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MASTERING THE ART OF SELLING
Mastering the art of selling is broken down into seven steps:
knowing, managing yourself, managing your route, selling yourself,
selling more than just yourself, execution, and stewarding. Each
step is critical in mastering the art of selling and being an
exceptional sales professional at Redding Distributing.
Knowing your job duties should really go unsaid, but anyone
interested in being a sales professional needs to know exactly what
they are getting into before taking over a route. If a sales
professional is uncertain of what is required or does not know what
qualities it takes to be a successful sales person they will never
be able to master the art of selling. Knowledge of what is required
and understanding what qualities it takes to be the best sales
person is the first step in becoming a highly successful sales
professional.
Managing yourself is often overlooked in any profession. People
regularly talk about selling yourself and the ability to sell
products, but if you cannot manage yourself it will surface in your
professional life. Living a healthy life, having a good
perspective, and being happy are all foundational pillars in
ultimately being a successful employee.
Managing your route is the first step in winning over the
retailer. Learning how to maintain your route and in store
merchandize are important steps in becoming a complete sales
professional that your retailer and Redding Distributing can count
on.
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Selling yourself is the fourth step in mastering selling because
if you cannot sell yourself you will never be able to sell
products, successfully execute in the trade, or steward
relationships. Selling yourself is the most important aspect in
winning at retail and becoming the go to sales professional for
your retailers.
Selling more than just yourself is the most synonymous function
of a sales professional, but it is fifth in line in the process of
mastering selling. When people think of a sales position they
automatically assume the job is based around hitting numbers and
selling in products. A sales professionals duties are endless and
often times the actual selling aspect of their job gets lost in the
chaos of their busy schedules. Quite often sales professionals try
and rely solely on their relationships and ditch their sales
abilities. Although having good sales skills arent the most
important aspect of a sales professionals job it still is a key
foundation in mastering the art of selling.
Executing is what sets you apart from your competition. Once a
sales professional maintains a solid route and is loved by their
retailers they must have the killer instinct to capitalize. If a
sales professional is loved by their retailers, but does not
leverage their relationships successfully in the trade then their
relationships are without merit.
Stewarding is the final step of solidifying your relationships
forever. Stewarding is the long term partnerships that sales
professionals maintain with their retailers. Once you have mastered
all of the other steps stewarding is as simple as staying on top of
your relationships and developing a long term personal connection
with your retailers.
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THE ART OF KNOWING A. WHAT IS REQUIRED B. SALES PROFESSIONAL
DUTIES C. THE PERFECT SALES PROFESSIONAL D. THE NEXT STEP
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A. WHAT IS REQUIRED The most common misconception aspiring sales
candidates have is that the predominant function of a sales
professional is the act of selling. That simply is not the case. A
more appropriate name for a sales professional would be an Account
Specialist. Ultimately, sales professionals are responsible for the
success of their accounts. There is a long list of functions that
sales professionals must achieve daily in order to ensure success.
The sales profession is extremely comprehensive and although the
ability to sell is a critical component in the framework of a sales
person it is only one facet in a multifaceted profession. It is a
strict requirement of Redding Distributing that our sales
professionals know their complete job descriptions. We expect our
sales professionals to understand what is required so we can
enforce our standards consistently. The standards we have adopted
are derived from years of experience and knowledge of what is
required to achieve success. Sales professionals are held
accountable to consistently uphold their job requirements in order
to become an elite member of our sales team.
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B. SALES PROFESSIONAL DUTIES
SHELF MERCHANDIZING PRODUCT ROTATION INVENTORY PRODUCT
DISTRIBUTION DISPLAY BOOKING DISPLAY BUILDING COMPETE FOR COOLER
SPACE SELL IN RESETS SELL IN COOLER PLACEMENTS EXCHANGE PRODUCT
REPACK BROKEN PACKAGES MANAGE BREAKAGE WRITE ORDERS CONTROL PRICING
SECURE PERMANENT P.O.S. HANG P.O.S. SECURE WINDOW BANNERS, INTERIOR
BANNERS, &
EXTERIOR BANNERS HANG BANNERS MAKE PRICING STATICS & SHELF
STRIPS HANG PRICING STATICS & SHELF STRIPS MAINTENAINCE OF
BANNERS AND SIGNAGE EXECUTE AD OR TPR ACTIVITY BALANCE DISTRIBUTION
OF BRANDS IN PORTFOLIO
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WORK ON INCENTIVES TRY TO HIT MONTHLY GOALS CLEAN DRAFT LINES
COMMUNICATE WITH RETAILERS REPLACE OLD MIRRORS OR NEONS RUN
SPECIALS ORDERS WORK SPECIAL EVENTS PRE PLAN FOR THE FOLLOWING DAY
GAIN KNOWLEGE ABOUT BEER COMMUNICATE SPECIAL PROGRAMS BOOK SPECIAL
PROMOTIONS FILL OUT TRACKERS PUT OUT FIRES IN RETAIL ACCOUNTS LEARN
NEW TECHNOLOGY APPLY MATH WITHIN THE TRADE (PROFIT, MARGIN,
ETC.) RESET SHELVES PROBLEM SOLVE LOOK FOR OPPORTUNTIES SELL IN
CONTRACTS BUILD RAPPORT WITH RETAILERS SURVEY ACCOUNTS CREATE GOALS
COMMUNICATE WITH DRIVERS ETC.
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C. THE PERFECT SALES PROFESSIONAL
It takes the right person to perform at a high level and balance
the multitude of job requirements of a sales professional. No sales
professional is perfect, but ones that are highly successful work
effortlessly to exemplify the qualities it takes to succeed
professionally. Redding Distributing will never settle for adding
an average member to our sales team. With each hire we want to
improve our nucleus and are committed to finding individuals that
posses the qualities of a perfect sales professional. We look for
employees that are not satisfied with remaining stagnant, but are
constantly polishing their qualities to grow personally and
professionally. Below are the important character traits required
of successful sales professionals:
SELF MOTIVATED, DRIVEN, PRIDEFUL, HIGH STANDARDS ORGANIZATIONAL
SKILLS COMMUNICATION SKILLS CONSISTENTCY, RELIABLE, FOLLOW THROUGH
COMPETITIVE PERSONABLE, RELATABLE EXCELLENT WORK ETHIC KNOWLEGABLE,
UP TO DATE EFFICIENCY, MULTI TASKING LEADERSHIP, CONFIDENCE
INFORMATIVE, INSIGHTFUL
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INTEGRITY, HONEST POSITIVE, ENERGETIC, ENTHUSIASTIC, PASSIONATE
TRAINABLE, QUICK LEARNER, ADAPTABLE RESPONSIBLE, RESPECTUFL,
PROFESSIONAL TEAM ORIENTED, AVAILABLE, DEDICATED, DEVOTED, LOYAL
THOROUGH LISTENER WELL SPOKEN TECHNOLOGICAL PERSUASIVE SOCIAL
CUNNING, CREATIVE ABLE TO HANDLE PRESSURE & STRESS PERSISTENT,
RESILIENT RESULTS ORIENTED
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D. THE NEXT STEP Recognizing the job description and character
traits required from Redding Distributing sales professionals is
the first step in setting yourself up for success. Executing those
duties and embodying the persona of a sales professional is the
next step in mastering the art of selling. Before reading any
further make sure you are completely aware of what Redding
Distributing expects. Please ensure yourself that you have gone
over our standards in detail as well as this section so there is no
question in your mind what we expect. A lack of compliance with the
duties and character traits we expect from our sales professionals
will ultimately result in termination. Make sure you feel confident
that you can excel as a sales professional based on the job
description and qualities we demand from our sales staff before
investigating any further.
The first step is knowing what is required, while the next step
is assessing if you have what is required. Please check off the
qualities you feel that you excel in and leave any that you
struggle with blank. Upon completion please write a description of
why you struggle in certain areas and how you plan on correcting
them to become a better sales candidate.
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THE NEXT STEP: PERSONAL ASSESMENT
o SELF MOTIVATED, DRIVEN, PRIDEFUL, HIGH STANDARDS o
ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS o COMMUNICATION SKILLS o CONSISTENTCY,
RELIABLE, FOLLOW THROUGH o COMPETITIVE o PERSONABLE, RELATABLE o
EXCELLENT WORK ETHIC o KNOWLEGABLE, UP TO DATE o EFFICIENCY, MULTI
TASKING o LEADERSHIP, CONFIDENCE o INFORMATIVE, INSIGHTFUL o
INTEGRITY, HONEST o POSITIVE, ENERGETIC, ENTHUSIASTIC, PASSIONATE o
TRAINABLE, QUICK LEARNER, ADAPTABLE o RESPONSIBLE, RESPECTUFL,
PROFESSIONAL o TEAM ORIENTED, AVAILABLE, DEDICATED, DEVOTED, LOYAL
o THOROUGH o LISTENER o WELL SPOKEN o TECHNOLOGICAL o PERSUASIVE o
SOCIAL o CUNNING, CREATIVE o ABLE TO HANDLE PRESSURE & STRESS o
PERSISTENT, RESILIENT o RESULTS ORIENTED
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THE ART OF MANAGING YOURSELF A. MANAGING YOURSELF B. SHARPEN
YOUR QUALITIES C. SET GOALS & OBJECTIVES D. MANAGING STRESS E.
