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Articles by 方刚
Browse 114 New Distribution articles by 方刚.
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Six Methods for a New Regional Manager to Quickly Turn Around a Deteriorated Market
A deteriorated market often faces issues such as unresolved legacy problems, product-market mismatch, chaotic market conditions, intense competition, uncooperative clients, and a paralyzed marketing team. If any of these issues exist, the market is in bad shape; if multiple or all are present, it's dire. The key is to maintain a positive mindset, conduct thorough research, seek support, and apply targeted solutions.
方刚Marketing in the Age of Schizophrenia
What is FMCG? Search Baidu for 'instant decision'. Traditionally, the core of FMCG marketing has been instant decision, influenced by terminal distribution rate and Coca-Cola's 'four to' (or 'three to') strategy. Instant decision applies to both offline and online channels, but offline traffic is inherent while online traffic must be pulled, and both cost money. Initially, e-commerce had low communication costs, but these will rise, eventually balancing or even exceeding offline costs, which is why B2B platforms target C-end consumers.
方刚Economic Downturn and Online Sales Erosion: How Can Traditional Enterprises Boost Performance in 2016?
Traditional FMCG companies are facing declining sales due to economic downturn and the rise of online channels. To improve performance, they must strengthen offline channels while leveraging online presence, using strategies like dual teams, updated tools, and key principles for distribution.
方刚Seizing Opportunity-Driven Sales and Brand Sales
As the internet advances, channel fragmentation becomes more pronounced. This article clarifies the concept of sales, explores where sales come from, and distinguishes between opportunity-driven sales and brand sales, emphasizing the need to leverage the momentum of opportunity-driven sales to transition to brand sales.
方刚Why Is It Hard for Traditional Beer Companies (Including Giants) to Understand Craft Beer?
This article is a discussion among several teachers in the Chinese beer marketing group about "Why is it hard for traditional beer companies (including giants) to understand craft beer?" Background data: According to Huaxia Wine News, since 2002, China's beer production has been growing rapidly and has ranked first in the world for over a decade. However, after 2014, the growth rate of domestic beer production gradually slowed, even showing negative growth in production and sales. Meanwhile, imported beer has shown explosive growth in China in recent years. According to a report by the Beer Branch of the China Alcoholic Drinks Association, China's imported beer volume increased by 85.59% year-on-year in 2014, and from 2012 to 2014, imported beer accumulated a growth of 426.81%.
方刚How a Regional Manager Views the Market
This article explains how a regional manager in the FMCG industry should analyze the market. It covers preparation before visiting the market, conducting store visits, holding distributor meetings, and creating improvement plans, emphasizing the use of data and professional management.
方刚Reforming the 'Mercenaries': Refined Commissions and Contracting
This article is excerpted from Mr. Fang Gang's newly published book: 'Regional Manager's Playbook'. It discusses the problems of lazy salespeople under the commission system and proposes solutions from commission reform to contracting, with preparations and precautions.
方刚The "Three-Four-Five-Six" Rules of Terminal Sell-Through
Sales volume equals terminal count multiplied by turnover rate and product variety. The more terminals covered, the faster individual product turnover, and the richer the product mix, the easier it is to achieve terminal sell-through. However, it's easier said than done. Currently, difficult sell-through is a headache for companies and distributors. Without sales, there's no profit. Achieving sell-through requires meticulous market cultivation, which means activating people and terminals; otherwise, it's just warehousing. Products sitting in warehouses naturally don't sell. How does sales volume come about? The effect of covering one terminal versus ten thousand terminals is vastly different.
方刚Practical Guide to Customer Relationship Management for Route Sales Representatives (Including Download of 228-Page Complete PPT Training Tutorial for Grassroots Sales Staff)
This article addresses the common problem of 'cultivating but not refining' in route sales visits, where sales reps go through the motions without achieving effective results. It proposes a systematic solution centered on customer relationship management (客情管理), including terminal classification, key person identification, effective visit standards, and improved dealer cooperation, to enhance execution and market competitiveness.
方刚A Practical Model for Improving Distributor Internal Management
This article addresses common challenges distributors face in performance assessment and management, such as difficulties with old employees, lack of process indicators, and simple commission structures. It outlines eight common problems with distributor salespeople, eight dimensions to evaluate distributor management, five preventive measures to avoid common pitfalls, and four stages of distributor management evolution.
方刚Assessing Distributor Market Performance: Start with Internal Management Precision
Distributors often operate on the front lines, resembling "warrior" figures akin to mountain bandits. Many small and medium distributors are versatile, handling delivery, payment collection, negotiation, and unloading, embodying a "model" of hard work. However, their success hinges not only on opportunities but also on the sophistication of their team management. This article outlines eight key aspects to evaluate a distributor's internal management, from vehicle sales visits and business processes to salary structures and performance incentives.
