This article is selected from Zhu Zhiming's new book "Sales Promotion Operation: Rhythm Control and New Tactics in the Community Era" New Distribution is authorized to serialize this book in Zhu Zhiming's column Section 3: The Link of Consumption The antecedent of sales promotion is consumption, the antecedent of consumption is demand, and the antecedent of demand is value, that is, the solution to consumer needs. The ways to drive consumer consumption include forced consumption and induced consumption. No matter which driving method is adopted, the final landing point must focus on the realization of consumer value. Otherwise, the product's sales promotion, best-selling, and sustained sales are all empty talk.

  1. Consumer demand is not just the product itself, but a solution in the consumer value chain In the era of homogeneous competition, the realization of consumer value is sometimes not reflected in the product itself, but in the link of the entire consumer value chain, creating solutions in terms of scene value, interest value, service value, etc. during the process of linking the product with consumers. The value or solution of consumer demand is not explicitly discovered by consumers themselves; what enterprises need to do is to help consumers discover the value of these demands. The answers consumers give in terms of demand are often simple. When we investigate and understand them, they will say things like cheaper, better, more discounts, more face, etc. Consumers' answers are often compared through existing products; they are limited by the original products (the value provided by products existing in the market) and will ask you to provide more of the value they already know. Facing such a situation, marketers should stand from the perspective of the entire consumer value chain, not only observe and think about consumers' needs for the product itself, but also observe and understand their needs for added value in the entire consumption value, and find value other than the product itself in the entire consumer value chain to create more effective, more, and more valuable consumption link solutions. In the context of the decline of the global circus performance industry and competition from movies and television, Canada's Cirque du Soleil achieved great success. The reason for success is not by reorganizing the technology and knowledge of circus performances to provide a better circus, but by reconstructing buyer value elements to create a new form of entertainment that has the appeal of both circus and theater, thereby attracting adults and corporate clients who frequent theaters, opera houses, and ballet performances.
  2. Consumption links in the consumer value chain are a win-win thinking, not a simple transaction thinking This is an era of relative surplus and relative shortage of resources. This means that a resource is relatively surplus for one organization or enterprise, but for another organization or enterprise it is absent or in a state of shortage. How to graft such resources and open up the link between each other's consumer value chains? This link must be based on user thinking rather than simple business thinking, even horizontal thinking model rather than persistent vertical thinking model, to open up consumption links, provide more consumption solutions or additional interest value points, share and win together, and create new sales growth points or breakthroughs for product sales promotion. The magical "Shunhe Wantong Card" Shandong Shunhe Liquor Store is the first successfully listed enterprise in Shandong's liquor industry. In an unfavorable industry environment, not many liquor chain stores dare to expand against the trend, because everyone faces problems of profit models and consumption shrinkage. Before 2013, the role of liquor chain stores was more for image display, and profits mainly came from invisible group purchases. As soon as the policy restricting "three public consumption" was implemented, group purchase sales fell accordingly. Without group purchases, where to find sales? Facing the changes in the industry environment, Ma Longgang, chairman of Shunhe Liquor, began to find resources outside traditional channels such as group purchases, supermarkets, tobacco and alcohol stores, and restaurants. These resources seem to have little to do with the liquor industry, such as fitness clubs, car 4S stores, golf clubs, and other membership-based service institutions. Ma Longgang believed, "These are exactly where my target consumer groups gather," and regarded these places as the "life circle" of the target consumer group of white liquor. By chance, Ma Longgang discovered that he could enter this life circle through resource exchange. At that time, he was invited by a friend to play ball at a fitness club and met the club owner. Learning that the club was only open to members, he made an attractive suggestion to the owner: "How about I bring you 100 new members?" The final result was that the fitness club gave Ma Longgang 100 membership cards worth 1,000 yuan each printed with "Shunhe Liquor Store" and provided space in the club as a display counter for Shunhe Liquor Store; Ma Longgang gave the fitness club 100 boxes of liquor worth 1,200 yuan each for use as member gifts or hospitality. The path of consumption links was opened. This cooperation made Ma Longgang taste the sweetness: the fitness club's membership cards could be used to reward Shunhe Liquor's