DONT TAKE YOUR WORK HOME WITH YOU F. HAVE A LIFE OUTSIDE OF
WORK
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A. MANAGING YOURSELF It is difficult managing all of the
characteristics it takes to be successful in sales. In order to
properly foster those characteristics sales professionals need to
successfully manage their own lives. If sales professionals do not
properly manage themselves then their personal lives will
constantly affect their work. When problems arise at home work will
be affected. When their marriage is unhealthy work will be
affected. Below are some tools for sales professionals to utilize
in order to manage a balanced professional and personal life.
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B. SHARPEN YOUR QUALITIES CHECK YOURSELF
Make a concentrated effort to regularly inventory the qualities
you possess. Be honest with yourself and evaluate whether you are
successful in exemplifying the qualities it takes to be a highly
successful sales professional. A more thorough exercise once you
become a sales professional would be to assess yourself within each
account and where you can improve. Honestly sizing yourself up and
digging at the roots will result in enhanced self awareness. The
more self aware you are the more likely you will be to make
positive changes and seek growth.
DONT STAY STAGNANT
Do not fall into the trap of being satisfied with yourself that
you never seek growth. If you are not improving as a person you
will get passed up by others that are. Constantly stretch yourself
to become a better person and employee. The more you advance
individually the more fulfilling your life will be. Growth looks
different for everyone depending on where you are at personally.
For someone advancing themselves personally may look like
discovering ways to become more efficient, advancing their
creativity, offering new insight, taking stronger leadership, or
changing a negative perspective. The bottom line is if you are not
growing you are staying stagnant because everyone has room for
personal and professional advancement.
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PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Sharpen your qualities by using them! Practice makes perfect or
in this case practice makes better. Obviously, no one is perfect,
but the more you exercise your virtues and qualities the stronger
they will become. If you tend to be disorganized practice being
organized! You will never grow areas of weakness if you never put
forth effort to change. Focus on two qualities you struggle with
for a month and force yourself to improve on them. If you are
normally a negative person focus on positivity for a full month and
concentrate on being optimistic in every account no matter what you
walk into. What you may realize at the end of the month is what has
been wrong the whole time has been your perspective. You may even
discover deeper rooted issues that have aided in the deficiency you
have with certain qualities. Dont only focus on negative qualities.
Your strong suits also need practice. If you generally are a
thorough person pick a day each week to be meticulously detailed
and see all of the extra results that come from it. If you
regularly work on sharpening your qualities you will undoubtedly
see improvement.
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C. SET GOALS & OBJECTIVES Give yourself something to shoot
for. Set goals and objectives that will enhance you as a person and
a professional. Reinvent yourself and set goals that will bring you
joy upon completing them.
KNOW YOUR GOALS
Successful sales professionals know their goals and objectives.
Failure to set goals and objectives is starving yourself from
growth. Know what you want to achieve so you can position yourself
for success.
WRITE YOUR GOALS DOWN AND ASSESS YOUR SUCCESS AS YOU GO
Make a habit of not just dreaming up goals, but writing them
down and taking them seriously. Once youve compiled them hold
yourself accountable to them! Goals do absolutely no good if you
write them down and forget about them until the next year. Keep
your goals somewhere you revisit daily in order to provide yourself
with added motivation.
WHY DO GOALS WORK?
A. Goals provide focus B. Goals separate what is important from
irrelevant C. Goals lead to action D. Goals inspire E. Goals build
confidence
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BE SMART
Set goals that are attainable yet challenging. Make goals that
you can achieve throughout your week, but also set challenging
goals that may be further on the horizon. The more you concentrate
on your objectives you may discover that the horizon might be
closer than you think.
A. SPECIFIC
Good Example: I want to get the premier lobby location for a 150
case Corona display for Cinco de Mayo in Raleys. Bad Example: I
want to get a Corona display in Raleys.
B. MEASUREABLE
Good Example: If you were to ask each decision maker in every
one of my accounts I would want them to say Im the best sales
professional they have. Bad Example: I want to be the best sales
professional in northern California.
C. ATTAINABLE
Good Example: I want to become the reset captain at Waynes
Chevron by October and make it a true MillerCoors T.U.F. set. Bad
Example: I want to become the reset captain at Waynes Chevron and
eliminate every A/B product.
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D. REALISTIC
Good Example: I want to have a 6 to 2 window banner advantage
over my competition at Fast Track Shell by July. Bad Example: I
want to have every window banner on my Wednesday route by July
E. TIME BOUND
Good Example: I want to gain two new Blue Moon handles by May
Bad Example: I want to gain two new Blue Moon handles
REVIEW & ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS
Set goals you can achieve and go accomplish them! Keep your list
of goals somewhere you see them every day. As you achieve your
goals celebrate your successes! Review how you accomplished them
and then celebrate some more! Brag about them to your boss. Share
your successes with your colleagues. Treat yourself to a cold beer!
Get a massage from your spouse. Do something to celebrate your
achievements.
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D. MANAGING STRESS IMPROVE TIME MANAGEMENT
Always leave room for the unexpected because nothing goes as
planned. Preparation and organization will save you a lot of
headaches as well as a head of hair. Poor organization and a lack
of preparation will make everything take longer. If you do the work
up front you will save time during your day and will be prepared
when the unexpected creeps up on you. Organization and preparation
will cut your stress down more than anything. Lastly, when
improving your time management make sure to plan time for breaks.
Slowing down for a few minutes will go a long way in relieving
stress & clearing your mind.
GET A MENTOR & SEEK HELP
Find someone with experience and learn from them. You are not
the first sales professional and there is an endless amount of
valuable information to receive from experienced members of the
industry. In most cases, your supervisor has been there and done
that. Ask for their council and never be afraid to ask for help.
Find a mentor so you can bounce ideas off of them, present them
with presentations, and pick their brains for helpful insight.
LIGHTEN UP
Spend time with people who are a positive influence. If youre
disgruntled, complaining, uptight, and unhappy take a look around
and see who you are surrounded by. Most often than not other
peoples
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shortcomings might get rubbed off on yourself if you are
immersed in it. A bad attitude wont get you far so check your
perspective, get to the root, and talk it over if need be.
LISTEN MORE
Listen and take notes. Knowledge is power! Youll discover a lot
of empowering information simply by listening.
PRIORITIZE
Prioritize what is important and urgent vs. what is not as
important and not as urgent. Every day new things will surface that
need attention so prioritize correctly and youll ease a lot of
stress.
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E. DONT TAKE YOUR WORK HOME WITH YOU
GET DONE WHAT YOU CAN
The more you accomplish at work before you go home the less time
you will waste dwelling on work sitting on your couch. Leaving the
office feeling confident about what you achieved will help clear
your mind from work. Finish what you need to finish and then go
home with a clear mind.
LEAVE IT AT THE OFFICE
Retailers are going to upset you, your boss will get on your
case, you will have days that are trying, but it doesnt do any good
making a habit of bringing that negativity home with you. Leave it
at the office because your wife, girlfriend, kids, or friends
werent the ones that aggravated you. If you can resolve issues
before you go home you will feel more relieved and will be less
likely to take your bad day out on someone at home. If you cant get
everything done during the work day put together a plan of attack
for the following day before you leave for home. The more you dwell
on work while at home the less peace you will have in a place where
peace needs to be fostered.
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F. HAVE A LIFE OUTSIDE OF WORK
INVEST IN YOUR VALUABLE RELATIONSHIPS
Over working yourself will eventually lead to poor performance.
Make time for your family and friends. Dont let work over take your
personal life. Know your priorities between family, faith, work,
and hobbies. Everyones priorities are different, but work should
not be on the top of that list!
MAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF
Its important to have time alone away from work. Dont live your
life at a pace that cuts out all of your alone time. Time alone is
important in sharpening your qualities, setting your goals, and
managing stress. A healthy life cannot be achieved if you never
have time to relax, reflect, and replenish.
FEED YOUR HOBBIES
Have fun! Live a fulfilling life! Achieve your dreams! Go on
vacations! Get away! Play the back nine after work! Go to concerts!
Grab beers with your friends! Play with your kids! Dont let your
hobbies and the things you love get overtaken by work. The more you
do the things that you love the more fulfilling your life will be,
the happier you will be, and the more energy you will have. If you
cant find time for the things you love figure out why you cant.
Maybe you can if you investigate further.
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THE ART OF MANAGING YOUR ROUTE A. ROUTE MAINTENANCE
1. PRODUCT 2. SIGNAGE/P.O.S.
B. IN STORE MERCHANDIZING 1. PRICING 2. DISPLAYS 3.
P.O.S./SIGNAGE
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A. ROUTE MAINTENANCE 5-10% of an average Sales Professionals
career is spent selling, while the majority is consumed focusing on
ROUTE MAINTENANCE and IN STORE MERCHANDIZING. These two necessary
evils provide sales professionals with major headaches, but they
are the functions that push product out the door and keep consumers
coming back for more.
