Alexander Kivva
Training of sales representatives (using the example of the work of the general distributor of the company - one of the leaders in the chocolate bar market in Russia). Chapters from the textbook.
The purpose of this textbook is, if possible, to fully and clearly explain to beginners the essence and details of the work of a sales representative (van agent) of a company. It is necessary for quick and high-quality training of “trade recruits” who were previously far from van selling.
All the techniques from this textbook were “born in the fields.” This was during the period when the author mastered the new profession of a sales representative at that time and became the most highly profitable van agent of the company in 1999. They were tested “in the field” when the author, being already an internal training manager of a distribution company, prepared on them 30 sales representatives, many of whom became sales champions, masters of their craft, and the pride of the company. What is the secret of success?
The fact is that these techniques cultivate an aggressive sales style, taking into account the psychology of the sales staff. They are focused on capturing retail outlets from competitors and long-term mutually beneficial cooperation with customers while constantly expanding the assortment in retail outlets.
How is this possible, you ask? The answer is simple. The path of any sales representative to the title of sales champion lies through the sympathy and trust of the sales staff. The path to big sales in Russia lies through the souls of people, that is, through the souls of clients. But someone else's soul is darkness. Therefore, not everyone becomes a sales leader. Just like not everyone becomes a successful fisherman. After all, you need to know a lot of all sorts of secrets in order to catch fish always, everywhere and in large quantities. And this book is just full of all sorts of secrets and subtleties in the business of catching money through honest sales in the human ocean of vast Moscow.
Business in Russia is built, among other things, on emotions, likes and dislikes. Sometimes business decisions are made under the influence of emotions, although they are not financially beneficial. Foreign businessmen have difficulty understanding this. And they explain it with the mystery of our Russian soul.
Like Kung Fu, there are different styles in selling. The choice of style depends on the character of the sales representative. This tutorial describes the style of “snake”, or more precisely “boa constrictor”. It is characterized by soft, unobtrusive aggression, unnoticeable penetration and expansion of presence.
Advantages of the profession.
1) Personal freedom and freedom of expression.
Leaving the territory in the morning, you are left to your own devices until the evening. You yourself build and plan your working day and, thereby, your life. With whom to communicate and how, you decide according to the daily report (the route of the day). No one is above your soul. There is no need to ask for lunch to go about your business. The only thing that matters is the result - the sales plan and distribution of goods in your retail outlets. Whether you do it for the whole day or half a day - it's your choice. You can spend the time saved on finding new clients.
2) Your earnings depend only on you. No one limits your income except yourself.
3) Every day is an adventure. At the beginning of the working day, you cannot predict how it will end. Every day can bring the joy of victory, the heights of optimism or the depths of disappointment. Overcoming a professional challenge, convincing and closing a deal - isn’t this the greatest joy of victory and achievement!
4) You work as an independent businessman. You can make real money for yourself and be happy with that money.
5) Overcoming the unknown is part of your daily responsibilities. Only a strong person can withstand this. Every day tests your strength, strength and desire to win. To win constantly, you must constantly develop your competence, willpower and professionalism. In short, you have a chance to make yourself and become, as they say, a self-made man.
Disadvantages of the profession (van agent).
1) Every day you have to communicate with a lot of people, because your task is to sell and make money, and money is people. The more people you serve, the more money you make. And it's only a matter of time if you are a sales master. Here you remember the meaning of the phrase “time is money”. After all, you are a money-making machine. And your “coin productivity” ultimately depends on the amount of time you work.
If you don't like people, you won't last long. Negative emotions and irritation will crush you and you will break.
2) Unregulated working hours. Your time is not divided into work and personal. Your working time, like that of a real businessman, ends when all the tasks scheduled for the morning are completed.
3) You do not have a permanent workplace, only a car cabin. This is your office, and partly a dining room, and sometimes a place to relax. Your workplace is city streets and retail outlets. Often the problem is finding a toilet, especially in winter. Van agents have already developed tools to solve such problems.
4) Financial liability to the company for a car, goods, money.
5) The profession includes nine specialties:
Directly from the sales representative
Driver,
Auto mechanics,
Accountant,
Cashier,
collector,
Forwarder,
Warehouse manager (on wheels),
Loader.
Therefore, she is very difficult physically.
What a sales representative should know and be able to do.
Its territory, namely:
Number of retail outlets;
Their name;
Types of products sold there;
Number of lines by product type in different sales seasons;
Their minimum permissible and maximum possible number for each point;
The names of the people who make decisions on purchasing and payment of money (at a minimum) and all sales personnel (as a maximum);
Ways of relationships with each important such person, his character and habits;
Features of documentation at each retail outlet;
The order of visits to each retail outlet;
Features of their lending, discounts, etc.;
Its own assortment (studied in detail at the company’s training, introductory course), the most popular positions in each product group, the strengths and weaknesses of the product, its composition, timing of implementation, methods of promoting each product on the market and its attractiveness for each type of retail outlet, etc. .d.;
Characteristics and benefits of your product compared to competitors;
All possible objections to your products and ways to overcome them;
Features of feeding animals with different types of feed;
How do impulse purchases happen?
