---
title: "The Frontline Salesperson's \"Marketing Diary\""
description: "For an ordinary salesperson, doing the job well is enough; for one who aspires to rapid advancement, the ability to handle \"paperwork\" is indispensable. -01- How to write a policy application report that gets the leader's signature. Reasons why policy applications are not approved: Common phenomenon 1: At every sales meeting, salespeople complain about too few POP materials. Yet, when the boss visits the market, he never sees POP, but finds the dealer's warehouse walls covered with POP. Imagine, if the boss..."
author: "刘春雄"
publisher: "New Distribution"
email: "zhaobo258@gmail.com"
telephone: "+8615854817671"
published: "2019-11-22"
categories: "Distribution & Channels"
language: "en"
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attribution: "New Distribution — https://xinjignxiao.com/en/articles/the-frontline-salesperson-s-marketing-diary-8f7c19d5/"
citation: "刘春雄. “The Frontline Salesperson's \"Marketing Diary\".” New Distribution, 2019-11-22. https://xinjignxiao.com/en/articles/the-frontline-salesperson-s-marketing-diary-8f7c19d5/"
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---

# The Frontline Salesperson's "Marketing Diary"

> For an ordinary salesperson, doing the job well is enough; for one who aspires to rapid advancement, the ability to handle "paperwork" is indispensable. -01- How to write a policy application report that gets the leader's signature. Reasons why policy applications are not approved: Common phenomenon 1: At every sales meeting, salespeople complain about too few POP materials. Yet, when the boss visits the market, he never sees POP, but finds the dealer's warehouse walls covered with POP. Imagine, if the boss...

For an ordinary salesperson, doing the job well is enough; for one who aspires to rapid advancement, the ability to handle "paperwork" is indispensable.

**-01-
How to Write a Policy Application Report That Gets the Leader's Signature**

**Why Policy Applications Are Not Approved**

**• Common Phenomenon 1:**
At every sales meeting, salespeople complain about too few POP materials. However, every time the boss visits the market, he never sees POP, but instead finds the dealer's warehouse walls covered with POP.
Imagine, if the boss discovers that policy resources are always wasted like this, will he approve your next policy application report?

**◎ Advice:** If you let the boss discover that policy resources are wasted, it will become even harder to get policies approved next time.

**• Common Phenomenon 2:**
Every time a salesperson applies for a sales policy, sales increase rapidly in the short term. However, at year-end, total sales show no change. Will the boss approve future applications?

**◎ Advice:** As long as sales policies do not lead to an increase in total sales, the boss will become increasingly cautious in approving policies.

**• Common Phenomenon 3:**
Sales policies are often "intercepted" by dealers. For example, dealers treat promotional policies as profit, so sales don't increase but profits do. Or dealers inflate advertising expenses and pocket the money.

**◎ Advice:** As long as it is discovered that sales policies are intercepted by dealers, future applications will be more difficult.

**• Common Phenomenon 4:**
Some salespeople think the boss is afraid of "spending big money," so they adopt a "fishing" approach, breaking the application into small pieces, each with a low amount that is easily approved. However, once the boss sees through this trick, future applications become difficult.

**◎ Advice:** Salespeople should not underestimate the boss and should avoid playing petty tricks.

**The Boss's Mindset**

Ordinary salespeople think the boss is most reluctant to spend money. The fact that the boss often "cuts applications in half" is proof. This is a classic case of "measuring the boss's heart by one's own."

The boss's mindset is: it's not that he is reluctant to spend money, but that he is afraid the money won't be spent effectively. As long as spending a little can earn a lot, he dares to spend more. Therefore, the boss cares more about the "input-output ratio."

**• Common Misconception 1:**
Salespeople often apply for policies with reasons like: "Our competitor's policy is very strong; we must follow." "Sales in this market are declining; it's dangerous without a policy." This threatening and intimidating approach may scare a few inexperienced bosses, but it doesn't work with most. Remember, bosses are used to seeing such words; they are commonplace. Moreover, the company's policy resources are limited, so some dangerous markets may be left alone, as investment may not yield returns.

**• Common Misconception 2:**
Most policy application reports explain why money needs to be spent, but rarely state the expected results after spending. The boss doesn't see the output. The boss may think this is a "policy bottomless pit."