Route maintenance is broken down into two main segments: PRODUCT
MAINTENANCE & SIGNAGE MAINTENANCE. It is inevitable that sales
professionals will run into issues with maintenance, but those who
make a concentrated effort on keeping their route maintained weekly
will experience much less difficulties.
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1. PRODUCT MAINTENANCE ROTATION
Rotation is simple, but it takes time. Rotation is the process
of situating the oldest products at retail in the primary selling
location in order for them to sell before going out of code. Newer
products often get placed in front or on top of older products and
if they are not rotated the old products will eventually exceed
their expiration dates.
EXAMPLE:
If a sales professional stocked a cooler full of Coors Light 18
pack cans with August 13th dates on them and then the next day a
merchandiser restocked the front of the cooler with September 21st
dates what would happen? Eventually, the August 13th dates would
end up going out of code if they were never rotated or if the cold
box did not completely sell out. It is important for sales
professionals to rotate all of their products on a regular basis to
ensure fresh code dates. Negligence of rotation will result in out
of code beer, which could have a number of negative
consequences:
Off tasting product that consumers avoid purchasing Sales
decreases Bad word of mouth Competition replacing product with
something fresh Unsatisfied consumers that complain to the store or
brewery Potential backlash from the store or brewery A potential
write up or time off without pay Potential termination
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OUT OF CODE
Virtually every beverage has a code date and when a product has
not been consumed before it exceeds its code date it becomes
officially OUT OF CODE. Code dates are listed on products so that
consumers are guaranteed the freshest and best tasting products
available. When products expire they are no longer acceptable to be
sold to consumers. Sales professionals are required to pay close
attention to code dates and if a product exceeds its code date it
must be removed from a saleable location in the store and marked to
be destroyed. Sales professionals are responsible to rotate
products to ensure they do not exceed their code dates. It is
equally as important for sales professionals to monitor the sales
of each account and take proper inventory to prevent over ordering
resulting in out of code issues.
EXCHANGES
Product exchanges are used to help alleviate out of code issues.
Sales professionals are required to exchange any product that is
going to be out of code 2-3 weeks before reaching its expiration
date. The exchange process is easy and is essential in preventing
products from exceeding their expiration dates. The process begins
when sales professionals identify close coded product and document
it for the warehouse and drivers. After documenting products that
need to be exchanged the driver will take new products to the
account and bring the close coded product back to the warehouse.
Once the product is brought back to the warehouse it will go
directly on the shelf in high volume accounts in order for it to be
purchased before exceeding its code date.
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BREAKAGE/ REPACK
Aluminum cans and glass are not steel. By the time products
travel from the warehouse onto the shelf they are touched by
multiple people. During that process it is not uncommon for
packages to break. Breakage will occur in every account and when it
does there needs to be repack available so products do not sit in
the back room of an account for 5 years. Repack is simply extra
cartons of a brand that can be used if a package is damaged. Repack
is also used for breaking down larger packages into smaller
packages or multiple packages into a larger package.
EXAMPLE:
A driver accidentally dropped a 12 pack of Coors Light and 3
bottles broke. Instead of the whole 12 pack being ruined a sales
professional used repack to make one 6 pack with the bottles that
did not break. As for the other remaining bottles the sales
professional rotated them into cold packages to make sure they did
not go out of code and eventually those three bottles ended up
getting used in 6 packs.
MERCHANDIZING
Sales Professionals are responsible for merchandising in their
accounts. Merchandising is the process of fully stocking products
anywhere product is sold including cooler shelves, displays, cold
equipment, etc. The purpose of merchandizing is to ensure there are
no out of stocks throughout the day so consumers can purchase
products at retail. Merchandising is also critical for taking an
accurate inventory.
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EXAMPLE:
If a sales professional takes inventory before merchandising the
cold box, but the shelf was missing twelve Coors Light 18 packs
then the order will be off. Twelve 18 packs could be the difference
of 1-2 days of out of stocks for an account.
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2. SIGNAGE MAINTENANCE Route maintenance goes beyond products.
Signage and point of sale also need to be maintained regularly. It
is important that RDCs brands are represented appropriately with
signage that is premium. Our signage needs to be well kept,
updated, and look professional. If signage does not comply with one
of those three qualifications then it needs to be replaced
immediately. Signage also is regularly removed from retail accounts
and sales professionals need to replace it in a timely manner if
this occurs.
INVENTORY
Signage needs to be checked on a daily basis. If signage is
missing from an account whether it is statics, banners, case cards,
etc. then it must be replaced by the next visit.
UPDATING
Signage needs to look professional and be up to date. If signage
is ever old, torn, wrinkled, manipulated, or does not look
professional then it needs to be documented and updated.
PLACING
After inventorying signage, sales professionals must put in a
written request to the banner specialist to produce the sign. Once
the sign is completed it will be left on the sales professionals
desk. Sales professionals are responsible for making sure signage
gets placed in a timely fashion. If a new neon or permanent point
of sale is needed sales professionals must check out the P.O.S.
with their supervisor before taking it to retail.
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B. IN STORE MERCHANDIZING In store merchandizing is everything
that captures the attention of the consumer and impacts purchasing
decisions. Below are examples of in store merchandizing:
WINDOW BANNERS DISPLAY CARDS NEONS, PERMANENT P.O.S. INTERIOR
BANNERS EXTERIOR BANNERS PRICERS SHELF AND COLD STRIPS DISPLAYS
SIDE STACKS PRIME SHELF LOCATIONS
o COLD SCHEMATICS o WARM SHELVES
ADDITIONAL COOLERS ETC.
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1. PRICING
The beverage industry is a price sensitive business particularly
in the world of beer. Consumers are persistently looking to stretch
their dollar and see how far it can go. The difference of a beer
consumer purchasing a 32oz bottle of Miller High Life or Busch may
only be ten cents. In order to maximize volume sales professionals
must be as attentive to pricing as consumers are. Pricing
negligence is detrimental to a sales professionals success
ultimately resulting in sales decreases. Managing pricing is an
imperative function of a sales professional and there are several
key aspects that demand strict detail.
PROMOTIONAL PRICING
PROMOTIONAL PRICING in a nutshell is when a package is
discounted to the retailer. If a retailer receives promotional
pricing the concept is that they reflect the price savings to
consumers resulting in lower prices and elevated sales.
EXAMPLE:
During the month of August Coors Light 12 packs have a $2.30
promo price from their regular price to the retailer (PTR) of
$17.30 (Two 12 packs equal one case). Since the retailer is
receiving Coors Light 12 packs for $7.50 a case instead of $8.65 a
case they are willing to run a special on Coors Light 12 packs.
Instead of charging $10.99 for a 12 pack the retailer is running a
$9.99 special on Coors Light 12 packs. The reason the retailer is
pricing the 12 packs a dollar off is because the sales professional
bought them enough product to last until the next promotional
period.
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Pricing is a partnership between manufacturers, distributors,
and retailers. In theory all three groups lower their margin so
that the PTC can be at a lower cost encouraging higher frequency of
purchases and increased volume. Sales professionals are responsible
for working alongside retailers that participate in the PROMOTIONAL
PRICING CALENDER to help them maintain lower pricing. Not every
retailer reflects promotional pricing, but sales professionals are
responsible to convince retailers the benefits in doing so.
Accounts that take advantage of higher margins and neglect
promotional pricing have a higher PTC that can sometimes
drastically affect their business. Price sensitive consumers may
avoid shopping in accounts with higher pricing or simply shop where
there are lower prices.
PARITY PRICING
Whenever comparable products are priced the same it is critical
to ensure there is parity pricing. Consumers are not always as
loyal to brands as much as they are to the better deal. In an
instance where there is a price discrepancy between comparable
products sales professionals must react immediately and get the
issue resolved.
EXAMPLE:
If Bud Light 12 packs are $9.99 and Coors Light 12 packs are
$10.99, but both are priced the same to the retailer then there is
a problem. The sales professional would need to handle the pricing
discrepancy immediately.
Even if a pricing discrepancy is in your favor it is good
practice to make the retailer aware of the issue. Earning the trust
of retailers is invaluable and one way to break that trust is by
not being completely
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honest in the pricing realm of the business. Not to mention, if
an account discovers down the road that you have taken advantage of
them the excuse I wasnt aware will not stand up.
MARGIN
Everyone wants to increase their profits, but sometimes
overzealous margins will run consumers out of accounts. On the
other hand, giving away products with low margins is hard to run a
business and make profits. There is a healthy margin for each
product and it is important for sales professionals to try and keep
their retailers inside that box.
VISIBILITY
Consumers want to know how much they are going to pay for a
product at the point of purchase. Having visible pricing is
essential in selling products. Wherever a product is sold their
must be visible pricing whether it is a cold set, warm set,
additional cooler, display, or side stack. Pricing MUST be
articulated to the consumer if there is a TPR or an AD on a
product. Here are some examples of visible pricing:
Shelf strips Statics Window signs Outside banners Posters Case
cards Permanent signage Menus, etc.