The standard sequence of a business visit to a retail outlet (BIOPMU), this is studied in detail at the company’s training, introductory course;
Sequence of a business visit to a new retail outlet;
The procedure for “opening” a new outlet;
What documents are drawn up at the beginning of cooperation with a new outlet;
The procedure for the management of a retail outlet when obtaining a permit to trade in animal feed;
As much as possible about your competitors in the territory, their prices, methods of work, how and with what discounts you can “outbid” them;
Your own prices for show boxes, product packaging with and without discounts;
The procedure for providing discounts and credits to retail outlets, the features of these procedures, the degree of responsibility for the risk and the “draining” of goods;
Ways to take over a retail outlet from a competitor;
The procedure for transferring territory;
Signs of a going bankrupt (abandoned by supplier) retail outlet and how to trade with such a client;
Criteria for different types of displays;
Methods of document preparation (daily reports, certificates, veterinary certificates, etc.);
Places and methods of effectively placing goods in stores, on shelves, the basics of merchandising,
Direct delivery system, its characteristics and benefits;
The history of the creation and development of the company, its position among competitors, the history of the creation of various types of products;
That is the average number of refusals per day, which is the norm in this sales area.
You need to know this number so as not to lose self-confidence. For example, when installing freezers for ice cream, the ratio was 20:1. That is, in order to sign one contract, you had to go around 20 retail outlets a day and listen to everything about yourself and the company with a smile.
Sell yourself as a sales representative, that is: before you sell a product, you need to sell yourself; in other words, if they don’t accept you at the point of sale, then they won’t accept your product either;
Bargain, that is: do not give away goods for next to nothing;
Win people over;
Convince people;
Strategically and tactically plan visits;
Analyze your previous visit and learn from your mistakes;
Sell goods to regular customers at the highest possible prices;
Sell goods to new retail outlets;
Promote new types of products to the market;
Successfully conduct trade negotiations with management of retail outlets at various levels;
Install various types of racks and correctly hang various displays;
Conduct store inspection and merchandising;
Fight against competitors and win;
Overcome objections and achieve your goals;
Use a presenter;
Overcome everyday, technical problems and inconveniences associated with the traveling work of a sales representative.
Psychological compatibility of a sales representative with the staff of retail outlets.
As a rule, when a territory is transferred to a new sales representative, 1 - 2 retail outlets are lost. It’s just that the new person doesn’t mesh in character with the sales staff or with some of its people. Then he finds other outlets to increase sales.
Another phenomenon is also observed. He begins to work with some stores especially successfully and profitably, although his predecessor sold there little and reluctantly, and received money there with a long delay. Conversely, relationships with particularly profitable retail outlets are not as easy for the new sales representative as for the predecessor. Cooperation is fading, volumes are falling. Thus, likes and dislikes play a big role in the sales system. This is natural for emotional Russian predominantly female sales teams.
Therefore, a new sales representative should pay special attention to emotions and sympathy during his first visits to retail outlets if he wants to quickly begin to bring large volumes and so that the territory does not “sag.”
Ways to save time when organizing visits:
Those who work in the Moscow region must have a radiotelephone while traveling;
Try to eliminate repeat visits to one location, replacing them with phone calls, pre-thought-out agreements, postponing matters until the next scheduled visit, etc.
Organize clear direct and reverse telephone communication with your clients;
Start the working day with the most important thing (visit);
Conduct visits thoughtfully and quickly; for this:
a) plan visits, namely:
Know exactly why you are going to a retail outlet on a given day (and hour);
Make sure that they are waiting for you (if necessary, call);
Have all the necessary documents and change (if you receive money) so as not to return to the car;
b) know exactly the operating hours of your retail outlets in order to avoid lunch breaks and the absence of key persons;
c) know the people making the decisions;
d) present yourself clearly and intelligibly;
e) know your assortment well in order to quickly remove the remaining goods in the store;
f) do not talk too much, in vain;
g) do not stay long over a cup of coffee with a client;
Know the location of each retail outlet and how best to approach it;
Know the internal passages and the necessary offices in all your retail outlets so as not to get lost;
Know your area, its streets, alleys, entrances, driveways, parking spots and acceptable food outlets;
Optimize visit routes for the day and plan them for the next day;
Optimize daily routes, i.e. visit nearby points in one day, so as not to drive around the area from end to end; to do this, move retail outlets to days convenient for you (if this suits them too);
Use a diary to plan visits and calls so as not to forget anything and not travel at the wrong time or repeatedly;
When leaving a retail outlet, always agree on the day (and time) of your next visit.
Direct preparation for a visit to a retail outlet.
Having approached her, the sales representative must do the following:
A) Recall the results of the last visit.
