---
title: "The Most Systematic Guide: A Step-by-Step Breakdown of Sales Supervisors' Daily Visits and Management Actions with Distributors"
description: "When salespeople visit new distributors, they have plenty to talk about—products, policies, promotions. But what about visiting an established distributor who knows company policies better than you do? What should you say? After long travel, a salesperson has only three to four effective hours per day with a distributor. If you ask what specific actions they take during that time, the answers are often incomplete or vague, with many reciting training concepts instead of concrete steps."
author: "魏庆"
publisher: "New Distribution"
email: "zhaobo258@gmail.com"
telephone: "+8615854817671"
published: "2015-06-25"
language: "en"
canonical: "https://xinjignxiao.com/en/articles/the-most-systematic-guide-a-step-by-step-breakdown-of-sales-supervisors-f4408b53/"
markdown: "https://xinjignxiao.com/en/articles/the-most-systematic-guide-a-step-by-step-breakdown-of-sales-supervisors-f4408b53.md"
original_source: "https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/2aVnrecyFr9ShxyZZRcq_A"
translation: "https://xinjignxiao.com/zh/articles/%E5%8F%B2%E4%B8%8A%E6%9C%80%E7%B3%BB%E7%BB%9F-%E9%94%80%E5%94%AE%E4%B8%BB%E7%AE%A1%E5%AF%B9%E7%BB%8F%E9%94%80%E5%95%86%E6%97%A5%E5%B8%B8%E6%8B%9C%E8%AE%BF%E4%B8%8E%E7%AE%A1%E7%90%86%E5%8A%A8%E4%BD%9C%E6%B5%81%E7%A8%8B%E5%88%86%E8%A7%A3-f4408b53.md"
attribution: "New Distribution — https://xinjignxiao.com/en/articles/the-most-systematic-guide-a-step-by-step-breakdown-of-sales-supervisors-f4408b53/"
usage_policy: "https://xinjignxiao.com/ai-policy.txt"
---

# The Most Systematic Guide: A Step-by-Step Breakdown of Sales Supervisors' Daily Visits and Management Actions with Distributors

> When salespeople visit new distributors, they have plenty to talk about—products, policies, promotions. But what about visiting an established distributor who knows company policies better than you do? What should you say? After long travel, a salesperson has only three to four effective hours per day with a distributor. If you ask what specific actions they take during that time, the answers are often incomplete or vague, with many reciting training concepts instead of concrete steps.

_When salespeople meet new distributors, they have plenty to talk about (products, policies, price promotions, etc.), but what if you're visiting an established distributor? He knows the company's policies better than you do. What do you say to an old distributor?_
_Salespeople on business trips visiting distributors, excluding long-distance travel, have only three to four hours of effective work time per day. If you ask them: What specific actions should you take during these three to four hours? The answers are often incomplete, or even blank, with many reciting a pile of 'concepts' from training materials._
_Everyone understands the principles, but if concepts cannot be translated into actions, they are useless—the market is built by doing, not by talking._
**Daily Visit Action Flow for Distributors—Service Module:**
How to change the distributor's mindset of 'Here comes the factory salesperson again to push me to stock up' and build a good business relationship with them?
What actions should be taken before visiting a distributor?
How to respond when distributors complain about insufficient support upon seeing factory personnel?
Several situations where written communication with distributors is needed when conveying policies;
How to handle common distributor complaints: expired products, damaged products, customer complaints, and complaints about factory delivery errors.
Think about the following questions and write down your answers to enhance learning.
1. What is the purpose of the distributor visit: to take orders / regular visit / other?
2. To achieve the goal of leveraging distributor resources for my use, is it through management / inducement / other?
3. What routine actions do you think are necessary when visiting a distributor? Write these actions down.
In actual work, our salespeople often only say the same three sentences when meeting distributors—
First: How's business lately?
Second: When will you pay for the goods?
Third: This time it's buy 100 boxes get 5 free, how many do you want?
After saying these three sentences, salespeople start chatting idly with the distributor—
'Hey, I heard bird flu is spreading again.'
'The World Trade Center was bombed.'
'It seems Bin Laden has been captured.'
'Yesterday a car ran over a chicken at your village entrance.'
It's not that our salespeople are lazy, but they don't know what to do next. Many salespeople visit distributors day after day in a 'daze,' thinking that after saying those three sentences, their work is done, and the rest is just small talk and building rapport. They believe good relationships lead to good sales, and heavy drinking leads to big orders.
So, what is the detailed breakdown of actions for visiting an established distributor?
I. Principles: Regular visits, planned itineraries, performance goals
The hardest thing in the world is to get money from someone else's pocket into your own. If you only visit distributors when you fail to meet sales targets, and you say the 'same three sentences' when you meet, over time distributors will fear you—they know that when you come, you'll push them to stock up and pay. Next time you meet, before you even speak, they might say: 'Sorry, no money today, no orders!'
Plant good causes, and you'll reap good effects. If you deal with distributors with a trading mentality, what you'll get in return is distributors becoming alienated from you, like cat and mouse.
The correct approach is to establish a cooperative business relationship with distributors.
How to do it?
Put into actions:
1. Regular contact and regular visits.
You need to make distributors understand that regardless of weather, you'll visit around the 10th or 25th of each month. You're not coming to push them to stock up, but for regular visits. Each time you come, you care about:
Does the distributor's inventory need replenishment? Will there be stockouts or overstock? Do they need help with exchanges?
Has the distributor collected payments from downstream customers? Do they need you to help establish an accounts receivable management system?
Is the market price chaotic? How to help distributors stabilize prices?
What promotions are competitors doing? How to counterattack and help distributors increase sales?
Regular contact and regular visits—once such a simple action becomes a habit, you and the distributor will transform from a buyer-seller relationship into allies, becoming true business partners.
2. Planned itineraries, performance-oriented:
In real work, salespeople's itinerary arrangements commonly follow three orientations.
Problem-oriented: Which distributor 'cries' the most, with many legacy issues and market problems?
—Often, those with many problems are small customers. Big customers can handle some issues themselves, but small customers 'cry' over a few damaged boxes. This doesn't mean ignoring small customers, but rather understanding the need to plan itineraries. If you visit the market problem-oriented, market problems will only increase. Small customer issues are best solved once and for all through methods, processes, and systems, investing time in areas and customers that truly drive market performance.
Market-oriented: This month, I need to visit Mr. Li early in the month. I heard competitors are in close contact with him, so I need to check the situation and tell him about the company's future market investment plans. Then, for Mr. Wang, I'll spend a week on a business trip. He's a new distributor, full of enthusiasm but lacking methods, so I need to encourage him, train his staff, and gather several salespeople from neighboring counties to do a joint distribution push to help him sell his first truckload. At the end of the month, I'll go to Mr. Liu's place for a week. He has a new foodservice distributor, and I need to help them smooth out their working relationship. As for the other three distributors, a routine visit will suffice; two days each is enough unless there are special circumstances.