members, and the display cabinet in the club could also drive some liquor sales. The club also benefited: 100 new members and their referrals were exactly the club's target group, and using liquor as gifts to attract other new members was also effective. In a similar way, Ma Longgang also embedded into car 4S store car club activities, real estate company customer appreciation parties, golf clubs... In one ground activity after another, he expanded the path of linking with target consumers, and Shunhe Liquor Store gained more opportunities to directly communicate and interact with target consumers, and its membership also grew. In order to be closer, more convenient, and more beneficial to its consumer group, Shunhe Liquor Store borrowed resources from other industries of its parent company to create the Shunhe Wantong Card, and opened up the support function of Shandong Expressway ETC, making the "Shunhe Wantong Card" a multifunctional financial card integrating store payment, Shunhe Liquor Store membership, and Shandong Expressway ETC functions. This mutual grafting and mutual benefit of resources not only allows both cooperating parties to create new growth points and interest growth points, but also allows each other to create new value output points. More valuable is that it simultaneously creates new consumption links, enabling the target group to obtain more interest value and be closely linked together.
  3. The link of consumption should utilize the other party's resource surplus points or weak premium power, and at the same time be a resource point with strong premium power for oneself, so as to truly achieve sustained cooperation The link of consumption first requires the integration of target consumer groups. By providing new value solutions, discovering interest creation points for the other party, finding the grafting point of both parties' interests, resource exchange, both parties benefit, and then resource reuse, unlimited links. Among them, the most critical is to stand from the other party's perspective and help the other party discover and tap interest points. Consumption links with associations and communities Associations include local associations, such as Zhejiang Chamber of Commerce, Fujian Chamber of Commerce, etc., and industry associations, such as textile associations, stainless steel associations, table tennis associations, photography associations, etc. They are social organizations formed for a common value or common concept. Some have huge network resources and centripetal force, as well as guiding value. Every city has such organizations, and there are quite a few. It depends on how we graft resources and cooperate with them. Generally speaking, look for influential local associations with good industry benefits, such as the cooperation between a distributor of Jiangsu Jinshiyuan and a certain association. First, through communication with the association leaders, it was learned that the association has about 200 members, each paying an average annual membership fee of 20,000 yuan, and each year has the following free activities: Participate in the Canton Fair once a year, with an average per capita consumption of about 7,300 yuan. Among them, airfare (round trip) 2,500 yuan, accommodation (four nights) 2,800 yuan, meals (four and a half days) 2,000 yuan. Hold four association exchange and communication gatherings each year, with an average per capita consumption of about 1,600 yuan. Among them, meals 200 yuan (2,000 yuan per table), drinks 200 yuan (500 yuan per bottle), total 400×4=1,600 yuan. Then, find the grafting point between the two sides, and stand in the other's position to meet the other's needs and create more premium value returns for the other. The specific cooperation method is as follows: Persuade the association organization to pay the membership fees to the distributor, and the distributor meets the association's planned needs. For example, provide the cost of the annual Canton Fair trip (this cost is reimbursed from the factory's purchase-with-tour activity, and the shortfall is covered by oneself); provide the meal and drink costs for the four annual association gatherings (this cost is reimbursed from the winery's high-end customer tasting events); provide 20,000 yuan worth of liquor per person (with a certain profit margin), and provide 10% of the association's membership fees as the association's daily expenses. Through cooperation, not only are they tightly bound together, but they truly achieve a win-win situation for all three parties. For association members, they did not reduce activity items, did not pay an extra cent, and got 20,000 yuan worth of liquor (retail price) for free; for the association, the association organization became a bulk group purchase customer of the distributor, receiving sales rebates of about 400,000 yuan, solving the association's daily expenses; for the distributor, it sold about 4 million yuan worth of liquor at once (with a certain profit), expanded brand influence, and the members who received the liquor may have second, third, or even multiple consumption, forming a consumption link. Therefore, the key to the link of consumption value is that any party involved must obtain value benefits beyond expectations or additional surplus value benefits. Otherwise, if any party is dissatisfied or the balance is broken, the value point of this link will be destroyed, affecting product sales and even reputation.
