---
title: "The Future of Sales Representatives: Trapped in Algorithms Like 'Riders', or Squad Leaders 'Calling for Fire Support'?"
description: "This article explores the dual nature of the internet for sales representatives in the FMCG industry, using the analogy of food delivery riders constrained by algorithms and the concept of 'squad leader warfare' from Huawei and Feng Lun. It argues that digital marketing transforms the traditional push-based channel model into a pull-based one, empowering frontline salespeople to make decisions and call on backend resources, thus changing their role from mere executors to strategic leaders."
author: "刘春雄"
publisher: "New Distribution"
email: "zhaobo258@gmail.com"
telephone: "+8615854817671"
published: "2021-02-26"
language: "en"
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---

# The Future of Sales Representatives: Trapped in Algorithms Like 'Riders', or Squad Leaders 'Calling for Fire Support'?

> This article explores the dual nature of the internet for sales representatives in the FMCG industry, using the analogy of food delivery riders constrained by algorithms and the concept of 'squad leader warfare' from Huawei and Feng Lun. It argues that digital marketing transforms the traditional push-based channel model into a pull-based one, empowering frontline salespeople to make decisions and call on backend resources, thus changing their role from mere executors to strategic leaders.

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**-01-**
The title of the article alludes to three stories.
Zhu Dahe, an Ele.me rider, clearly remembers that day in October 2019 when he saw the system's delivery time for an order and his hands sweated on the handlebars: "2 kilometers, deliver within 30 minutes." He had been delivering food in Beijing for two years, and previously, the shortest delivery time for the same distance was 32 minutes. But from that day on, those two minutes disappeared.
The system has the ability to continuously "swallow" time. For its creators, this is a commendable progress, a manifestation of AI's deep learning capabilities. At Meituan, this "real-time intelligent delivery system" is called **"Super Brain"**, while Ele.me names it **"Ark"**.
**In the system's design, delivery time is the most important metric, and being late is not allowed. Once it happens, it means bad reviews, reduced income, or even elimination.** On Baidu Tieba, a forum for delivery riders, one rider wrote, **"Delivering food is like racing against death, fighting with traffic police, and making friends with red lights."**
**"Riders can never fight against the time allocated by the system on their own; we can only use speeding to make up for being late."** A Meituan rider told *People* magazine. He experienced the "craziest order" of 1 kilometer in 20 minutes. Although the distance was short, he had to pick up, wait for, and deliver the food within 20 minutes. That day, his speed was so fast that "his butt bounced off the seat several times."
**Speeding, running red lights, riding against traffic... These actions by delivery riders challenging traffic rules are a form of 'counter-algorithm', a labor practice forced upon them by the long-term control and discipline of the system's algorithms. The direct consequence of this 'counter-algorithm' is a sharp increase in traffic accidents involving delivery riders.**
**-02-**
The second story is about the "special forces thinking" for future organizations, often told by Feng Lun, known as the "philosopher of the real estate industry."
Feng Lun says the future organization is a special operations organization. **A team of three: one is a highly skilled communications expert who maintains contact with the rear base in all situations; two are weapons and combat experts familiar with various weapons; the third is a rescue, medical, and commander role.**
The three-person team parachutes to the ground. The weapons expert assesses what weapons are needed, the communications expert sends an email, the rear supply chain responds, and transport planes fly over, airdropping packages within hours.
Drones scout from above, detect enemies, and use infrared to locate them. The communications expert directly informs the rear base, and the weapons expert selects weapons and bombs.
**The three-person team is the frontline execution unit, while the rear base is the supporting system. Special forces operations require organizations to become highly professional, small, and precise execution teams, with a rear system that responds quickly and effectively.**
**-03-**
The third story is Huawei's Ren Zhengfei's "warfare commanded by squad leaders." This story is in the same vein as Feng Lun's.
Ren Zhengfei proposed at Huawei to let "those who hear the gunfire command the battle." The core has two points: **First, decision-makers should be deployed to the frontline, making the front-end organization all-capable and full of experts. Second, provide frontline personnel with various equipment support so they can communicate with the rear at any time.**
Huawei's front-end system is IBM's IPD (Integrated Product Development); the rear becomes a support system providing firepower. Huawei calls it "joint logistics" or "combined service." Huawei aligns marketing with R&D, turning production and functional departments into logistics.
**-04-**
The above stories illustrate the **duality of the internet.**
On one hand, the internet is intelligent enough to make humans seem inferior, even "squeezing the last bit of flexibility and imagination" from people, like the "riders trapped in the system."
On the other hand, the internet empowers people, allowing frontline staff to command vast backend systems and become drivers of these systems.
**This duality places sales representatives at seemingly incompatible poles.**
So, which is the real sales representative in the internet system?
Online business systems, such as e-commerce and O2O, have developed marketing technology (MarTech) that uses online data to create user profiles, tag users, and automatically distribute content. This marketing technology is called **marketing automation.**
This is the combination of marketing and internet technology. **MarTech = Marketing + Technology**
In online systems, unless human-to-human dialogue is needed, human-machine interaction is essentially users dealing with algorithms. This is no different from playing chess against an intelligent robot.
