Because the entry barrier for salespeople is relatively low, many people's first job after entering the workforce is in sales. However, many companies simply recruit a large number of salespeople but neglect training, essentially adopting a laissez-faire management style. Despite the low entry barrier, not everyone is suited for sales. To establish oneself in the sales field and become a qualified marketing professional, one needs to possess certain basic qualities:

  1. Diligence. Many young people choose sales because they see it as avoiding office work and daily clocking in, only needing to travel, meet clients, and dine and drink with them, appearing glamorous. In reality, the work is not so easy; it is quite demanding. Only diligent salespeople can achieve good results, while those seeking ease will be quickly eliminated.
  2. Passion. Many college graduates, unable to find other options, reluctantly choose sales as a career, treating it merely as a means to support their families, without liking it, let alone loving it. I suggest that if you are not genuinely passionate about sales, do not choose it just for employment; it wastes time and exhausts you physically and mentally.
  3. Execution. Sales, especially FMCG sales, does not require high creativity but places high demands on execution. Mature companies have a complete sales process; salespeople only need to diligently execute the company's various sales policies, and generally, this can lead to good market performance.
  4. Mindset. As the saying goes: Mindset determines everything. For new salespeople, mindset is particularly important. Newcomers must maintain a proper mindset, neither aiming too high nor underestimating themselves. Every salesperson starts from the grassroots, handling the simplest and most trivial tasks; without a correct mindset, it is hard to persist. The work of a new salesperson is not difficult, but without proper guidance, it can become chaotic and overwhelming. If you want to excel in sales, the following ten 'Ones' are the most fundamental requirements. If you haven't mastered them, it's time to learn:
  5. A Plan Sales work is trivial and messy. Many new salespeople, faced with these chores, don't know where to start, easily neglecting one thing while attending to another. To effectively avoid this, salespeople must formulate a work plan before starting. With a reasonable plan, newcomers can avoid being overwhelmed and forgetting things. New salespeople may find it challenging to create an annual plan, and its controllability is low. I suggest starting with weekly and daily plans, prioritizing tasks based on urgency and importance. The plan must be actionable, and tasks should be achievable through your efforts. Also, the plan should have some flexibility to accommodate unexpected events.
  6. A Map When a new salesperson arrives in a regional market, they should first buy a local map. From the map, learn about the administrative divisions, traffic conditions, population distribution, and local customs. With this information, you can gain a general understanding of the region and quickly determine the operational approach for that market, such as identifying key markets, planning market development levels, and determining driving routes.
  7. A Flyer When visiting the market, always carry product flyers. When visiting clients, present the flyer to explain the product. When entering a store of an existing client, place the flyer in a prominent position. When you see customers entering the store, hand them a flyer. When you have nothing to do in the store, stand at the entrance and distribute flyers to promote your product. When you see scattered or dirty flyers on the floor, pick them up and throw them in the trash. When you see creative flyer displays in other places that attract customers' attention, try them in your own stores; if effective, mobilize your promoters and store staff to do the same.
  8. A Poster Terminal image building is one of the main tasks for FMCG salespeople. Besides using flyers, posters are also crucial resources. When you see faded, old, or falling posters in the store, replace them promptly. When a product series is discontinued but the poster hasn't been changed, update it. When new products are about to launch, put up posters in advance to create buzz. When you have promotions, post relevant posters and POP materials in various places as early as possible. When you see scattered promotional DMs, tidy them up.
  9. A Cloth I remember my former boss once asked us salespeople during a meeting: 'Raise your hand if you've put up more than 10 posters this week.' Most raised their hands. 'Raise your hand if you've written your own POP.' Fewer raised hands. 'Raise your hand if you've picked up flyers or DMs from the ground.' Even fewer. 'Raise your hand if you carry a cloth in your bag.' Very few raised hands. In that meeting, my hand was raised throughout. What's the purpose of carrying a cloth? When you see the counter (especially your dedicated counter) is dirty, wipe it clean, because customers may be reluctant to approach a dirty counter. When you see your products on the counter covered in dust, wipe them immediately, as customers may think the product hasn't been bought for a long time, or they may not want to touch or learn about your product, let alone buy it. When you do these things at each terminal store, the store owner will notice and remember. By helping the owner with these chores, you are also helping yourself.