**How to Get Policy Applications Approved Quickly**

**• Recommended Practice 1:**
When applying for a policy, give the boss a bright future. Telling the boss about opportunities is more effective than telling him about difficulties. When you talk about market opportunities, the boss gets excited and thinks about "how much to give." When you talk about difficulties, the boss gets a headache and thinks about "whether to give or not."

**• Recommended Practice 2:**
When applying, clearly tell the boss: everything is ready except the east wind—the policy is the east wind. If the east wind is not provided, then "everything is wasted." This implies to the boss: I've done my part; it's your turn. The boss sometimes fears responsibility, so this is the time to approve.

**• Recommended Practice 3:**
When applying, tell the boss that "the dealer is prepared to cooperate with the policy." The fear of dealers "intercepting" policies is a common concern. "As long as the dealer dares to contribute 20% of the cost, the company dares to contribute 80%," many bosses think. At the same time, if the dealer dares to cooperate with a policy, it shows the dealer has confidence, because dealers are more "stingy" than manufacturers in using policies.

**• Recommended Practice 4:**
Tell the boss about the results of previous policies. Salespeople often apply for policies but never report the results, or "dare not report." Some salespeople get approvals "at the sight of the document" because they have earned the boss's trust; their spending has results and is evaluated.

**• Recommended Practice 5:**
Apply for policies for a small, promising market. The boss's mindset is "water the seedlings when you see them." This is the "Matthew effect" in policy use: the better the market, the more willing the boss is to give policies, and the more generous. Therefore, doing a small good market is better than doing a large poor market. If the market shows promise, the policy will be promising.

**Better to Rely on Yourself Than on Others**

Enterprises are not banks, and policies are not money printers. Policy resources are always limited. Most policy applications are rejected, and even if approved, they are often "cut in half," and the best timing for using the policy may be lost.

Where do policies come from? Policies come from "price space," or policies are an organic part of price. Since that's the case, it's better to rely on yourself than on others. Salespeople can "create policies" by "re-packaging" the price of new products with dealers to leave enough policy space. In this way, while others worry about applying for policies, you may have a continuous supply of policies to invest in the market.

**-02-
How to Write a Sales Plan That Reassures the Leader**

Most salespeople regard writing sales plans as a chore, or think it's the leader's "making trouble out of nothing." Therefore, they usually write sales plans with a perfunctory attitude. Most sales managers also treat salespeople's plans as optional routine work. If not done, management seems incomplete. If done, it seems useless.

**• Typical Phenomenon 1:**
When we ask salespeople about their sales plans, the classic answer is: "I gave it to the manager." As if making a plan is just to hand it in. Or they answer: "It's in my diary." Plans are plans, actions are actions.

**• Typical Phenomenon 2:**
When we ask sales managers about each salesperson's sales plan, the classic answer is: "It's in the drawer."

**• Typical Phenomenon 3:**
Most salespeople's sales plans contain only two items: first, a sales volume breakdown plan, which salespeople can even break down in great detail by time, region, customer, and product. In fact, salespeople all know that in China's realistic marketing environment, the more detailed the sales plan breakdown, the more it is a deceptive trick. Second, a promotion plan or policy application plan. It seems that as long as the policy is not in place, the failure to complete the sales plan is not the salesperson's responsibility.

**• Typical Phenomenon 4:**
Some salespeople make very detailed plans, down to daily itineraries and work content. This is also a meaningless fake plan, because a small unexpected event can completely invalidate such a rigid plan.

Concept 1: The characteristic of an excellent salesperson is the ability to make plans and execute them effectively. The characteristic of an excellent manager is the ability to make plans for others and supervise their implementation.

Concept 2: Having no clear picture but achieving good results is possible, but it is not universal, cannot be replicated, and cannot be promoted.

**Recommended Practice 1:**
Without a qualified sales plan, salespeople must not be allowed to go to the market. Because they may not be creating value but generating costs. Sales management must revolve around sales plans. Process management mainly checks whether the process is consistent with the plan.

> Case: A food company once held a monthly planning meeting that lasted over 10 days. When the company issued sales targets, salespeople quickly produced corresponding plans. Following convention, they were just sales breakdowns and promotion plans, without any work plans. But we required: "Monthly work plans must be detailed enough that when people see them, they know that if they execute the plan faithfully, the month's task is guaranteed. Only then is it qualified, and only then can they go to the market." Therefore, salespeople's work plans had to be "reviewed" one by one in front of all managers and subjected to questioning. As a result, the best salesperson revised the plan 3 times, and the most revisions were 6 times.

