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What are terminal sales personnel? They are sales reps in the consumer goods industry who are specifically responsible for visiting street-side small shops. Every day, they carry customer data and route maps to complete visits to a specified number of street-side small shops (usually 30 to 50) along a designated route.
What are the characteristics of terminal sales personnel (hereinafter referred to as retail store sales reps)? They hold the most basic positions in consumer goods companies, with low wages, poor education, large numbers, and hard work. Managing such a team is uniquely challenging. Imagine, after the morning meeting, dozens of retail store sales reps with only junior high or high school education scatter like birds, riding bicycles to different corners of the city for retail store visits. Whether it's freezing cold or scorching hot, they must work as usual. Will they voluntarily and obediently follow company requirements and training content?
Retail store sales reps often play the following tricks:
Missed visits: They are supposed to visit 50 stores per day along a fixed route, but they may be lazy and only cover the first half (skipping the rest). More commonly, experienced reps who are familiar with their routes only visit a few high-volume stores and skip small ones. What do they do with the remaining time? They gather in groups of three or five to play cards in a shady spot.
Missed orders: Large companies like Master Kong and Coca-Cola have the so-called "standard eight steps for retail store visits," requiring reps to complete a series of actions such as product display, promotional material organization, and inventory management according to standard procedures. Working according to standard steps helps establish a professional image, ensures thorough and detailed work, and results in sufficient order quantities, but it is tiring. If terminal reps want to be lazy, they can simply ride their motorcycles, put one foot down, ask the boss "Do you need any goods?" and then speed away! They might finish the day's route in an hour, but they skim the surface, miss many details, and fail to secure enough orders, let alone do visual merchandising.
Splitting large orders into small ones: Food companies often run promotions like "buy four packs, get one free," not to increase sales but to improve retail store distribution rates. Terminal reps, upon receiving this policy, might skip retail stores and go to the wholesale market to find a large wholesaler: "Boss, do you want to buy 40 cases and get 10 free?" They sell 100 cases in one go, then come back and fabricate a bunch of fake retail store orders to report to their boss, complaining, "Oh, I'm exhausted! I visited 100 customers today, and each one ordered one case."
Combining small orders into large ones: If the company policy is "buy two cases, get an umbrella," a rep might find customer Zhang to buy one case and customer Li to buy another—but where's the umbrella? The rep takes it home.
Fake orders: Especially when the company has promotional policies for retail stores, fake orders are easy to occur. For example, if the company stipulates "buy five packs of instant noodles, get a beer mug," the rep visits retail stores to take orders, the distributor delivers, and the manufacturer provides the gift. As a result, the rep sleeps during the day and calls the distributor at night: "Boss Zhang, I didn't visit the route today, but I told the company leader I got 50 cases of orders. Please help me cover it." The distributor is also willing to cooperate. Why? When the rep reports fake orders, the manufacturer allocates corresponding gifts. The rep gets fake performance, and the distributor gets real benefits—that's what they call a win-win.
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Key points for managing terminal sales personnel
How to manage retail store sales reps? Retail store sales reps' work is trivial, so business standards should be established to give them something to follow, like "marching in step." Retail store sales reps' work is hard, so flexible incentive mechanisms should be established to maintain their enthusiasm. Orders taken by retail store sales reps are ultimately delivered by local distributors, so scientific routes should be planned to reduce distributor delivery costs, while also paying attention to following up and encouraging delivery arrival rates.
However, all the above management methods must be based on monitoring and tracking. It's not about distrust; after all, retail store sales reps are the group with the lowest education and salary, numerous, working in harsh and hard conditions, and scattered across locations, making monitoring particularly important.
How to monitor? The most popular method in the food industry is the "route manual with one map and two tables" (route map, customer detail table, customer purchase registration table). Reps record their daily visits and transactions in the route manual, and the next day, supervisors use the reps' route manuals from the previous day to check the effectiveness of their visits.
The one map and two tables can be widely promoted in the industry, showing its scientific nature. However, in actual work, some companies use it effectively, while others imitate it poorly and would be better off not using it—reps fill in all fake reports, turning a good management tool into a game of ghosts fooling ghosts, liars deceiving liars.
How to put monitoring into practice? Reports should certainly be filled, but face-to-face tracking and checking are more important. More than half of the management effectiveness for terminal personnel comes from high-quality business morning meetings.
Morning meeting management for terminal sales personnel
What is the purpose of holding a morning meeting for retail store sales reps? To listen to their suggestions? To arrange today's priorities? Such a meeting would become a meeting of bickering and complaints, with no meaning.
An efficient morning meeting should be a charge horn and a gas station, making every rep feel the company's management strength and creating a positive and upward morale.
The following is a set of practical standard morning meeting procedures for everyone:
Step 1: Start the morning meeting; Scenario simulation: The leader shouts loudly on stage: "Good morning!" Notes & Analysis: This shout is not just for greeting; it's equivalent to "ding-a-ling-a-ling" signaling class has started. Otherwise, employees would be chatting in the office, fiddling with calculators, eating breakfast, smoking, each busy with their own things. This shout makes them concentrate and start the morning meeting.