—Visiting the market with a market orientation will reduce problems, push the market forward, and make it better and better.
Personal preference-oriented: Mr. Zhang is generous, quick to order, fun to drink with, and his wife is pretty, so I'll visit him more. Mr. Li is too fussy, orders less than a fifth of Zhang's, and has many issues. He's been nagging about a legacy issue from last year until now, so I don't like seeing him. I won't go!
—This approach is creating 'advantage bases' for competitors and 'enemy-occupied zones' for yourself.
Management of employee visit itineraries to distributors
Case: I am currently engaged in enterprise consulting and marketing trusteeship. For companies I am deeply involved with, I require employees to plan their monthly business trips with a market orientation. At the end of each month, they fill out a monthly itinerary & performance planning form: writing where they will go next month, how time is allocated, and the purpose (FMCG distributor professional consulting management: WeChat ID: kxpjxszyzxgl). At the end of the month, they write a summary, reflecting on whether the itinerary and work plan were implemented. Orders are like mountains; everyone obediently submits the above homework. Next, I went on a business trip to a prefecture-level market in Hebei, grabbed a business manager and asked: 'Bring out the work time plan you wrote last month.' Guess what this guy said? 'Submitted,' he replied without shame. I was stunned! This plan was written for me.
Management is not that simple. Just an itinerary plan requires training, demonstration, system establishment, rewards and punishments, and making an example of those who defy the rules. Then let those who benefited from market-oriented itinerary planning share their experiences... Only then can it become a habit and culture, from the outside to the inside. Management is not that simple.
3. Performance goals
Term explanation: The antonym of performance is routine. Routine is work repeated every day. Performance means that after today's work, the state and results have broken through and are different from before. Example:
Do we need employees to perform or just go through routines? Of course, we want them to produce performance!
Visiting distributors without performance management often becomes visiting relatives: spending travel expenses, spending time, meeting distributors, saying irrelevant words, and taking a cursory look at the market... Routine work is done, but there is no performance!
Manage employees' distributor visits with a performance orientation. Have employees reflect performance plans in their daily reports before business trips, and performance summaries after. Supervisors should review employee daily reports with performance comments and assigned tasks.
**II. Professional Visit Action Flow for Distributors**
The term 'professional visit flow' includes two keywords: 'professional' and 'flow.' Professional is your work content, flow is your form, and form is also important.
What is called professional can sometimes be 'packaged.'
Visit Action 1: Preliminary market understanding, data analysis, and gathering distributor's 'dirt'
Scenario 1: The salesperson gets off the long-distance bus and immediately goes to the distributor. This time, the manager is with him.
Salesperson: Mr. Zhang, hello, how's business lately? My leader and I came to see you.
Distributor: Oh! The leader is here! Come, sit, sit. I've been hoping you'd come. I've been thinking of going to the factory to see you!
Business Manager: What's the problem? I'm here today, aren't I?
Distributor: (Starts a barrage of complaints)
☆ Oh, business is tough! Competitor X is running promotions again, and your factory's support is insufficient.
☆ Look at competitor B, they've invested a lot in advertising, and profits are higher.
☆ What's wrong with your factory? Market management is so chaotic. Goods from other regions are flooding in. The market price is already 38 yuan per box. I can't even sell at 38.5, breaking even.
☆ I've been cooperating with your factory for a long time, and I have feelings for this brand. I can make no money, but I can't lose money... (Rule: Distributors who talk like this usually make a lot of money)
Salesperson: (Thinking: This damn old Zhang, saying this in front of the leader, damn it!) Old Zhang, don't worry. The leader is here to solve problems.
Business Manager: (Thinking: This distributor is tough. This salesperson is stupid. The distributor has a pile of complaints, and he pushes the ball to me, saying I'm here to solve problems. Hmph, I think you don't want to work anymore.) Mr. Zhang, I've heard all your problems. I'll go back and study them immediately. Hmm, haha, yeah, okay... Bye, I have to go.
Scenario Analysis:
When distributors see factory personnel (especially leaders), most will start complaining. In fact, most of these complaints are not sincere but like children crying, aiming to vent and attract factory attention for more support. They often say 'Look at how good factory B is' in front of factory A's salesperson, and then say 'Look at how good factory A is' in front of factory B's salesperson.
But if the salesperson hasn't checked the market beforehand, they can only listen to the distributor's complaints.
Scenario 2: The salesperson has visited the market before visiting the distributor and knows the distributor's shortcomings.
Distributor: (A pile of complaints)
Salesperson: Mr. Zhang, I admit the market competition is fierce, and our factory's support for distributors still needs improvement. You're right, but I want to tell you that only by working together can we build the market. After coming here, I checked the market. Several retail stores on East Road reported that they called you multiple times for goods, but you refused to deliver because the quantities were small. Whose responsibility is that? Our agreement stipulated that you should ensure delivery to retail stores.
The buyer at Hongcheng Supermarket reported that last week, because you didn't deliver on time, apple juice was out of stock, and they reduced our shelf space by three. How do you explain that?
Also, many end caps we paid for, you're responsible for delivery and maintenance. Today I went to check and found that competitors occupy half of the end caps. How do you explain that?
You complain about goods flooding from other regions. I'm duty-bound to help you fight it, but shouldn't you also think about your own responsibility? Half of the customers in the Beijiao small food wholesale market are out of stock. With such a market gap, it's no wonder goods are flooding in. As the local distributor, can you fill the market gap first? Can you be more alert and catch evidence of others flooding goods? Can you be proactive and find out which wholesalers are leading the price cuts, and then we'll deal with them together? Those who flood goods are shameful; those who are flooded are incompetent. Do you think that's reasonable?
......
Distributor: (Sweating profusely: Oh my, how does this guy know everything? Impressive, impressive) Yes, yes, yes, you're right. I'll change. Don't mind me; I'm straightforward.
Scenario Analysis:
After arriving at the distributor's city, spend a few dozen minutes surveying the market. Talk to a few wholesalers and retailers you have good relationships with to see what promotions competitors are running, what's happening in the market, and if anyone is cutting prices. Find the distributor's work mistakes—'gather some dirt' (such as untimely delivery, allowing wholesalers to cut prices, withholding promotional items, etc.). Remember your relationship with the distributor: you're not visiting a brother but a business partner. Every meeting is a business transaction and a negotiation. Negotiation is not about eloquence but preparation.
This way, when the distributor complains, the salesperson can respond with evidence. After a few rounds, the distributor won't dare make baseless complaints or be too 'reckless' in market service. Maybe he'll 'hate' you a bit, but he'll definitely admire your professional skills and won't underestimate you.
