Channel management refers to the management of existing channels by manufacturers to achieve the company's distribution goals, so as to ensure thatChannel membersAll activities of mutual coordination and capacity cooperation between the company and channel members are meant to seek the maximum long-term interests together.Channel management is divided into:Select channel membersIncentive channel, evaluation channel, modificationChannel decision-makingExit channel.The manufacturer candistribution channel Implement two different levels of control, namely, absolute control and low degree control.
As a manufacturer, how do you start to build channels, start to analyze and plan, and buildmanagement system。How to lead the overall situation: as aChannel merchant, how can you strengthen yourproduct management 、cash flowandinformation flowManagement, how to get more profits in such a period of increasingly meager profits.
6 The inspection and evaluation results of marketing channels need to be improvedChannel design
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Height control
channel management
The manufacturing enterprise can choose to be responsible for its product salesMarketing intermediaryType, number andgeographical distributionAnd can dominate these marketing intermediariesSales policyandPrice policy, such control is called height control.According to the strength of the manufacturer and the nature of the product, absolute control can be achieved in some cases.Some large-scale production enterprises that produce special products are often able tomarketing network Absolute control of.JapanToyota Motor CompanyTokyo market is divided into several regions, each region has oneservice managerSpecial responsibility. The business manager is very familiar with the distributors in the regionmiddlemanI have a detailed grasp of all the information.Pay close attention to market changes through close contact with intermediaries, feed back users' opinions in a timely manner, and ensure continuous efforts of intermediaries.Absolute control has great benefits for some types of production enterprises. For special commodities, maintaining high prices through absolute control can maintain the good quality image of products, because ifproduct priceToo low will make consumers suspectProduct qualityPoor or about to be eliminated.In addition, even for general products, absolute control can prevent price competition and ensure goodeconomic performance。
ShangwutongIt can be said that it is a miracle that has won a great victory in China's market access in recent years.Since its entry into the market in 1999, it has adopted the community exclusiveAgency system, intensive cultivation and strict control in the terminal market areaSales areaAnd terminal price, rightPromoterStrict training and management will be carried out, unqualified agents will be continuously eliminated, and it will only take half a year to spread in the country's county-level market,sales officeMore than 3000.
Low Control
If the manufacturing enterprise is unable or does not need to exercise absolute control over the entire channel, the enterprise can often influence the marketing intermediary by providing specific support and assistance to the intermediary. The degree of control is relatively low, and most enterprises control in this way.
Low degree control can also be called influence control.This control includes the following contents:
(1) Assign representatives to intermediaries.
Large enterprises usually send representatives to the marketing agencies that operate their products to supervise in personCommodity sales。Production enterprise personnel will also giveChannel membersProvide some specific help, such as helping middlemen to train sales personnel, organize sales activities and design advertisements, and grasp their sales trends through these activities.Manufacturers can also directly send people to support intermediaries, such as popular manufacturers' counter salesStore in storeMost of them are set up by enterprises.
(2) Cooperate with middlemen in many ways.
Enterprises can use various methods to stimulate marketingIntermediary networkThe production enterprise shall bear part of the cost of advertising commodities by employees, such as advertising jointly with intermediary network employees;Support intermediary webmasters to carry outBusiness promotionPublic relations activities;Give preferential price and trading terms to outstanding intermediary network staff, and teach middlemen marketing and inventorySales managementKnowledge to improve its business level.Through these methods, we can mobilize the enthusiasm of marketing intermediaries to promote products and achieve the goal of controlling the network.