B) Clearly define your goals for this visit, i.e., what do you want from this outlet on this visit.
B) Take documents with you:
· presenter;
· order form (or blank invoices);
· daily report. As a rule, the order form and daily report are attached to a tablet or inserted into a presenter.
D) Remember the names of the director, merchandiser and sellers of this shift (from the client card).
E) Specify in the customer card how many lines of each product group are usually present at this outlet, i.e. remember the limit of pressure beyond which it is impossible to put pressure on the merchandiser (in the sales representative’s sacred desire to expand his assortment).
E) Specify approximately how much the retail outlet can charge for the goods.
G) Take gifts with you (if they make sense) or new bars (if you need to introduce new products). As a rule, trade representatives have to distribute new types of chocolate at their own expense. “Mars” does not always give chocolate to promote a new brand. What should poor sales reps do? Who has it easy now? You need to trade.
I) Think about how best to present new products so that they buy them right now.
What you need to know when offering new products or expanding the range (psychological attitudes).
If the pavilion had a maximum of 9 lines of chocolate and 25 lines of food, then loading another 7 lines of chocolate and another 10-15 lines of food there is simply not realistic, and pressure in this matter can complicate relations with the outlet.
Therefore, you need to set yourself achievable goals. Let’s say: bring the assortment to the usual level if the product is sold out, and also offer 1-2 additional lines.
The assortment can and should be expanded!!! But this must be done gradually, proving to the sales staff that all of our products are selling well (and new types too).
It is necessary to offer a product based on the philosophical concept of an “incomplete glass.” Let's say there is a full range of chocolate - 16 lines. The store has 10 lines. They tell you “We have everything,” i.e. “The glass is half full.” And you say: “Wait a minute, you don’t have six more types of our products. You are losing profit, you do not have a full range. People don’t see the product, don’t want it, so they don’t buy it,” i.e. “The glass is half empty.”
If you want to become a sales champion, increase your salary, etc., you need to work according to the principle: a full range of chocolate and sugar-containing products, a full range of the Uncle Benz group at the outlet - this is the law. Everything should be on display everywhere. There should be maximum feed, but the approach here is individual. There should be at least 26 lines in a pavilion, about 30 lines in a minimarket (at a counter), and at least 50 lines in a supermarket (at two or three counters).
You must be psychologically determined that fewer lines are an emergency. This is a loss of profit for the store and yours too. Those. You cannot calmly agree that there are fewer lines at a retail outlet than indicated above. You need to harass these merchandisers, convince them to expand the range to the level you need. This maximum should become the norm for the outlet and you (the sales representative). If this norm does not exist, then how can you calmly agree that “we have everything.” On the contrary, not much!
Your job is to offer a product and convince them to buy it. So you propose to expand the range. Do not be shy. And do this on every visit. Hit the staff of your retail outlets gently and intelligently. How is it smart, you ask? Answer: this means professionally, that is, from the point of view of the interests of clients.
For example: if you offer a merchandiser a new type of product, the merchandiser will immediately think about his overstocked shelves, about the incessant theft of sellers, about an unpromoted product that they want to push to him with a sweet smile, about the store’s inventory planned for this weekend. And do you think he will be willing to take your new product?
And, if you offer him a way to increase his profit, then his thoughts will begin to move in a completely different direction. And his reaction will be more favorable. Who doesn't need extra money?
Each employee of a retail outlet has his own interests, sometimes opposing ones. This cannot be ignored. Therefore, you need to approach them with your proposals, using different arguments.
Some examples of motivating sales staff:
A. The owner is interested in profit.
B. Director, commercial director, manager - sales volume; range.
B. Commodity manager - assortment (sales volume), so that buyers and sellers themselves steal less goods, especially small ones; shortage of goods, regularity of deliveries.
D. Sellers who receive salaries from sales volume are interested in a large assortment and better display; these are your allies, you speak the same language with them.
D. Salaried salespeople - not interested in assortment, sales volume, or displays. As long as they are not touched or stressed. Such salespeople, especially those who like to pose as a product expert or decision maker, are especially dangerous for sales representatives. They can cool the ardor of many smart sales specialists.
E. Warehouse managers, administrators, loaders, cleaners, and other salaried personnel try not to do unnecessary work. You have to motivate them, like salaried salespeople, with gifts, presentations, compliments, long conversations about their personal lives and problems, etc.
It happens that in some retail outlets certain types of goods are categorically not accepted, explaining that, they say, “Skittles is not doing well here.” You shouldn't put too much pressure on Skittles in this situation. Let everyone be present except Skittles. But, as a rule, this is a subjective, stubborn opinion of a particular seller or merchandiser.
In this situation, you need to wait until this “person” goes on vacation or gets sick, or gets a new job, and calmly put on the notorious Skittles for a new (not stubborn) person and check whether it really sells poorly, or if it’s a myth.