Scenario 3: The salesperson has done data analysis before visiting the distributor and knows the distributor's performance issues.
Distributor: (Just finished complaining, then was hit with a pile of dirt about delivery and market gaps, feeling embarrassed and sweating...)
Salesperson: Mr. Zhang, besides the delivery and market gap issues I mentioned, I'd like to help you analyze your sales data. How do you think you've done this year?
Distributor: This year, my sales are much higher than last year...
Salesperson: Hehe! Your sales this year are higher than last year, up over 30% from the same period last year. (FMCG distributor professional consulting management: WeChat ID: kxpjxszyzxgl) But my entire Guangdong region's growth rate this year is 70%. You're much lower than my overall growth rate. You're second from the bottom in growth rate among the 22 distributors in Guangdong. The bottom is He Laosi from Zhanjiang. This month, He Laosi is quitting, and I've opened two new distributors in Zhanjiang. So, in terms of growth rate ranking, congratulations, you've won the championship this month. In terms of performance share, as a Guangzhou distributor, you account for 18% of my entire Guangdong region's performance, while Dongguan accounts for 16.8%. If you continue like this, Dongguan surpassing Guangzhou will become a joke, and I won't be able to protect you. Your biggest problem is not growth rate or regional share. The key is your product structure and shipping cycle. So far, low-to-mid-priced products account for 96% of your total performance, worse than last year. Last year, high-priced products accounted for 12%; this year, only 4%. You've barely sold any new high-priced products this year. Old products have been sold for years, prices are transparent, channels don't make money, and they can't push much. Without new products, your customer profits, employee wages, and your own profits and performance won't improve. So your current performance increase is entirely due to pushing old products. I calculated that your sales increased 30%, but your gross profit is flat compared to last year because your prices have dropped. You now only push goods at the end of the month to meet targets. This month, you shipped 15 truckloads from the company, 6 of which were concentrated in the last three days. It looks like your performance has grown, but it's all in the warehouse? It hasn't reached the market at all. This is inventory transfer, it's 'constipation'! Next month, if you want to meet targets, you'll again push goods at the end of the month with promotions. If this continues, prices will drop further, and your profits will decline. Do you know why your new products don't sell? Your personnel assessment hasn't changed for years. If this problem isn't solved, your new products won't sell, and relying on end-of-month pushing will eventually collapse...
Scenario Analysis:
Do you believe distributors are unclear about their own numbers? Most only have a vague feeling of whether they sold better or worse this year than last. Detailed data analysis is exactly a distributor's weakness. Before meeting the distributor, the salesperson should analyze the distributor's performance issues using the following model to find 'dirt' in their performance.
The distributor's current month/cumulative sales growth rate compared to the same period, growth rate compared to last month, current month/cumulative task completion rate, and the ranking of these indicators within the entire company and the region. Tell the distributor 'your numbers have problems' or 'your ranking in the region has problems.' When distributors see poor performance numbers, they'll complain less and be less arrogant. Then, discussing improvement actions has a basis. What if these indicators are all good? Look at performance share:
The distributor's performance share in the region, compared to another smaller market, tell him 'they're catching up to you, your top position is at risk, a small city surpassing a big city in performance is a joke.' If the distributor's performance numbers and regional share are all good? Look at product mix:
Analyze the distributor's new products/mid-to-high-priced products/company's key promoted products' 'current month/cumulative sales growth rate, growth rate compared to last month, current month/cumulative task completion rate, the product's performance share in the region' and 'the proportion of high-end products in the distributor's own performance.' Tell the distributor 'your performance is good, but you're selling products that don't make money, so your profits will get worse.' If the distributor's new products also sell well? Look at their expenses:
Analyze the cost-to-sales ratio (expenses divided by sales) invested in the distributor last month and previously, tell him 'your performance is bought with our company's money!' If the distributor's performance is good, product mix is good, and cost-to-sales ratio is low? Look at their shipping cycle:
Distributors who order large quantities at the beginning of the month often 'reverse gear' at the end of last month (fearing too much task completion, they stopped ordering at the end of last month). Distributors who ship too much at the end of the month often have 'constipation'—end-of-month pushing and inventory transfer.
If the distributor's performance growth rate, growth rate, completion rate, regional performance share, product mix, cost-to-sales ratio, and shipping cycle are all fine? Then check if there are problems with the company's recent key priorities (e.g., the progress of specialty counters is slowest here, the speed of opening township distributors is slowest here, and supermarket entry hasn't been completed yet)...
Visit Action 2: Information management, top-down and bottom-up communication, fulfilling the supplier's duty
After the initial market survey, the salesperson should then visit the distributor.
Upon meeting, there's always some small talk: 'Mr. Zhang, how's your wife's health? How did your nephew do on his exams? Has your yellow dog given birth yet...'
Then, you should do top-down and bottom-up communication, solving problems within your authority.
Top-down: Convey the company's latest policies.
Bottom-up: Ask the distributor for any recent opinions or suggestions.
Solving problems within your authority means fulfilling the duty of a product supplier representative and providing good after-sales service.
Suppliers should fulfill routine after-sales service duties: handle customer complaints promptly, reconcile accounts promptly, settle rebates and rewards per agreement, and exchange expired and damaged products.
When performing this step, salespeople should pay attention to five points:
Professional demeanor
Pay attention to your appearance. Don't visit distributors looking disheveled after getting off the bus. Remove the brand label from your suit sleeves. Don't wear a turtleneck under your shirt. Don't put cigarettes in your left pocket and a phone in your right. Don't waddle like a penguin...
Don't think these are formalities. Form may not be useful, but when a form has become a socially recognized habit and etiquette, you must follow it, or you won't be accepted. Everyone in office buildings wears ties. What's the use of a tie? Besides giving someone a handle to strangle you, nothing. But you must wear one, or you're rude.
At home, salespeople can dress casually, but once at work, you're a professional and must show professional demeanor.
Humble, steady, and mature attitude
External image is easy to shape; you don't have to wear a tie and suit, just be appropriate.
Internal qualities take time to build. Sales is about dealing with people. Before selling products, you must sell yourself and get others to accept you—the so-called 'be a person first, then do things.'
This sounds abstract, but think back to your school days: some classmates had high prestige and many friends, while others weren't well-liked. There must be reasons for those not well-liked: either they were aloof and didn't talk, or they were tattletales, or they didn't pay their debts after playing cards, or they didn't pay for meals.
To get customers to accept you, first, you must have a humble (not servile) and steady attitude in trivial matters. Don't be arrogant when products are in short supply, and don't be dejected when sales falter. A mature businessman's attitude is always calm and polite, no matter how joyful inside; emotions are never written on the face. Otherwise, when performance is good, distributors may resent you but not dare speak; once product sales have problems, you'll immediately be declared persona non grata.