First of all, the manufacturer must shape the image of its products in the whole market and improve the brand awareness, that is, it must provide powerful services to distributorsAdvertising support。In addition, the distributor performs the manufacturer's servicesAdvertising strategyThe manufacturer shall also provide support.Provide various subsidy measures for distributors, such as FocusAdvertising subsidies, inventory subsidies, in exchange for their support and cooperation, to achieve a unity of interests.This is very important. Manufacturers must formulate detailed measures, implement various strategies according to local conditions, and strive for wide participation and active cooperation of distributors.This not only improves the brand awareness, but also helps distributors to earn profits, stimulate their enthusiasm and guide themFair competitionSo as to reduce various conflicts and achieve a win-win situation between manufacturers and distributors.
concrete content
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channel management
Channel management includes:
① Manage the supply of dealers, ensure timely delivery, and help dealers establish and rationalize sales on this basisSubnetDecentralize the pressure of sales and inventory, and speed up the circulation of goods.
③ Be responsible for the dealers and provide them withProduct servicesupport.Properly handleSales processProduct damage, deteriorationCustomer complaints, customer returns and other issues, and effectively protect the interests of dealers from unnecessary damage.
④ Strengthen the order processing management of dealers, and reduce the poor delivery caused by errors in order processing.
⑤ Strengthen the ordering of dealersSettlement management, circumventionSettlement riskAnd protect the interests of manufacturers.At the same time, dealers should avoid making market chaos by taking advantage of settlement convenience.
⑥ Other management work, including training dealers, enhancing dealers' recognition of the company's philosophy and values, andProduct knowledgeUnderstanding.Also responsible for coordinating the relationship between manufacturers and dealers, dealers and dealers, especially for someEmergencies, such as price fluctuation, product competition, unsalable products andSurrounding marketsImpact or low price dumping and other problems that disrupt the market should be based on cooperation and negotiation. Reasonably help dealers eliminate concerns, balance their mentality, and guide and support dealers to change to a direction conducive to product marketing.
Existing problems
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(I)Inconsistent channels lead to conflicts between manufacturers
Enterprises should solve the problems caused by the narrow marketmiddlemanConflicts between,Unified enterpriseThe channel policy ofService standardsFor example, in order to quickly open the market, some manufacturers choose two or more general agents at the initial stage of product developmentRegular meetingsConduct vicious price competition, so it often appears that althoughBrand awarenessVery high, butMarket expansionThe situation is very unsatisfactory.Of course, the relationship between factory and business needs to be managed, such as preventingfleeing goodsPatrol inspection should be strengthened to prevent reverse delivery. Training should be strengthened to establish reward and punishment measuresHumanized managementandInstitutionalized managementTo cultivate the most suitableEnterprise developmentThe manufacturer relationship of.
(II)Lengthy channels make management more difficult
The time for goods to reach consumers should be shortened, and the links should be reduced to reduce the loss of products, so that manufacturers can effectively master the terminalMarket supply and demand, decreaseEnterprise profitThe possibility of being diverted.in this respectHaierOverseasMarketing channelsReference: Haier directly usesoverseas distributorThe existing sales and service network has shortened the channel chain, reduced channel links, and greatly reduced the channelconstruction cost。Haier has established a huge distribution network in dozens of countries, with nearly 10000 marketing points. Haier's various products can flow freely in any country at any time.
The manufacturer must have sufficient resources and capabilities to focus on the operation of each region, try to improve the channel management level, and actively respondcompetitoryesweak link The focus of the attack.For example, the main ways Haier cooperates with dealers and agents areStore in storeAnd exclusive stores, which are two distinctive forms of Haier's marketing channels.Haier divides domestic cities into five levels according to their size, namely, the first level isprovincial capitalCities, second tier cities, third tier citiescounty-level cityAnd regions, and the fourth and fifth levels are towns and villages.On the first daysecondary marketThe store in store and Haier product counters are the main ones. In principle, there are no storesTertiary marketEstablish franchised stores with some secondary markets, and the fourth and fifth level networks are the second and third level networksdistribution channelThe extension ofRural market。At the same time, Haier encourages retailers to actively develop outlets.
