Speaking of the relationship between manufacturers in the building ceramics industry, Zhongtaojun believes that the two are neither a pure trade relationship, because if the functions of the manufacturer are reduced to a production workshop and rely solely on dealers to do the market, most of them will not be able to do it; nor There is a fish-water relationship, because the relationship between manufacturers has not reached the point of coexistence and death. Once the reality that affects each other's interests is faced, some manufacturers will immediately become "Feiyan".
The relationship between the two will not be static, because in different markets, different stages of brands, and different stages of market intervention, there are different profit distribution models between manufacturers, and the relationship between manufacturers will also change accordingly. . Only by adopting different responses to problems at different levels and dimensions can we find the convergence of common interests of both parties.
Even if some powerful leading companies have set up branches and marketing centers in key cities across the country, it is only to better serve dealer outlets. No matter how powerful the company is, they will not choose to bypass dealers for direct sales. camp. For example, Coca-Cola has more than 20,000 employees across the country, and its sales mainly rely on dealers and wholesalers. This is true for fast-moving consumer goods such as drinks, let alone ceramic tiles?
The people, cars, goods, money, network, and customer relationships of dealers are indispensable for the healthy development of ceramic enterprises. Through the transportation of these blood, manufacturers can quickly promote their brands and products to consumers. Without dealers to shoulder the account pressure, manufacturers cannot cover large and small half-package, full-package and other decoration companies across the country; without dealers to bear the cost of product stocking and distribution, manufacturers cannot reach fourth- and fifth-tier cities, counties, and towns across the country. market; without dealers’ connections and careful management, manufacturers cannot access small construction site projects across the country; more importantly, without dealers’ reputation accumulation, manufacturers cannot deliver their brands to the hearts of consumers. In other words, only with a complete dealer network can manufacturers further refine and deepen market channels. This may also be an important reason why e-commerce channels in the building ceramics industry have not been able to develop.
From this point of view, aren’t dealers a “ticket” for manufacturers to continuously refine the market?
02
What does the manufacturer mean to the dealer
The dealer is the manufacturer’s ticket, so what is the manufacturer’s role as the dealer?
Zhongtaojun to dealersWhen raising this issue, some emotional bosses will say that "manufacturers are like our relatives, partners, brothers and comrades", which reflects the trust and affection established by long-term cooperation between manufacturers. But if you want to think about this issue rationally, the relationship between the two does not seem to be as exaggerated as being connected by blood.
On the one hand, manufacturers are to dealers what water is to fish and soil is to plants. Manufacturers continuously provide them with the nutrients they need for sustainable operations; on the other hand, for those dealers with strong adaptability, If they change a piece of water or a piece of soil, it doesn't seem to have much impact; even if some dealers leave the industry, it may not be impossible to survive.
It is difficult to explain the subtleties of the relationship between manufacturers in a few words, and it is even more difficult to draw a conclusion on who has a higher status. Some dealers will worry, “During the elimination and reshuffle period of the industry, the dealers at the front line of the market will be eliminated first, not those manufacturers who hold the production materials.” Some manufacturers will also worry, “If we don’t innovate, we won’t If they cannot keep up with the pace of the market, dealers with sales resources will definitely say goodbye to the manufacturers as soon as possible. ”
If you look at the relationship between manufacturers in a flat way, you will find that the two are actually more like two modules with different divisions of labor in the ceramics industry chain.
The relevant person in charge of Chengdu China Resources Building Materials once said: "For dealers, the only thing they can do well is business model innovation and service innovation. As manufacturers, their task is to provide brand power and product power support. Everyone performs their own duties.” The person in charge of Kangda Meishuo Building Materials Shenzhen Company also made the same point. He believes that for dealers, manufacturers are the exporters of high-quality products and high-end positioning brands, and dealers are the ones who combine the brand and Communicators who display, promote, sell and service products. Because of the division of labor, the industry has a complete and harmonious ecology.
Zhong Taojun found that when most dealers with certain strength choose manufacturers, the first thing they consider must be the popularity of the brand, whether the product can meet the needs of operations, whether the positioning and direction are consistent with themselves, etc. On the one hand, choosing the right manufacturer will play a decisive role in the career development of dealers; on the other hand, dealers are often not limited to choosing A or B, they may choose A+B (reaching cooperation with multiple manufacturers ).
In short, manufacturers are the basic material for dealers' operations, but they are hardly the only choice for dealers.
03
Does the manufacturer want to cooperate with Dashang?