  4. Based on the cooperation path and steps of the consumer value chain, various commercial organizations and civil organizations with consumption capacity can realize the win-win and mutual benefit of the value chain through resource integration For the link of consumer value chain, we must deeply explore who the groups that can cooperate are, where they are, and what the basis of cooperation is. According to the liquor marketing path, we generally look for objects of consumer value chain links from three directions: First, find the basis of cooperation relying on the consumer value chain from traditional channels: restaurants, tobacco and alcohol stores, supermarkets, etc. Second, find the basis of cross-industry alliances from heterogeneous organizations: travel companies, KTVs, fitness clubs, gas stations, mobile companies, etc. Third, find cooperation points in the consumer value chain from non-profit organizations: associations, chambers of commerce, clubs, car clubs, photography associations, community activity centers, reading clubs, calligraphy and painting associations, etc. Selling liquor in communities Generally, higher-end communities will establish resident files and have a good understanding of the basic information of residents. Moreover, the relevant leaders and administrators of the community serve residents every day and have a deeper understanding of the community residents' situations. They are key figures for obtaining wedding banquet customer leads. The specific actions are as follows: (1) Use relationships to find key people: contact a community leader through a friend's introduction. (2) Propose sponsorship activity suggestions: community veteran cadre association, inviting community leaders, administrators, retired veteran cadres among residents, and elderly men and women who usually actively participate in community activities to participate together. (3) Organize association activities: book a small hall in a restaurant around the community, a total of four tables, and decorate the venue in advance with banners, table cards, and display racks printed with product images and slogans. During the meal, arrange for the regional manager to register the contact information of everyone present, and arrange three lucky draws to interact with community leaders and residents to build rapport. After the association meeting ends, give each person two bottles of tasting liquor, completely organized according to the group purchase tasting standard. (4) Telephone follow-up on quality: After the association meeting, have the regional manager call the community residents who attended the previous day one by one to ask about their reactions and evaluations after drinking. (5) Sales consultant invitation: More importantly, persuade them to become "sales consultants" for the product. The conditions given are: as long as they become group purchase consultants, they will receive a monthly consultant fee of 500 yuan, with no task pressure, and only need to provide us with effective wedding and birthday banquet demand information every month. (6) Sales rewards: For those who provide liquor information and successfully complete transactions, give a certain reward per bottle (paid at half of the local second-tier distributor reward policy). As a result, we recruited two consultants on the first day. One of them was a retired veteran cadre who was enthusiastic about organizing community activities; the other was a very enthusiastic and outgoing square-dancing aunt who knew the community residents well, knowing who was getting married, who was marrying off a daughter, and who had an elderly person celebrating a birthday. This is also our standard for selecting sales consultants. (7) Consultant training: After selecting consultants, we trained them, introducing in detail the product quality, brand advantages, and related recommendation scripts, and at the same time conveyed preferential information to them: on the one hand, the liquor they recommend is supplied at a preferential market price, ensuring it is not higher than the market transaction price (if higher, the difference will be subsidized), removing their concerns. On the other hand, if they introduce the product to relatives and friends, the winery will give a certain reward (how much per bottle or how many bottles sold can participate in the winery's organized tourism activities, etc.). (8) Atmosphere creation and terminal construction: Post brand promotional posters, light boxes, and banners in densely populated community fitness areas and community squares. This requires the consent of community leaders. Provide square-dancing elderly men and women with sportswear printed with the liquor brand to promote the brand's liquor. This only requires good communication with the "opinion leaders" in the square dance. Set up stalls at the community entrance, hang