(IV)Lack of criteria for enterprises to choose intermediaries
When choosing middlemen, we should not overemphasize the strength of dealers and ignore many problems that are easy to happen. For example, powerful dealers can also operate at the same timeCompetitive brandsAs a bargaining chip, powerful dealers will not spend much effort to sell a small brand, and the manufacturer may lose the right toProduct salesOfcontrol powerwait;The relationship between manufacturers should match the development strategy of the enterprise, and different manufacturers should correspond to different dealers.For companies with low popularity and low strength, dealers should be selected and cultivated at the initial stage of market development, which not only establishes interest relationship, but also emotional relationship andcultural identity；For large enterprises with well-known brands, there is a set of methods to help dealers improve, so that dealers canmarket competition To stand out from the crowd can make dealers loyal.In additionProduct managementThe low risk and high profit of both promote the formation of a partnership.In short,Select channel membersThere should be certain standards, such as business scale, management levelmanagement idea, pairNew thingsAcceptance, cooperation spirit and customer satisfactionservice level , itsDownstream customersNumber of anddevelopment potentialwait.
(V)Enterprises can't control and manage terminals well
Some enterprises operate part of their ownEnd market, stole the business of secondary wholesalers and dealers, reduced their sales, gradually lost business confidence in our products, and at the same time, they will increase the sales of competitive products, resulting inTraditional channelsBlockage.If the market is operated improperly, the whole channel will be paralyzed due to lack of power.In today's "channel is king", enterprises are increasingly feeling the pressure in the channel, how to use the resource advantage in the channel, how toManaging DealersBecomes the decisive terminal“imperial sword”Has.
(VI)Ignore the follow-up management of channels
Many enterprises mistakenly believe that the channel can be built once and for all,InattentionAndChannel membersA lot of problems have arisen because of the emotional communication and exchange.As a whole, there are many factors affecting channel development, such as productsCompetitive structure, industry development, dealer capacityconsumer behavior After the channel is completed, it should still be adjusted according to the development of the market, otherwise there will be major problems.
(VII)Blind self built network
Many enterprises, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, have to build their own sales networks regardless of the actual situation, but due to the low degree of specializationChannel efficiencyLow;Because the network is too big, the response is slow;administration costHigher;Personnel expenses, administrative expenses, advertising expenses, promotion expensesWarehousing and distributionThe huge cost has caused great economic losses to enterprises.Especially inFirst tier citiesThe manufacturer should consider carefully to build its own channel.Certain conditions that manufacturers must meet to build their own channels: high brandappeal, influence and equivalentEnterprise strength；stableConsumer groups, market sales and corporate profits, such as Gree has become a leading brand in the industry, with considerable brand recognition and stable consumer groups;After considerable early market accumulation, the enterprise has a relatively maturemanagement model wait;In addition, the key to self built channels must be paid attention toscale economyOnly by reaching a certain scale can the manufacturer minimize the cost of the entire distribution and operation.
(VIII)Channel selection of new product launch is confused
The successful entry of any new product into the market must maximize the strength of the channel, especially the close cooperation with dealers.How to choose an ideal dealer?The author believes that the dealer should have the sameBusiness objectivesandMarketing conceptIn terms of strength, dealers should have strong distribution ability, good reputation and strongService awareness、Terminal managementCapability;Especially in the same business category, dealers should sell exclusive brands, and there is no similar brand that conflicts with its products and price;At the same time, the dealer should have a strongFinancial strength, fixedDistribution networkwait.In short, in modern timesMarketing environmentAfter years of market experience, dealers have begun to transform and maturediscourse powerConsciousness was gradually strengthened.Therefore, in the process of promoting new products to market, enterprises should re evaluate and select dealers. First, for existing dealers, vigorously strengthen network expansion ability and marketOperational capabilityAfter the new product is handed over to its agent, the manufacturer will give it full support and training;The second is to resolutely replace dealers that have no transformation value;Third, for the second level with strong strengthdistributor, you can entrust it to represent new products.