RDC PRICING EXPECTATIONS:
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A. Must have parity pricing with competition by brand and
package
B. Pricing must be accurate and easy to decipher C. Pricing
signs must be up to date and maintained to look
professional D. Hand written price signs are not allowed E.
Pricing must be visible to consumers on every package
either by shelf strips or statics F. Accounts should reflect
special pricing anywhere they
reflect pricing for competition G. Any static or banner requests
must be filled out on a
Pricing Request Form and turned into the Banner Specialist. It
must be legible and detailed with the package, brand, & pricing
listed on the form.
a. Emergency called in requests will be accepted, but will not
be tolerated if abused.
H. Sales professionals are required to weekly inventory pricing
to make sure every package is properly priced with a static or
shelf strip. They also are required to replace any damaged, out of
date, or mispriced statics or shelf strips immediately
I. If competition or account removes pricing sales professionals
are required to replace with new pricing within one week
a. If it becomes a constant issue Sales Professionals are
required to report the problem to their direct supervisor.
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J. There is no exception or excuse for products not being
visibly priced unless it is the accounts decision
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2. DISPLAYS
When you hear the word volume in the beverage industry normally
the word display is not far behind. Displays imply bargains to
customers, introduce new products, increase sales, trigger impulse
sales, and help the retailer with Out of Stocks of high turnover
items. Displays sell more products and thats the bottom line.
Winning at retail cannot be done if a sales professional is not
beating their competition to the floor. Although booking, building,
and maintaining displays is not rocket science there are several
factors that will determine the influence a display has at retail.
Here are some of the following factors:
LOCATION
The most important aspect of a display is its location. Before
you build your display you need to make sure you book it in a high
traffic and visible location. A beer display in the cosmetics isle
is not going to have the same success it would in the front lobby.
Displays need to be booked in areas of the store where the majority
of consumers are going to be enticed by the product and pricing.
Display locations need to have these things in mind: 1) where do
most people pass, 2) where do most people pause, and 3) where are
regular customers trained to look?
High traffic areas:
Front lobby/ store Cold box Cash registers In the traffic
flow
IMPACT
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When building displays sales professionals have to think in
terms of impact. In most instances consumers will not buy product
straight from displays. Displays are used to communicate to
consumers and in which the consumer will see the display and
purchase the product cold. In order to influence consumers a
display must have impact. Three forms of impact on a display are
size, point of sale, and creativity.
SIZE
It doesnt take much to figure out that a 100 case display will
have more impact than a 10 case stack. The bigger the display the
more impact it is going to have. If a display is in a good location
and is large in scope it is going to be impossible for consumers to
avoid. Obviously, large displays vary from brand to brand, but the
bigger a display the more influence it will have on consumers.
Large displays will have the following impact:
Draw attention Indicate a bargain or special Showcase product as
popular or successful Hold space
P.O.S.
A naked display will not have the same appeal to consumers as a
display that is decked out with messaging. P.O.S. can range from a
simple case card with the logo of a brand to a giant display piece
with palm trees and hammocks. There are all kinds of P.O.S. options
available to use when building displays so take advantage of them!
Core buff, case cards, display toppers, and special display pieces
go a long way in making an impactful display.
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CREATIVITY
Think outside of the box when building displays. Although
typical P.O.S. like core buff and case cards bring a display to
life there are other creative alternatives. Legalities limit what
tools distributors can provide a retailer when building a display,
but there are always opportunities to think outside of the box and
develop special ideas that will grab the attention of consumers.
Creative displays also are more likely to stay up for a longer
period of time. Instead of building a Corona display with core buff
only why not build a beach volleyball court out of Corona cases
with Corona posters as the net? Instead of building a Sierra Nevada
display in the shape of a square why not build it in the shape of a
Christmas tree during the holidays? There are plenty of creative
ways to build displays and retailers are receptive to sales
professionals that offer creative ideas that improve the look of
their account & capture consumers attention.
CONDITION
Displays must be merchandized in excellent condition. Consumers
will relate the appearance of a display to the product on the
display. Displays that are merchandized perfectly suggest high
quality and satisfy consumers expectations of brands.
LIKE BRANDS
If a display features more than one brand on the display make
sure of three things:
All brands have similar price points All brands are similar
packages All brands are similar families
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EXAMPLE:
Keep Blue Moon, Coors Light, and Keystone Light on separate
displays. If you are forced to have multiple brands on one display
make sure it is brands from the same price point or family like
Coors Light, Coors, Miller Lite, and MGD 18 cans.
PRICING
Normally, a product is being displayed because it is on AD or
TPR. If you go out of your way to book a huge creative display in a
great location, but dont have pricing to articulate the savings
then essentially you have achieved very little. Consumers want to
know how much something is going to cost at the purchasing point
and if a display is not priced then it is going to be ineffective
and loose its merit. Whether you build a 150 case display or a
small 6 case side stack always make sure there is visible
pricing.
IRC (Instant Redeemable Coupon) /MIR (Mail In Rebate)
If a product has a coupon make sure your display has coupons
available or P.O.S. with the coupons attached. IRCs and MIRs are
wonderful tools that help increase volume & attract consumers.
Displays must have coupons if they are offered!
SUPPLIER STANDARDS
Most manufacturers have brand mix standards with displays. Make
sure when you are booking and building displays you have enough
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visible product of each brand on the display in order to be
compliant with the suppliers display standards.
EXAMPLE:
MillerCoors expects 30% visibility of Coors Banquet on Coors and
Coors Light displays. If you sell in a 100 case display of Coors
& Coors Light then you need 30 visible cases of Coors and 70
cases of Coors Light in order to be compliant with MillerCoors
brand standards.
EXAMPLE:
Red Bull expects 25% Sugar Free on all Red Bull displays. If you
book a 20 case Red Bull display you need 5 cases of Sugar Free and
15 cases of Regular in order to be complaint with Red Bulls display
standards.
DISPLAY EXPECTATIONS:
BEER DISPLAYS
A. RDC displays must be greater than competition a. In a store
with 6 displays or less (2 to 1) b. In a store with 8 displays or
more (3 to 1)
B. Pricing must be present on any RDC display C. Displays must
be rotated and maintained weekly D. Current P.O.S. or thematic
P.O.S. must be present on all
displays in accounts that allow outside P.O.S. E. Display size
must be standard according to account size
and using the supplier brand mix requirements
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F. Before key holiday weeks displays must be built at least one
week before the holiday, but when the post off schedule allows we
expect two weeks in advance
G. RDC displays must be in the #1 position if RDC brands do more
volume than competitor like brands
H. RDC sales professionals are required to weekly walk the
entire account and look for display opportunities
I. Displays must be in a high traffic or highly visible
location
NON ALCOHOLIC DISPLAYS
A. RDC displays must be greater than competition in size B.
Pricing must be present on any RDC display C. Displays must be
rotated and maintained weekly D. Current P.O.S. or thematic P.O.S.
must be present on all
displays in accounts that allow outside P.O.S. E. Display size
must be standard according to account size
and using the supplier brand mix requirements F. Before key
holiday weeks displays must be built at least
one week before the holiday, but when the promotional schedule
allows we expect two weeks in advance
G. RDC displays must be in the #1 position if RDC brands do more
volume than competitor like brands
H. RDC sales professionals are required to weekly walk the
entire account and look for display opportunities
I. Displays must be built to supplier standards J. Displays must
be in a high traffic or highly visible location
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3. P.O.S./SIGNAGE
Point of sale and signage are important tools in marketing
products, growing awareness of brands, articulating messaging,
communicating pricing, and maintaining the look of the leader. It
is critical for sales professionals to stay focused on these facets
in order to accomplish all of the above.
PERMANENT P.O.S.
Permanent P.O.S. can consist of a number of different items. The
most common forms of permanent P.O.S. are neons or mirrors, but
there are other forms of permanent P.O.S. like wooden signs, pool
table lights, etc. When placing permanent P.O.S. there are several
key things to focus on.
POSITION/ IMPACT
Sales professionals always need to look for the most visible
spot in the best position when placing permanent signage. Placing a
neon on a bars side wall with 6 other neons does not have the same
impact as a neon directly behind the bar. A sales professional
might have equal or more P.O.S. placed in an account, but could
still be getting beat by the competition if they do not have the
best locations. Remember just because a location is preoccupied
does not mean it cannot be overtaken!
COVERAGE
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Coverage is not referring to the total amount of something, but
how well brands are represented and dispersed in an account. For
example, If you have a large account that has multiple P.O.S.
placements dont put all of your Coors Light signs in the same
location. Coverage is dispersing the Coors Light neons throughout
the account so every consumer has the opportunity to be affected by
the brand where ever they may be in the account.