Then there will be two options: either they will continue to order it silently, or they will actually demonstrate to you that it “goes well” and then they will not take it. And you will calm down on this (or maybe not).
Merchandising (a set of measures to improve product display).
Having agreed on the order, specified the timing of its delivery and said goodbye to the merchandiser (or not yet), the sales representative must improve (correct) the display of his goods before leaving his point.
He may ask the seller to do this under his “sensitive guidance.” If there is a lot of work or the seller does not have time, then the sales representative may ask permission to go behind the counter in order to make a beautiful and correct display of the goods on the counter (shelf) or rack. And this also requires a friendly, trusting relationship with the seller. He will let his own person behind the counter with the goods, but never a stranger.
In self-service stores you don’t need to ask anywhere - you go to the counter and make a display.
The degree of visibility of the product depends on the correct location of the product (displays, racks), that is, how easily and clearly the buyer sees our product. The correct placement of goods is taught at company trainings for novice sales representatives. Let us recall the general principles of product placement:
Closer to the exit (entrance);
In a central (prominent) place;
At human eye level;
The most popular positions are in the most visible place (see presenter).
The main thing in this matter is to arrange the product so that the principle of impulse sales works: “saw - wanted - bought.” Now there are so many products that the eyes in stores run wild. Whatever the eye stops at is what you want, what you want will be bought. Hence, the main task of the sales representative is to highlight and stick out his product in front of customers, otherwise they will not see it and will not buy it.
It has already been proven by the sales representatives themselves that a beautiful, even, complete display of goods on a shelf quickly attracts the buyer’s eye and sales increase.
If necessary, the sales representative delivers and installs a chocolate or food stand, “MDU” shelves or a clamp.
Parting.
Farewell is no less important than introduction (although no one teaches this). During this period, you need to be especially attentive to the store staff, otherwise people may see your true face. After all, you have done your job (good) and, as if, you can relax: the goods have been shipped, the money has been received, everyone is free, and so on. Many new and mid-level sales representatives are too quick to shake off the stress of a business visit. At the same time, they wipe the smile off their face and try to quickly jump out of the store into the fresh air, rejoicing at a successful sale or, conversely, getting annoyed (upset) at an unsuccessful visit. The sad thing is that they leave, no longer noticing those people to whom they were showered with pleasantries 10-20 minutes ago and to whom they smiled sweetly, trying to get an order. Often they rush out of the store without saying goodbye. And people notice everything. They see the fake.
It's not professional to do that. Smart, forward-thinking sales reps don't do that. They play their role to the end, right up to the door of the retail outlet, and only at the threshold do they drop the “mask.” And whoever communicates sincerely, even after leaving the store or office, carries on his face the reflection of a kind smile, joy and warmth from communicating with people.
A) We need to say goodbye. This is a sign of politeness. Sometimes, even if you don’t have time, you need to take the time to come back and defiantly say goodbye to the main (and not so important) people at the outlet.
B) When saying goodbye, be sure to stretch a thread into the future and say when you will visit them next time or call them. For example: “See you next Thursday” or “I’ll come see you as usual on Friday” or separately highlight “I’ll call you on Thursday morning.” You cannot leave a client without discussing the time and method of next contact. This is the law.
C) It is necessary, if possible, to say goodbye to all those people with whom we spoke today. And you can’t be lazy here. After all, in a week you will arrive here. And what will be the opinion of you? But your big sales largely depend on the collective opinion about you. After all, every regular supplier is discussed from head to toe in every sales team. And this is quite natural.
D) When leaving through the trading floor, you need to say goodbye to all the familiar sellers, cleaners, loaders, security guards, not to mention management employees, who meet on your way.
D) You need to say goodbye quickly, without wasting your time, skillfully stopping the empty conversations of bored salespeople.
E) In this case, you need to speak politely, tactfully, sincerely looking into the eyes of your interlocutor, shaking hands firmly, if necessary. Sometimes it’s a whole performance. So what to do? We have to play.
Cases when a retail outlet can deliberately take financial losses for the sake of benefit and pleasure from working with a certain sales representative?
This is where the mysterious Russian soul manifests itself. Gentlemen, foreign businessmen - take a closer look!
a) When a favorite sales representative is either on vacation, or sick, or “disappeared,” the outlet sits with empty shelves, but waits for its supplier and does not take goods from others. There are many such cases. This is a kind of loyalty to the supplier.
b) When competitors offer a retail outlet low prices or better delivery conditions, and it continues to trade with you because it is familiar, convenient and likes you. At the same time, the money that the outlet loses on this is payment for the pleasure of working with you personally.
c) When a retail outlet, before the vacation of the “adored” sales representative, collects goods in large volumes, although it is not needed, but the sales representative really asked for it.
d) When the seller collects more goods from you than allowed by the merchandiser (owner) and does this repeatedly.
e) When saleswomen take goods from you for your beautiful eyes when the owner is absent, they take them without discounts at a high price, although the owner buys the same goods on the market at low prices. And this happens systematically.
f) When the money for the goods is given to you first, and other suppliers wait a few more days, a week or longer.
g) When they work with you after the fact, and with others - on credit.
