1 Preparation Before Entering the Store for Inspection Manage what you inspect; think about recent management priorities and related in-store inspection content. Check the route manual to familiarize yourself with the terminal owner's name, review the sales representative's recorded visit times, purchase history, and gift order records. In this step, besides familiarizing with the store's basic information, the supervisor should think more about which products and issues need focused inspection in this store. For example: if the visit time in the route manual has been altered, think about rechecking the visit time upon entering the store. If the purchase history shows that product A has not had a second purchase for five consecutive weeks, think about checking the display and date of product A upon entering, being careful about potential defective products, asking the sales guide about difficulties, and why the store is not moving the product.
2 Greeting, Asking About Complaints, and Handling Complaints Upon Entering the Store "Hello boss, I am the business manager from [Company] (first clarify identity). I'm here today to check the market and see how the products are selling. Are there any issues? If there are, please tell me. I came specifically to understand the product sales situation and any shortcomings in our salespeople's or distributors' service. I'll do my best to help resolve any issues." (The first opening should focus on breaking the ice; don't let them think you're here to inspect, but rather to serve. ) Think: In this step, the terminal may raise strong complaints, such as "Our display rewards haven't been fulfilled," "The boxes you delivered were short by two bags, and the sales rep keeps making excuses," or "The new product just doesn't sell." For this, the supervisor should consider: Is this an isolated case that needs individual handling, or a common problem that requires a management project? Distributor management: For example, how to manage the quality of distributor deliveries, and how to penalize distributors for untimely complaint handling. Personnel management: For example, manage our sales reps to immediately fill out a "Terminal Complaint Registration Form" when they encounter terminal complaints, follow the complaint handling process to prevent such incidents; adjust visit frequency, with higher frequency for problem stores and key stores. Policy management: For example, give sales reps a certain authority to handle complaints on the spot within limits; adjust new product display, promotions, and terminal price policies to promote new product turnover; find opportunity products and outlets that can sell, and focus on distribution and visits.
3 Verify Salesperson Honesty "Does our salesperson visit often? Do you remember his name? Did you receive the gifts? What day does he come? Did he come yesterday? Yesterday morning or afternoon?"... If you find "criminal suspicion," pursue it to the end. If one store reports that the salesperson's visit time, gift records, and route manual records don't match, check the surrounding stores in detail. If several stores' visit times don't match the reports, you can "file a case, interrogate, and sentence" the salesperson. Think: Is this an isolated case that requires punishment and correction of individual behavior, or a common problem? Distributor management: If terminal visits are mainly conducted by distributor personnel, should we intervene in the assessment of distributor personnel, requiring his people to visit door-to-door regularly, and coach the distributor to inspect his employees? Personnel management: For example, put pressure on supervisors to strengthen management, or introduce management systems or projects to fill management loopholes.
4 Compare and Evaluate Our Terminal Visit Rate "Which manufacturer's salesperson visits you more often? Which phone number do you call to order?" If the terminal calls our salesperson for orders, it means the boss is idle while the employee works hard—the distributor sits at home and only delivers goods. Think: Is this an isolated case that needs to be assigned for resolution, or a common problem? If we are losing overall in visit frequency to competitors, the supervisor should think about how to improve. Distributor management: For example, force distributors to add staff and vehicles to visit terminals, increase sub-distributors, force distributors to build teams to go out and market, and require all terminal order calls to be made to the distributor's phone. Personnel management: For example, increase our staff's visit volume; adjust our terminal tiered visit frequency; remove ineffective small stores and increase visit frequency to key stores.
5 Inspect In-Store Sales Drivers 1. Check Distribution Barcodes: Look at the opportunities to improve the product mix in the store. When you return, tell the sales rep: "I helped you distribute the items you didn't get in during my inspection. Do you need me to handle your store? That means you missed an order!" For terminals that cannot be closed temporarily, the manager should mark the customer's purchase record card to remind the sales rep to supplement items on the next visit. Think: Is this an isolated case that needs immediate resolution by leadership, or a common problem? Distributor management: How to get distributors involved in improving distribution performance? For example, set up distributor distribution reward projects, persuade distributors to sell on credit to key stores. Personnel management: If sales reps' distribution items are generally incomplete, how to use distribution leverage to improve distribution performance. Product line management: For example, compare with competitors and consumer feedback to see if our product line is inherently deficient and whether items need to be added or adjusted. Special project management: For example, whether to adjust terminal distribution standards or modify target distribution outlets for new products.
2. Check In-Store Display Performance: Does the store's visual merchandising meet company standards? Can the visual merchandising effect be further improved? Think: Is this an isolated case that needs immediate resolution by leadership, or a common problem? Distributor management: How to get distributors involved in improving display performance? For example, set up distributor terminal display reward projects. Personnel management: For example, whether to adjust the display reward and punishment assessment system. Policy management: For example, whether to adjust display standards, or invest in targeted display costs (e.g., create model stores in small and medium supermarkets, with year-round stack displays and visual merchandising to communicate selling points).
