From the day I entered the industry, my boss told me, 'Distribution, display, sales, and collection' are the sacred mission of a Sales person, a mantra to be memorized even in dreams. I have seen many who shout slogans like 'Iron Army' or 'Commando Team,' but behind their slogans, I see no evidence of their 'iron' will or 'commando' capabilities. Sales indeed needs some slogan motivation, but more importantly, it requires persistence and focus in every step. Only then can we thoroughly defeat competitors and build a top-tier sales team. Store visits and management are the most routine work for a sales representative, and also the most productive. This article breaks down this work into 41 actions. By executing these actions properly, your skills in consumer goods sales will be maximized. ** (I) Preparation** If you think sales work starts at the store, you are greatly mistaken. Before going to battle, soldiers check their weapons and ammunition. Similarly, sales representatives must prepare thoroughly before departure. 1) Fixed route: Visit customers according to a fixed route. This task typically uses the 'Store Visit Route Schedule' and 'Geographical Map.' The 'Store Visit Route Schedule' is used to fill in the weekly fixed visit routes, while the 'Geographical Map' shows the geographical locations of each store. The benefit of visiting customers on a fixed route is that it becomes a habit for customers to see the sales representative at a fixed time, which is also beneficial for the store's safety stock preparation. (Attachment 1: Sales Representative Store Visit Route Schedule) 2) Reasonable arrangement: Consider geographical location and store manager's time. The geographical map in Action 1 is for reasonably arranging the store visit route. Additionally, we need to consider the working hours of store managers. If the store has in-store promoters, their working hours also need to be considered. If we have new products to distribute or displays to improve, these need to be negotiated with the store manager during their working hours. Knowing their working hours is also an important task when designing visit routes. 3) Phone appointment: Use phone calls to improve visit efficiency and avoid the manager being absent. Simple shelf restocking and display work may not require the manager's presence, but if you are negotiating a promotional activity with the store, you must ensure the manager is present. Knowing the manager's working hours is not enough (because unexpected situations like shift changes or sick leave can occur); you also need to make a phone appointment in advance. This action confirms the time and shows respect for the other party. 4) Set visit goals Visiting stores with a purpose is a sign of a good work habit for a sales representative. We are not 'shopping' in stores; we are working in them. Therefore, before the visit, you should bring your previous visit records and display progress charts (these are reflected in the customer visit card mentioned later), and clarify the goals of this visit. Is your goal to distribute new SKUs? Or to increase display space? These must be clarified before the visit. Goal setting also requires defining the maximum and minimum goals. Negotiation is a bargaining process; what you get is always less than what you ask for. But if you don't set goals, you cannot evaluate whether you made a successful or failed negotiation. After clarifying the visit route and goals, the next step is to prepare your sales tools. 5) Goal preparation: Prepare appropriate tools and data according to goals. Based on your visit goals, you should bring the necessary tools and data. If it's a new promotional activity, check if you have enough POP and display props for the activity. Did you forget the promotional items the promoter asked you to bring to the store? If you are distributing new products, do you have samples, new product introductions, or leaflets? If your goal is to expand display space, you need to bring your sales data. Typically, strong brands expand display space – for fixed shelves, this means squeezing competitors' space – by calculating the profit that the growth of their brand's display space brings to the store. Weak brands often do the opposite, using counter-attacks like providing display fees to fight back. The store, in essence, weighs between sales volume × gross margin and display fees to decide whether to expand or shrink a brand's display space. 6) Bring all sales materials Now, you need to check your sales bag. The outside of your sales bag is printed with the company logo, which is the company honor every sales representative should cherish; we fight for this brand. Check if your sales bag is clean? Remember, the image of your sales bag is part of your personal image and represents the company's image. Now check the contents inside the sales bag. 