Many new products fail in promotion because only sales targets are set, without outlet assessment indicators. Marketers are solely driven by sales volume, resulting in the establishment of many ineffective outlets, which leads to the product's demise. Some bosses believe that the bigger the footprint, the more money they make, so they push marketers to open more outlets. The result is that each outlet dies one by one, and even in key markets, sales remain negligible. Therefore, in our vision of sustained growth, the next step is channel focus: screening outlets and concentrating on catching 'quality fish'. Not long ago, a boss launched a new product and went 'street sweeping' to distribute it. He found that some stores hadn't moved any stock a month after receiving goods. When he visited, distributors and 'second-tier wholesalers' complained that the product was hard to sell and demanded returns. Imagine the impact on marketers' morale—wouldn't they feel discouraged? And wouldn't returned goods suffer packaging damage, increasing company costs? He asked me what to do. I said, 'Simple. Which distributors, second-tier wholesalers, and outlets have good relationships with you, so that with just one word from you, they'd actively promote your product?' He listed over 100. I said, 'First, distribute to these 100-plus outlets; don't distribute to others yet.' He asked, 'Why?' I replied, 'Don't ask why yet; just distribute according to standard procedures.' What happened? A miracle: the repurchase rate hit 96%. If he had continued street-sweeping distribution, a 50% success rate would have been remarkable. Why did this boss succeed? Because the outlets were screened. Sales performance ultimately depends on outlet quality; marketers must not start with ineffective outlets. Let's clearly define a quality outlet:

  • Order quantity falls between the company's specified maximum and minimum order standards.
  • Display position is within 90 degrees of the entrance.
  • Single-SKU display facing is maximized compared to same-category products.
  • Has eye-catching indicators (price tags, POP, explosive stickers, etc.).
  • Customers prioritize our product as their first recommendation. Among these, display is especially important. The position and standard of display—whether single-SKU focused or multi-SKU mixed, horizontal or vertical—affect product turnover to varying degrees. During the new product promotion period, channel focus requires two key points: First, control the quality of outlet construction. Supervisors should determine the daily number of outlets each marketer develops and assess the quality of new outlets—are they effective or ineffective? When evaluating marketers, assess both sales targets and outlet targets, with outlet assessment detailed and standardized. Second, on the basis of broad distribution, focus on value outlets and sales outlets. The more outlets and the better their quality, the higher the sales volume. As the saying goes, 'Focus on catching fish'—intensity is key. Either don't do it, or make it a 'model outlet'! From broad distribution to focused fishing, how can companies identify effective outlets and key places to catch big fish? First, target specific markets. Choose a specific market as a base, invest resources, energy, and time, establish benchmarks, and boost confidence in new product promotion. Three indicators must be considered when selecting this specific market: ◇ Distributor cooperation and execution capability. Distributors without tacit cooperation and strong execution—especially those with more power but less cooperation—reduce the probability of successful product promotion. Every company needs to cultivate 'loyal' distributors who execute manufacturer instructions without questioning, focusing only on how to implement them effectively. They clearly know that difficulties, setbacks, and dissenting voices will arise, but they believe 'Success = Goal - Interference' and never abandon their goals due to interference. ◇ The distributor's network and customer relationships in the chosen market. Without a mass base, there is no stronghold. The better the customer relationships and the more outlets, the higher the probability of successful product promotion. Customer relationships play a far greater role in driving sales through conventional channels than brand pull. For new products, brand pull doesn't exist; sales speed and volume depend entirely on store owners' product recommendations—this is channel push. Without good customer relationships, even heavy promotions may not move products. Therefore, focused fishing requires long-term maintenance of customer relationships. Why do some people's businesses grow? Because they have many friends, not because they grow big and then gain friends. The same applies to business: as more outlets have good relationships with you, your business will improve. ◇ Market consumption representativeness. Population size should be representative; a small county town of tens of thousands is not representative or convincing. Consumption capacity should be representative; a high-consumption market selling premium products may have high sales but lacks representativeness, as remote areas may not sell such products. Thus, target market selection must be precise. Second, target specific consumer groups. Why did Brain Gold succeed? Precise consumer positioning was key. The product targets the elderly, but they are often reluctant to spend money. Who typically buys such products? Young people, mostly buying as filial gifts for parents. Promoting a product to a specific age group based on product attributes is the 'chronological promotion method.' So, look at Brain Gold's ad—'Send Brain Gold as a gift'—the precise slogan and two energetic elderly characters sparked consumer imagination and triggered a sales storm. Third, target specific channels. 'Fishing' in specific channels means selecting channels based on product characteristics for promotion. Channel selection is an art. Many marketers start street-sweeping distribution without analyzing the product's consumer positioning, resulting in effort without results, feeling aggrieved despite hard work. -END- Content Selection Reply with the following keywords to search and read related articles: Sales Supervisor, Second-Tier Management, Regional Manager, Distributor Management, New Channels, City Manager, Competition, 2015, Manufacturer-Dealer Game, Product Stagnation, Terminal Visit Management, Route Management, Deep Distribution, Internal Management, Sales Skills, Profit Enhancement, Recruitment, Distribution, Daily Management, Team Motivation, Trade Promotion, Sales Misconceptions, New Product Launch, Township Market, New Product Pricing, Sales Target Achievement, Closing, Market Visit Inspection, Baijiu, Beer, Sales Growth, Agency Products, Cross-Region Sales, KA, Terminal Merchandising, New Market, Market Operation, Learning, Book Recommendations, Inventory Management, Sales Novice, Consumer Promotion, Execution, Old Products, Expired Product Handling, Model Market, Franchise Recruitment, New Media, Distributor Development, Performance Appraisal, Assessment, Annual Planning, Shopping Guide, Morning Meeting, Display, Transformation, Inventory Pressure, Holidays, Distributor Cost Control, Channel Operation, Marketing Theory and Laws, Brand Truth, Order Conference, Team Management, Training, Debriefing, Debriefing Report.