3. Check In-Store Price Execution: How is the clear pricing? Are there abnormal prices at the terminal? Compare with competitors (our old products are also the biggest competitors of new products) to see if we are at a disadvantage in channel profit. Think: Are abnormal prices and abnormal profits an isolated case that needs immediate resolution by leadership, or a common problem? Distributor management: For example, manage distributor ex-factory prices, require distributors to cut off supply to outlets that slash prices, and require distributor delivery personnel to paste price tags when delivering. Personnel management: For example, special rewards and penalties for employees' clear pricing at terminals. Policy adjustment: For example, adjust channel gift policies, delay gift distribution, or stipulate that gifts are withheld for terminals that slash prices. Product line management: For example, if the existing product line is inherently deficient in channel profit, consider product upgrades; or launch different products in different channels to avoid price slashing. Special project management: For example, negotiate with terminals to change markup rates, manage terminals that lead price slashing through negotiation or even cut off supply, and limit the number of terminal outlets to protect prices.
4. Check In-Store Promotion Execution: Does the store owner know our promotional policies? Do the store staff know our staff promotional policies like bottle opening fees? How well are the company's promotional policies executed at the terminal? Are we at a disadvantage compared to competitors' promotional policies? What feedback do store owners and consumers have on our promotional policies? Think: Are poor promotion execution and losing to competitors in promotional policies an isolated case that needs immediate resolution by leadership, or a common problem? Distributor management: For example, penalize distributors for untimely distribution of terminal display gifts. Personnel management: For example, set promotional display standards, require hanging promotional posters, and implement special rewards and penalties. Policy management: For example, increase channel gifts, switch to more suitable local gifts, shorten the reward redemption cycle for displays. Special project management: For example, update promotional expense management processes, report the list of model display stores to the regional audit department for spot checks, and require terminal signatures for display gift distribution.
5. Check In-Store Inventory: Do all products in the store maintain safe inventory levels? Is there an inventory advantage? What is the product age? Think: Is this an isolated case that needs immediate resolution by leadership, or a common problem? Distributor management: For example, launch management projects for distributors to ensure terminal safe inventory; set minimum safe inventory for all levels of terminals; for stores where we have purchased stack displays and shelves, require a minimum inventory, otherwise it is considered out of stock. Personnel management: For example, clarify safe inventory levels for each store level, clarify penalties for terminal out-of-stock and missed orders, implement special rewards and penalties, and clarify responsibilities and reward/punishment systems for ordering, delivery, follow-up on store requests, and adding products to store shelves. Policy management: For example, clarify how long terminal products can be exchanged for new stock, and give key terminals inventory rewards to strengthen inventory advantages. Special project management: For example, before peak season, count terminal inventory, list stores without inventory advantages, and conduct promotional replenishment.
6. Check Other In-Store Matters Information dissemination: Does the store owner know our promotional policies, new product information, and price information? Sales guides: Are sales guides on duty? What feedback do they have? What is the progress of recent company management priorities (e.g., model stores, terminal sales ledger establishment, exclusive sales agreement signing)? Think: Is this an isolated case that needs immediate resolution by leadership, or a common problem? Distributor management: For example, set up reward and penalty projects for distributors regarding "terminal information dissemination," and follow up on distributors fulfilling the commission and bonus parts of sales guide salaries according to company requirements. Personnel management: For example, information dissemination reward and penalty projects, sales guide management systems. Special project management: For example, take inventory of terminals that have signed exclusive agreements but still sell competitor products, find the "soft persimmons" (stores where our products are strong and competitor sales are poor), and set a deadline to "clean house."
This article is excerpted from Mr. Wei Qing's "Terminal Sales Sunflower Manual"
The 3rd (CFIC) China FMCG + Internet Conference will be held in Chongqing in November 2017. The conference will closely focus on the theme "New Forces, New Ecology," inviting 1000+ distributors, 500+ brand owners, 200+ B2B platform founders, and 100+ investment and financing institutions to explore a new chapter of cross-border integration! Core topics of this conference:
How can the FMCG industry leverage B2B to achieve new growth opportunities?
How should the new supply chain behind new retail be built?
How can intra-city logistics help B2B achieve leapfrog development?
Highlights of this conference:
The industry's first "2017 China FMCG B2B Industry Competitiveness White Paper"
Case sharing of excellent transforming and upgrading distributors
Conference + exhibition upgrade: Hall 6 Internet Technology Exhibition strengthens connections
Alibaba Retail Link, Global Logistics Properties Finance, Eternal Asia Supply Chain, Best Store Plus, Yijiupi, Hdwell—leaders from the most renowned enterprises in various fields will deliver speeches on-site, presenting pioneering viewpoints.
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