'Sales Representative Store Visit Route Schedule': Check whether you have followed the planned route today. Price list and suggested order form: The price list is for the store; never give the distributor price list to the store. The suggested order form is the store's order record. Customer visit card: See Attachment 2. The customer visit card is a sales representative's weapon. For detailed usage, refer to the article 'Customer Card: The Soul of Terminal Operations.' This form records information on a store's inventory, display, and promotional activities. Company inventory: Before leaving, don't forget to bring the company's inventory list or the inventory list of the distributor you are responsible for. If some products are out of stock, you need to explain to the store. Without understanding company inventory, it's easy to place random orders, leading to lower order fulfillment rates for stores. Order forms: Of course, as a salesperson, you must ensure you have enough order forms. Invoices: If you need to settle accounts with the store this trip, you must bring invoices and sales lists. POP: Sales representatives should note that POP in stores needs to be updated promptly because each promotional cycle or new product launch has different promotion and focus points, and POP must match these changes. Therefore, the POP in your sales bag should be the latest to facilitate timely updates in stores. Various stationery: Check again if you have enough double-sided tape for posting POP or special price labels? Do you have a clean cloth for wiping products and shelves? Also, don't forget to bring your pen, notebook, business cards, scissors, and calculator. Not one can be missing! Alright, you are well-prepared. Now, cheer up and set off! (Attachment 2: Customer Visit Card) ** (II) Self-Introduction** 7) Appearance Sales representatives on the road usually don't wear suits, but your appearance must be neat. If the company has a uniform dress code, follow it; if not, you still cannot lower the standard of neatness. Remember, neat attire is only one aspect; you must also smile and show your approachability. A smile can bring you closer to customers and leave a better impression. 8) Find the key person If your work goal today involves dealing with store personnel, you must first find those who truly make decisions. Remember, show your confidence; your confidence will infect your customers. 9) Introduce yourself If it's a new store, or if you are just starting your sales business, you need to proactively introduce yourself to the manager, introduce the company, and exchange business cards. Remember, the store manager may not remember your name, but the minimum requirement for an excellent sales representative is that others can remember the brand of the company you work for. I emphasize again: a brand is a sales representative's honor. Every excellent sales representative's name is the brand they work for. We must defend our brand as we defend our own honor! Alright, now let's officially enter the store and start the various operations. ** (III) Observing the Store** 10) In-store observation I suggest you walk from the main aisle gradually to your product display area. Of course, you can take shortcuts, but unfortunately, most consumers do not. First, you need to understand the store's operating conditions. In the past year and a half, at least 150 large supermarket chains in China have closed down. The credit safety issue of supermarkets has become a topic that must be put on the agenda, and credit control of stores must start with sales representatives. Although some supermarkets close overnight, most show signs before closing: sparse displays, out-of-stock strong brands, fresh food counters almost empty (fresh products almost always require cash payment), and in hot summer, instead of beverages, health products are placed on the floor – these are all signs of a failing supermarket. But if competitors' displays are full, and your distributor tells you the supermarket has credit issues, you need to question: Is it that they lack funds to serve the supermarket? Or is it that their salesperson's ability to collect payments is problematic? 11) Watch competitors See what competitors have been up to recently? Have they done themed floor displays? Bought dedicated shelves? Published flyers? Are their display spaces shrinking or expanding? Record all these and report to your supervisor to respond promptly and attack them when the opportunity arises. 12) Check our products Now start checking our own products. Do our product series meet the company's distribution standards? If not, plan your distribution plan. Is our display up to standard? If not, make a display improvement plan. Have we achieved regionalized display? Remember, regionalized display maximizes the effectiveness of shopping guides and alone can increase our sales. What is our display position? Is it in the highest traffic area, or on the golden shelf? Check the price tags: Has the supermarket implemented the company's pricing? Is it cheaper or more expensive? Has the promotional price been implemented? Or has the promised price change been executed? Also observe whether our POP, leaflets, cards, or danglers, insert cards in the store are expired or damaged by competitors? Don't be angry about competitors damaging these items; we just redo them. The store is a war without gunpowder among brands. Repeating these basic sales actions is the life of a sales representative, and it is your own choice. 13) FIFO How many of our products become expired in stores because we didn't do First-In, First-Out (FIFO)? Remember, out-of-stock and not doing FIFO are crimes for a sales representative, and the greatest insult to our glorious title of 'sales representative'! Develop the habit of placing older products in front and fresher products behind. FIFO!!! You should also check shelves and warehouse for products nearing expiry or expired. For these, remember to remove them from shelves promptly, or do some promotions for near-expiry products to clear inventory. 14) Record inventory Use the 'Customer Visit Card' to record the inventory of each SKU and their freshness. 