How can manufacturers win in the peak season? Facing the 'passionate burning' 'golden years' of the peak season, how should manufacturers seize the hand of the peak season? The year's plan lies in the peak season, which often represents a 'seller's' market, meaning a significant increase in sales volume and profit; it represents the end of the hard times of the off-season, meaning 'the haze has passed' and the market finally sees the light of day. So, what should be done during the sales peak season? What to Do in the Sales Peak Season 1. Optimize Product Structure For distributors and manufacturers, the peak season is essentially a temporary 'shortage economy,' an organic transformation from a buyer's market to a seller's market. Therefore, actively optimizing product structure during the sales peak season is an effective means for manufacturers and distributors to smoothly achieve profit targets. Key points for optimizing product structure: First, maintain the hierarchy of product structure. That is, a reasonable product structure should include high, medium, and low-end products. Each tier has its corresponding consumer group and a reasonable proportion. Second, maintain product leadership. That is, products should be developed, reserved, promoted, and matured in generations, through continuous replacement and survival of the fittest, so that products can be continuously upgraded. Third, maintain product differentiation. With differentiation, there is better operational and profit space, making it harder for competitors to imitate, and allowing the company to enjoy its own blue ocean strategy. 2. Plan and Promote New Products In today's increasingly homogenized products and difficult-to-maintain market order, there is no better move than promoting new products to find new profit sources for the channel and energize the entire sales chain. Perhaps the preparation and planning of new products should be done in the off-season, but vigorous promotion should be in the peak season. Key points for promoting new products in the sales peak season: First, new products must have a unique selling point. Promoting new products in the peak season is a common behavior among manufacturers; only with a unique selling point and a significant distinction from competing brands can new products quickly stand out. Second, new product promotion must be step-by-step. That is, the launch of new products should have a focus, with stages and steps. It should adopt a method of key market focus and resource tilt, conducting 'trial promotion' in core and key markets, and after summarizing successful models, then promote on a full scale. This can reduce mistakes and increase the probability of successful new product promotion. Third, new product promotion must have assessment. During the promotion process, attention should be paid to process management and assessment. Distributor rebates, discounts, and sales personnel bonuses, commissions, and other incentives should be linked to the new product promotion assessment items. Through this economic lever, the 'baton,' the success of new product promotion is promoted, preventing distributors and sales personnel from being slack in promoting new products. 3. Integrate Distributors In the sales peak season, integrating distributors is like a fish in water. Integrating distributors in the off-season may worry about 'killing' the market and sales, but in the peak season, there is no need to worry about sales decline. Because, since it is the peak season, manufacturers can often call for a hundred responses, and there is no worry about finding distributors to sell products. Points to note when integrating distributors in the peak season: First, select good 'substitutes.' That is, before replacing unsuitable original distributors, first select 'backup' distributors, so that once the original manufacturer-distributor cooperation is terminated, they can immediately supplement operations. Second, adjust customers quickly and decisively. Emphasize speed and efficiency, that is, do not drag your feet when changing customers; cut through the knot quickly. Once a customer is selected for replacement, be ruthless, terminate the contract decisively and quickly, leaving no room. Third, prevent sequelae. That is, for distributors whose 'marriage' has been dissolved, handle their aftermath promptly and quickly, such as recovering inventory products, settling rebates in a timely manner, and doing appeasement, explanation, and other communication work. Through integrating distributors in the peak season, manufacturers can occupy the initiative in the market and can adjust or supplement customers with ease. 4. Improve Network Layout Many manufacturers and sales personnel feel that in the peak season, there is no need to put much effort into the channel, and sales can still grow. However, this concept is biased. Although sales volume increases in the peak season, it is mainly due to industry or natural growth. In the sales peak season, manufacturers and sales personnel should do a better job of network layout to achieve greater sales growth. It includes the following aspects: First, develop new markets. Review how many undeveloped markets are still in your territory, and use the peak season to do a good job of new market development. Second, develop blank outlets. In the current operating market, how many sales outlets are blank? How long will it take to develop these blank outlets? By developing new markets, filling blank outlets, and adjusting the breadth, width, and length of the channel, manufacturers and distributors can improve the network layout, formulate a scientific and reasonable network visit cycle, and thus achieve maximum market coverage. By improving the network layout, manufacturers and distributors can find new breakthroughs for market growth, thereby bringing a larger market share increase in the sales peak season. 5. Innovate Promotion Models The sales peak season is a time when manufacturers and distributors can achieve greater profits. It does not require price wars, but rather promotion wars and value wars. Innovating promotion models may be the reliance and backing for manufacturers and distributors to rise abruptly in the peak season. It includes the following three aspects: First, promotions must be distinctive. Being distinctive can better attract the attention of distributors at all levels and win the favor and love of all channel links and consumers. Second, promotions must be targeted. Is the promotion aimed at channel stocking or at customers to stimulate consumption and purchase? Clarifying the motive and purpose of the promotion can avoid ineffective promotion investment. Third, promotions must take an innovative path. Following the crowd and imitating promotions are doomed to have no way out. To achieve the effect of 'four ounces moving a thousand pounds,' promotions must adhere to model innovation. With innovation, there is competitiveness. Currently, the more popular joint promotions are quite effective when implemented. 6. Build Channel Barriers The peak season is an excellent time to build channel barriers. Building channel barriers often makes it easy to shield competitors and enjoy a larger share of the market cake. There are many ways to build channel barriers. Here are a few common methods: First, hold ordering or networking meetings. This method is most effective. Through attractive ordering meetings or networking meetings, not only can manufacturer-distributor emotional communication be deepened, but also a large amount of customer capital flow can be attracted, making customers willing to invest funds into product procurement. Second, establish barriers by being first. That is, through early entry and at a relatively low cost, secretly control the product's operating rights or promotion rights, setting up barriers and thresholds for latecomers, making it difficult for competitors to enter. Third, strengthen and standardize service means. With the continuous strengthening of refined market management, strengthening and standardizing service and management means is increasingly important. It includes customer service standards, standard service processes (such as the eight-step visit), and integrity service reconstruction. By leading competitors, it can also achieve the purpose of alienating competitors. 