AMOUNT
In order to look like the leader and have impact in your
accounts sales professionals need to make sure they have more
P.O.S. placements than their competition. If Coors Light outsells
Budweiser then it should be represented with more permanent
signage. If Corona is the number one beer brand in a Mexican
restaurant then it should have the most P.O.S. placements in that
account.
SIGNAGE
Remember to regularly update all of your signage. Statics, shelf
strips, and banners are not permanent so they will get torn down,
fall off, or weathered so make sure you keep them looking up to
standard. STATICS/ SHELF STRIPS
Statics and shelf strips are used to articulate pricing to
consumers. A static is a sticker that adheres to the cooler with a
message or pricing printed on it. A shelf strip is a small paper
strip that fits in between a
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plastic casing connected to a shelf. If an account does not have
the ability to hang shelf strips then statics must be made in order
to communicate pricing to consumers. Statics are good for
communicating specials, seasonal messaging, or any other messaging
in addition to pricing. Every product must have visible pricing
with shelf strips or statics.
WINDOW BANNERS
Window banners are a great form of communicating to consumers
special programming, pricing, new items, events, etc. Window
banners are normally the first form of signage that consumers see
so it is critical to own the window real estate in your accounts.
Always look for opportunities to overtake space in the windows of
your accounts and place banners with messaging.
INTERIOR BANNERS
There are many forms of interior banners. Some of the most
common interior banners hang directly above the cooler. Interior
banners are another great resource to communicate to consumers.
EXTERIOR BANNERS
Exterior banners are much more difficult to secure with beer
brands because retailers must pay for them. However, do not be
afraid to approach retailers with good ideas that might drive
additional business. Retailers want to make money and if an outside
banner provides them with a chance to increase volume they might
bite on the idea if it is presented correctly. Dont be afraid to
hear the word no & keep asking if it is a golden opportunity.
Also remember that non-alcoholic banners are not restricted legally
so there are always opportunities with N/A
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brands. Gas pump signs, store front banners, and street front
banners are common examples of great opportunities for exterior
signage.
POINT OF SALE EXPECTAIONS:
A. Must always be current B. Thematic P.O.S. must be used when
it is available C. RDC window signage must be more than the
competition
(2 to 1 ratio) D. RDC brands must be in the #1 position if RDC
brands do
more volume than competitor like brands E. RDC must be
competitive to our competition with
permanent P.O.S. F. RDC permanent P.O.S. must be in the #1
position if RDC
brands do more volume than competitor like brands G. Broken
mirrors or neons must be replaced immediately
upon being damaged H. Neons that are not plugged in by the
account must be
returned to RDC I. RDC sales professionals are required to
regularly look for
new opportunities to place permanent P.O.S. or window signage.
Sales professionals are also required to regularly inventory
permanent P.O.S., window signage, display pieces, table tents, and
cooler wraps to ensure they are in good condition and uphold RDC
standards
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THE ART OF SELLING YOURSELF A. EMBODYING A SALES PROFESSIONAL B.
THE QUALITIES OF HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL SALES
PROFESSIONALS
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A. EMBODYING A SALES PROFESSIONAL
Before a sales professional can expect success in any of their
accounts they first must sell themselves. It sounds easier said
than done, but if a sales professional embodies the characteristics
outlined in the following pages than they will naturally sell
themselves.
During the chaos of an average day and the stress of a normal
work week it is easy for sales professionals to neglect imperative
character traits. It may be simple for someone to be COMPETITIVE,
ENERGETIC, and MOTIVATED, but when the competition does something
inappropriate its hard to stay HONEST, POSITIVE, and RESPONSIBLE.
It may come natural for someone to be HARD WORKING, PERSONABLE, and
PROFESSIONAL, but when you get an hour behind its challenging to
remain THOROUGH, RELIABLE, and ORGANIZED. Someone that masters the
art of selling can balance the characteristics required of a sales
professional. Lets revisit the characteristics sales professionals
must possess and learn why each one is so essential in the sales
profession.
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B. THE QUALITIES OF HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL SALES PROFESSIONALS
SELF MOTIVATED, DRIVEN, PRIDEFUL, HIGH STANDARDS
Self motivation may be the number one characteristic of a sales
professional. A sales professional with a strong sense of pride
will never accept anything less than success. In order to be an
accomplished sales professional one must be self motivated with
high personal standards. Sales professionals strictly motivated by
supervisors or incentives are only effective part of the time. To
master the art of selling sales professionals must be effective
24/7. The sales profession is too competitive and comprehensive to
take a day off. Self motivation and drive is absolutely critical in
selling yourself to be the best sales professional possible.
ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS
Organizational skills cannot be overlooked. Sales professionals
are constantly weeding through an overload of information presented
to them daily. An average sales professional may have 30-40
accounts, 35 suppliers, 500 SKUS, and 3000 things to remember each
day. At the end of the day sales professionals often come back to
desks full of
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paperwork ranging from chain ads, new SKUs, incentives,
complaints from customers, etc. If a sales professional is not
organized on their route or at the office they will get lost in
information overload. Disorganization will lead to a lack of follow
through, old beer, rotation problems, failure to execute programs,
angry retailers, and most likely termination. Organization cannot
be stressed enough and the more organized a sales professional is
the better chance they will excel at their job. Organization takes
extra effort and sales professionals willing to put in the time
will benefit greatly.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
The beer industry is a 3 tier system and within each system
there are multiple divisions that require communication.
Unfortunately, some sales professionals forget the different layers
of tiers and fail to communicate entirely. In the distribution
business every position is intertwined and what one person does or
doesnt do affects the entire company. The average distributorship
will have personnel as follows: Warehouse, Drivers, Sales,
Merchandisers, Office Staff, and Management. Your average grocery
store has multiple layers as well: Receiving Clerk, Liquor Manager,
Floor Manager, and Store Director. Lets take a look at an example
of miscommunication that affects everyone.
EXAMPLE:
Dan the sales professional books a 100 case Corona display with
the liquor manager at Raleys. Dan sends 100 cases on the order for
the next day, but forgot to notify the drivers and receiving clerk
of the display. When the 100 cases show up on the delivery the next
day the drivers are
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not aware of where the display is suppose to go. The liquor
manager is on their lunch break and the floor manager was not aware
they had the front lobby booked. Since the receiving clerk does not
want the cases sitting in the back room taking up space they refuse
the 100 cases and the drivers are forced to load the product back
on the truck after they already unloaded it. The order then comes
back to the warehouse and the warehouse is forced to down stack the
pallets of product that they already stacked. When Dan gets to
Raleys the next day he gets yelled at by the store director and
liquor manager because he didnt send in the product he promised.
Dan is forced to call in a special to the office staff that has to
print out the invoice for him. Then the sales supervisor has to
drop their plans for the day and deliver the special and build the
100 case display with one of the merchandisers who was also forced
to change their route around because of Dans poor
communication.
This is just one example of miscommunication and all of the
people it can affect. Something as simple as not discussing a
display with the receiving clerk and writing a pre plan for a
driver can lead to last minute scrambling for everyone.
Communication is HUGE and it is needed with every individual or
department that is affected by a sales professionals decision.
CONSISTENT, RELIABLE, FOLLOW THROUGH
Selling yourself starts here. A sales professional might have
the strongest selling skills and be the most competitive, hard
working professional on the block, but if they are not reliable
they are not going to get anything from their accounts. Accounts
want follow through & they dont want to be promised something
they are not going to get. If a sales professional makes a habit of
following through, under
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promising & over delivering, & being consistent they
will quickly earn the upmost respect from their retailers. If a
sales professional lacks some of the other important
characteristics they can make up for them by being consistent and
reliable. Remember to always write down everything and make sure to
communicate with everyone that is involved in keeping a promise. If
you are a reliable sales person, but do not follow through to make
sure the job was completed someone else who wasnt reliable may
damage your own credibility.
EXAMPLE:
KCs Mini Mart requested a banner advertising their special for
Memorial Day and Tina promised to have it hung for the retailer.
Tina asked the driver to hang the sign for her and the driver
committed to doing it. Earlier in the day the driver had an issue
at an account and got an hour behind. Instead of hanging the banner
as he promised he simply left the banner at the account for them to
hang. When the owner arrives to the store on Monday they are going
to see a banner that is not hung. If Tina is truly a reliable sales
professional she would have contacted the driver and made sure that
he delivered on his promise. When Tina found out the driver did not
have time to hang the banner a reliable sales person would have
gone to the account after work and hung it herself.
COMPETITIVE
If a sales professional is not competitive they will not stand a
chance being successful or greater than their competitors.
Competition is required of every sales professional otherwise they
are bound to get pushed around and not maximize the potential in
their accounts. The
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competition is fierce in the beverage industry and every sales
professional is looking to take a piece away from the pie. If you
are not a competitive person with a predators mentality then you
will get devoured and most importantly your space will get eaten
away at. Cooler space, floor space, window space, and interior
space is constantly being fought for and a non-competitive person
will eventually end up with nothing. Another part of selling
yourself is fighting for the affection of your retailers. Sales
professionals have to be competitive with not only displays,
distribution, pricing, and signage, but also with the affection and
attention of their retailers. Do not be content with your
competitor having a better relationship with your retailers. It is
important to compete daily to be the go to sales professional with
all of your retailers.
