-end restaurants now prefer healthy, small-pack, mellow, non-headache liquor. Consumers drink more of this type, so you earn more. ** (competitor) in your store is sold in 1.3-jin bottles, high alcohol, and has a 'buy one get one free' lottery. Think about it: that reduces how much liquor you sell and how much profit you lose."
  3. Fast turnover generates turnover profit return: "As a store owner, you don't earn unit profit but turnover profit return. Selling our product earns 50 cents per pack; selling generic brands earns 2 yuan per pack. But our product sells fast—sold out in three days, turning over ten times a month, monthly gross profit return is 50 cents times ten equals 5 yuan. Generic brands earn 2 yuan per pack but take two months to sell, monthly gross profit is 2 yuan divided by two, which is 1 yuan. Calculate which has higher profit?"
  4. Rebates generate cumulative profit: "If you accumulate 200 boxes in a year, we'll give you a refrigerator (retail price 1700 yuan/unit). What does 200 boxes mean? Less than one box a day; selling six bottles a day completes the task. A table of heavy drinkers can drink several boxes. As long as you promote seriously, you'll definitely complete it." (Hint: Don't tell the owner the total task; break it down to daily. A total task of 200 boxes of premium beer isn't easy for a small restaurant, but breaking it down to six bottles a day sounds easy. Actually, breaking down by day is a sleight of hand—it doesn't consider competitor sales or seasonal factors.) "That's an extra 8 yuan profit per box. Earlier I said the return rate was 87%; with this, your profit is over 100%. Besides, you run a small supermarket; you need a refrigerator. If we don't give it, you'd have to buy one. Now we give it first. After completing the task, we refund the deposit, and you use the refrigerator a year early."
  5. Packaging returns generate secondary profit: For alcohol bottle cap returns and instant noodle box returns, calculate in detail: "For example, each bottle cap refunds 50 cents, adding 12 yuan profit per box. We recycle empty bottles at 50 cents each, while competitors pay 30 cents, so you earn more profit."
  6. Handling fees for packaging returns generate tertiary profit: "As a terminal small supermarket, you collect bottle caps from consumers at 50 cents each; usually, this 50 cents is offset against purchases, boosting your store's business. Additionally, when we exchange, we give you 12 caps' worth for 10 caps; those two extra caps are your handling fee. We promote to boost your sales and total profit, and we also pay you for exchanging caps."
  7. Display rewards generate stable profit and boost sales, increasing total sales profit:
  1. "If you display 20 empty boxes at the entrance, we'll give you two cases of goods a month, another 50 yuan profit (at retail price). And this money is free; just display the empty boxes, and you get it. That's stable profit. Don't forget, for these two cases, we also return bottles, boxes, and caps—that's profit on profit."
  2. "We help you with display rewards: place six bottles on each table, hang a price tag with retail price, and add laminated posters. Consumers who weren't planning to drink might grab a bottle or two. Product display is like having a promoter in your store who doesn't need a salary; it boosts consumption without much effort, increasing your profit."
  1. Special agreements generate agreement profit:
  1. Special agreements include exclusive display agreements, rebate agreements for completing tasks, exclusivity agreements to prevent selling competitors, and exclusive sales agreements in the liquor industry.
  2. "Our product is in the same tier as competitors. Do you want to earn a few dozen yuan per box from them, or do you want our 5,000 yuan annual exclusive reward? If you become our exclusive model store, besides sales profit, you get an extra 5,000 yuan a year for exclusive cooperation. Hey, I'm tempted to quit and open a store myself!"
  3. "All signed model stores are recorded, and we give priority VIP service..."
  1. Benefits beyond profit: If your profit isn't advantageous, know how to step back and explain value beyond profit.
  1. Bring foot traffic: "A supermarket needs products that don't make money to bring in customers. In short, if you don't have products that don't make money, you won't make money."
  2. Bring golden customers: "Yes, this product doesn't sell much in your store and brings little profit, but it targets white-collar workers. They spend more per visit and buy high-end products. My product is the wutong tree that attracts the phoenix; the customers it brings are golden phoenixes and gods of wealth."
  3. Bring price image: "This product is low-priced with low unit margin (or imported high-priced with low sales), but it's a price image product. Because this ultra-low-price (or high-end) product is in your store, people think your prices are low (or your store is high-end). That indirectly creates profit for you."
  4. Good logistics service, no capital tie-up, damage handling: "We visit weekly, deliver, return bottles, and calculate rebates promptly, without tying up your capital. Products past half shelf life are exchanged for new ones as long as the outer packaging isn't damaged. We have promoters to help with activities..."