Step 2: Supervisor reports on their work; Scenario simulation: At the beginning of the meeting, the supervisor first reports on their own activities from the previous day. "Okay, everyone, the morning meeting has started. As the office director, yesterday at 8:30 I led everyone in the morning meeting, which ended at 9:15. From 9:15 to 9:30, I communicated with the supervisor of the supermarket department about the next work arrangements. At 9:40, I left the office and went out to check the routes you visited the day before yesterday." At this point, the supervisor paused. The office was silent, the atmosphere slightly tense, and a few reps with guilty consciences began to tremble. The supervisor continued: "Zhang San, stand up. You said yesterday you went to Hongxing Store on Qingchun Road and sold a case of drinks and gave away an apron. I went there and they said they didn't get it!" — Punished on the spot according to regulations. "Li Si, stand up. You said your Hongguang Store was doing well. Yesterday I saw our product display at Hongguang Store was a mess." — Punished on the spot according to regulations. "Wang Wu, I checked your route and saw that our new product distribution rate is good." — Rewarded on the spot according to regulations. ... Notes & Analysis: The supervisor's report at the morning meeting must cover two things: First, tell employees: "You are working hard, but I, as the leader, am not idle either." Second, "You work in front, and I watch from behind. As a supervisor, one of my daily routine tasks is to check, and the results will be announced at the next morning meeting with immediate rewards or punishments, no ambiguity."
Why emphasize checking content at the morning meeting? I have a viewpoint: The premise of management is checking, and the premise of checking is knowing. Without checking and rewards/punishments, there is no management. Especially when dealing with frontline employees. As a supervisor, no matter how busy you are, you must find time to check employees' routes. If you really have no time, even checking just one store or making a one-minute phone call for a spot check is enough. At the next morning meeting, you can "scold" ("scold" in a broad sense, can be praise or punishment). Actually, doing this is not to punish or reward a specific person, but to create a kind of "killing intent" in the sales team you lead—"You work in front, I watch from behind. If you try to be lazy or cheat, I'll make you pay!"
Step 3: Employee reports; Scenario simulation: "Okay, I've finished reporting to you. Now, please report to me." The retail store supervisor stands up and reads out the retail store reps' performance from yesterday: "Yesterday, Zhang San visited at what time, closed deals at what time, what was the closing rate? Li Si visited at what time, what was the closing rate, what was the transaction amount?" Read them one by one. Whoever performs well, the numbers show it immediately, letting the retail reps compete among themselves. Notes & Analysis: If you only assess terminal reps on sales volume, it will push them to wholesalers—everyone knows wholesale sales are fast. The key role of terminal reps is not sales volume but improving distribution rate and terminal performance. Therefore, terminal personnel's reports and performance assessments should include both sales volume and closing rate (calculated by dividing the number of stores that closed deals by the number of stores visited that day), guiding reps to focus on closing deals in multiple stores rather than stocking too much inventory in one store.
Step 4: Supervisor comments on employees' performance from the previous day; Scenario simulation: The supervisor comments on the retail reps' performance from yesterday: "Okay, you've all reported. I want to talk about the performance over the past two days," and then immediately: Supervisor: "Zhang San, stand up. Do you know why I asked you to stand up?" Zhang San: "Yes, because I ranked last." Supervisor: "You've ranked last in both sales volume and closing rate for two consecutive weeks. What are you going to do?" Zhang San: "I'll move up?" Supervisor: "How many places?" Zhang San: "Four places." Supervisor: "Clerk, note down: Zhang San guarantees to move up four places in performance ranking next week." Supervisor: "Zhang San, what if you can't move up?" Zhang San: "If I can't, I'll work harder." Supervisor: "Say it again!" Zhang San: "If I can't, I'll pay a 200 yuan fine." Supervisor: "Clerk, note down: Zhang San guarantees to move up four places in performance ranking next week, or he'll pay a 200 yuan fine." Zhang San: "Oh no" "That's harsh." ... A retail store rep visits 50 stores a day. If they follow the eight steps of retail store visits in all 50 stores, carefully doing product display, inventory, customer communication, the difference in order quantity and order improvement compared to skimming is huge. If they seriously visit 50 stores, they might close deals with 40; if they casually visit 50 stores, they might only close deals with 4. Do you need to be as harsh as the example above? You can adjust the "degree" according to local conditions, but especially for retail store reps, pressure must be given. Performance ranking is necessary, and daily motivation keeps them in a state of high alert. Performance will definitely double.
Step 5: Supervisor assigns today's work priorities; Scenario simulation: "Now I'll tell you today's work priorities. Today, when you go out, the main push is XX product. The sales policy is... Do you understand?!" Notes & Analysis: After explaining the sales policy, you must ask the reps if they understand. And have one of them stand up and repeat the sales policy you just explained. If they can't repeat it, warn them, and then repeat it yourself. Gradually, a good morning meeting atmosphere will form, telling employees: You can't let your mind wander during the morning meeting.
