Text/Zhuifeng
In recent years, with the sudden rise of complete decoration and fine decoration channels, although the market share of traditional retail channels has shrunk severely, the importance of dealers with retail as the main sales channel has not diminished, but has become more important to building ceramics manufacturers (hereinafter referred to as Be valued by "ceramics companies" or "manufacturers"). Under this situation, it is particularly important for ceramic enterprises to increase investment, especially business maintenance. After the outbreak of the new crown epidemic in 2020, many ceramic enterprises used various channels and tried their best to attract investment. This is the best proof.
However, some ceramic companies are very active in attracting investment, but are unable to support dealers or even support dealers, or even let it go. Such investment promotion will harm the interests of dealers in the short term, and in the long run it will hurt both dealers and themselves.
Today, the author will talk about the shortcomings or "bad moves" of ceramic companies that hurt both dealers and themselves, which are mainly reflected in four aspects.
1
Lack of terminal assistance
Terminal assistance, which we often refer to as assistance to dealers, can be said to be the most direct and important part of the work of supporting ceramic enterprises. It not only refers to a series of pre-opening actions such as helping dealers plan, search, select, design, decorate stores, follow up on product sampling and display, and open the door for the first time, but also includes team building, personnel training, store management, channel development, etc. A series of subsequent supporting measures.
It is a pity that many ceramic enterprises only provide terminal assistance in the early stage of opening without supporting measures in the later stage. Some even fail to complete the preliminary stage of opening. As soon as the dealer's first payment is received, there is no further terminal assistance.
The author has interviewed many dealers on the topic of terminal assistance during the terminal research process of China Ceramics Network in multiple cities. Some of them believe that the manufacturer's assistance has little effect, and it is not as effective as directly supporting price policies and brand promotion expenses; others still believe that the manufacturer's assistance has a certain effect, but the manufacturer still needs to improve in this aspect; Some people also complained, "The market has changed dramatically. It is getting harder and harder to sell ceramic tiles. I don't know what to do. The manufacturer failed to give guidance."If you don't know the way out, you will just blindly sell goods." "Manufacturers' marketing is generally low-level. Whether it is product packaging or event planning and execution, they are all the same and seriously lack new ideas." "Manufacturers' support is especially strong in training, activities, etc. It is too weak. Even if people are sent to provide support, not many people can really solve the problem. Most of them just scratch the surface and deal with the difficulties."
In fact, there are very few dealers who can really get effective assistance from manufacturers. To borrow a quote from those who are desperate for love, "Love is like a ghost. Most people have heard of it, but no one has ever seen it." That is, "Terminal assistance is like a ghost." Ghost, most dealers have heard of it, only a few have gotten it”.
To truly provide effective assistance to dealers, manufacturers must first ensure the investment of human, material and financial resources, strengthen the marketing department and other supporting dealers The second is to solve the problem of "you need to be strong to make iron" and continuously improve the professional skills and professionalism of the dealer department through in-depth terminal practice.
2
Weak brand promotion
In the terminal survey of China Ceramics Network, whenever asked about their requirements for manufacturers, the dealers interviewed would invariably mention brand promotion, even individual dealers who have joined leading brands are no exception. It can be seen from this that many dealers are dissatisfied with the promotional efforts of the franchised brands.
Some dealers have reported that when they need support from manufacturers in brand promotion, manufacturers often either emphasize that other factors are more important than brand promotion, or that brand promotion cannot rely on the manufacturer but requires the dealer's own efforts, etc. In short, The inability to provide support leaves them feeling helpless. They believe that qualified manufacturers will invest in publicity expenses in order to enhance the brand's popularity and influence in the region, or at least cooperate with dealers to promote the brand in the region; unqualified manufacturers will blindly save publicity expenses and say brand publicity It's the dealer's own business. If you want to get good results, you must be willing to invest.
People often compare the relationship between manufacturers and dealers to the relationship between husband and wife. Many ceramic companies and dealers agree with this metaphor. Since both parties are "husband and wife" to each other, they must give to each other.
A manufacturer that is reluctant to pay for its other half, has no confidence in brand promotion, and is unwilling to invest, dealers will not have much confidence in it.
3
Blindly launching new products
Judging from the terminal surveys conducted by China Ceramics Network in multiple cities, product strength is the most requested requirement placed by dealers on manufacturers, more so than brand promotion.
In the view of a large number of dealers, good product strength is not only reflected in product colors, specifications and even categories that keep up with the trend, but also reflected in product market differentiation, price advantages and guaranteed quality. Blindly follow the trend to imitate and plagiarize. Blindly moving in the development and production of new products will only lead to many problems such as the lack of individuality and hierarchy of the products launched, and the lack of price advantages in engineering channels and assembly channels, resulting in products that are seriously out of touch with the market, lack competitiveness, and are difficult to meet customer needs. the needs of dealers and consumers.
They believe that blindly launching new products will lead to more serious problems. For example, the supply of best-selling products exceeds demand, while warehouses are full of unsalable products, which brings risks to dealers' operations. A large part of those dealers who have been eliminated from the market "died" because of manufacturers' pressure to sell goods.
Only by constantly understanding the needs of dealers and consumers, and fully absorbing the opinions of those who can hear the fire, can we create explosive products and truly "products" The concept of "Being the King" has been put into practice.
4
Change salespeople frequently
As we all know, the stability of salespeople is directly linked to performance, so it is common for ceramic companies to replace salespeople. Some ceramic companies even regard replacement as a trump card to solve performance problems.
It is undeniable that personal ability and subjective initiative are very important, but frequently changing salespeople is by no means a clever trick. In addition to causing internal friction to ceramic companies, blind replacement of salespeople will also cause damage to dealers. For example, it may lead to a temporary rupture of customer relationships, a sudden increase in communication costs, etc. In particular, some salesmen willThey take measures that are eager for quick success due to profit issues, sacrificing the long-term interests of dealers and manufacturers in exchange for their own short-term interests.
In the Fuzhou terminal survey of China Ceramics Network, a certain brand dealer told the author such an example. Before this dealer officially joined the brand, the salesman in charge of the Fuzhou sales area came to his store many times every month when he went to Fuzhou on business trips, promising him various favorable policies of the manufacturer and describing them to him with great joy. All kinds of wonderful prospects for cooperation. But as soon as the agency agreement was signed and the first batch of goods was shipped, the salesperson never showed up again, the store decoration was not followed up, the new product display was not adequate, and the sales training was not cared about... What's even more outrageous is that here, When a dealer failed to pick up goods from the manufacturer for several months and did not terminate the distribution contract, the salesperson was already "actively" "developing" the next new customer.
Ceramic companies need to be cautious when replacing salespeople, and they need to establish scientific evaluation standards for evaluating salespeople, and do not damage the relationship with manufacturers in order to complete immediate sales tasks.
Of course, maintaining a ceramic enterprise business involves far more than the above four aspects. If you want to win the "hearts" of dealers, you must not only improve the deficiencies or abandon the "bad moves", but also do more and better, and more importantly The key is to focus on long-term development, implement the strategic thinking of serving dealers, provide them with a profit model that can make money if they follow it, and create a support system for them that can succeed if they follow it.
If ceramic companies can really achieve this step, there will be no need to go out to attract investment, and those potential customers will come to you.
Author: Zhuifeng