PERSONABLE/RELATABLE
Retailers dont want to sell to a machine and although they are
in the business of making money its also ok to make friends along
the way. Some retailers are not as warm and fuzzy as others, but
that doesnt mean sales professionals have to be in business mode
all day every day. Part of winning over your retailers and selling
yourself is developing personal relationships with retailers that
go beyond professional relationships. Sales professionals need to
be personal, human, and show interest in their retailers
professional and personal life. Ask questions and listen to your
retailers. Learn about their hobbies, families, businesses, dreams,
etc. A retailer is going to be much more apt to buy from someone
they consider a friend than someone they hardly know. Dont be
afraid to open up to your retailers as well. Friendships are two
ways so let them in on your life as well. Know that
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your receiving clerk at Safeway likes to golf on Saturdays and
talk to them about it. How did you shoot this weekend? Tease them
if they did badly. Congratulate them if they did well. Know that
your AM/PM manager has two kids and one is in high school. Ask how
they are doing. Be personable and relatable. Find common ground
with all of your decision makers and even the non decision makers
in every account. Be human and someone that they cant say no to or
let the competition take advantage of. Being personable is the
first step to forming a relationship with your retailers.
EXCELLENT WORK ETHIC
It should go without saying, but there is a difference between
getting the job done, working hard, and being an excellent worker.
Dont just settle for getting the job done and working hard. If you
require excellence youll feel more accomplished as a person.
Professionals who excel and are used to being excellent are also
sales professionals that love their jobs and take great pride in
their success. If you are an excellent worker it will be impossible
to go unnoticed. Your retailers, bosses, family, and friends will
all notice how hard you work and the excellence you achieve. Dont
just settle for being a hard worker. You only get one life and in
some cases one profession so why not achieve excellent? Why would
you want to be someone that is known for just getting the job done?
Why would you want to live your one life just getting the job done?
Be excellent! Leave a legacy as a great employee and someone that
excelled at everything they worked hard for. An excellent work
ethic will sell yourself without even having to say a word.
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KNOWLEGABLE/ UP TO DATE
Sales is not brain surgery, but there is a lot to know. A
knowledgeable sales professional that is educated on their
products, the industry, and on their accounts will be considered an
asset to their retailers. When retailers ask a sales professional
for their knowledge or advice they know they have made it. Most
sales knowledge comes with being immersed in the sales profession,
but other knowledge requires a great deal of going up and beyond
what is required. Research, studying, and asking questions to upper
management, suppliers, and retail accounts will help broaden
knowledge of the business. Knowledge is powerWatch and learn:
BAD EXAMPLE
Hey Bob I wanted to ask you a favor and see if I could squeeze
in the Coors Light 3 packs into your cooler. I think they will do
well in your store.
GOOD EXAMPLE:
Hey Bob I wanted to talk to you about an opportunity to enhance
your business and increase your profits. I know that since gas
prices have gone up your single serve business has decreased 8% in
the last 2 months. From what Im seeing, instead of picking up three
Coors Light 24oz cans at a time consumers are only grabbing one at
a time. My account down the street allowed me to try the Coors
Light 24oz three packs last week at a slightly lower margin and in
one week they blew through 2 cases. Im confident we could have even
more success at your store trading consumers up to a $5.99 ring
instead of them walking out of the door with just a $1.99 single
serve purchase. Its going to increase
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your profits and you are going to be virtually making the same
margin. I noticed all of your Tilts have code date issues since
they took out the caffeine and everything you have on the shelf is
old. If we take that space I would recommend bringing in 5 cases
this week and watching your sales increase instead of sitting on a
shelf full of old product that is not moving. What do you
think?
Knowledge is powerful and it can be convincing as well. The more
knowledgeable and street smart a sales professional is the more
success they will have selling, competing, gaining the trust of
retailers, achieving incentives, making placements, etc. It is
equally as important to remain up to date. Knowledge is great, but
it is also evolving. Knowing the trends of craft beer in 2008
worked in 2008, but its not going to carry as much weight in
2011.
EFFICIENCY/ MULTI TASKING
Sales professionals have a full plate. The reality is that the
job is probably a 12 hour job in an 8 hour day. Unfortunately, the
way the earth rotates around the sun we are only provided with 24
hours in a day and generally 8 hour work days. Due to a predicament
in time, sales professionals have to be efficient. The deeper you
get into your sales job the more you will realize opportunities for
efficiency in how to take inventory, rotate beer, merchandize,
write orders, multi task, and the general pace from which you work.
A lack of efficiency will result in miscommunication,
disorganization, rushing through the last half of your day,
stressing out everyone in your path, and throwing off others
schedules. Efficient sales professionals are more successful
because they develop better rapport with their accounts, earn
respect from other departments in their distributorship, and will
also have less stress
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individually in their own work days. Efficiency doesnt mean
working fast more than it means working smart. If you keep a
consistent pace, work intelligently, and focus on being organized
efficiency will naturally occur. Efficiency also requires the
ability to multi task. Multi tasking should not be done with every
sales duty, but it is important to find appropriate and efficient
ways to multi task.
EXAMPLE:
Jim is making a successful sales call and walks the entire store
to look for opportunities and observations before he begins doing
anything in that account. To be efficient he keeps a note pad with
him and writes down all of his merchandizing needs while he walks
the store instead of having to walk the entire store a second time.
That is multi tasking and being efficient in an account to maximize
time.
LEADERSHIP/ CONFIDENCE
In order to look like the leader out in the trade sales
professionals have to be the leader in their retail accounts. Sales
professionals that embody leaders are going to earn the respect of
their retailers. If a sales professional is following in the
footsteps of their competitor or failing to be the leading sales
person in their accounts they will never be able to do their brands
justice. On the other hand, sales professionals that exemplify
leadership and command respect from their retailers will end up
exceeding expectations in their accounts. Leaders arent followers
and sales professionals that lead will always have the best display
locations, the most signage, and will be the reset captains.
Followers will bring nothing to the table for their retailers and
will constantly be trying to gain ground instead of growing
business.
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Confidence plays a huge role in leadership. Someone that is
comfortable in their own skin and makes a habit of experiencing
success will be more likely to develop into a leader. Confidence is
important in selling, competing, confrontation, relationships,
earning trust, and so much more. Sales professionals that exude
confidence, while nurturing their self-assurance into leadership
are highly effective and successful in their professions.
INFORMATIVE/ INSIGHTFUL
Retailers want to be informed. They want to know when something
is going on or off a special deal, when a product is selling like
hot cakes, when a new item is arriving into your warehouse, when
they got taken advantage of by the competition, when coupons are
available for their displays, etc. There is an abundance of
information in the beverage industry & good sales professionals
will always keep their retailers in the loop. Sales professionals
that are effective in passing along information will sell
themselves and be considered valuable to their retailers. Dont ever
hold back information from your retailers & the same goes with
insight. If you have ideas or recognize opportunities that could
enhance your retailers businesses dont keep that information to
yourself. Sales professionals that help grow their retailers
businesses & provide valuable insight will be considered a
partner to their retailers.
EXAMPLE:
A large new corporate chain is coming into town & a local
liquor store is worried that they are going to lose business. The
liquor store wants to create a niche that sets them apart from the
chain. As the Sales
-
Professional you see that the liquor store has 5 cooler doors
tied up in soda when they already have additional soda coolers. You
bring your idea to the owner to sell soda strictly out of the front
end coolers & add five more additional beer doors to provide
consumers with the variety that the large chain cannot. The owner
agrees & with your suggestion they successfully overcome the
new chain moving in next store without losing any business. Your
insight helped that retailer & they will remember you for
providing beneficial insight.
HONESTY/ INTEGRITY
Honesty isnt the best policy because it should be the only
policy. Dishonesty will always come around and damage your
relationship with your retailers. The main reason honesty is so
important is because of one wordTRUST. Sales professionals spend
the better part of their sales careers building trust and rapport
with their accounts. All it takes is being dishonest one time to
shatter all of the trust it may have taken three years to earn.
Being dishonest simply is not worth the consequences that ensue.
The time it takes to rebuild trust is normally too long for a sales
person to witness before they are either kicked out of the account
or moved due to route changes. Honesty and integrity are not easy
virtues to posses all of the time especially in a profession where
sales people are constantly scamming retailers or knowingly taking
advantage of them. Being honest may not have many short cuts, but
it also doesnt have as many detours as well.
POSITIVE/ ENERGETIC/ ENTHUSIASTIC/ PASSIONATE
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Working for a pay check will only get you so far for so long.
Sales professionals that are not passionate and enthusiastic about
their jobs will never be dominate in sales. A successful career in
sales takes a lot of energy and passion in order to keep up with
the increasingly demanding work load. Sales is extremely
competitive and sales professionals must have passion for their
jobs in order to fuel their motivation and competitive spirit. It
is equally as important to stay positive as a sales professional.