Also, don't be greedy for small advantages. If you can't afford to treat customers to meals, don't visit customers at mealtimes.
In short, cultivate your character, be honest, trustworthy, and cultured, and others will accept you.
Don't make promises beyond your authority; respond to everything
Salespeople sometimes make wild promises to get distributors to order (e.g., 'I'll exchange expired products, return damaged goods, bring you promotional items next time'). When promises aren't kept, distributors stop trusting you.
What if it's beyond your authority? Tell them directly and report to the company for approval.
What if the company doesn't approve? Many salespeople feel embarrassed and procrastinate. This behavior is most resented by distributors. The correct approach is to give the distributor a clear answer as soon as possible, even if the company doesn't approve, explain clearly. Playing deaf and dumb, making excuses, hoping the distributor will 'retreat'—the distributor will feel you don't care about their requests (unless the request is clearly malicious and they owe the company money, then it's different).
Necessary written communication
If the company runs a sales contest for distributors: the one with the highest sales in six months or sales over 10,000 boxes wins a car.
If you only make verbal promises, chaos will ensue:
☆ The distributor might sell only one product;
☆ Might flood goods and cut prices;
☆ Might not order for five months and then ask in the last month: 'How much more do I need to win the prize? 5,000 boxes? Okay, I'll order 5,000 boxes and store them slowly. Give me the car.'
............
At that point, if you tell him: 'No, I told you last time you need to order over 1,000 boxes each month, not flood goods, sell at least four products, and exceed 10,000 boxes to win'—try it, he'll be furious!
Customer debts, rebates—try it. If you don't reconcile accounts in writing for a year, the year-end accounts won't match. Initially, you didn't reconcile because you were 'good brothers' and didn't want to hurt feelings. Once accounts don't match, you'll fight like two roosters. Times have changed.
Important sales policies, financial accounts, borrowed goods, promotional expense advances, and damaged goods exchanges must be communicated in writing. The customer might find you troublesome, but over time, they'll see you as rigorous and responsible.
Value the distributor's short-term interests
Salespeople help distributors with market development, pasting posters under the scorching sun... doing a lot of market work, but distributors don't appreciate it—they think you're working for the factory, not helping them. But if you quickly exchange a damaged box, they'll be very grateful because it's their immediate interest. This phenomenon may seem unreasonable, but because it exists, it's reasonable. Given distributors' short-sighted psychology, salespeople should diligently and quickly handle issues related to distributors' immediate interests, such as damaged goods exchange, expired product handling, and rebate settlement. Even a small matter like this can earn their gratitude.
Distributors will inevitably complain about discrepancies in product type/quantity/specification/delivery time. Which factory dares to claim they never deliver incorrectly?
What to do? Look at a personal experience of a Unilever business supervisor.
[Case]
Market basics: Wuxi
Distributor—Wuxi Shunxin Hengtai Trading Co., Ltd. (hereinafter Shunxin Hengtai).
This distributor has a strong sales team. If we can effectively boost their confidence and mobilize them to actively promote our products, we can achieve twice the result with half the effort. But since cooperation just started, the distributor is observing our company's situation, even skeptical initially.
Its general manager, Li Qing, former HR director of Alpenliebe Sugar, MBA from CEIBS, clear-thinking, efficient, formal, and well-traveled. Gaining his recognition and support is not easy.
Personnel: 'I' officially joined Unilever on July 20.
Problem 1:
On September 25, Shunxin Hengtai ordered 100 boxes of regular tea for sale to the wholesale market, but promotional packs arrived—according to company policy, promotional packs cannot be sent to the wholesale market; regular packs had to be reordered quickly. Distributor Li believed this affected business and tied up capital, demanding an explanation.
Solution:
In response to this unexpected situation, I reacted immediately: first, quickly organized a regular pack order and requested expedited processing from the company; second, immediately contacted customer service to understand the cause of the delivery error and emphasized that subsequent orders must not have errors. I even directly sought help from my manager, ANNE, to resolve this quickly and effectively.
After a series of efforts, before the end of the workday, I reported the results to Li. I solved the practical problem and calmed Li's anger. Li also proposed improvements in our ordering process to prevent recurrence.
Problem 2:
After Shunxin Hengtai's October inventory count, they found 7 boxes missing. In November, they discovered on the receiving note that it was due to unclear recording by the inspector, and quickly reported it to me.
Solution:
After understanding, I determined the responsibility lay with our third-party logistics. I immediately reported to our assistant and faxed the relevant receiving note. The logistics company admitted and agreed to compensate, but their compensation was too slow. I kept following up and urging, and finally, after the Nth (N≥20) phone call, the logistics company agreed to transfer the money directly to Hengtai's account. This was resolved within two weeks.
Comment:
Distributors are businessmen. Factory delivery errors harming their interests are indeed annoying, but they can understand, as such incidents are common and no factory is immune. As long as salespeople show they are doing their best to help solve problems, even without results, they can win the distributor's trust—'This young man is reliable.'
Most salespeople can do the above five actions, but this is not all. So far, the work is only service; the real sales work hasn't started.
What should be done next? Let's review the highest standard and ultimate purpose of factory sales representatives managing distributors:
Through the professional skills of sales representatives, coordinate the interests of the factory and distributor—two fundamentally different entities—and guide the distributor's people, vehicles, goods, and money to invest more in the factory's market work...
The question is: the salesperson is neither the distributor's wife nor his manager. How can they 'guide the distributor's people, vehicles, goods, and money to invest more in the factory's market work'?
By what? Profit temptation? No, as a salesperson, you have little say in product profits.
By management? No, you have no authority to manage distributors.
By what? By rapport?
Many salespeople confuse good personal relationships with good professional rapport. A one-sided understanding of the 'fish-water relationship' between factory and distributor, plus leaders' teachings like 'do rapport first, then business' and 'be a person first, then do things,' makes salespeople afraid to stand tall before distributors. So they are overly attentive—helping distributors move goods, drive cars, light cigarettes, pour water, run errands, even helping distributors flood goods, and turning a blind eye to distributors withholding promotional items.
Salespeople's attentiveness and politeness may create goodwill, but never respect. Overdoing it makes you seem 'cheap.'
When salespeople 'sell out' the factory's interests for a win-win with the distributor (distributor gets benefits, salesperson gets performance), the distributor may have a good relationship with you, treating you like a brother, but deep down, they won't respect you. They'll help you push goods, but only if you give them more promotions for benefits. On minor issues, they might accommodate you out of past favors, but once it involves vested interests and you can't deliver benefits, your friendship will vanish. Then it's 'times have changed.'
Personal relationships help business, but the effect is limited. What truly matters is professional rapport.