15) Calculate order quantity Use the safety stock principle to calculate orders. This can also be found in the article 'Customer Card: The Soul of Terminal Operations.' No need to repeat. 16) Check storage conditions Are the storage conditions in the store or warehouse up to company standards? Some products requiring refrigeration or insulation differ from ordinary goods. If not, correct immediately. After observing all these, move to the next step – ** (IV) Tidying the Shelf** 17) Obtain store consent in advance The store manager certainly has the right to adjust displays, but don't underestimate the 'small figures' in the store – the restocking team leader, the shift supervisor. These people often have decision-making power over your display position. Therefore, good relationships are crucial. But are relationships built through eating and drinking? Completely wrong! These people are often the ones who pay for meals and are called 'fools' by others; they are used to pay for store personnel. Good relationships require frequent visits and emotional communication. Inventory day and shelf adjustment day are usually the best times to change shelf positions. The Chinese say 'meeting creates affection,' and moreover, inventory and shelf adjustments are usually done late at night, sometimes until dawn. All excellent sales representatives have participated in these store tasks. Have you? Do you know why your wining and dining doesn't compare to others' relationships? Giving gifts is also necessary, but don't cross the moral bottom line. Commercial bribery never ends well and won't earn you industry respect. 18) Position High traffic and prominent positions are definitely good positions. Attachments 3 and 4 show the best shelf positions based on width and height, respectively, with several sales indicators. Best shelf position – shelf width: Best shelf position – shelf height: 19) Maintain shelf share You not only need a good position but also need to ensure your shelf share. The minimum level is not to fall below your sales share in the store. As a strong brand, you need to occupy the largest shelf space; as a weak brand, your display principle should closely follow competitors, displaying next to them because their product shelves usually have the highest traffic. This sticky tactic is called 'follow the leader.' 20) Manage the shelf well Remember, the best position must be for the best-selling products, or for seasonal promotions or main push products. Also, you must keep the shelf full and have enough stock. Experience shows that even without out-of-stock, a full shelf display sells more than a sparse one. 21) Regionalized display Products in each series should be placed together as much as possible. Put our brands together! Put our flavors together! Put our sizes together! Only in this way can we maximize sales efficiency. The display space for fast-moving products should be 2-3 times that of ordinary products. Assuming one display space sells 100, two display spaces sell 123, three sell 140, and four sell 154! 22) In-store price management If you change the position during restocking, remember to adjust the price tag accordingly. All products must have corresponding price tags, which should reflect accurate prices and be clear and prominent. For stores with internal codes on price tags, record this information. You generally cannot order using product barcodes in the store; the effective order symbol is the store's internal code. 23) Use promotional materials reasonably Which promotional materials do you use daily? Posters, banners, stickers, insert cards, KT boards, hanging mobiles, dedicated display cabinets, dedicated display boxes, checkout shelves, hot spot shelves, in-store promo tables... These are your promotional materials. The effect of promotional materials + display is 1.8 times the sales of display alone. You should use the latest promotional materials, choose corresponding materials for different brands, and update them regularly. Place promotional materials where they can attract consumers the most. 24) Do promotional displays Earlier we talked about regular shelf displays. If possible, do more promotional displays in the store. Promotional displays bring the following benefits: Floor display: sales increase 42% Floor display + poster: sales increase 60% Floor display + poster + special price card (only special price): sales increase 83% Floor display + poster + special price card (original and special price): sales increase 125% 25) Do FIFO again Don't forget at any time: as long as you touch the display, you must place products according to the FIFO principle. 26) Clean products Now, take out the cloth from your sales bag and clean the products and shelves. The cleanliness of products directly affects consumer choice; no one wants to buy dirty products, no matter how fresh the date. 27) Replenish products After arranging the display, you may need to replenish some products. Remember the FIFO principle and expand the display space as much as possible. 28) Returns and exchanges If there are products with unsuitable dates or damaged, take them off the shelf promptly and put good products back. 29) Introduce benefits It's not enough to do it yourself; you also need to communicate to the store staff the benefits of the display for them. You need to make them believe that our work will bring them sales growth. Finally, don't forget to tell them to maintain our display, and also tell them that maintaining such a display will bring them benefits. 