**Recommended Practice 2:**
Break down the salesperson's sales plan into "existing volume" and "incremental volume," and then require salespeople to come up with work plans for "maintaining existing volume" and "achieving incremental volume." Breaking down the "nature of sales" is more important than breaking down the "quantity of sales." Sales work is determined by the "nature of sales," not the "quantity of sales."

To complete existing volume tasks, focus on old customers, old channels, old terminals, and old products. Promotion and price reduction are the main methods. To complete incremental volume tasks, focus on new customers, new channels, new terminals, and new products. For example, "help dealers develop 10 secondary distributors," "help dealers develop 30 terminal customers," "assist dealers in promoting new products," etc. These are the tasks that achieve incremental volume.

**Recommended Practice 3:**
**A sales plan should have two goals: one is the "sales target," and the other is the "work target," and the "work target" is more important than the "sales target."**

If the "sales target" is not met, the monthly assessment fails, and the "hat" (position) and "money" (income) are affected. If the "work target" is not met, you have to "boost sales" every month.

The "work target" is the work that improves market fundamentals and continuously increases sales, including new market development, new product promotion, shifting market focus downward, developing secondary distributors and terminal customers, and terminal promotion. Although the "work target" is important, it is often diluted or even forgotten due to the more urgent "sales target."

Without improving market fundamentals, salespeople have to frequently use promotions and price reductions to meet the "sales target." Therefore, frontline managers should focus on achieving the "work target" to accomplish the "sales target."

Marketing management should arrange salespeople's work based on the "work target" rather than the "sales target." Process management mainly manages the execution of the "work target." Result management mainly assesses the completion of the "sales target."

**-03-
How to Write a Summary That Earns You Recognition**

**Manager's Mindset**

**Common Phenomenon:** Some salespeople are indignant: why are those with good performance not praised, while some with average performance are appreciated? Some salespeople conclude that leaders like flattering salespeople. In fact, this is a classic case of "measuring the superior's heart by the subordinate's," caused by not understanding the manager's mindset.

**• Manager's Mindset 1:**
Many salespeople think leaders care most about sales performance, but this is an illusion. Leaders are most interested in work performance, i.e., what valuable things you have done. For salespeople with outstanding sales performance, leaders give routine rewards. For those with outstanding work performance, leaders give exceptional encouragement. Routine rewards are required by company rules, while exceptional encouragement comes from the heart.

**• Manager's Mindset 2:**
For those who have rendered meritorious service, give material rewards, called "compensation." For those with ability, also give rewards, called "empowerment." A more colloquial expression: don't use power to reward meritorious officials.

Leaders always reward those with performance, but they always promote those who are good at summarizing and refining, because such people can turn others' experience into their own, and turn individual experience into collective experience. A person with leadership ability may not have good personal performance, but can definitely lead everyone to achieve results.

**• Manager's Mindset 3:**
Achieving sales performance is just the "bottom line of work," just as a person has no right to boast about "not breaking the law." Achieving sales performance usually only keeps your "hat" (position), but is not enough to earn the leader's appreciation. To be appreciated by superiors, you must understand and grasp the company's "strategic intent," which is the company's current "most concerned" and "most troubling" issues.

**• Manager's Mindset 4:**
Leaders always praise "obedient" salespeople in public, but praise "disobedient" salespeople in private. Because leaders need a large number of "obedient" salespeople to help achieve goals. Leaders also need a small number of "disobedient" salespeople to help break through goals.

**What Kind of Summary Reports Do Leaders Need?**

**Common Phenomenon:** Most summary reports emphasize "how to execute company policies," "how to work hard and smart," and "how to overfulfill company tasks." This is a summary that satisfies the leader, not one that moves the leader.

**• Recommended Practice 1:**
Summaries should stand from the company's perspective as much as possible, not the individual's. For ordinary salespeople, summaries are routine. For leaders, summaries are a way to find the path to the future. For salespeople who summarize from an individual perspective, if they do well, the leader may show superficial recognition. For those who summarize from the company's perspective, the leader may give them important positions. Summarizing from an individual perspective, the leader thinks you are a good salesperson. Summarizing from the company's perspective, the leader may think you are a good candidate for leadership.

**• Recommended Practice 2:**
If you have any innovative practices, even if just a small spark, be sure to summarize them as much as possible. For leaders, people with execution ability are easy to find, but people with innovation ability are hard to find.