Sales professionals need to have short term memories and keep a
positive attitude when adversity arises. There are good and bad
days in sales so it takes a positive person with a healthy
perspective to not get bogged down by the daily frustrations of the
job.
TRAINABLE/ QUICK LEARNER/ ADAPTABLE
The beverage industry is fast paced and constantly evolving. It
requires sales professionals that can adapt to change and not be
stuck in their ways. The amount of information, new products, and
technology that changes regularly requires the ability to learn
fast and stay up to date. Sales professionals have to be malleable
and trainable. Sales professionals naturally develop sales habits
and ways they run their route, but ultimately they must adhere to
the standards of Redding Distributing. Stubbornness and unyielding
sales professionals will not last long in the beverage industry.
There is a right way to do the job and Redding Distributing
requires our sales professionals to learn quickly, adapt, and be
trainable.
RESPONSIBLE/ RESPECTFUL/ PROFESSIONAL
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There is a difference between sales professionals and sales
representatives. Redding Distributing is committed to hiring and
training a sales force that is responsible, respectful, and
professional. Sales professionals that are responsible are trusted
to manage their routes without guidance all of the time and they
can handle difficult tasks when they arise. Responsible sales
professionals dont blame others for their problems, but take full
responsibility for their accounts. Sales professionals show
R.E.S.P.E.C.T. and get what they give. If an account feels
respected and respect has been earned the benefits are endless.
Everyone deserves respect even the accounts that are difficult to
deal with. Possessing the qualities of a highly effective sales
professional will earn respect. If a sales professional is not
receiving respect it is probably because they are not doing their
job completely.
TEAM ORIENTED, AVAILABLE, DEDICATED, DEVOTED, LOYAL
Although a sales job is individual in many regards sales
professionals are a part of many different sales teams. Sales
professionals are key components in the success of their
distributorship, retail accounts, and suppliers. Depending on how
many accounts and suppliers a sales professional might have the
average sales person may be part of 60-80 different teams. If you
have ever been part of a team you know the dedication that it takes
to be a successful contributor. Sales professionals cannot adopt a
me me me mentality or they will never be regarded as the go to
sales person from anyone that counts on them. Being a team player
is important and it may require additional work even when it is not
convenient. Team players are available, dedicated, and loyal. If an
account needs a special delivered at 6pm on
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a Friday night a team player doesnt have any hesitation in
getting the product to them. If a fellow sales professional asks
for a favor to drop off a banner at an account on the way home a
team player does it with a positive attitude. If a sales
professional is dedicated and available to their retailers its
almost impossible to not have a solid relationship with them.
THOROUGH
There are no shortages of job duties for sales professionals.
Each account requires a great deal of attention and care. Skipping
corners, taking short cuts, and being lazy is not acceptable.
Thoroughness is an incredibly vital characteristic of a sales
professional. Carelessness is one of the first ways for a retailer
to become upset and lose confidence in a sales professional.
Negligence will result in a lack of follow through, angry
retailers, old beer, over ordering, out of stocks, price
discrepancies, etc. Most sales professionals duties fall under the
category of account maintenance and if a sales professional is not
being detailed than they are not doing their job. Being thorough is
a requirement in order to fully live up to the Redding
Distributings sales standards.
LISTENER
Listening will get you far as a sales professional. It is the
cornerstone of communication and it provides great insight to sales
professionals. Every retailer is different. There is no cookie
cutter retailer. The only way to find out what makes each
individual retailer tick is by listening to their wants and needs.
Learning what makes your retailers tick is one of the first steps
toward building a relationship with them. Ask
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questions, but more importantly listen and you will gain
knowledge that will aid in your success of becoming your retailers
go to sales professional. The inability or decision not to listen
will result in turmoil. Sales professionals that do not pay
attention to their retailers needs or desires will run into
problems left and right. Not listening makes it impossible to be
reliable and communicate properly. If a sales professionals does
not listen than they will not be able to have flourishing
relationships with their retailers.
WELL SPOKEN
Being well spoken comes in handy for more than just trying to
sell retailers on new products, displays, etc. Sales professionals
that are well spoken can avoid difficult situations on their
routes. Its not uncommon for retailers or competitors to throw
curve balls that you do not expect. A well spoken person is much
more likely to succeed in a difficult situation than someone that
stumbles over their words. A well spoken sales professional appears
more professional, knowledgeable, and therefore more trustworthy.
Being well spoken is a trait that can be polished, but the sooner a
sales professional can excel at it the more success they will have
selling, putting out fires, and acting on their feet.
TECHNOLOGICAL
The Industrial Age is long gone. The distribution industry is
fully submersed in the Information Age and with information comes
technology. New technology is constantly evolving and sales
professionals that are proficient with technology will adapt to
change much easier. Its important for anyone looking to make sales
a career to
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be technologically savvy or at the least familiar with how to
operate basic computer devices and programs.
PERSUASIVE
Not every sale is as easy as asking a retailer how much and
when. The most successful sales professionals make their retailers
believe the things they are trying to sell are essential for their
business. An under lining key in the art of persuasion is a
foundation of trust. Its hard to persuade anyone if you have burnt
them before. After establishing trust sales professionals that are
the most persuasive are good at presenting what they are trying to
sell. Having a solid presentation of facts, data, and reasons why a
retailer has to have what you are selling is the next step in being
persuasive. A persuasive sales professional is believable because
they have established trust and because they have credible reasons
why the retailer needs what they are selling.
SOCIAL
Sales professionals shake hands and communicate with people all
day every day. It takes a social person that enjoys interaction
with others in order to truly enjoy sales and building rapport in
retail accounts.
CREATIVE, CUNNING
Sometimes good selling takes a little creativity. Creativity
could be the difference between getting through to a buyer not
buying or a stubborn retailer that keeps shooting down your
business. At the end of the day, sales professionals are held
accountable for their results and creativity is helpful in
achieving difficult results. Sometimes the same old tricks
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dont work on everyone and certain situations call for
creativity. Sales professionals that are confined in a box will
never be able to break through under situations that call for
ingenuity. When retailers say no most of the time they are really
saying, I need more information. In some cases they might need more
information and that information presented in a better way. In
other cases they might just be looking for something more unusual
than what you are offering. Maybe the retailer doesnt want a Red
Bull display in their front lobby, but they might want a Motocross
Red Bull display in their front lobby with a Yamaha bike surrounded
by your product. Maybe a retailer doesnt have room for a seven case
side stack of Corona, but after taking pictures of five different
locations and showing them the space they do have then they let you
put a stack up. Maybe your retailer doesnt want a Coors Light sign
in their front window, but they do want a Happy 4th of July Coors
Light sign in their front window. Sometimes you dont even have to
be that creative you just have to be a little more unusual. Every
retailer has different buttons and part of a sales professionals
job is to find the right buttons to push in order to gain
business.
ABILITY TO HANDLE PRESSURE
Sales is high stress and filled with pressure. The
responsibilities of sales professionals are endless and there is
never enough time in the day to achieve everything. Individuals
that struggle in stressful elements should not consider being in
sales at Redding Distributing. There is a lot to juggle and it is
not a laid back easy professional environment. Its a pressure
cooker and you have to be able to handle stress in a positive
manner. Simply handling it wont work because it will eventually
wear
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you down. Sales is not for everyone and it certainly is not for
those who have a difficult time managing pressure or stress.
EXAMPLE:
A typical sales day is already a full plate, but generally
things come up that require extra attention. On Petes Monday route
he starts his day at Safeway in Corning. When he gets there he
receives a call that his merchandiser called in sick last minute
and was unable to merchandise. Pete ends up having to spend an
extra 45 minutes merchandising than usual. When he gets to his next
stop Rite Aid he discovers that the driver delivered product in a
hurry and didnt rotate the display. Pete spends an extra 25 minutes
rotating the display and is now behind an 1 hour and 15 minutes in
his first two accounts. His third stop goes smoothly, but by his
forth stop he discovers that the Bud sales rep took down all of his
statics because they got ruined when he moved some products around
on the shelves. Pete is required to scan sixteen items at the front
of the store in order to write down pricing so he can have new
pricing made up. He also is forced to talk with the retailer about
three products his competition removed from the shelf when they
messed around in the cooler doors. Pete then gets permission to put
them back on the shelf, but is forced to find the space in the
cooler. By the time Pete finishes it is lunch time and he still has
five accounts to sell. In those five accounts Pete has to fill out
a Red Bull tracker in each one, hang a neon, work on pricing, and
build multiple displays. When Pete gets back to the office late his
desk is full of paper work that he has to sort out. Pete is forced
to fill out two more trackers and has to read through three chain
AD notifications and write notes in his binder. Pete also has to
sort through the MOVE BEER list, fill out his white board, and look
over a reset presentation for the following day. Even worse after
checking his
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five voicemails he learns he has to run a special to an account
that is out of Coors Light on tap. By the time Pete gets home it is
seven o clock and he is completely wiped out.