  10. A Counter A counter is where products are displayed, promoted, and selected by consumers. Therefore, salespeople should regularly check their counters. If you see broken glass, replace it if possible, or use tape to fix it. If there are sharp edges, try to smooth them. If a customer accidentally gets hurt, it leaves a bad impression, and they may avoid buying from that counter area. Some products are not displayed in counters but on shelves. Whether in a counter or on a shelf, every time you visit, remember to tidy your product arrangement. If permitted (and try to get permission), place your products in prominent positions that are easy for customers (or staff) to access. Generally, the middle of the counter is a good position. The height at eye level of the target customers is ideal for shelf placement. Salespeople should strive to place their products in these ideal positions.
  11. A Sweet Tongue A key part of being a salesperson is interacting and communicating with people. Effective communication is a broad topic. Regardless of the method, one essential is a sweet tongue. Everyone has a common weakness: they like to hear pleasant words and sweet talk. So, salespeople should be sweet-tongued when addressing clients, serving customers, and guiding promoters and store staff. Of course, being sweet-tongued does not mean compromising principles. A sweet tongue makes both parties feel pleasant. Only in a pleasant mood are people likely to accept each other's viewpoints and reach consensus.
  12. A Promotion All the daily tasks of a salesperson ultimately aim to sell products and achieve effective sales. In FMCG sales, a large proportion is natural sales; daily work is to steadily increase natural sales. However, to significantly boost sales during peak seasons or short periods, promotions are generally necessary. The success of a promotion depends not only on the on-site execution but also on thorough preparation. To conduct a successful promotion, new salespeople should communicate deeply with their supervisors and experienced colleagues, preparing personnel, promotional materials, advertising, promotional items, gifts, delivery vehicles, and store coordination in advance. Fill in a Gantt chart with these tasks and distribute it to everyone involved. Only when all aspects are fully prepared can the event's effectiveness be ensured.
  13. A Report In sales, data speaks. Salespeople should use various reports to analyze their market situation and report their work to superiors. Many new salespeople are proactive and their sales performance steadily rises, but they don't understand why leaders don't notice their work, don't value them, and promotions and raises never come their way. Eventually, they become discouraged, do the minimum, and leave the team. A key reason is that new salespeople don't know how to use reports to showcase their work. Salespeople should reasonably use reports to highlight their achievements. For salespeople, recognition from leaders is the best external motivation besides promotion and salary increases. A well-prepared report allows leaders to see at a glance, promptly identify problems, provide guidance, and acknowledge achievements, which is beneficial for salespeople.
  14. A Summary Anyone who does anything can only improve by being good at summarizing. Salespeople must continuously summarize their experiences and lessons to enhance their skills. Many companies require timely summaries, but many salespeople treat them as a formality. Such summaries, written merely to complete tasks or pass inspections, are not genuine and have no effect. For personal growth, salespeople should seriously summarize their sales experiences and deeply analyze themselves. Generally, it's easier to summarize successes than failures. Some lessons may be ones you don't want others or superiors to know. But that's no excuse for not summarizing. If you truly don't want others to know, write a private journal. FMCG sales work is tedious, and many fresh graduates disdain tasks like distributing flyers, putting up posters, and wiping counters. They harbor grand ambitions, dreaming of doing something earth-shattering. Throughout history, those who achieve great things are those who can bend and stretch, who can handle small tasks. As the saying goes: Details determine success or failure. Without the mindset and ability to handle details, you cannot achieve great things. -END- Featured Content Click the title below to read directly: [Practical Guide to Route Salesperson Customer Relationship Management (Including 228-page PPT Training Tutorial for Grassroots Salespeople Download)]