Know-How Exchange : Customer Behavior

"How do real-life, small, companies such as mine tackle the issue of understanding customer behavior, quickly, without breaking the bank?"

"channel of independent distributors" - 80/20 Rule

I would start by first identifying who your top performers are. Why are they (other then sales numbers), What are they doing in common that your other distributors are not doing, and is there anything that can be transferred to your under performing distributors to get more out of them.

从这次研究中,我将创建三个或四个test project running simultaneously to validate my assumptions. Successful test projects would be implemented nationwide.

Hope that helps.

Like everyone suggested, the best way is to simply talk to your distributors and ask them why.

You can create a free survey atwww.zoomerang.comand email/mail the link to all of your distributors. Email works best, but it would not hurt to send a letter as well.

Call them forst to make sure the email addresses are correct and the survey link reaches the right people. Send out the email with the survey link, wait until a day before the survey expires to call all of those who have not participated in order to remind them. If some still do not respond, schedule a face to face and/or phone meeting and read off the questions.

If it is in your budget, you may want to send a care pacage along with the mailed letter as incentive. Something like a few dozen Krispy Kremes with some of your business cards/pens/scratch pads, flowers for female participants (a simple bouquet will do the trick), or perhaps a case of your products for all of the staff if the products are something the everyday person may use (or know someone who does). Just some kind of attention getter/gift so they feel compelled to oblige.

Actually, from now on, i would implement a reporting system from every distributor, requiring them to send you lists of the buyers along with quantities. Be sure to find out how they are pushing your product by identifying catalog placement, sales scripts, even try to talk to some of the salepeople to gather info about what retailers are saying about your product.

This should be an intregal part of your marketing and tracking...not just a list distributors...you need to get as much feedback as you can from the actual end-users. You can use this info to help the distributors make sales.

I hope this helps!