How can a sales representative pay store staff for a kind attitude towards him and high profitability, sales volume:
Priority service to these clients;
Regularity of supplies in any emergency;
Special care about the supply of goods;
Snickers (gifts) at your own expense;
Responsive warm, attentive attitude towards people;
Compliments to individuals and groups of people;
Possible personal assistance and services (taking into account the fact that you are on wheels);
Bonuses;
Light flirting, courtship of individual women from among the store staff;
Silent compliments.
Silent compliments include gallant behavior, individual actions, gestures and looks that allow a woman to feel like a Woman, namely:
A long, attentive, contemplative look at the woman as a whole;
A long, sometimes languid look with admiration;
A slight undressing glance (but within the bounds of decency) with a hint of desire (allowed in communication with women from the sales staff if they openly strive to demonstrate parts of their body that are beautiful from their point of view, especially in the summer, and passionately want at least someone to then noticed them);
A close look into the eyes and soul of a woman, which says that they simply want her, but do not dare say so right away.
Flirting in sales.
You won’t find the word “flirting” in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia. In the dictionary of the Russian language S.I. Ozhegov gives the following interpretation: “Flirting is a love game, coquetry.”
However, nowadays flirting can be considered not only as a way to “pick up a girl.” Flirting in the broad sense of the word is the development of self-esteem in oneself and other people by establishing warm, trusting and sincere relationships. Flirting is various techniques and ways to make your interlocutor feel his importance, individuality and value. These are any forms of showing attention to people, because sincere attention to a specific person is already a compliment addressed to him. And compliments are important flirting tools.
Not every person is able to build such relationships with others. But, if he is capable of this, then such an attitude becomes a habit, a way of thinking and feeling.
Qualities a sales representative needs to flirt.
1. Love and respect people, show sincere interest in them. Each person can be your chance in life, a turning point in your destiny. All people are interesting in their own way.
2. Be honest, including boldly admitting your mistakes.
3. Be attractive, including in a good mood. Find your best features and admire them, appreciate yourself.
4. Be friendly, remembering that everyone has different communication styles and therefore we need to be tolerant of people.
5. Be confident in yourself so that people want to communicate with you. Not looking into the eyes of your interlocutor means showing self-doubt, lack of self-esteem, fear of seeing condemnation or disdain in the eyes of another. You need to cultivate and maintain self-confidence every day.
6. Radiate energy, warmth, lights in the eyes, elation, ardor.
7. Be able to look your interlocutor in the eyes with interest.
8. Be able to listen to others willingly, without being distracted or mentally arguing. This is a rare gift. People highly value those who know how to listen to others. Sometimes such people are simply in great demand. They queue up to make an “appointment” to pour out their souls.
9. Be able to ask open-ended questions that require detailed answers. By doing this, we show people that we care about them and that we respect them enough to listen to their opinions. Letting people express themselves is also a compliment.
10. Be able to empathize with your interlocutor, putting yourself in the place of another. By the way, this is an important factor in successful sales. After all, you can also win sympathy through sympathy. Because by understanding people's feelings, you can see what they need and what they fear. Moreover, sympathy, that is, the process of empathizing with the same emotions is often more important for a person in trouble than various advice on how to get out of a difficult situation.
11. Show a sense of humor. It helps create an atmosphere of ease, which is necessary for flirting. It is very important not only to joke yourself, but also to be able to perceive other people’s jokes. You must be able to find the funny in any situation.
12. Giving others the opportunity to help you (or someone else) is also a compliment because it gives the person the opportunity to express himself in helping. People love to help others, especially when they know that their help will be appreciated.
13. Give compliments to men, women, groups of people; You need to take a compliment positively, with sincere gratitude; doubting a compliment offends people.
14. People have a passion for being inspired and stimulated.
15. Always give a positive response to people, even if you do not agree with their suggestions or plans. This helps maintain trust and ease in the relationship. Such a positive response, an emotional outburst, should become your reflex. You must learn to give it automatically, without thinking. But then, with clarifying questions, hint to your interlocutor that it would be a good idea to think through the details. Thus, he will pass judgment on himself, and, if anything happens, he will be offended by himself, and not by you.
16. Respect yourself. We always set an example for others how to treat ourselves. Self-respect must be cultivated and trained like a muscle. You need to get used to the image that you have created that is ideal for you. Installation is a habitual train of thought.
I would like to sincerely thank my colleagues, as well as Anastasia Vorotnikova, commodity expert at NTC-COMCentre LLC, for their invaluable assistance in preparing this textbook.