advertising posters promoting the product, and place physical tasting liquor. As long as consumers scan the QR code to follow the company's WeChat account or leave contact information, they can get a small bottle of tasting liquor. If they forward the designated WeChat content and collect 30 "hearts", they can receive a large bottle of tasting liquor. Establish sales points in the community, at the community entrance, and around the community. Comprehensive convenience stores, small supermarkets, tobacco and alcohol stores, and restaurants inside and outside the community should all be stocked, not only to create atmosphere but also for consumers to purchase conveniently. (9) The simultaneous launch of four activities quickly increased the brand's visibility in the community. One month later, the veteran cadre helped us sell 12 boxes of liquor, and the aunt sold more than 30 boxes. We rewarded them 1,700 yuan and 3,500 yuan respectively. It is said that the aunt also mobilized her son and daughter-in-law to help her sell liquor. (10) Effect analysis: For the community, the association meetings and various sales activities we held actually added vitality to community life and enriched residents' cultural life. For sales consultants, without investing a penny, they used their own advantages to easily obtain considerable economic income. Some retired elderly men and women were in high spirits. For the company, it found new "opinion leaders", and these "opinion leaders" are very approachable, have great influence on relatives and neighbors, and the customer conversion rate is very high. As a result, the company increased sales and expanded the brand's influence on consumers, laying the foundation for repeated consumption by community residents. Selling liquor through loan guarantee companies (1) Choose partners. Through multiple channels of understanding, choose a guarantee company with a good reputation and strong strength. (2) Communicate with the boss of the guarantee company, telling him that by selling liquor with high gross profit (profit more than 3 times), illegal high-interest loans can be converted into legal benefits. (3) Specific method: For every 100,000 yuan of cash borrowed by a customer, in addition to the legal loan interest rate (not exceeding four times the bank loan interest rate), the customer must purchase 6,000 yuan of liquor in cash each month (the total interest rate reaches 6-8 cents/monthly interest, and the first month's liquor payment can be directly deducted from the loan). (4) Notes: First, the loan interest is reasonable and legal. Second, it is not a big problem for customers to consume 6,000 yuan of liquor per month, and the guarantee company also needs to use liquor. Third, the price for the guarantee company is equivalent to the price of a second-tier distributor, and the price for the borrower is equivalent to the terminal retail price (e.g., supply at 60 yuan/bottle, transaction price must be ≥240 yuan). Fourth, the product price is relatively opaque, and the product is a high-end product. (5) Effect analysis: For the distributor, cooperation with the guarantee company not only develops it into a group purchase customer but also increases operating income. Through the guarantee company, one can get to know many credit customers, most of whom are individuals engaged in commercial operations and private business owners, with greater demand and capacity for liquor. For the guarantee company, through the leverage of high-margin liquor, the guarantee company's illegal income becomes reasonable and legal income, which undoubtedly solves the problem of the guarantee company's profitability. (Illegal income refers to: national regulations stipulate that the interest rate of loan companies cannot exceed four times the bank loan interest rate for the same period. In actual operation, the actual income exceeds national regulations, so a flexible method is adopted to avoid risks, such as in this case, letting borrowers buy some liquor.) For borrowers or private business owners, borrowing requires paying interest. Through this method, although they pay the expected high interest (legal interest plus liquor purchase payment), they get 6,000 yuan of locally popular liquor. These individuals engaged in commercial operations and private business owners all have the need to drink, so they can happily accept this sales method. Hotel wedding banquets (1) Lock in important festivals (auspicious days) and cooperate deeply with hotels. Step 1: Select suitable hotels (hotels with a scale of more than 50 tables), 7 in total. Step 2: Communicate the cooperation plan with the hotel owner. Calculate the account: To get the owner's approval, first make him feel profitable. On average, there are 20 wedding and birthday banquets per month (including day and night); each banquet averages 60 tables, each table averages