The task that almost all managers of suppliers of a new product face is to convince the dealer that it is necessary and beneficial to cooperate. Without such a conviction, the task of building a dealer network for a new product is not feasible. Managers convince honestly, reasonably, wholeheartedly accompanying what was said with emotions and personal attitude to the product being promoted (brand). However, unfortunately, this big work is often not productive and unpromising. The reason for this is the lack of a marketing attitude towards promotion management.
The marketing approach to dealer work is, first of all, an assessment of the dealer’s need. However, the importance of market valuation replaces for managers the order of the management, according to which it is not necessary to evaluate anything, but it is necessary to sell what is. In the second place, the marketing approach is a clear understanding of what it will face ... no, not a manager, something promoting the dealer, but the dealer himself. This is where the manager has to figure out and get out himself when inspired by the knowledge of the outstanding technical characteristics of his product, armed with discounts and guidance from the management, the manager stumbles upon a wall of dealer incomprehension. It seems everything is so harmonious and economically justified, and dealers, like one, "turn up their nose" and declare their unwillingness to even get involved in the task of promoting a new product.
Below in the text are four main problems that the dealer will face when incorporating a new product into its product line. The supplier manager would have to take care of these problems before formulating the product offer to the dealer.
Problem one: "Loss in the relationship."
The inclusion of a new product is the diversification of the product offer. This, in turn, means the erosion of revenue between all linearly diversified goods. What is a blur or explode revenue? This means a decrease in revenue for the old product due to an increase in revenue for the new product. Such a decrease in revenue may lead to non-fulfillment of obligations to the old supplier - failure of the revenue plan, which, in turn. may result:
to reduce the volume of volume discounts from this supplier, and therefore, may lead to a decrease in profitability;
or at all to the refusal of dealership.
The first problem is the problem of loss in relations with old suppliers and the possible loss of the anchor supplier.
Problem two: "Management or I have nothing more to do?"
What does it mean to put on the shelf or include in the price?
it is necessary to clean up the warehouse for a new product or to remove a new
find a place in the sales area (at all points of sale),
It is necessary to conduct training sellers.
it is necessary to try and understand what technical problems we face - failures before the guarantee, marriages,
it is necessary to understand logistics - how it is packaged, how much it pans regularly, how different is the turnover compared with other products of the commodity group,
It is necessary to estimate how much profit in the "adventure" of horizontal diversification will bring? And what if the top vendor really refuses, what will we lose, what will we find?
you need to understand how partners will react to the new product. For example, I deliver goods to b2b customers: how will they react to a new product? The product may be with the best characteristics, only assembled finished products people who are accustomed to the old product and have learned to work with it, have the necessary, previously purchased, special tools and skills. We must arrange a seminar-conference and listen to them.
It is necessary to calculate the motivation system for our own management, taking into account the new realities and the new product. We need to understand how to motivate them to sell a new product.
still a lot of questions ...
And the dealer’s main question: “why does he need all this, if sales in the commodity segment are not just“ not bad ”, but also growing, and there is a prospect of becoming the exclusive distributor in the territory with all the ensuing rights and benefits?”
Problem three: "Product promotion - not the task of the dealer"
The task of the dealer is not to make you happy market. His business objective is his own profit. When the “noname vendor” comes to the dealer, the first thing he has to do is to tell not the supplier’s understanding of the possible problems of the dealer (see 1st problem), and not even tell how easy it will be to put your goods on the dealer's shelf, and submit:
understanding how the market responds to your product,
what have you already done to “make happy with knowledge” about the market,
As you, knowing the problems of the buyer with your goods, have already come up with schemes, have worked out ways and methods of working with the buyer, with the consumer, with complaints, with logistics
what are you doing in the market as a brand maker and what is your brand reach to the target audience.
The fourth problem. "Losses complex"
What do you think, how many types of competition does the dealer experience? Well, it is clear that dealers compete for the buyer ... Still? Dealers are competing for a place (place in the "marketing mix") - this is when the magicianIn Azina, the best shelves are given to leading suppliers with leading brands, and if the dealer wants to have sales and shelves, then he must put Top Marketing brands on them. Still? They also compete for the supplier - this is when the supplier gives the best prices only to the best dealer, who has a high-quality customer training and the ability to bring the customer to the level of deals and large sales volumes. Now the description of the problem ... If the dealer refuses the brand for the sake of the supplier’s noname, this automatically means an increase in sales by brand from his direct competitor (the entire sales volume of the competitor, in the event of the supplier’s refusal, takes it away). In addition to the above three problems, the problem of sales growth in a competitor for this product group automatically worsens the dealer's market position with a new brand. As a result, I realized that the texts were not always convincing. Therefore, I’ll finish the dealer’s problems with a set of clear and contrasting questions that the supplier’s manager must answer before he appears on the dealer’s doorstep. To understand the monstrosity of nonsense: "let's sell a nouneym instead of a Top brand," dear suppliers, answer the following questions: Does your brand know more than 30% or less on the market now? According to your experience, after how long the replacement of the TOP brand to your brand will lead to the restoration of the previous figures for revenue, profit and turnover of this product group? How, in your experience, will the TIP vendor react to the dealer attempt to include competitors in its price list by product group? Do you already have experience with other dealers? How long does it take for your equipment to fail? Not forecasted, but experimentally proven? If the installed equipment breaks down, what is the role of the vendor in the task: come and replace with a working one? Understand that the idea to remove, send for examination in order to understand the cause of the breakdown, to repair, to understand the client is not satisfied? The client, if he was seduced by the cheap price of the “knowame” of the goods, is ready to accept his breakdown during the warranty period, he is unlikely to agree with the “cheap” and long service. The dealer earns by selling goods. Tell me, not what is the size of the discount, but how much money will the dealer earn in the first sales season? If the dealer earns less money from sales of the goods than he would have earned from selling a top brand, how much would you be willing to compensate? I hope you understand what you can compensate: direct money in the form of a rebate, in the form of money pumped into a direct advertising dealer-product vendor in the dealer region, in the form of design and equipment of sales points, in the form of compensation to dealer managers for actively promoting your product on the market , in the form of ,,, but hereinafter, the strategy of dealer work is well described on this site or it can be written by me especially for you and for money. Welcome!