Step 6: Skill summary & objection handling; Scenario simulation: Supervisor: Okay, now it's learning time. As usual, today it's Li Si's turn to share business skills. Rep Li Si: I don't seem to have any new skills. Supervisor: Don't be shy. Everyone has skills in their daily work. Li Si: I only have a small trick. When distributing in rural markets, I noticed that these customers follow each other. If the first store on a street orders, every store behind will order; if the first store doesn't order, none will. So the first store must be "won over." And you have to "sing buying and selling," shouting so the whole street knows "Old Wang ordered 20 cases." ... Supervisor: Good! That's a great trick! Clerk, write this trick in our company's training manual, with Li Si's name on it. This is the wisdom he shared. This month, Li Si's bonus increases by 20 yuan! Li Si: Grinning. Supervisor: Okay, next item in the morning meeting: Does anyone have difficulties at work that need my help? Hurry up, speak up. ... Notes & Analysis: Skill sharing forces reps to think and summarize experiences. In fact, every rep has business skills in their work, but they are not good at summarizing and expressing them. Through rewarding skill collection, the speaker gains both fame and fortune, and other reps are encouraged: "Tomorrow I'll share a great trick too." The whole team forms a so-called learning organization (actually, this trendy term is not mysterious at all). In the session where employees talk about difficulties, beware of the unhealthy trend of complaining. Tell employees: "Offer more suggestions and fewer complaints." For example: Complaint: Boss, this new product is too expensive; it's impossible to sell. Suggestion: Manager, this new product has a high price, and retail stores are unwilling to take it. I suggest we give 3 packs of the new product free with each case of the old product, using the new product as a gift. This can indirectly distribute the product. Complaint: Boss, this job is impossible. The distributor never delivers, so all my orders are wasted. Suggestion: Manager, this week there are six more orders that can't be delivered. I suggest we call the distributor to the weekly meeting and confront them face-to-face to see if it's because my order addresses are unclear or if they just don't want to deliver. After a couple of times, I'm sure they'll deliver.
Step 7: Disperse; Scenario simulation: The main content of the morning meeting is basically over. The supervisor checks the time: "It's 9:15 now. The morning meeting ends here. Everyone must leave the office and go to the market within 5 minutes. The last one to leave sweeps the floor." Then, whoosh, the office is empty; everyone disappears! Notes & Analysis: Why do this? Outside it's freezing cold, but the office has heating; outside it's scorching hot, but the office has air conditioning. After the morning meeting, reps start dawdling in the office, organizing backpacks, calculators, reports, and don't leave until 10:30. So you must disperse them and get them out to the market.
Step 8: Spot-check business skills; Scenario simulation: The supervisor lets the employees disappear. Just as they reach the door, they hear a sudden shout from behind! "Li Si, come back. Show me your rag." (Retail store reps in the food and beverage industry must carry a rag to wipe retail store shelves and clean their products.) If Li Si doesn't have a rag, it means he doesn't plan to wipe the shelves. Punish according to regulations. "Zhao Liu, come back. Recite the packaging, weight, flavor, price, dealer price, and transfer price of each of our product varieties." If he can recite them, fine; if not... "Zhao Liu, as a sales rep of our company, you don't even know the product prices. How can you sell? How can you be a rep? Okay, I'll give you time and opportunity now. Sit in the office and memorize them! Don't think I'm letting you cool off in the office. You memorize for two hours, then report to me. I'll test you, and only then can you go back to work. You'll make up those two hours by working overtime tonight. I'll wait for you in the office and accompany you." Notes & Analysis: The company stipulates business visit standards for retail store reps to execute, and the premise for standards to be executed is that everyone remembers them. Before dispersing employees every day, the supervisor should call one person back to spot-check business skills, which can create a learning atmosphere and promote the implementation of work standards.
Step 9: Further dispersion; Scenario simulation: Is it enough to do the above eight steps? No, you need to "further disperse" and follow up: If the office is on the third floor, and the first floor has a bicycle parking area, you'll find reps smoking and chatting there. If there's a breakfast place near the office, that's a big "hideout." You go over and see them eating breakfast and chatting. The supervisor should follow and shout, "Still playing here? Get to your routes now!" (Note: Make sure they pay the bill before leaving, or you'll be in trouble.) Notes & Analysis: Only with follow-up can there be progress. As a frontline supervisor, you need the patience and responsibility to follow up step by step. If the supervisor doesn't follow up after the morning meeting, employees chatting downstairs or dawdling at the breakfast place is not a possibility, but a certainty!
Let's review: What role do the nine steps of the morning meeting play?
- The routine morning meeting steps make the meeting clear, fast-paced, and efficient.
- The supervisor's report makes employees feel the company's checking, rewards/punishments, and management strength every day, creating an atmosphere of "being thousands of miles away, but the law's eyes are everywhere."
- Employee reports and supervisor comments keep reps working in a competitive environment.
- Spot-checking business skills forces employees to master what they should know and do.
- Skill summaries develop learning habits, with new knowledge and insights every day, improving skills and increasing cohesion.
- Dispersion and further dispersion are the sounding of the charge horn.
Excerpted from the author: "Work Skill Model for Small and Medium Terminal Sales Personnel"