**• Recommended Practice 3:**
Excellent salespeople not only know how to achieve results, but also can summarize the methods into a set of routines, or models. Leaders care more about models than sales performance, because with a model, it can be promoted on a large scale, which is exactly what leaders care about.

**• Recommended Practice 4:**
If a leader's certain practice is widely criticized, adding fuel to the fire based on others' criticism won't solve the problem. If you think the leader is right, prove it with actions, and when the leader is criticized, provide timely help with a summary report.

**-04-
How to Write an Insightful Research Report**

**Common Phenomenon 1:** Many salespeople complain that leaders don't understand or support their work. In fact, often the responsibility for lack of support lies not with the leader but with the salesperson. If the leader doesn't have an overall understanding of the market you are responsible for, why should the leader support you? At this point, the salesperson should first ask: "What measures have I taken to help the leader understand the market situation? What measures have I taken to help the leader understand my situation?"

Ordinary salespeople may be able to have a clear picture of the market themselves, but excellent salespeople should make the leader have a clear picture. Remember, the leader understands the market through you. What information you convey to the leader determines what support you get.

**Common Phenomenon 2:** A company's boss sent two salespeople to develop the southern market. The salespeople had no idea and asked me for advice. I asked them: "What do you plan to do?" They replied: "Of course, first find a few customers and ship the goods." I told them: "Do you really think the boss is stupid enough to send only the two of you to develop the entire southern market? The boss is uncertain, so he sent you to test the waters. If you do well, the next step will be to send a large team to follow up. Therefore, your task is to thoroughly investigate the market through actual sales and explore a new model for developing the southern market."

Going to the market with a task → finding a few dealers → shipping goods → dealing with endless problems that arise at any time, this is the process many salespeople follow when entering the market.

**Common Phenomenon 3:** Most research reports only state the market situation without analysis, and conclusions are simple like "sheep don't eat meat, tigers don't eat grass," which are almost meaningless for marketing.

The primary task for a salesperson developing (entering) a market is to conduct market research. The purpose of market research is not to investigate the market, but to "insight" the market, i.e., to see the essence of the market through its surface.

**• Recommended Practice 1:**
Every time you enter a new market (as long as it's new to you), be sure to give the leader a report as soon as possible, sharing your overall understanding of the market. Every time you get a new leader, also give the new leader a report on the market situation so that the new leader can accurately understand your work.

**• Recommended Practice 2:**
An insightful research report should not just tell the leader "what the market is," but should tell the leader three conclusions from the research: First, is it worth doing—the value of the market; Second, can it be done—where the opportunities are; Third, how to do it—where the breakthrough point is.

**-05-
How to Write a Marketing Diary That Records Your Growth Footprints**

Ten years ago, when a young salesperson who had just graduated half a year ago showed me a diary, I found it full of questions and ideas. Although many ideas were naive and impractical, some were feasible. At that time, I thought this salesperson would definitely go far. Sure enough, a year later he achieved a market breakthrough and drove the entire company to a breakthrough. Now, that salesperson has been promoted to general manager.

There is a strong "positive correlation" between writing a diary and becoming a hero. When some marketing heroes voluntarily write marketing diaries, the marketing diary is becoming the "public enemy" of many salespeople. "This is distrust of us." "Instead of spending a lot of time writing those useless diaries, it's better to visit more customers." These are the reasons many salespeople refuse to write marketing diaries—what a high-sounding excuse!

Some say: The marketing diary has carried "original sin" since its birth, because it assumes salespeople are untrustworthy and need to be supervised through the diary.

The marketing diary is actually a tool that gives salespeople a way to "record their growth footprints." Some well-designed marketing diaries are also effective work reference books. They teach you how to make plans, how to summarize, and how to capture fleeting creative inspirations.

The marketing diary is a tool for salespeople to reflect. We once conducted a survey and found that salespeople cannot accurately recall their work from a week ago. The marketing diary provides a tool for systematic and comprehensive reflection and summary.

Whether the company requires it or not, you should develop the habit of keeping a marketing diary.

Source: Teacher Liu's New Marketing

Payment of 400-2000 yuan will be made once the tip is adopted.


---

## Citation metadata

- Publisher: New Distribution
- Author: 刘春雄
- Published: 2019-11-22
- Canonical: https://xinjignxiao.com/en/articles/the-frontline-salesperson-s-marketing-diary-8f7c19d5/
- Original source: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/2GDKjFegScoyO9RrnZEGDg

## Copyright and AI use

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