When dealers choose manufacturers, manufacturers are also selecting high-quality dealers. This is a two-way choice.
So what kind of dealer is considered a high-quality dealer?
To put it bluntly, dealers who can bring sales to manufacturers are high-quality dealers. But in fact, in addition to their sales volume, truly high-quality dealers also have strong brand operation capabilities, mature company team systems, and complete service standards. Take well-known first-line brands such as Oceano, Mona Lisa, Marco Polo, and Weimei L&D. In their magnificent development history, there must be large building materials distributors such as Huanai and Huiquan.
If a dealer is a ticket to a niche market, then a powerful merchant is a VIP ticket. Especially in first-tier big cities where market competition has become fierce, if manufacturers can successfully reach cooperation with local big businessmen, it will undoubtedly add an insurance to the brand's market position.
However, as the strength of manufacturers further improves, leading companies will gradually increase their development and investment in the market and regain control of the market. In recent years, it has become common for secondary agents to skip the general agent and sign contracts directly with manufacturers. Manufacturers will even develop multiple B-side partners in one area for different channels. In this regard, some dealers lamented that they were "burning bridges" while reluctantly accepting the "rules of the game".
In the future, if manufacturers want to further penetrate the market and compete for the existing market cake, terminal outlets will definitely become more and more sophisticated and there will be more and more personnel. This means that the development of dealers will tend to be smaller and more specialized, the dealer network set up by manufacturers will gradually become denser, and the dealer's agency area will inevitably be further reduced.
In recent years, leading companies have made drastic moves to sink channels. The "100,000 yuan investment to open a small store" model directly targets the market in counties and even towns. Manufacturers will also bear warehouse pressure and pressure for some small dealers. Coach sales. At this point, manufacturers have actually gradually entered the business scope of Dashang.
Signing a provincial-level general distribution key customer agreement can increase the performance of a sales area at the moment, but the large-scale sales will beTerritory will also add obstacles for manufacturers to further refine the market. On the surface and in essence, manufacturers hope to reach cooperative relationships with powerful merchants, but when the company develops and needs to further break through bottlenecks, manufacturers also have to make choices and plans.
04
What role does the regional manager play
A regional manager can be understood as a manufacturer's salesperson, who is mainly responsible for the development and maintenance of regional markets. This position travels between manufacturers and plays a bridging role in the relationship between the two.
Why specifically talk about the role of regional managers? The reason is actually very simple. Regional managers belong to the manufacturer's management system. They are employees in the manufacturer. When traveling to the terminal market, how they deal with their customers (that is, dealers) is the key to the manufacturer's relationship.
First of all, regional managers regard dealers as customers, God, and God of Wealth. They provide services to dealers and are always available, but they are definitely not "grandsons"; secondly, dealers respectfully address regional managers as "General Manager" and take care of every detail. It arranges food and accommodation, but it does not mean that the regional manager is the "leader".
Looking back on the development of the building ceramics industry over the years, some regional managers regard dealers as a stepping stone for their own profits or promotions. They do not hesitate to sacrifice the interests of dealers, seize dealers and bleed them one by one. The final outcome is to kill themselves; Some regional managers think all day long about how to help dealers sell more goods and make more money, and together draw greater profit margins from manufacturers. In the end, they and dealers become brothers, and they take dealers with them when they change jobs. .
Zhongtaojun has heard many similar stories from dealers who choose to change brands: "Once the task is not completed, the regional manager will always talk about "changing dealers""; "I am still an agent. For this brand, the regional manager actually develops other customers in this area"; "At the end of the month, he rushes for payment and delivery, but usually doesn't care about the store." Among the many stalemate relationships with manufacturers, many are the work of regional managers.
In fact, the regional manager should be the business representative sent by the manufacturer to the terminal to work with the dealers. Factory settingsThe ultimate purpose of this position is to use its professional capabilities to coordinate the interests between the two individuals, the manufacturer, and guide dealers to invest in the manufacturer's market development work. On the premise of ensuring the fundamental interests of the factory, regional managers should help dealers maximize their benefits and achieve a win-win situation for manufacturers in a relative sense.
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Since 2018, China Ceramics Network’s national ceramic tile market survey project has visited more than ten cities. After contacting various dealers, Zhongtaojun also gained a new understanding of manufacturer relationships. On the basis of the cooperative relationship, the two parties should not only integrate their advantages and learn from each other's strengths, but also avoid blindly "judging heroes based on sales volume", otherwise it will easily lead to gaps in the manufacturer relationship.
(Author: Hong Xiaochun)