Professional rapport is built on respect. How to make customers respect you? (FMCG distributor professional consulting management: WeChat ID: kxpjxszyzxgl) The distributor's constant topic is profit. You need to make them feel you are serious, responsible, down-to-earth, and professional—better than them in business, more professional. You can teach them business methods, help them manage the market, and create sales and profits. Only then is there real rapport, and you have 'face' before distributors, using your prestige to influence them.
**II. Professional Visit Flow for Distributors**
Visit Action 3: Inventory Management
After top-down and bottom-up communication, you should dive into the warehouse to count inventory and make purchase-sales-inventory reports.
Inventory management is the 'literacy' action in distributor management. Without counting the distributor's warehouse, the salesperson has no right to ask for orders.
Basic inventory management actions include:
Inventory count: Warn about out-of-stock items and expired product numbers, implement FIFO (first in, first out—put older products in front to sell first, avoiding expiration)
Inventory share management: When visiting the distributor's warehouse, pay attention to your product's share of the distributor's inventory. The larger the share, the more initiative you have. So complain to the distributor: 'Brother Zhang, you're joking. You say you're willing to cooperate with our company and call me brother, but my goods account for less than a tenth of your inventory capital. I'm not even your mistress; I'm a third-class citizen here. You want me to spend money to build the market for you? Am I stupid?' 'Distributors don't earn gross profit; they earn gross profit turnover: Kangshiniang instant noodles earn 3 yuan per box, but it takes three months to sell, averaging 1 yuan per box per month. Our Kangshifu earns 0.5 yuan per box, but sells in three days, with ten turnovers a month, earning 5 yuan per box monthly. Why do you have so much Kangshiniang in your warehouse tying up capital? You haven't calculated gross profit turnover. Clear it out quickly. It's either me or it.'
Inventory method management: 'Mr. Zhang, moisture-proofing isn't just putting a plastic sheet underneath; it should be raised at least 6 cm. PET beverages shouldn't be stacked more than 15 layers. You're stacking so high that the bottom bottles' mouths deform, letting air in and changing the taste. With a tin roof, the warehouse gets to 50 degrees in summer; milk will turn into yogurt!' These professional inventory issues should be warned about promptly. First, it makes you look more professional; second, warnings prevent defective products, creating value for the distributor; third, even if the distributor doesn't fully listen, if problems occur, we can say 'I told you so...'
Abnormal capital dynamics management: If you find the distributor's warehouse suddenly half empty, what do you think? Either the distributor has problems (like divorce or changing industries), or the distributor has cash—quickly introduce policies to get them to order, buy vehicles, or expand the warehouse. Anything is fine; idle cash in a distributor's hands is never good. If competitor inventory in the warehouse increases, what does it mean? Either you increase your inventory to grab share, or quickly distribute to terminals to suffocate competitors in their inventory... When looking at inventory, think about the distributor's capital flow and countermeasures.
Market materials management: Factories send promotional tables, posters, KT boards, and other promotional materials to distributor warehouses with goods. Too often, they're thrown in a corner, gather dust, and are eventually sold as scrap. The factory's assets—if the factory's salesperson doesn't care, no one will. If you don't value them, distributors won't either.
1.5 times safety stock management rule.
Example: Last visit, the distributor's inventory was 100 boxes. Last week, they ordered 50 boxes. This week, inventory is 120 boxes. How much should the distributor order this time?
30 boxes or 45 boxes?
Let's calculate. Excellent salespeople don't get orders by asking but by calculating. What was the distributor's sales last week? 100+50-120=30 boxes. Now there are 120 boxes left. Is that enough? Yes. So no order this time.
This is 1.5 times safety stock management.
Explanation: Last visit's inventory + last order - this visit's inventory = the distributor's actual sales in that period.
To ensure the distributor doesn't run out of stock in the next period (salespeople visit periodically), the distributor's minimum inventory should be no less than last period's sales. For safety, multiply by 1.5, i.e., 1.5 times period sales.
This is a safe inventory level. Subtract current inventory from safety stock to calculate how much to order.
Example: Last visit, inventory was 100 boxes. Last week, ordered 50 boxes. This week, inventory is 120 boxes. The salesperson visits weekly.
Then: Period sales = (last inventory + last order - current inventory) = 30 boxes
Safety stock = period sales × 1.5 = 30 × 1.5 = 45 boxes
This order quantity = safety stock - current inventory = -75 boxes
So the distributor doesn't need to order.
Note: The so-called 'period sales = last inventory + last order - current inventory' is not absolute. Exclude factors like last week's promotions, weather changes, and seasonal variations. Period sales is 'possible sales in a normal period,' or an 'empirical value.'
The '1.5 times safety stock coefficient' is also not absolute. The longer the shelf life, the larger the coefficient; the longer the factory's delivery cycle, the larger the coefficient.
Using inventory management lets you know the distributor's actual sales/expired/out-of-stock situations, helping reduce stockout/expiration risks and making your suggested orders evidence-based.
The problem is distributors often don't believe this. When you recite 'last inventory, last order, current inventory, current order,' they don't accept it. What do you do?
Visit Action 4: Order Management: Promoting Safety Stock and Reasonable Orders
The distributor's mentality: 'How much do you earn a month? 2,000 yuan. Do you know how much I earn? 50,000! You're just a small salesperson, how long have you been in this? You come to boss me around? Little guy!'
It doesn't matter. No matter how dismissive the distributor is, every time you finish counting inventory and return to the store, 'chant the sutra': 'last inventory/last order/current inventory/actual sales/safety stock...' Each time you chant, it deepens their impression.
Reality will soon teach them. In real life, distributors with poor inventory management face stockouts, expirations, damage, and customer complaints almost daily. Next time these problems occur, your words will echo in their ears, and they'll think:
'Hey, what that salesperson Xiao Wei said seems quite reasonable. Although he's young, he's very down-to-earth. Every time he comes, he goes into my warehouse, sweating, counting inventory, tallying expired products, doing FIFO. Now I think about it, what he said about 'last inventory/last order/current inventory/current order/actual sales/1.5 times safety stock method' has some use. Xiao Wei gives me suggested orders based on this, and his goods never run out or pile up. The other factory's salesperson pushes orders every time, and I end up with some products overstocked and others out of stock. This young man is young but serious, and he really knows his stuff.'
Most distributors won't have the perseverance to manage all their items using your inventory management methods, but if you can make an impression, you've achieved your goal—the distributor acknowledges your professional level, and your image rises.
'Chanting the sutra' isn't just verbal; you can teach by example. Personally build a display for new products and 'bet' with him that good display will increase sales. Facts will convince him. If he doesn't accept your ordering method, put the suggested order calculated by formula next to his order. After a month, compare whose order is more scientific—distributors lack professional skills and manage a dozen brands, so they lack focus. You'll likely win this contest. After a few rounds, he'll be convinced, and your image rises again. Maybe from then on, he'll say: 'You place the orders for me; I'll just pay.'