Based on materials from the site http://www.e-xecutive.r
Have you heard somewhere about the newfangled "van sales", but still don’t really understand what it is? Let's explain. Van Sales involves the process of selling goods from a supplier (warehouse) to a customer using vans. The idea is that an “office on wheels” constantly circles around some area of the city and makes direct sales “from the tray.” This process involves not just the distribution of goods, but also the delivery of goods to the final destination. By and large, this is a process of selling with delivery, only with delivery not to the end consumer, but to retail outlets, distributors and other intermediaries. An example of a brand successfully operating using this technology is Procter & Gamble.
To work like Van Sales, choose the right truck to serve as a mobile warehouse. The machine must be quite spacious in order to be able to offer the full range of products that are in demand. In addition, the “auto-shop” must be equipped with a cash register, printing, and even a computer with a printer.
PDAs can be quite useful for this type of sales. Specialized programs are used to automate the entire process: from inventory management, fixing orders, to entering invoices, and even to collect and organize data on supply and demand. Naturally, the crew must monitor the availability of all items in the cargo compartment, constantly replenishing supplies. The “auto-shop” will travel from one customer to another, delivering consignments of goods and at the same time filling out all the necessary documents.
Mobile devices can be used as an interface to access your enterprise information system.
The advantages of this type of sales are undeniable - it is effective from a cost-process-result point of view. Potential clients are fully covered. They now do not need to order large quantities of your goods and store them somewhere - and this will become an important competitive advantage for your company.
As a manufacturer carrying out sales, you may be prompted to choose Van Sales by:
1. A sharp increase in product distribution.
2. Constant demand for the product, its wide distribution.
2. The desire to sell the widest possible range, including unprofitable ones.
3. Competition.
The following diagram illustrates a typical workday for a Van Sales specialist. In the morning, this person appears in the office, where he receives the latest information on orders and updates the data on the tablet. Next, he loads the goods in the warehouse into his car. He travels around the city all day, delivering products to stores and entering information into a database using a laptop computer. In the evening, the final information is processed into the enterprise database.
Trading from wheels in the business world is called a ringing word Van Selling (van selling, literally “selling from a truck”). Until recently, I knew about it only by hearsay and imagined a broken down bus delivering books, cologne, stockings, and jewelry to villages.
I got to know the work of a mobile sales agent (“vanseller”) closely in Kaliningrad, where I flew to learn mobile trading automation system, developed by the System Technologies company and awarded the Handy Mobile Awards 2002 (awards.handy.ru) in the “Solutions for automation of mobile workers” category.
The TU-134 of the Kaliningrad Avia airline turned out to be very similar to an intercity bus - used cups behind the window curtains, passengers wandering around the cabin, not paying attention to the illuminated "Fasten seat belts" sign, mobile phones are not turned off. The unreality of the flight was intensified by the clouds of cold air blowing from the tubes above the seats - the cooling system was working. But after an hour and a half it was all over - the plane landed safely. Long live Kaliningrad Avia. Hello, Baltics.
I was offered to travel along one of the routes of the Baltic Business Group, the largest distributor of Philip Morris cigarettes in the Kaliningrad region, where the wheel sales system has been operating for more than three years. Every weekday, Ford Transit minibuses loaded with cigarettes leave the company's warehouses. Each of the fifteen machines is assigned to about a hundred retail outlets, and each “vanseller” fulfills from 30 to 50 orders daily. Such high labor productivity became possible thanks to the ST-Mobile Trade software and hardware complex. Instead of stacks of invoices, sales receipts and price lists, the machines are equipped with PocketPC-based pocket computers, Star DP8340 portable printers and portable cash registers. Six months ago, the company underwent a “re-equipment” - they switched to HP Jornada 568, but previously used Compaq Aero 1520 and Casio Cassiopeia EM-500.
The vanseller's working day begins with the receipt of a pocket computer, into which orders for the day have already been entered. On this very hot day for a Baltic city, I arrived at the company at 9 o’clock in the morning. The loading of cigarettes had already begun, and 20 minutes later our Ford set off along the route. Van Selling was beginning. Sergei, that’s the name of my forwarder and driver combined, had to deliver cigarettes to 32 retail outlets. He usually spends 6-7 hours on the route, driving 50-60 kilometers a day. Kaliningrad is a small city, but densely built up with tobacco and newspaper kiosks, grocery stores and tents. Today they are “our clients”.
We drive along the ancient cobblestone street through the old town to our first point. Kaliningrad is the former capital of East Prussia, ancient Königsberg, founded by the Crusaders in 1255. Sergei points out the sights along the way. Here stood the Royal Castle (destroyed by British bombers in 1944 and finally razed to the ground by the Soviet authorities in 1969) - in its place stands a monstrous unfinished building of either the former House of Soviets or the regional party committee. Here is the surviving Cathedral (“Look, there is the grave of the philosopher Kant”), and here is our first tobacco kiosk.
