During my many years of working in the marketing space, in particular retail marketing, I’ve come across all kinds of personalities. Personalities, quite frankly, that should never step foot into a retailer (and some don’t, they just get paid to make people believe they do!). If you happen to manage a territory that includes retail distributors and are wondering if you’re the right fit for your job, here are a few signs indicating that you may want to consider finding another career. Of course, before you get fired.
The Retail Market Management Mindset
No One Believes in What You’re Selling
Stellar market management means having representation inside the retailers that you visit, even when you are not present. A sure sign that you’re good at your job can be found in the number of in-store reps that you’re able to convert into ambassadors of the brand(s) that you represent. Your goal as a market manager is to create as many in-store extensions of you as possible. This is accomplished by educating reps on the value proposition that your brand and product or service has to offer relative to competition. Moreover, if your company produces something tangible, allow the associate to demo your product. Do they know the story behind your company’s existence? They should. They should also know how excited your current customer base is about what you are offering. Social Proof is one of the most powerful ways to influence people into believing and when in-store associates believe, your sales will multiply.
You Suck at Defending Your Turf
A common byproduct of creating in-store ambassadors, in particular among management, is the added luxuries. Now that you’ve established favorable relationships, you’re able to take advantage of opportunities like in-store table setups for demoing your products with customers. Perhaps, even better, is finding that you’re able to add incremental display setups in your store. This inevitably helps in gathering more real estate, but more importantly seizes potential square footage from competition, creating more touch points for customers. If you visit your stores and find that the opposite is happening, that you’re actually losing real estate, then you’re actually losing the battle over this turf. Either the store reps do not believe in you, your product, or you’re being out hustled by your competition.
Prices are Wrong!
Everyone is aware and expect that prices will change. In some cases, they can change multiple times in a given week. Are your tags updated to reflect the new price at your retailers? If you don’t know, shame on you. One of the easiest ways to make incremental sales on products is through steeper discounts. If your customers are not aware of those steeper discounts, then how can they be responsive to it. Part of your routine when making visits is to double check that all of your prices are up to date.
You Have the “I’m just here so I won’t get fined” Mentality
You’re not Beast Mode. You have a job to do. Probably the most obvious indicator that you’re poor in your role as market manager is when you check into a location and instantly begin to regret you even rolled out of bed. You don’t want to talk with customers, and certainly do not want to answer questions. You pretty much just checked-in just to say you made a visit. Too often reps make visits and ignore all the opportunities that can make their trip productive, but rather post up at a location near their display and wait for customers to walk up. Not only is this a big waste of everyone’s time, but if you’re thinking you can make sales this way, think again!
Nobody Likes You
At the end of the day “likability” is the most significant factor in determining your success out in the field. Before you can drive revenue, mind share, and impact within your market you should always be considering your relationship building process. The best brand ambassadors, when out in the field, are able to interface with customers and/or in-store reps in a way that includes conversations about the things that are most important to them – family, hobbies, etc. Become genuinely interested in the people that you interact with. Mediocre market managers overlook the power of having substantive conversations and thereby limit their ability to make positive impressions. The worst market managers just flat out get on people’s nerves. DON’T BE THE GUY WHO IS ASKED TO LEAVE THE STORE!