Visit Action 5: Terminal Market Visit and Market Communication
Now, the salesperson has completed initial market reconnaissance, top-down and bottom-up communication, inventory management, suggested orders, and inventory management concept promotion.
Next, the salesperson should conduct a detailed market survey.
'Mr. Zhang, I'll borrow your bicycle to check the market. I'll be back around 6 PM, and we can talk in detail.' After a solid market visit, the salesperson returns to communicate the information and ideas from the visit. This raises two questions: What to look for when visiting the market? What to communicate with the distributor upon return?
What to look for when visiting the market?
What to look for after visiting the distributor varies by company and period, but generally: recent promotion execution, distributor delivery service, maintenance of supermarket end caps and displays, terminal performance, market order, price-cutting dynamics, competitor activities, etc.
The same market, different salespeople, different findings—why? Different abilities. Salespeople must hone their professional insight and market visit models, never 'stepping on watermelon skin like Zhu Bajie—sliding wherever it goes.'
[Case]
A beverage company sent 3 salespeople to the Guangdong market. Upon return, they shared their impressions.
Salesperson A: 'It's tough, Guangdong is tough. Shenzhen has many supermarkets, all booming, with high entry fees. Guangzhou has many supermarkets, but each is mediocre, no particularly hot spots! Tough!'
Salesperson B: 'Great! Guangdong has huge opportunities: it's the region with the smallest urban-rural gap in China. Even towns have four-star hotels, and second-tier supermarkets have huge sales potential. Also, Cantonese people love morning tea; it's a great place for new product launches, with concentrated foot traffic and low costs. Guangzhou's foodservice is the hottest in the country; we can do promotions there. I've already identified several excellent distributors in Guangzhou.'
Salesperson C: 'After seeing Guangdong, I feel—the girls have bad skin and are ugly.'
Salespeople need to develop 'fiery eyes' to spot opportunities in the chaotic market, find the main contradiction, and find the entry point.
Look at the company's recent work priorities (e.g., display cost investment) and the market problems the distributor just reported (e.g., flooding). When communicating upon return, address these first to show you value them.
Look at the performance and problems of key local terminals.
Flip through the distributor's sales ledger and computer shipping records to find abnormal sales at specific outlets and visit those.
Listen to feedback from the distributor's salespeople (e.g., the distributor didn't pay new product commissions last month, or the distributor recently bought a house and is short on cash).
Look at terminal performance
Example: A food salesperson's 'nine looks' when visiting retail stores:
Look at our product's distribution rate;
Look at our product's production date and turnover speed;
Look at product display and visibility;
Check if product prices comply with company regulations;
Look at distributor visit quality (store owners' feedback on whether delivery service is normal);
Check if promotions are withheld or distorted;
Check if product inventory is reasonable;
Look at competitor dynamics;
Look for market opportunities (if a competitor's product sells well and our company's similar product performs poorly, that means a product gap).
Check if problems found last visit have improved (e.g., last time, terminal delivery was severely lacking).
Look for next month's growth opportunities (omitted).
How to communicate with the distributor upon return?
When communicating with the distributor, topics should be helpful to work and of great concern to the distributor. What topics are these?
First, progress on recent key work
E.g., Mr. Zhang, last week the company ran a promotion of buy 4 packs of milk get 1 towel to increase distribution. Why is there no response in the market?
Mr. Li, your area has good distribution for the new product, but the eastern district seems weaker.
Other customers' evaluations of the distributor and their salespeople
E.g., Mr. Zhang, you need to talk to your delivery guy Xiao Liu. Several customers reported he stuffs goods to get commissions, even deceptive selling (telling customers that a popular product is about to run out or prices will rise, making them order large quantities. When customers have overstock and ask for exchanges, he ignores them). Customers aren't cursing him; they're cursing you, Mr. Zhang.
Competitor promotional actions
E.g., I found that a juice brand is distributing flyers and will hold a wholesale ordering meeting on the 15th. The peak season is coming. If they hold their meeting and take the secondary wholesalers' funds, we'll be in trouble. I want to discuss with you: I'll go back and apply for some support, and we'll act quickly to hold our ordering meeting before theirs. What do you think?
Market opportunity analysis
I particularly emphasize four things here:
1. Channel opportunities
E.g., Mr. Zhang, during my visit, I found competitors invest heavily in supermarket and wholesale promotions. But they ignore the school channel. Can we focus on college and university channels this month? Don't underestimate university sales; a store there sells three times more than on a regular street.
2. Product item opportunities
Most domestic companies suffer from a common problem—single-product sales, because salespeople prefer selling mature, easy-to-sell products. Actually, for a relatively mature market, the biggest growth opportunity is new items.
E.g., Mr. Zhang, I toured Taiyuan and found that the 1-yuan 'Delicious Shredded Pork Noodles' sell well, but this product has been around long, prices are inverted, and retail stores have no profit. So I think the 1-yuan price point is a market opportunity. Let's focus on 1-yuan products for growth next.
3. Market risk prediction
E.g., Mr. Zhang, don't order too much next time. Retail stores generally report that this year's weather is cool, and 500ml beverages aren't selling. Also, August 8th is the start of autumn. Should we shift focus to large-pack milk? (Note: As weather cools, small-pack carbonated drinks enter off-season, while milk enters peak season)
4. Market order information
E.g., I found a new batch of flooding goods in the Ximen wholesale market. Wholesalers suspect it's from Boss Ding in Yiwu. You should send someone to investigate and find evidence, and I'll deal with him. Also, the secondary wholesaler Crippled Li is leading price cuts; stop his supply immediately.
If a salesperson can do this, what will the distributor feel? 'This salesperson is really down-to-earth. Every time he comes, he says a few words and then goes to check the market. When he returns, he analyzes problems and proposes solutions. He genuinely helps me build the market. This is a truly professional salesperson!'
Visit Action 6: Establish Customer Profiles and Help Distributors Maintain Peripheral Networks
If you visit a distributor three times a month, spending three hours each time on market visits, after three months you can fully establish the distributor's downstream customer profiles. One day, you suddenly hand the distributor a notebook:
'Mr. Zhang, this is the downstream customer profile I've built over the past few months, including all local large wholesale markets, supermarkets, large retail points selling snacks, and I'm still investigating schools, large enterprises, and other small shops.'
'Look, the first page is a customer distribution map, the second page has each customer's name, address, phone, and contact person, and from the third page onward are detailed notes on each customer I've found—including their business area, brands they represent, shelf space, main supply channels, etc. I'll gradually add more details.'