Sergey opens the protective cover of the Jornada and looks at the order - several LM and Optima blocks. Presses the “Print” button on the screen and places the computer on the seat in front of the infrared port connected to the printer. After a couple of seconds, an invoice crawls out of the printer like a thin snake, and in two copies at once. The kiosker pays for the goods immediately, so Sergei punches the cash receipt and carries it along with the goods and invoices to the tent. If payment is delayed, he records the debt in Jornada. A couple of minutes later he returns, marking the order for the next day as he goes. Everything took 5 minutes, but the order here was small, usually it takes from 7 to 15 minutes to process. Although it happens even faster. For example, at the station Sergei turned around in a minute and just accepted the order - to collect orders, the program provides the “ST-Pre-Order” module.
And so all day long, from point to point, past blue lakes in the suburbs and slums in the city center, past surviving bastions and old German quarters covered with centuries-old trees. We toured 32 points, and in the evening I felt proud of Giornada. It was mercilessly exploited in the heat for seven and a half hours (though without backlighting). Its body is scratched on all sides, and the screen is worn in several places almost to the point of holes, but it still works! A real means of production, it’s not like reading books on the subway :) According to Sergei, he cannot imagine his work without a pocket computer. “Before, I would not have stopped by some places to sell them two cartons of cigarettes, I would have waited and collected a larger order. But with our order processing system, I spend so little time on this that I can serve small orders. This way money turns around much faster, both we and our clients understand this. It's beneficial for everyone."
We returned to the base half an hour before the heavy downpour, recorded the mileage traveled in Giornada, printed out the cash report, grabbed the proceeds and went to the office. They took our Jornada, synchronized it with 1C and put it on charge. By the way, charging the standard battery was enough for a working day. And if you add a reinforced battery or take with you a charging cable from the cigarette lighter, then you can trade from your wheels all day long :).
There were some oddities too. They forgot to order us a pass to the port. The stern duty officer at the checkpoint called the port store and made sure that we were going to our destination. But she still demanded an invoice. You should have seen her eyes and the bewilderment on her face when Sergei printed out the invoice in a minute, slapped the seal and handed her the finished document. The barrier rose incredulously.
And one more sketch. Three PM. The station square is flooded with sun. Temperature 35 Celsius. The asphalt is melting. We served two tents in ten minutes. And nearby there was a Toyota car, which brought chips and some other food. How the driver sweated, literally and figuratively, writing out invoices with a wet hand and recording the saleswomen’s wishes in a school notebook. Consulting the multi-page assortment. It was there when we arrived, and it was there after we left. Well, he didn’t have a pocket computer or a trade automation system :) And thirty kilometers from the city, the cool Baltic Sea rustled, and on the Svetlogorsk embankment they sold ice-cold beer and amber crafts. But the Toyota driver had no time for the sea.
In these notes I deliberately do not touch on the many possibilities mobile trading automation systems, including pre-order (preselling) and merchandising (and as soon as this word took root in the Russian language:). If you are engaged in van selling and no longer have time to serve your clients quickly and efficiently, take a closer look at the ST-Mobile trading solution from System Technologies.
P.S. Already in Moscow, I buy cigarettes at a kiosk near the metro and see a man leaning towards the window with a pickpocket in his hand - a Compaq Aero 1520, and on the screen there is a familiar interface, I was looking at it all day yesterday. We got to talking, and it turned out that he was a sales agent for the French tobacco company Seita, and the system was installed for them by specialists from Kaliningrad. Small world...
Van Selling (English: Van Selling sales from wheels) - organization of mobile trading from cars .
Wheel trading and local order picking are popular wholesale trading methods around the world. Thanks to the use of modern communication capabilities, the Internet and integrated technologies, mobile solutions make it possible to optimize commercial and production activities, reduce costs and increase the return on investment in existing information systems.
Electronic delivery process control improves productivity, strengthens customer commitment to a particular supplier and provides competitive advantages.
Mobility factors
Experts name three key factors contributing to the growth of activity in the field of mobile commerce. First of all, a significant role is played here by the changes that enterprises themselves undergo: increased mobility of employees and the globalization of the workforce lead to the fact that the company, its employees and the numerous sources of information that are so important for business can be geographically distant from each other.
Second factor - the rapid development of the retail and food market, forcing players in it to act quickly, responding to changes in real time. Finally, mobile commerce is being driven by the fact that wireless asset and inventory management services have been shown to reduce costs and improve operational efficiency, which puts them ahead of the competition in a tough and uncompromising competition.
Trading "from the wheels"
In the early stages of the retail and food markets, profit margins were so high and competition so low that companies gave little thought to increasing the efficiency of their business. Now the leaders are those who, earlier than others, realized the benefits of introducing modern technologies for working with clients. Previously, the consumer almost always came to the seller. Today, the seller himself is forced to go to the client in order to secure his loyalty and maintain his profit.
The most popular mobile solution for the Russian market is, perhaps, the automation of direct sales of goods (Van Selling, or trading from wheels, from cars). Let's figure out what this system is and how effective its use is.