**However, digital marketing for channel distribution is different. It has both online and offline components. On the frontline, sales reps have a lot of non-programmatic work, and they have significant discretion in handling their tasks. The internet also provides them with devices to call for fire support and access to backend resources.**
**-05-**
Let's first look at the current situation of sales reps in a deeply distributed environment.
The characteristic of traditional Chinese marketing is the **dual-wheel drive of brand and channel.**
With brand drive but no channel drive, a company will gradually decline, and brand drive will slowly diminish.
With channel drive but no brand drive, a company will gradually improve, and brand drive will slowly strengthen.
**With both brand and channel drive, a company can leap forward and develop rapidly.**
Unlike the third-party channels in the US, China's fragmented channel system is connected by sales reps; the channel chain is a human chain.
Any company that does well in Chinese channels must have two characteristics: **1. Extremely strong channel management capabilities; 2. Sales reps whose overall level exceeds the average.**
**Strong channel management ensures the advancement of the channel model; higher overall sales rep levels ensure they can handle the "solo sales" state appropriately.**
**However, such a channel state is inefficient.** Take Jinmailang, which has a high density of channel personnel: 60,000 residents, 150 stores, equipped with 3 "store managers." This is Jinmailang's standard configuration.
**This is a human-wave tactic. Indeed, brand drive is a "money-sea tactic," while channel drive is a "human-sea tactic."**
If channel personnel density is too low, sales are lost; if too high, operating costs increase. This is a dilemma that is hard to reconcile.
**Will the human-wave tactic in channels change due to marketing digitalization?**
**The answer is yes.**
**-06-**
China's marketing digitalization's main battlefield is the full-chain digitalization of channels, F2B2b2C, abbreviated as F2B2C.
**The deep distribution chain is F2B2b, while the full digital chain is F2B2b2C. Although it adds a C-end, it completely changes the logic of channel drive.**
**The logic of F2B2b is channel push. The process is: F→B→b. This is the channel selling process, completing channel persuasion level by level.**
**The logic of F2B2b2C is channel pull. The process is: F→C→b→B. As long as the C-end is activated, the small b can be activated through BC integration, and then the B-end.**
**In a dual-wheel drive environment, brand drive is pull, channel drive is push, and they combine well. Therefore, excellent Chinese companies use dual-wheel drive.**
Marketing digitalization itself is the combination of the two wheels. When a new brand enters the market, the first step is to open up channels B and b, which is a brief push process. As soon as the C-end is reached, the channel logic reverses and becomes pull.
**Which is more efficient: channel push or channel pull? Of course, channel pull.**
In marketing digitalization, we always emphasize the importance of BC integration because it is the key step from channel push to channel pull.
With the above discussion on the shift from push to pull, it is easier to talk about the future of sales reps in a digital environment.
In traditional distribution, sales reps' channel touchpoints are B-end and b-end. This is work that is relatively difficult to quantify and digitize. For example, display can be quantified, but how do you quantify customer relationships? Without customer relationships, what use is display?
**In the context of marketing digitalization, the work of sales reps will be divided into two parts: one is pure 2B work; the other is BC integration work. These two parts are vastly different.**
**-07-**
In traditional marketing, except for mass communication, manufacturers had no C-end touchpoints.
**Marketing digitalization allows manufacturers to reach the C-end through channels. This is a major change in marketing digitalization.**
Reaching the C-end does not mean doing retail or B2C. Many manufacturers are misled by so-called "smart retail" and enter a narrow door.
**BC integration is about activating the b-end through the C-end. This is the right path.**
As long as the b-end is activated, the huge existing stock of the b-end will be released. Compared to the sales from retail, the channel stock is enormous.
Earlier, we said traditional channel drive is a human-wave tactic. Now channels need to reach the C-end, and the C-end is not on the same scale as the B-end. Does this mean we need an even bigger human-wave tactic?
On the contrary!
**Reaching the C-end and BC integration is a special forces tactic, a "warfare commanded by squad leaders."**
There are two ways to reach the C-end. **One is offline reach to KOC (Key Opinion Consumers).** The number of KOCs is limited; as long as a certain density is achieved. This requires a lot of effort; **the other is online reach.** This is the convenience provided by marketing digitalization.
Offline reach requires personnel; online reach is already online, just needs firepower.
At the same time, the activation of BC integration is not a routine behavior but a phased or periodic behavior. One activation can be effective for a period or long-term.
**This is the work characteristic of sales reps in the BC integration environment: warfare commanded by squad leaders.**
Because sales reps are offline, know the b-end and KOC situations, they need decision-making ability. This is "letting those who hear the gunfire command the firepower."
Because the backend (or middle platform) can reach the C-end online, it can mobilize resources, guide the C-end, and complete the activation of the b-end.