  1. I can help you increase profit:
  1. Sell-through generates new sales and new profit: "I plan to invest in displays and consumer promotions to boost sales and profit..."
  2. Changing product structure generates profit:
  • "I plan to use your store as a promotion base, distributing consumer discount coupons in the surrounding area and promoting high-priced products..."
  • "Selling mature products that customers order doesn't make money; only by selling products you want to sell to customers can you make money!"
  • "New products have high initial profit; sell first to earn first. Once sales pick up and prices might get chaotic, you won't earn!"
  1. (Case omitted.)
  1. Let customers get a small advantage; they'll feel profit is higher: Explanation: Letting customers get a small advantage doesn't cost us more; it just amplifies their fear of missing out—making them realize what they lose by not accepting our product. Many people like small advantages; for example, why do so many people sign up for mobile phone call packages? Many don't need that many minutes, but they sign up because they don't want to lose the discount.
  1. Promotion flexibility: For example, for very small stores that can't order enough, be flexible within company rules—let them order a few packs first, display and trial-sell, then accumulate on next week's order to reach the threshold and still give gifts.
  2. Promotion is ending soon; I've applied for an extension for you; keep it confidential:
  • "It's cold now, and our distribution promotion is strong. After the holiday, when it warms up, there won't be promotions. Anyway, the peak season will come then. You're not afraid of not selling this stock."
  • "This activity is the last day. I came specifically to tell you it's over, but the report hasn't been submitted yet. If you want, I can 'cut in line' and treat you under the original promotion policy. Don't tell anyone." (Even if the boss doesn't order, he'll thank you.)
  1. Who's begging whom? My stock might not even be enough today:
  • After confirming the profit story is clear and the boss is interested but hesitating, either directly help him decide and write the order, or make a move to leave: "You go ahead; I have other stores to deliver to. I'll come back after unloading their goods. I'm afraid today's stock might not be enough." Or even in front of him, instruct the driver to unload at the neighboring store. Summary and Analysis: When opening the door for business, shop owners (especially small terminal owners) care most about 'profit,' so telling profit stories is always one of the most effective selling methods and a necessary skill for sales reps. If you think telling a profit story is as simple as subtracting cost from selling price, you're wrong. Truly mastering the profit story is not easy. First, learn to tailor the profit story to the audience... Second, time the profit story and choose the right target... Third, comprehensively analyze and tell the profit story from multiple aspects: 'price difference and promotion policies generate unit profit'; 'exclusive product price management protects unit profit'; 'sales volume generates total sales profit'; 'high consumer consumption per occasion generates per-customer profit'; 'fast turnover generates turnover profit return'; 'rebates generate cumulative profit'; 'packaging returns generate secondary profit & handling fees generate tertiary profit'; 'display rewards generate stable profit & boost sales to increase total sales profit'; 'special agreements generate agreement profit'... Fourth, for situations without profit advantage, shift the negotiation focus to benefits beyond profit, emphasizing that our product brings foot traffic, golden customers, good service, and other value-added content that indirectly generates profit. Fifth, provide plans to increase customer profit, telling profit stories with 'future profit prospects'... Finally, letting customers get a small advantage often makes them feel 'more profitable.' It must be noted that profit stories are important, but relying solely on low prices and high profits isn't the best choice—there will always be products with lower prices and higher profits. Moreover, sales reps who only talk profit can be 'passive' because over time, as soon as they enter the store, the owner asks, 'What's the gift with this order?' Telling profit stories is important! Besides profit stories, we also need to master 'using service to break the ice,' 'analyzing what the owner lacks in the store' (covered in the previous section), 'using relationships to sell,' 'using merchandising to sell,' 'using herd mentality and bandwagon effect to sell,' and more models... This article is excerpted from Mr. Wei Qing's book: 'Terminal Sales Sunflower Manual.' Reply with the following keywords to search and read related professional articles: Sales Supervisor, Second-Tier Management, Regional Manager, Distributor Management, New Channels, City Manager, Competition, 2015, Manufacturer-Dealer Game, Product Stagnation, Terminal Visit Management, Route Management, Deep Distribution, Internal Management, Sales Skills, Profit Improvement, Recruitment, Distribution, Daily Management, Team Motivation, Trade Promotion, Sales Misconceptions, New Product Launch, Township Market, New Product Pricing, Sales Target Achievement, Closing, Market Visit and 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, Investment Attraction, New Media, Distributor Development, Performance Appraisal, 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.