The perfect transformation from technology to marketing

Introduction: From the perspective of an ordinary Asian-African employee, combined with the growth experience in Asia-Africa, talked about how he successfully transformed from a technical position to a marketing position in Asia and Africa? I am an ordinary employee in the seed industry in Asia and Africa, and I have grown up with the development and growth of Asia and Africa. Here, I have also been confused and hesitated, but the corporate development philosophy of "Being a base and doing a good job" of the Asian-African Company has shown me a clear path and let me break out of the fog. Here, I realized the value of life and found a marketing method that suits me—technical marketing.

I don't know how to enter Asia and Africa, the boss points to the maze

On the first day of entering the seed industry in Asia and Africa, I applied for the position of marketing representative. During the interview, maybe my EQ and savvy didn’t impress the boss of Asian and African seed industry, but the boss saw in my heart that he was diligent and loyal with a professional vision, and my gardening major was more in line with the job requirements, so The boss decided to give me a trial.

The trial period is not long, only 3 months. After getting acquainted with the company's situation, I was arranged to follow a regional director to study in the market. During the internship, due to her relatively introverted personality, she was at a loss as to how to promote herself and products, so most of them were arranged to do some chores. At this moment, I keep asking myself, how can I do a good sale?

After the probation period was over, the boss asked me to talk, and I waited nervously for the boss’s "judgment", and even started to plan the "funeral". Surprisingly, the boss did not severely criticize and reject me. Instead, according to my current situation, he re-arranged my work, that is, to give play to my professional and technical advantages, start from the base first, and be responsible for the company’s quarterly operations. Auxiliary work of variety trial planting and variety selection.

Practically stationed in the base, set new goals

Time flies, one year has passed. I have a clear understanding of the company's products, and I have also determined my long-term goal of developing in Asia and Africa. At the base, I make full use of my professional advantages to act as a technician and provide technical guidance and assistance to other colleagues. The exercise at the base built up my confidence. When the base work was in full swing, the boss asked me a multiple-choice question: Continue to do technology at the company base or go to the market for sales? As far as I am concerned, continuing to do technology in the company's base will of course be easy, but it lacks challenges; switching to sales will be a new beginning, but there will certainly be many difficulties. How to do? After weighing it for a moment, he made up his mind to shift his goal from the base to the market.

Everything is difficult at the beginning, exploring marketing channels

In order to live up to the boss's expectations of me, in order to surprise the boss as soon as possible. So, like the business staff of other companies in the seed industry, I immediately rushed to the Lanzhou seed market, first looking for large local distributors, and then looking for small ones if the large ones did not accept it. At that time, there was even this impulse: As long as I was willing to buy, I would dare to sell. At the end of a day's visit, the customer is either waiting and watching or hesitating. In short, the customer's expression is like a June day, elusive. The confidence that was just picked up on the company's base was poured cold water on the Lanzhou seed market on the first day.

In the evening, I plucked up the courage to truthfully report to my boss what I had experienced in the Lanzhou seed market during the day, including my work process and work progress. When the boss listened patiently to my history of bitterness, instead of losing his temper, he calmly said, "It’s okay to eat a bite and gain wisdom! Because your marketing method is in the past, passive marketing. But now In the Lanzhou seed industry market, if the seed companies develop well, their variety structure may already be mature or close to saturation. Their desire to buy will not be strong, and there is no need to risk new varieties. You have to learn to change Position thinking. If it has not improved so far, it will either be affected by various factors and environmental constraints, or business thinking needs to be adjusted.” He said, “Instead of starting passive sales from the upstream, it is better to start directly from a professional base to stimulate consumption. "Perhaps a good product is just "icing on the cake" for the large distributors above, but for a large grower, it may be "sending charcoal in the snow"! Besides, choosing a customer must be consistent with the company's business philosophy, and you can't just find one-"If you have milk, you are a mother", otherwise there will be endless troubles! In addition, we sell seeds with conscience and responsibility. Every variety sold by Asia-Africa Seed Industry is carefully selected through local trials, demonstrations and other procedures!