one bottle of liquor; each bottle averages 40 yuan profit; 20 banquets × 60 tables × 40 yuan × 12 months = 576,000 yuan. If each table uses two bottles, the annual profit is 1,152,000 yuan. These are all pure profits obtained without additional investment. Operation method: Through communication with the owner, determine the way to communicate with customers. A. In the hotel front desk registration ledger, book major festivals (New Year's Day, Spring Festival, Valentine's Day, May Day, National Day, etc.) and auspicious days (6th, 10th, 16th, 26th of the lunar month, etc.) in the name of others. B. When a customer comes to the front desk to book a major festival or auspicious day, the hotel front desk staff communicates with the customer, informing them that the desired date has been booked by others, but they can communicate with the booked customer to see if the time can be adjusted, and let the customer fill in customer information (time, number of tables, price range). C. Generally, many people will register for major festivals or good days, and customers can be screened based on the customer information. Select 2-3 customers with large quantities and high grades as target customers, and then the front desk staff calls to inform them that they have contacted the booked customer and can make adjustments, but they must use Jinshiyuan liquor or Guoyuan liquor, because that date was booked by them, and promise that if the liquor price is higher than the market transaction price, the difference will be refunded. Step 3: Formulate attractive sales policies. Cooperating hotels enjoy the preferential policies of tobacco and alcohol stores and second-tier distributors; apply for the cooperating hotels to become the wedding and birthday banquet alliance stores of Jinshiyuan liquor and Guoyuan liquor, i.e., licensed customers; give cooperating hotels a certain amount of sample display fees. Effect analysis: Through cooperation with hotels, all three parties achieve a win-win situation. Hotel side: Without increasing costs, increase profits by hundreds of thousands to millions of yuan each year; the purchase price of liquor is more favorable than before; increase display fees; deepen the relationship with customers and improve popularity. Customer side: Get the good day they hoped for; buy value-for-money products without having to stock or return goods. Distributor side: Successfully get a business, obtain certain profits; generate advertising effects; strengthen the foundation for further cooperation with hotels. (2) Cooperate with wedding companies to buy out the hotel stage operation rights. Step 1: Select hotels and wedding companies. Hotels with banquet halls over 50 tables, and the top three influential wedding companies in the local area. Step 2: Communicate the cooperation plan. Calculate the account: Previously, the stage was generally provided for free, but now through a contract, it is leased to a strong liquor company, obtaining considerable economic benefits. Generally, the annual rent is 50,000-300,000 yuan (profit without increasing costs); through cooperation, the wedding company ensures reasonable profits and no longer worries about lack of business. Operation method: Through cooperation with wedding companies (joint venture), jointly buy out the stages (7) used for wedding banquets in large hotels. Customers who want to hold wedding banquets in these 7 upscale, large-scale hotels have no choice but to cooperate with us and use Jinshiyuan liquor and Guoyuan liquor. Step 3: Preferential sales policies. Effect analysis: Through cooperation with hotels and wedding companies, all three parties achieve a win-win situation. Hotel side: Without increasing costs, add a stable source of income. Wedding company: In fierce competition, find a relatively stable source of business, with considerable profits. Liquor company: Buying out hotel stages basically monopolizes the local large-scale hotels, thereby locking in the hotel's wedding liquor and wedding business. Successfully get a business, obtain certain profits. Cooperation with wedding companies can also bring other levels of liquor business. Note: Some cases in the article are from some speech cases of Teacher Lu Xingwu. Zhu Zhiming Column: Special columnist of New Distribution; The most practical marketing expert in China's consulting industry; Founder of Zhizhuo Marketing Consulting and Planning Company; Chairman of Zhenzhu Zhuojian Marketing Planning Company; Consultant and guiding teacher for dozens of enterprises; One of China's top 10 practical marketing training teachers; Published FMCG industry monographs: "Sales Promotion Operation", "Ten Steps to Successfully Operate Baijiu Regional Markets", "Regional Baijiu Enterprise Marketing Winning Rules", "Regional Baijiu Marketing 36 Rules", "Kingly Marketing", etc.; WeChat: zhuzhiming0551 Zhu Zhiming Column -END-