方刚Market Manager's Playbook: How to Find the Ideal Distributor in a Regional Market?
Choosing a distributor is a required course for every market manager, and finding a suitable, ideal one is a dream goal. The selection options often correlate with brand strength: strong brands can set high standards, while weak brands have low thresholds or no choice. This article categorizes distributors from multiple angles and analyzes the pros and cons of each type, providing practical guidance for market managers.
方刚When Sales Won't Rise, or Rise Without Profit: How Can Sales Managers Effectively Boost Low Sales in Big Markets?
The most basic indicator for evaluating a market or manager is sales volume, but as we often say, sales are not everything, yet without sales, nothing is possible. This article categorizes sales into types like 'drug sales' (high volume, low price) and 'premium sales' (high volume, high price), and discusses how to generate, monitor, and avoid pitfalls in sales.
方刚Products Not Selling, Clients Not Listening, Market Problems, Team Hard to Manage, Strong Competition – What to Do?
Frontline sales supervisors face daily challenges: products not selling, clients not cooperating, market issues, team management difficulties, and intense competition. This article provides self-check tools and management frameworks to diagnose and address these issues, emphasizing process management and a balanced approach to leadership.
方刚Blind Spots in Stock Pressure and Management Action Guidelines
Stock pressure is a required course for sales personnel, and it is almost a habitual action for every manufacturer before the peak season or when launching new products. However, many rush across the single-plank bridge of stock pressure, some emerge with bright prospects, while others end up with a mess. Failures often stem from over-pressuring causing warehouse overflow, poor techniques, or mistimed seasons leading to expiration. What is stock pressure? It is simply distributing goods to the terminal!
方刚The "3456" Rule for Terminal Sales: How to Truly Boost Sales When Products Aren't Moving
Sales volume equals terminal count multiplied by turnover rate and product variety. The more terminals covered, the faster individual products turn over, and the richer the product mix, the easier it is to achieve terminal sales. However, it's easier said than done. Currently, difficult sales and slow-moving products are headaches for companies and distributors. Without sales, there's no profit. Achieving terminal sales requires meticulous market cultivation—making people active and terminals vibrant, otherwise you're just running a warehouse. Products sitting in a warehouse naturally won't sell. So where does sales come from? The effect of covering one terminal versus ten thousand terminals is vastly different.
方刚A Practical Guide for City Managers on Managing 'Route Sales Rep' Customer Relationships
This article addresses the common problem of 'cultivating but not refining' in route sales, where deep distribution efforts fail to yield results. It proposes a systematic approach centered on customer relationship management, including terminal classification, key person identification, effective visit standards, and improved complaint and delivery processes, to enhance execution and market competitiveness.
方刚Regional Manager Market Practical Operation Guide
This article defines the role of a regional manager as a military leader in the marketing battlefield, emphasizing the importance of both offensive and defensive strategies. It provides practical guidance on market development and defense, drawing parallels between military tactics and marketing operations.
方刚Marketing Reflections on the New Normal in China's Beer Industry
From January to December 2014, China's beer industry produced a cumulative 4,921.85 tons, a year-on-year decrease of 0.96%. This marks the first negative growth in over two decades. The new normal for the beer industry includes slowing growth, structural adjustment, and the failure of traditional marketing tactics.
方刚Fang Gang: Detailed Explanation of the Ten Steps of Terminal Visits!
This article explains the ten steps of terminal visits in the FMCG industry, a basic skill derived from Kangshifu's channel refinement, and emphasizes the importance of terminal control for sales and brand building.
方刚How Regional Managers Can Effectively Manage Route Operations
As more companies adopt intensive market cultivation, many lose control over route management, especially in mature markets without new product launches or performance pressure, leading to terminal sales reps being unsupervised and problems accumulating. This article uses a meat product company's inspection report to illustrate how to conduct effective route management through clear KPI setting, task assignment, follow-up, and rigorous inspection.
方刚Regional Manager Market Operation Skills Essential Manual Part 4
This chapter discusses the selection of distributors, a crucial task for market managers. It categorizes distributors from various perspectives, highlighting the pros and cons of each type, and emphasizes that the choice depends on market conditions and brand strength.
方刚Regional Manager Market Operation Skills Essential Manual Series Part 3
This chapter focuses on sales volume, the most basic indicator for measuring a market or manager. It categorizes different types of sales (drug, waste, defective, and premium), explains how sales are generated through hard work and formulas involving outlet count, turnover rate, and product variety, and discusses monitoring sales, avoiding sales traps, and the importance of process over results.
方刚Regional Manager Market Operation Skills Essential Manual Series Part 2
This chapter focuses on regional market survey and inventory, emphasizing the importance of knowing yourself and your competitors. It provides methods to estimate market capacity, analyze competitor sales, identify main consumption venues, and understand product structures, among other key indicators.
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