30) Communicate with the promoter If the store has a promoter, don't forget to ask about their recent sales – including your own and competitors' sales and promotional activities – and check their sales reports. If the company has information to convey, tell them immediately, and tell them the recent work focus, and ask if they need help with anything. Is there anything you brought for them? Is there anything to bring back to the company? Go do it quickly. Alright, the display and restocking work is done. But the work doesn't end here. Do you have any new work goals for today's visit? Now enter the fifth work step – ** (V) Presenting Goals** 31) Reconfirm work goals Based on the work done in the store, you need to reconfirm your work goals. These goals include: selling in new SKUs, expanding display space, stocking up, conducting promotional activities, collecting payments, price changes, etc. 32) Use your sales tools Using your customer visit card, you can show the store that safety stock is insufficient and they need to order. Use new product promotional materials to sell new SKUs to the store. Use the suggested order form to tell the store we have more product series and increase their order quantity. 33) Assist store personnel in ordering New products usually require purchasing to confirm before ordering. Existing products can be ordered directly by the store. In some stores, in-store staff can place orders directly; in others, there is a complex purchasing process. The following table shows the ordering process of a certain chain supermarket: Here, there can be up to 9 steps, and it's very easy to make mistakes at any step. Sales representatives should not only assist store personnel in placing orders but also thoroughly understand the entire order process and track each step to avoid out-of-stock due to process issues. 34) Use your sales skills to persuade key people Achieving your sales goals – such as conducting a promotional activity or distributing new products – is never easy. Here, you need to use the sales skills you've learned to negotiate with the store. Don't take customer rejection as the final answer; an excellent sales representative always discovers the problem behind the rejection. Use open-ended questions to find customer needs! Stay calm when the customer has objections. Listen carefully to the customer's problems and understand clearly. Say to the customer, 'I understand you mean...' to show agreement. Repeat the customer's problem and ask if they have other objections, to limit their issues. Explain our benefits to overcome objections. And promptly detect buying signals and close the deal. Sales skills are the basic skills of a sales representative, but they are not the focus of this article. The following table shows the general sales process: Alright, after these steps, your sales goals are achieved. So, is there any work left undone? ** (VI) Administrative Work** Don't forget to check again the administrative work you need to do in the store. 35) Check if each customer visit card is accurately and completely filled Have you recorded each product series and each display method on the customer visit card? Remember, this card is the source of all internal company data; it is the weapon of every sales representative! 36) Payment collection If your work today includes payment collection, please carefully keep the checks you receive, put them in a check folder, and avoid losing them. Following your store visit route map and the steps I mentioned above, you have completed a day's visit work. But is your work done? Don't forget, back at the office, you still have some final tasks! 37) Process orders After returning to the office, based on today's work, immediately process your orders, send them to the distributor, or to the internal order entry clerk. 38) Submit collected payments Immediately submit your collected payments to the company and record them carefully. Payments must never be kept overnight. 39) Organize customer visit cards Take today's customer visit cards. If any are filled sloppily, rewrite them on a new form and store them in a fixed place. The storage place for customer visit cards should not be locked; they must be available for inspection by supervisors or the company at any time. This is our professionalism. 40) Fill in sales/payment collection report Carefully fill in today's sales and payment collection records, and store them in a fixed place, also not locked. 41) Fill in work plan If today is Friday, carefully fill in next week's work plan. Although you may follow the same fixed route as this week, has your supervisor arranged new tasks, new promotional activities, or new product launches for next week? 42) Finally, prepare for the next day's work Now, the busy day is about to end. Before that, prepare some things for tomorrow's store visits, and ask your supervisor if there are any other work instructions for tomorrow. Take out your notebook and write them down. This workday ends here. Above, we have detailed the 41 action points of the professional store visit process, which are the basic work standards and requirements commonly used by leading consumer goods companies worldwide. Sales itself is actually a very simple job, but the key to success is to repeat simple actions continuously. These tasks, which are easy to say but tedious to do, are the real key to widening the gap between us and competitors when executed without compromise. This is you, a tireless and glorious sales representative, an unstoppable sales vanguard! 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