The motto of the Van Selling method is “the product that is needed is delivered to where it is needed.” In our country, under the usual work pattern, the organizational side of placing and paying for an order looks something like this. The management of the retail outlet makes a preliminary order, indicating the assortment and the required quantity of products. After which an invoice is sent, which the store pays. Then the wholesale company's car arrives, its representative and the store manager draw up an invoice, and the goods are allocated according to the invoice that was issued and paid.
Disadvantages of this approach (especially for small scattered stores without their own warehouses and especially distribution centers): in real life, it is extremely difficult to predict the structure of the warehouse and prices. During the time that passes from order to delivery, the competitive situation, demand, and prices may change. Gradually, a practice developed when the supplier comes to stores regularly and without prior agreement. The sales representative offers the management of the retail outlet to select a product in the assortment and volume required at that moment, drawing up financial documents right on the spot.
With well-chosen methods of accounting automation, wide opportunities for optimizing work open up. The direct delivery automation system was specially designed to improve the efficiency of FMCG (fast moving consumer goods, or “everyday goods” sector) enterprises involved in the distribution and direct delivery of goods. The mobile solution provides a significant increase in the speed and volume of sales and allows you to integrate field sales into the enterprise information system.
The mobile trading system allows you to strengthen control over the movement of goods and funds, reduce the number of personnel errors by eliminating procedures associated with manual paperwork. The time spent servicing one client is reduced, which means sales volumes increase. The procedure for issuing invoices with the automated approach to Van Selling is reduced on average from one hour to 10-15 minutes, and when using barcoding technology - to 2-3 minutes. It is typical that the use of a pocket laptop computer to quickly place an order makes a lasting impression on customers. This is important: the level of trust between partners increases.
All sales information is automatically uploaded from the terminal to the central database. In this way, electronic data exchange occurs with the general operational or accounting system of the enterprise. This means there is no need for hours of manual data entry. Finally, users have the opportunity to flexibly process operational information - changes in routes, product range, prices and discounts, etc. This arrangement, in addition to the traditional advantages of automated solutions, demonstrated one more thing: sales volume has become less dependent on the knowledge and skills of a specific sales representative .
Van selling (eng. Van selling sale from wheels) - organization of mobile trading from cars. Van selling is widely used all over the world by wholesale companies involved in the delivery and sale of goods to retail outlets. Van selling is especially effective in the trade of popular and perishable goods due to the prompt formation of an order, fast delivery and shipment of the ordered goods from the vehicle and paperwork on the spot. Van selling is a component of the mobile trading system.
The ability to create and place an order in a matter of seconds
Mobi-S completely relieves the agent of the need to work with paper orders. The main element of organizing “trade on wheels” is the creation of an application for goods and printing of documents. With Mobi-S this becomes a very simple operation. Directly at the client, the sales agent can discuss and change the parameters of the application. Using a mobile printer, you can print shipping documents. Fast and complete access to client information
Fast and complete access to client information
To make a decision on an order, the agent needs access to up-to-date information on the current client. The Mobi-S program can provide such information at any time. Client debt, sales history, sales plan, client details, prices, discounts, price list, etc. The main accounting system with which Mobi-S works is 1C 7.7 and 8.x.
Monitoring the work of a sales agent
With Mobi-S, complete and reliable control of an agent’s activities from the office becomes possible. Control is carried out using GPS. At the end of the working day, Mobi-S generates and sends to the office a complete route in the form of GPS coordinates of the sales agent’s movement. Based on GPS data, a report is built on visited and unvisited clients, mileage and other route parameters. The manager can visually view the agent’s route on a map using online maps Google, Yandex or OpenStreet. Monitoring the work of a sales agent is a very effective function that in some cases can greatly increase the volume of sales of goods. Now the agent will not be able to deceive you and, instead of going to the client, simply offer the product over the phone.
The main features of Mobi-S for organizing “trading from wheels” (Van selling)
- sale of goods from mobile warehouses Van selling - Van selling
- prompt execution and printing of documents at the point of sale
- viewing information about inventory in the van
- accounting of cash transactions
- using routes to visit retail outlets
- monitoring the movement of sales representatives using GPS
Vanselling as part of mobile commerce.
Wanselling from English translation it means selling from wheels, in other words, selling from a car. Van Selling has gained enormous popularity and today is widely used throughout the globe by companies that sell wholesale, but also deliver and sell products to retail outlets.
Particularly well used vancelling in trade that involves perishable or marketable (in demand) goods. It is possible to achieve success in this simple matter through the prompt formation of an order, as well as the speed of delivery and shipment of goods that were ordered from vehicles and the direct filling out of documents on the spot. Wanselling is an integral component in the mobile trading system.
There is an opportunity to automate this entire process by reducing costs, as well as the use of personal digital assistants (PDAs). Unique software is installed on the PDA, which provides for instant exchange of information data with an office, warehouse or other vehicle transport.