How to mobilize backend resources online? Many traditional marketers may not understand. **As long as it is online, the backend can provide "timed" (specific time periods), "located" (specific stores, specific areas), and "targeted" (specific personnel) resource support to the frontend. This is similar to the principle of providing positions on the front line and firing shells from the backend in war. Currently, it is about mobilizing the C-end to activate the b-end.**
Activating the b-end can be for a single store or multiple stores. As long as multiple stores are connected, a small area can be activated; if small areas are connected, a large area or the whole country can be activated.
**BC integration must be a warfare commanded by squad leaders. In this scenario, sales reps have three changes:**
**First, the main offline work extends from B-end and b-end to KOC.**
**Second, sales reps have greater decision-making power. They can command the "firepower" of the backend.**
**Third, because BC integration creates channel pull, channel management becomes relatively simpler, and the area or number of stores a single sales rep covers may increase.**
**-08-**
Sales representative is a unique position formed by China's channel characteristics. The US has millions of salespeople, but no sales representatives. It was once said that China had 80 million sales reps, and now it is said there are 40 million.
The duty of sales reps is to establish and maintain channels. Fragmented channels are a Chinese characteristic, and sales reps connect Chinese channels with a human chain. **Therefore, the traditional channel work touchpoints of sales reps are B-end and b-end.**
**Channels are push. So, sales reps have three core channel tasks: 1. Channel customer relationships. Make B-end and b-end "willing to sell"; 2. Terminal sampling. Such as displays, end caps, special prices, etc.; 3. Inventory pressure. Occupying warehouse and capital.**
Channel competition is shown in that as soon as you finish customer relations and tidy up goods, competitors immediately follow. Therefore, the above three core tasks must be carried out cyclically. Jinmailang's "store manager" standard is 60,000 people, 150 stores, and 3 store managers. A cycle of five days, with 6 visits per month.
Without such high density, channel push is insufficient. The human-wave tactic is not because labor costs are low, but because channels require it.
In the context of marketing digitalization, will the work facing B-end and b-end change? **Of course.**
**We have surveyed some companies that do well in channel digitalization, and the following changes have occurred in their channels:**
**First, agents transform into operators or service providers.** The functions of agents are changing; warehousing and distribution functions are being stripped from agents and handed to third parties, allowing them to focus on terminal services and user promotion.
For example, Midea's third-party logistics "Ande Logistics" "One Pallet" platform supports Midea Group's three major business breakthroughs: LTL business, direct-to-user, and integrated delivery and installation.
**Second, full-chain digitalization makes channels fully transparent.** For example, agent inventory was difficult to check in the past. Sales reps spent too much time on inventory pressure, affecting other work.
Full transparency of channel inventory is a good thing. Because of transparency, top management knows inventory status, making it difficult for sales reps to pressure inventory to boost performance. Because of transparency, suppliers can prepare stock calmly.
**Third, full-chain and full-scenario visualization.** Digitalization inevitably brings visualization, and visualization brings two results: 1. Management can grasp all situations in real-time; 2. Efficiency analysis for all staff is clearly visible.
Although compared to delivery riders, sales reps have greater discretion, in a fully digitalized and visualized scenario, everyone's work efficiency can be "ranked," and it is visible to all.
If the pressure on delivery riders is the deprivation of time redundancy by AI algorithms, then the pressure on sales reps under digitalization is the efficiency "ranking" constantly presented to management. After all, being at the bottom is embarrassing.
Sales reps traditionally work "solo," with free schedules and time, discovering and solving problems themselves. The diligent are busy to death, while the lazy are hard to detect. No matter how strict management is, loopholes cannot be prevented; no matter how strict the process, "the general outside must sometimes disobey orders."
**-09-**
**The system can empower both sales reps and managers.**
The system empowers sales reps, allowing them to "call for fire support," truly enjoy the power of the system, become frontline "special forces," and achieve marketing breakthroughs.
The system empowers managers, allowing them to understand the status of sales reps in all scenarios, affecting the "free space" of sales reps. After all, digitalization is the "all-seeing eye" of managers. When the "all-seeing eye" is everywhere, anyone would feel uncomfortable.
**But we must see the huge changes brought by marketing digitalization. The core change is the seamless integration of traditional channels with the internet, turning channel push into a combination of push and pull. Specifically, it manifests in two points:**
**First, stronger marketing breakthrough methods.** This is thanks to BC integration. Without BC integration, there would be no scenario for squad leaders to call for fire support.
**Second, improved channel efficiency.** Data visualization completely changes the "black box" or "gray box" state of sales reps' work, helping analyze their behavior and thus improve efficiency.
Of course, any change will not be universally welcomed. In the early stages of marketing digitalization, it is not uncommon for digital personnel to be isolated or blocked by the marketing system. But as long as it is a trend, it can only be blocked temporarily, not forever.
**Digitalization for sales reps is both a restriction on free time and space, and an enhancement of capabilities with more room to play. In common parlance, it is a double-edged sword.**
**The future of sales reps in the digital context depends on which side of the double-edged sword you wield.**
Source: Teacher Liu's Digital New Marketing (ID: liuchunxiong1964)


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