After listening to the boss's instructions and the feelings of the day, we reached a consensus: I first copied the trial planting and demonstration models of our company base to the area where I was responsible, and constantly explored how to sell the company's products during the copying process. Collect market information, investigate and understand local planting patterns and planting stubbles, contact reliable trial planting households in advance, and number the corresponding varieties of our company and local main sales varieties together to arrange trial planting. The whole process is much simpler for me, and it works like a fish in water.

Trial planting and promotion service is popular

As the saying goes, you get melons when you grow melons, and you get beans when you grow beans. After about 3 months of meticulous field management, in July 2014, when the vegetable varieties in the Gansu test site were mature, we invited local seed distributors, growers, vegetable dealers, leaders of seed management stations and well-known experts in the industry Come to our trial planting base together to inspect the performance of the varieties on the spot. After observing and observing, let them shine, our broccoli varieties 13022#, 13023#, 13063# and other comprehensive competitiveness are significantly higher than the local main sales varieties, such as spherical high arch, fine grain uniform, no ball Compactness, single ball weight (common people don’t understand what quality means), good orderliness, etc. At this time, the local growers, vegetable dealers, and distributors are beginning to boil, and experts even use "impeccable" to describe Our broccoli has established great confidence for us, growers and distributors.

In the spring of 2015, our broccoli and pine cauliflower opened the market here in Gansu, with an endless stream of customers. But I am not simply selling seeds for the sake of selling seeds, but adhering to the company's business philosophy of "quality, brand, reputation, and service". Observe and promote". While selling seeds, it provides growers with technical services such as planting density, planting time, water and fertilizer management of corresponding vegetables, so that growers can minimize risks and obtain the greatest economic benefits in a true sense.

In the first half of 2015, due to climate influence, some varieties of other companies have already spent time. Many distributors have sold seeds, but they are always worried that something will happen. In order to dispel their worries, we contacted and communicated with some growers, personally went to their planting sites to observe and understand the field performance of the varieties, and take photos and record the planting conditions. For example, Mr. Z, a local partner, reported that a grower planted broccoli 13023#, saying that the flower bulbs were small, the yield was low, and the color was lighter. After receiving this news, we went to the grower’s land for the first time to understand the situation. After analysis, it was found that the grower was planting broccoli for the first time and applied the technology of planting cabbage. The main reason was that the planting density was too large and the row spacing was 30*35cm. The suitable density in the local area is 45*55cm, and the local microclimate changes rapidly and the light is insufficient, so the planting results are not satisfactory. However, after extensive and in-depth investigation, the performance of other growers planting 13023# is very satisfactory. After that, the information was fed back to Mr. Z as soon as possible. This thoughtful move allowed Mr. Z to dispel his doubts, increase his confidence in our company’s products, and enhance his willingness to buy next time. Through this incident, I also deeply realized that no one can succeed casually, how can you see a rainbow without experiencing wind and rain?

Real knowledge from practice

Through long-term exploration, it is found that not only in and out of restaurants or entertainment clubs can maintain good customer relations, but often go to trial planting bases to see the performance of new varieties, learn from the company’s successful cases in other regions, and help growers do a good job of technical guidance. It is a long-term way for the company to develop and sell well. In July 2015, I went to Lanzhou to show the performance of our new varieties to customers. In the process of communicating with customers, I rejected the big fish and meat on the wine table, and I simply had a bowl of beef noodles and clear dishes. After a faint bottle of water, I drove to the test site to see the varieties. When the excellent performance of the varieties once again appeared in front of them, the faces of the customers were filled with joyful smiles. Many customers proposed on the spot to pre-order seeds for the second year, increasing their orders at a sales rate of 5 times, 10 times, or even 20 times, and It extends from a single broccoli to a series of Asian-African products such as cabbage and pine cauliflower. At this moment, I know my sales magic weapon-technical marketing is successful!

Another year has passed. As the company's influence gradually expands in the northwestern region, the brand recognition of Asia and Africa is improving day by day, and my growth has also benefited me a lot. This year, I not only got a better understanding of the related planting and cultivation techniques and precautions of the company's products in the northwest region, but also gained a better understanding of how to sell. This year’s growth has also made me deeply aware that there is no shortcut to doing agriculture. Only a down-to-earth "test planting, demonstration, observation and promotion" is the long-term strategy for enterprise development. Technical marketing , Service marketing is king! (Please bold this paragraph)