7. Forge and Build the Team The sales peak season is the most favorable season for building a marketing team. Through the various performances of marketing personnel in the peak season, the overall strength of a team can be fully demonstrated, and the growth process of a team can also be witnessed. There are generally three ways to forge the team in the peak season: First, take the system as the key link. That is, strictly implement all enterprise rules and regulations, confine all team members' behavior within the scope stipulated by the enterprise, and severely punish those who dare to cross the line. Thus, establish rules and strict discipline, so that team building has laws to follow and laws must be followed. Second, take training as the thread. That is, to improve the overall quality of team personnel, training should be integrated throughout. Through training, improve the team's psychological quality, operational skills, management capabilities, etc., enhance and stimulate team morale, and create a good working atmosphere. Training should focus on on-site training and on-site guidance, combining teaching, practice, and doing. Third, take assessment as the point. That is, treat each marketing indicator of the enterprise as an assessment point. These assessment points are interrelated and form a whole, thus forming an assessment system. Through assessment, clarify team goals, so that each marketing personnel has a precise direction for effort and struggle, and can also effectively review the overall quality and operational level of a marketing team, quickly forging an excellent marketing team. 8. Enhance Brand Reputation In the sales peak season, customers purchase products more frequently than usual, and sales channels have more opportunities to contact products. Therefore, seizing every bit of the sales peak season to timely and effectively enhance product and brand image is also an effective strategy for enterprises to promote themselves at low cost. Points to note for enhancing brand reputation: First, through advertising, increase product and brand awareness. At the same time, advertising also has the function of guiding consumption. Second, through promotion and word-of-mouth communication, enhance product and brand reputation. Promotion is one-to-one marketing, an effective connection between the 4Ps (product, price, place, promotion) and the 4Cs (customer, cost, convenience, communication), which can enhance customers' goodwill and dissemination of the brand. Third, through public relations activities, enhance customer loyalty to the product and brand. For example, by sponsoring public welfare activities, increase customers' trust and goodwill toward the product and brand, thereby forming brand loyalty. As a metaphor describes, advertising makes a person know you, promotion makes a person like you, and public relations makes a person love you. It clarifies the progressive relationship among advertising, promotion, and public relations. Six Points of Attention in the Sales Peak Season 1. Pay attention to market development trends To do well in the peak season, you must pay attention to grasping market development trends, because although the market is similar year after year, it is also different each year. Therefore, as a manufacturer, you should explore from aspects such as market demand, market consumption capacity, consumption cycles, and changes in seasonal consumption habits. Only by grasping the market pulse can you make the peak season work for you and serve you. 2. Pay attention to competitors' market movements In the sales peak season, although products are in short supply, and although you are a leading brand or an attacking brand, always pay attention to the dynamics of major competitors, understand their product trends, price positioning, policy trends, promotion methods, etc. This helps the enterprise know itself and the enemy, facilitates timely adjustment of market strategies, and thus makes the enterprise invincible. 3. Pay attention to coordinated operations in the peak season To truly achieve booming sales in the peak season, as an enterprise, you must emphasize systematic operations. Know that peak season sales is a matter of overall situation and involves all-staff marketing. It requires the linkage of production, supply, and sales, and the close cooperation of the logistics department. Any delay or inefficiency in any part may make the entire peak season 'blind' and become a regret. Coordinated operations in the peak season are the fundamental guarantee for a complete victory in the peak season. 4. Pay attention to the 'killer' of cross-regional selling In the sales peak season, what manufacturers worry about most and fear most is rampant cross-regional selling, making regional protection policies a mere formality. Therefore, in the sales peak season, if manufacturers want to truly laugh last and laugh best, they must strictly manage and severely punish cross-regional selling. Through means such as catching typical cases, taking real action, and not being soft, always sound the alarm against cross-regional selling, and strive to eliminate it in the bud. 5. Pay attention to those who disrupt market order Cross-regional selling is often a cross-regional violation, while deliberate disruption of market order, such as low-price dumping, is generally manifested by some restless distributors within the region. They often adopt low-price dumping methods for purposes such as competing for customers or for personal gain, 'selling dog meat under a sheep's head.' In this regard, manufacturers must be highly vigilant and crack down severely. As long as behaviors that disrupt market order are not eliminated, the market will not be peaceful for a day. Strict systems and control will help manufacturers prevent problems before they occur. 6. Pay attention to maintaining reasonable inventory levels In the peak season, what manufacturers and distributors most regret and feel most sorry about is often not poor products or difficult sales, but the economic losses caused by product shortages and stockouts, which can even lead to team defection and loss of market share. Therefore, as a manufacturer, you must make scientific calculations and prepare sufficient inventory early, including packaging materials and finished products. Only with sufficient products can you avoid sighing at the market in the peak season while being helpless. The sales peak season is the last 'life-saving straw' that enterprises can grasp to reverse sales decline in a year. Only by systematically thinking about the trend and future of the peak season and timely adopting market strategies for the peak season can an enterprise be at ease and targeted in the golden season of sales, thereby achieving a double harvest of sales volume and profit. Source: Sales and Market (ID: cnmarket) Tips will be paid 400-2000 yuan once adopted. China FMCG + Internet Professional New Media Committed to FMCG manufacturer and distributor transformation and upgrading and channel digital solutions