Although that fictitious day for Pete might not be the norm it
certainly is not abnormal. Days like that happen regularly and
sales professionals must be able to handle the stress that comes
with it and not crumble under pressure. At the same time, sales
professionals must remain productive and fulfill the job duties and
sales standards required of them.
PERSISTENT, RESILIENT
Dont take no for an answer! Dont give up if you arent making
progress in an account! Dont let your competitor have business
without it being fought for! Sales professionals must be
unrelenting even when selling is difficult. If you are persistent
and dont give up you will eventually overcome the issues at hand.
If you are not persistent you will never be able to overcome
adversity and grow business.
EXAMPLE:
Competitors will constantly move your products in the cooler to
gain an advantage. If a sales professional caves in without putting
up a fight, your competition will end up gaining all of the best
locations in the cooler and will increase their space. Your
competition might do the same thing the next week or for a month,
but you have to keep moving your products back to where they were
as long as the account is ok with it. In fact, if you bring it up
to the account early they might handle it themselves. Either way,
sales professionals that let things slide will
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lose ground. Stay persistent and your competitor will give up
when they realize you are not going to give up!
EXAMPLE:
Retailers will tell you no. Dont be afraid of the word no and
dont be afraid to ask for the same thing again. Find a different
approach or a better method. In some cases you just need to ask at
a better time. In other cases you need to keep asking! Persistency
pays off!
RESULTS ORIENTED
At the end of the day sales is results driven. The job of a
sales professional requires more than great rapport and good
qualities. Results are the most important job of a sales
professional and the most important result is making your company
money. The way to do that is by selling product. If you follow the
steps in Mastering the Art of Selling and constantly work on
perfecting the qualities above you will undoubtedly see great
results! Results will not be maximized or achieved if the Redding
Distributing Sales Standards are not followed and if the qualities
it takes to be a successful sales professional are not resembled.
If you are not achieving great results then review what standards
or qualities you have not been acting out.
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THE ART OF SELLING MORE THAN JUST YOURSELF A. PLANNING B.
DELIVERING C. SELLING TECHNIQUES
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A. PLANNING Review Your Presentation
o What is the big picture? What are the retailers priorities?
What are the trends in sales?
o What is the customer looking for? o What are your goals and
objectives?
Define your outcome
What do you want the outcome to be? Is it realistic? Can one
presentation achieve it? How important is the outcome?
Gather information & review what you know
Who are you meeting? What are their missed opportunities? Review
historical information as an account What is their history like as
a buyer? What is the competition like? Review the account What is
their portfolio like now? Ask your retailer what they want
Align your goals & anticipate needs
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Use information to align your goals with the retailers What do
you want versus what do they want? How can what you want address
their problems & priorities What are the problems/
priorities
o A new account opened across the street o Larger chains are
taking away their foot traffic o Profit issues o Margins
declining
Prepare your presentation
Base your presentation off of your review of the account,
knowledge of your aligned goals, and after identifying
opportunities
Use your portfolio, service, and personnel to solve problems For
example:
o Creative displays will increase sales o More variety will
bring new in customers o Price features will drive volume o RDC can
merchandize new items that the competition
cant
Plan for contingencies
What is the worst case scenario? What is the best case scenario?
What is the next best scenario? What are you willing to settle
for?
Practice
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Before you deliver your presentation to your retailer practice
with your supervisor o Have your supervisor play devils advocate
and make
sure you have answers to all of your retailers questions or
rebuttals
o Take notes on what you need to change with your approach or if
you need to gather more information
o Ask your supervisor for advice in your delivery
Refine your presentation if necessary
After you deliver your practice presentation make any necessary
changes
Work with your supervisor to change any elements of your
presentation that need revision
Deliver
Deliver your presentation with confidence and get the sell
DELIVERING
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The difference between making the sale and not making the sale
can always be traced back to the presentation.
REVIEW
Proper preparation prevents poor performance. If you are
prepared and follow the proper planning steps you are setting
yourself up for success. After preparing your presentation the week
or night before make sure you recite it to yourself once again
before you walk into the account. The more prepared and
professional you present yourself the more responsive your retailer
will be. Reviewing your presentation will help you build more
confidence going into it.
TIMING
Dont go to the hassle of putting together a great presentation
only to deliver it at the wrong time. Make sure the retailer has
time to talk & is in a good mood. If they arent simply wait
until your next best opportunity.
ATTITUDE
Be grateful for your retailers time. Present with enthusiasm
& charisma!
DELIVERY
You are the expert in the field so deliver your pitch with
confidence & show your retailers how they will benefit from
your presentation. If you followed all of the steps in the
preparing process the delivery is a walk in the park.
SELLING TECHNIQUES
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60 SECOND SALES PITCH
Determine what is the most important things that you must
convey
Be yourself Know what your customer values and explain how this
will
add value Ask for whatever you want Make it interesting and sell
your idea Ive got something
youve been asking about do you have a minute, Ive identified an
opportunity that will increase your sales do you have some time,
After our last discussion I developed a solution to your
problem
Less is more keep it short and concise Be precise in your
message be clear in advantages and
what value you are adding to the retailer Be confident you are
the expert that understands their
needs and knows their business. Ask with confidence what you
want!
Time yourself when you review your presentation with your boss.
Make sure you are short and concise! If your presentation goes over
trim the fat in order to deliver a 60 second sales pitch!
Dont leave out any of the juice! If you cant deliver your
presentation in 60 seconds then do it in 70 seconds!
SELLING VALUE & SELLING UP
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SELLING VALUE
Discover what is valuable to a buyer Understand their desires,
problems, and priorities Ask questions to gain information Once you
learn all of the above find something in your portfolio
that is valuable to your retailer and sell!
SELLING UP
Selling up is selling additional products, add-ons, or more
profitable brands to a buyer.
Ways of selling up
HAND SELL IN STORE PROMOS PROMO NIGHTS NEW PLACEMENTS DISPLAYS
BETTER SHELF POSITION IN STORE ADS
How to sell up
IDENTIFY OPPORTUNTIES 6 packs to 12 packs? Side stacks to lobby
displays? Better cooler positioning for brands? Better promotional
space?
COMBINE SELLING VALUE WITH SELLING UP & SEIZE THE
OPPORTUNITY
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First sell value to the buyer and then sell up!
*** There are opportunities to sell up in every brand, every
package, and on every sales call!
SELLING FEATURES & BENEFITS
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DETERMINE WHAT VALUE IS AVAILABLE
What does the buyer want to accomplish? What obstacles is the
buyer looking to solve? Where is the buyer having problems? What is
working in the buyers business?
IDENTIFY NEEDS
Who is the typical customer? What price points work best? Which
promotional message works best? What displays work best? ETC.
EXPLAIN FEATURES THAT MEET THE RETAILERS NEEDS
Share a feature and then the benefit Solve problems through
features and benefits
ASK FOR THE BUSINESS
Acknowledge what is valuable to the retailer:
You told me you are looking to increase profits by focusing on
larger packages
Feature statement:
I have something that will do just that. Blue Moon is the #1
selling craft brand and is available in 12 packs.
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Benefit Statement:
By carrying the best selling craft brand in 12 packs your
business will grow o FEATURES DESCRIBE THE PRODUCT, WHILE BENEFITS
SELL
THE PRODUCT!
o ALWAYS ATTACH BENEFITS TO FEATURES!
EXECUTING
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EXECUTING AFTER THE SALE
Once youve made the sell the real work begins. Executing is
everything that happens the minute you leave the conversation with
the retailer
What needs to be done? Communicate what needs to be completed
both to the retailer and your distributorship or supplier
Who do you communicate to?
Retailer: receivers, grocery managers, beer managers, bar
manager, etc.?
Distributor: delivery, merchandiser, supervisor, brewery
rep?
Ensure complete execution was the product delivered? Was the
display built? Was the tap handle put on the truck? Was the
paperwork written properly?
The product may need help and execution doesnt end if the
product doesnt sell. Use sales aids, hand sell, P.O.S., or
promotional nights if the product doesnt move.
After youve executed everything prepare the results for the
retailer. Collect data and show your retailer how your execution
was a success. Show them how you added value and met their
needs!
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FOLLOW UP ITS SOLELY YOUR RESPONSIBILITY Why follow up?
Retailers reward good service It upholds your reputation It
gives you more opportunities for future sales It secures
relationships
Follow up before, during, and after
o Before Anticipate follow up items & build in time for
follow up
o During Listen, make notes, clarify, validate by asking
questions, schedule time for a future call
o After Develop a checklist, organize yourself, prioritize,
follow up with all questions, & clarify your resolution
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THE ART OF EXECUTING
A. EXECUTION B. ROUTE PERFORMANCE C. BEING GREATER THAN YOUR
COMPETITOR
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A. EXECUTION Sales is all about results. Results are all about
execution. Each afternoon sales professionals should be able to
look back on their day and see execution in every account. Order
taking or walking in and out of an account is unacceptable.
Execution must be on the fore front of every sales professionals
mind and it needs to happen in every account.
OBSERVING
Before you can execute you have to be able to identify
opportunities. Opportunities