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Manufacturers and distributors have always been both partners and adversaries. In this game, how salespeople persuade distributors to wholeheartedly focus on their products is a major challenge. Every manufacturer and salesperson seeks the secret to making distributors compliant. In practice, I've seen many eloquent salespeople use every trick to persuade distributors to carry their products, cooperate with promotions, and work together to build the market, yet still fail. The reason is that these salespeople don't understand what distributors truly need and lack proper negotiation methods. The following "three tricks" are simple, practical, scientific, and artistic methods I've summarized. They may help salespeople who stay on the surface. Give them a try:

First Trick: Use Facts as Evidence Many salespeople try to win over distributors at the table with eloquence, capability, and manufacturer advantages. Ten years ago, these methods might have worked, but now they won't because distributors no longer trust one-sided stories. Talk is cheap; seeing is believing. Facts speak louder than words.

However, every industry has "bragging experts." Why are they called that? Because they only talk and rarely use facts to explain marketing issues. These experts are all talk and no action. Their examples come from foreign books or outdated cases from famous companies. Distributors often call them "XX bragging expert" or "industry blowhards."

Actually, using real facts is the most convincing way to explain issues. Examples are the most vivid persuasion method. In my 15 years in marketing, I often use real examples to convince distributors, such as how a new product was promoted at a distributor's place, how terminal markets in a region were developed, how someone increased output in a system store, or how a store was negotiated. Of course, examples must be representative—ones distributors can see and touch, familiar to them, possibly their competitors, ideally nearby distributors. Remember the old saying: "The power of example is infinite!"

The best way to use examples is through comparison. "Don't fear not knowing goods; fear comparing goods." For instance, when promoting a new product, if the customer says the price is high, many salespeople don't ask "Compared to what?" or use a benchmark. During negotiations, distributors often raise issues that are hard to verify: unstable quality, high prices, low brand awareness, excessive parallel imports, few promotions, insufficient budget, and heavy competitor investment. Some are true, some false. If you merely argue, you'll lose. But if you bring up benchmarks and compare, they may yield to facts rather than your rhetoric. Otherwise, they'll demand more conditions and benefits.

The most effective way to use facts is to go to the scene. Every time I visit a distributor, even when busy, I walk several streets, check system stores, from small to large, to see all representative channels, then go to the distributor. Then I list the problems I saw. If the distributor has doubts, I take them to the scene, walk around, and discuss. Let facts speak for themselves. I believe no one can deny facts.

Second Trick: Let Data Speak Chinese salespeople often neglect data. I've read many Chinese marketing books, but few use data analysis—they're rare. In fact, all marketing can be expressed with data, and data is the most persuasive.

The biggest difference between foreign and domestic companies: foreign companies like data analysis; domestic companies rely on quotes from ancients, great people, celebrities, and leaders. But in marketing practice, I prefer data because data doesn't change with personal feelings or environment, nor with human will. Data is equal for everyone.

Negotiating with distributors mainly involves data analysis, analyzing common marketing metrics like sales, expenses, profits, market share, store openings, active stores, year-on-year growth, month-on-month growth, and ROI. These data address market and performance requirements.

First, learn to break down data. Broken-down data is clearer. For example, sales expenses can be broken into sales personnel compensation, advertising, business expenses, after-sales service, logistics, and PR. Personnel costs break into base salary, bonuses, allowances, benefits, and special rewards; business expenses into travel, entertainment, discounts, bad debts, and training. This breakdown shows whether expenses are increasing or decreasing and clarifies ROI, not like a monkey playing a lute—random. Such analysis convinces distributors.

Second, use horizontal and vertical comparisons. Horizontal compares similar things, like distributors of the same type, level, and consumer segment. Vertical compares with oneself over time. Both quantify sales matters, making comparisons more meaningful.

Third, use analysis tools like charts, graphs, and formulas. Common tools include data charts for comparison, trend analysis, market share proportions, stacked area charts for product layers, quadrant charts for product type distribution, radar charts for overall strength, and functions for calculations. Pie charts, line charts, column charts, bar charts, pyramid charts, Gantt charts, pie-of-pie charts, and scatter plots are common sales charts.

Third Trick: Maintain the Right Attitude Attitude determines everything; attitude determines success or failure. The same issue with different attitudes yields different results. In reality, many salespeople neglect attitude when talking with distributors. They may be arrogant because they work for big companies or think they're well-traveled, looking down on distributors. This is a big mistake. Distributors, even if small, are bosses. You have no reason or right to look down on them. In a sense, distributors are the bread and butter of manufacturers. So, when talking with distributors, first correct your attitude, then discuss other matters. Otherwise, you'll suffer the consequences.

What is the correct attitude?

First, be serious, not careless. Salespeople deal with money and goods, so serious work earns respect. Seriousness means putting everything in writing, not just talking. Many salespeople promise anything but delay execution and fail to keep commitments. Also, be truthful and practical, not deceptive.

Second, be humble. In China, modesty and humility are valued in both life and work. Salespeople often make the mistake of arrogance—some think their high education makes them superior to less-educated distributors; some feel that being in a big company with big-company management makes them look down on small companies' informal management; others read a few impractical marketing books and become unrealistic and overambitious.

Third, respect distributors. When talking, focus, look them in the eye, listen quietly and patiently. Don't be absent-minded, look around, or have a blank expression, scratch your head, pick your ears or nose—these are impolite and undignified. Also, let them finish speaking; don't interrupt or interject casually. If you need to interject, ask permission first, using a consultative tone, to avoid seeming disrespectful and to show politeness.

Finally, be sincere, not insincere. Don't mock or ridicule distributors' mistakes or slips, to avoid hurting their self-esteem. Avoid topics they're reluctant to discuss or don't want to share, and avoid mentioning physical defects. However, don't be overly silent. Appropriate silence shows composure and depth. But excessive silence can hinder communication and may make distributors think you're aloof, arrogant, or looking down on them.

Persuading others is difficult but not impossible. The key is how you speak and act, but most importantly, you must speak to their hearts and do what they want but can't do themselves. That's the ultimate skill—then you're a master.