'I've numbered and classified these customers: customers numbered 1-170 are your 'loyal customers,' who always buy from you. Customers 170-210 are 'floating customers' (sometimes buy from you, sometimes from Boss Liu). There are also over 40 'unknown customers' (never buy from you). Customers marked with '*' are dangerous ones with a habit of buying from outside and cutting prices. I suggest we focus on consolidating the 'floating' and 'unknown' customers. I'll apply for some promotional policies, and we'll run a promotion targeting these customers—door-to-door ordering, flyers, gifts, and inventory management—to win them over. What do you think?'
Imagine if a salesperson really did this. What would the distributor feel?
First, fear: 'Damn, this guy has figured out all my downstream customers' (When can a distributor glare at you and say, 'If you dare make me quit, I'll make sure you can't enter the Dongguan market'? That means you know nothing about his downstream network. When can you tell the distributor, 'Don't push it. If I replace you, I can set up another distributor within a month without sales dropping'? That means you fully control his distribution network).
Second, admiration: 'This young man is truly remarkable. I've been selling goods locally for decades, and I can nod to the bigger customers, but I've never made such standardized customer profiles. I have some customer info, but it's incomplete—a tattered notebook with a few phone numbers, some on the wall calendar. But this is incomparable. This profile is useful. In the future, when changing salespeople, they can hand over the profile directly. When new products come, I can just call each customer. And he can help me identify my network blind spots... Shameful! What I haven't done in over a decade, this young man did in three months!'
Third, gratitude: 'He really helps me do business. The network blind spots right under my nose (unknown and floating customers), I didn't notice, but he sorted them out and can help me run promotions to attract customers. This is truly useful for me...'
Ask yourself: If you really achieve this, is it helpful to your work? Will the distributor really have these emotions?
Yes.
Ask yourself: Is establishing customer profiles difficult for a salesperson, or even impossible?
No. If you want to do it, you can.
Sales work is not mysterious, not like what some theorists and economists say about meticulous analysis and marketing principles... Sometimes overthinking complicates simple things and makes execution impossible. In reality, sales is about truly doing simple actions well. Executing simple things to the end is the greatest complexity.
Visit Action 7: 'Brainwash' Distributors and Help Improve Management Procedures Within Your Capability
Besides work, we inevitably have private time with distributors, like meals or tea chats.
At these times, don't forget: we want to be friends with distributors, but first, you're a factory representative, and they're your customers and business partners. So you should seize opportunities to 'brainwash' distributors at appropriate times—what does brainwashing mean? It means instilling advanced management concepts and methods to promote distributor growth.
Some salespeople might say, 'I can't do that. I'm good at doing, not talking. I can do business, but I can't brainwash others.'
This is typical self-excuse. In distributor management, your job isn't to sell goods yourself but to mobilize the distributor's power. Business is about dealing with people, and dealing with people means influencing their thoughts. How to influence others? Through language. If you can't speak well, you'll never be a good salesperson.
What if you're naturally not good at speaking?
1. Don't forget the concept we've emphasized: Negotiation is not about eloquence but preparation.
2. Actually, are there many topics to communicate with distributors? No. They are just the following:
3. My inventory share is insufficient; need to clear other 'unimportant products' to increase my inventory;
4. The distributor's personnel assessment needs revision; emphasize the process for registering and handling terminal customer complaints;
5. The distributor lacks people and vehicles; need to add staff and vehicles;
6. There are network gaps in the market; need to open sub-distributors or add staff to cover;
7. Distributors should value new products and new channel development, increasing profits by changing channel and product structure.
8. Inventory management improves operations;
9. Benefits of establishing downstream customer profiles;
10. Upgrade the distributor's sales team management system;
11. Accounts receivable management systems and techniques;
Since you know these topics, why not gather colleagues to brainstorm persuasive responses, memorize them, and practice?
Don't think this is hypocritical or artificial. No one is born eloquent. 'One minute on stage, ten years off stage.' All speakers practice this way. Relying on business experience and life accumulation can gradually improve eloquence (FMCG distributor professional consulting management: WeChat ID: kxpjxszyzxgl), but it's slow. Deliberately memorizing and practicing will rapidly improve your expression.
One point to note: This concept promotion should find timely opportunities. Wait until the distributor is troubled by a problem, then appear with 'I've noticed this problem too and was just about to talk to you about it.' 'What's offered for free isn't valued.' If you always stand in the distributor's store pointing fingers—'Your management is wrong, let me tell you how to do it; your concept is outdated, listen to me'—you'll annoy them, and they'll kick you out.
Visit Action 8: 'Showmanship'—Make Distributors Say 'Thank Goodness I Have You'
Don't misunderstand; 'showmanship' isn't a derogatory term.
What is 'showmanship'? It's proactive display, intentional publicity. Showmanship differs from 'hustling.' Hustling is making something out of nothing, distorting facts. Showmanship is presenting your 'characteristics, ideas, and things you've done' without exaggeration. Remember, showmanship must be measured; otherwise, people will say you're arrogant and immodest.
In modern society, more people do showmanship: advertising is showmanship, roadshows are showmanship, product endorsements are showmanship, product packaging design is showmanship. At distributor conferences, excellent distributors going on stage to receive awards is a live show—the business world doesn't need Lei Feng who does good deeds anonymously.
We should also do showmanship when visiting distributors:
1. Master strategist show—I know your (the distributor's) people, vehicles, goods, and money resources thoroughly. Although I'm an outsider, I'm familiar with this market. Next month's sales will definitely rise.
2. Hardworking show—Visiting the market under the scorching sun, 'arriving earliest, leaving latest,' counting inventory with sweat, meticulous and voluntary.
3. Benefactor show—This show is the most important.
4. When dealing with large distributors, you usually only contact their employees and rarely see the boss or manager. What to do? Once a quarter, schedule a 'performance review' with their manager or sales director.
The format should be 'dazzlingly professional,' and the content even more professional. What is the performance review model?
1. Distributor performance data analysis model:
Never let the distributor feel everything is fine. Firmly analyze from data where they need improvement. Analyze the distributor's performance issues from eight directions: performance growth rate, growth rate, completion rate, regional performance share, product mix, cost-to-sales ratio, shipping cycle, and progress on the company's recent key priorities.
2. Factory personnel performance report model:
In the first article, we said: 'In business, you need not only legs but also a mouth. Keep telling distributors profit stories so they understand the value you create.' So 'put powder on your face'—factory personnel should accumulate material in daily work, not bury their 'contributions.' Each month, review, summarize, and emphasize your performance. Ideally, after hearing it, the distributor will 'cry' and grab your hand, shouting: 'Benefactor, thank goodness I have you!'
3. Performance that factory personnel can create for distributors:
Service performance: e.g., helping distributors establish standardized customer profiles, digesting defective products, settling expenses, etc.
Internal management assistance performance: e.g., training distributors and their teams, improving internal employee assessments and other management processes.
Market management performance: e.g., combating flooding, handling price conflicts, defining regional customers among same-city distributors, terminal customer complaint statistics and handling.
Market support performance: e.g., promotional expense investment, number of posters pasted by factory personnel, number of image promotion materials, number of model stores/stack displays/display stores/agreement stores.
Sales performance: Note that factory personnel's responsibilities should differ from distributors. Distributors are regional managers; factory personnel are assistant regional managers. Factory personnel 'help distributors build the market, not help distributors make sales.' So in sales performance, emphasize factory personnel helping distributors develop new regional sales, leading distributor staff to distribute new products, and the resulting profits.
Network performance: Similarly, factory personnel 'help distributors build the market, not help distributors make sales.' Emphasize the number of new terminal customers developed, new agreement stores signed, and examples and numbers of new channels/new areas/new sub-distributors assisted.
Product mix performance: Through factory market support, promotional promotion, updates to distributor personnel assessments, internal training, and management improvement, ultimately drive changes in the distributor's product mix numbers, sales growth numbers for promoted products, and the resulting increases in average price and gross profit.
4. Market problem analysis model:
Clarify the problems in market cooperation, market advancement, and performance achievement this month. These are the key tasks for distributor management next month.
First, review the distributor's performance number issues analyzed in the first point.
1) Payment issues: Was the distributor's payment timely this month...
Market visit and storage/transport issues: Does the distributor's transport capacity and manpower meet current distribution requirements?
2) Customer complaint issues: List of terminal customer complaints registered this week. Has the distributor implemented internal terminal visit/complaint recording/complaint handling processes?
3) Network issues: Are there areas or channels the distributor hasn't covered or can't cover? How to improve?
4) Inventory issues: Is our product's inventory share at the distributor too small? Are there problems with the distributor's inventory methods? Is there waste of market materials? Does the distributor need to clear slow-moving goods tying up capital to increase our inventory?
5) Personnel assessment: What problems exist in the distributor's current personnel assessment? What results do they cause? What improvements are suggested?
6) Marketing efficiency: Is the order ratio showing the distributor's own sales ability is too weak, with factory sales proportion too large? How to improve the situation where the master works and the servant rests?
7) Promotion cooperation: During promotional activities, is the distributor's support in people/vehicles/goods, and the redemption of display awards and gifts, in place?
8) Other issues: e.g., distributor staff working hours prevent night market and early market channels, and other detailed management issues.
9) Form management goals and improvement schedules, and review next cycle.
From the specific problems analyzed in the third step, pick those that can be solved immediately and set next month's improvement plan. Don't let distributors fool you. All solutions should be precise to time, place, personnel, resource allocation, completion standards, acceptance person, acceptance time, and reward/punishment standards. The first item in next month's performance review is 'Review the completion progress of the improvement schedule agreed upon last month, and implement rewards/punishments as agreed!' Then analyze this month's problems, make next month's improvement schedule... forming a monthly management cycle of 'problem analysis—improvement schedule—progress tracking' to truly drive improvement.
5. Review and analysis
Review the distributor visit action flow. How effective is it if you follow this process?
Principles: Regular contact, regular visits, planned itineraries, performance goals—as a result, distributors no longer think you come to push them to stock up but to help them build the market. Your relationship becomes cooperative. Factory business distributor visit time and energy allocation is market-advancement-oriented, producing greater performance.
Step 1: Preparation: First, survey the market and analyze data—as a result, distributors who fabricate facts and complain are often seen through. Using professional models to analyze distributor performance data beforehand makes your communication more targeted. Distributors feel your dedication, professionalism, and skill, and no longer dare to be clever or talk nonsense. Distributors won't underestimate you.
Step 2: Information management: Top-down and bottom-up communication, no promises beyond authority, necessary written communication, responding to everything, valuing short-term interests—as a result, distributors feel you're steady, trustworthy, practical, and considerate of them. Distributors appreciate and trust you.
Step 3: Inventory management: Count inventory, warn about expired products, FIFO, safety stock management, inventory share management, inventory method management, abnormal capital dynamics management, market materials management—as a result, you know the distributor's actual sales/expired/out-of-stock situations thoroughly, can help reduce stockout/expiration risks, and your suggested orders are evidence-based. You can better grasp the distributor's capital dynamics and increase your inventory share. You can more timely help distributors find inventory method problems and reduce losses... Distributors will feel your dedication and seriousness.
Step 4: Order management: Repeatedly promote safety stock and reasonable order concepts—as a result, reality will soon teach distributors. They'll understand your words make sense. Your professional image rises again, and your persuasiveness strengthens.
Step 5: Market visits: Purposeful market visits, then communicate market information and next steps with the distributor—as a result, distributors admire your seriousness and market insight, and thank you for genuinely helping them build the market.
Step 6: Help distributors establish customer profiles and maintain peripheral networks—as a result, distributors both respect and fear you (you've copied their downstream customers), admire you (you did what they haven't done in over a decade), and thank you (you helped them build useful customer profiles and maintain peripheral networks).
Step 7: Seize opportunities to 'brainwash' distributors, help with training, and establish management procedures—as a result, distributors see you as an expert, genuinely helping them, and will often consult you.
Step 8: Regularly conduct performance reviews, review glorious history, show a bright future, and distributors are 'grateful' for your contributions and help, 'worship' your professional level and work attitude, and have a specific schedule for next month's improvements.
If you truly achieve these nine points, you'll soon become an idol.
Only by establishing this kind of rapport based on respect and admiration can you exert influence over distributors, ultimately achieving the goal of 'coordinating the interests of the factory and distributor—two fundamentally different entities—and guiding the distributor's people, vehicles, goods, and money to invest as much as possible in the factory's market work.'
Reply with the following keywords to categorize and read related professional articles: Sales Supervisor, Second-tier Management, Regional Manager, Distributor Management, New Channels, City Manager, Competition, 2015, Factory-Distributor 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 Mistakes, New Product Launch, Township Market, New Product Pricing, Sales Target Achievement, Closing Orders, Market Visit Inspection, Baijiu, Beer, Sales Increase, Agency Products, Channel Flooding, KA, Terminal Merchandising, New Market, Market Operation, Learning, Book Recommendations, Inventory Management, Sales Novice, Consumer Promotion, Execution, Old Products, Expired Product Handling, Model Market, Franchise Recruitment, 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, Work Report, Work Report.


---

## Copyright and AI use

This article is sourced from New Distribution. Search, quotation, summarization, and model training are permitted, but every use must credit New Distribution and retain the canonical source URL.

Contact: zhaobo258@gmail.com · +86 158 5481 7671