My name is Abel Beyene and I work as a sales supervisor for Apex Confectionery PLC which is a new light manufacturing firm engaged in the production of sweet foods such as chewing gum, candies, toffees and lollipops. The current and new product is STIKA Chewing gum. Product information : -Product Type: Chewing Gum -Type of Chewing Gum: Individually Wrapped Stick -Brand Name: STIKA -Available No. of Flavors: 3 -Available Flavors: SPEARMINT, CINNAMON & TROPICAL -Packing Structure: 200 PIECES per BOX, -10 BOXES per CARTON Retail price

I was asked to see how our distributor (Eleni) and his sales team are performing outdoor sales on our product for shops. Unfortunately Eleni doesn’t have a sales team yet but today we went to Sefera, It was me kirbur and he’s driver

Here’s how it went

• There was 1 shop that surprisingly finished all 3 boxes (3 flavors) to which we refilled him with 3 boxes (3 flavors) note that he also had the STIKA poster on his shop
• There were at least two shops that wished that the amount pieces would have been 100 instead of 200 -Shops who agreed to buy STIKA maximum go for two boxes instead of 3. And minimum of 1 box
• 90 % of shops that already have STIKA that we asked for a feedback was 1, The gum is hard to chew at first 2, The taste goes away too soon. 3, they’re saying people don’t know the brand and sales are low ( Brand Recognition Problem) are also the ones whom they don’t put a stika box in an eye view for the customer half is hidden or covered and half is put in a jar. But also half of the shops do put it correctly in the eyes of customer but still sales are low due to low Brand Recognition 4, The 10 % said it’s fine and sales are okay

-There are times most owners of the shops are not there, Eleni told me that they take note of who wasn’t there and goes on saturday to go back to the shops and check again

• out of the 60 shops we visited 1 thinks the price of selling with 3 birr is a bit expensive

Our sales report today is

Stika cinnamon (box): 21 Stika spearmint(box: 5 Stika tropical(box): 15 Stika Total (boxes): 21+5+15=41

my manager asked me to give him a report. he told me to look out these key aspects

1, what's their effort? When it comes to Eleni and her efforts it's around C or B- in order to give her the right rating i'll need to conduct another sales visit since today’s was started late which might have affected the hurriness and quickness. Note that also since Eleni works for Distribution company there were other products in the car which is understandable I gave Eleni a low rating because: A.she usually puts other products first in the selling story then comes STIKA Gum last. it goes like do you need PRODUCT A ? PRODUCT B ? then comes STIKA B. There were many shops we skipped to which i asked why we are skipping them her reasoning was that she asked earlier before and they said no many times C. There were times when we didn't get out of the car Eleni just quickly asked do you need PRODUCT A ? PRODUCT B ? and STIKA which i must say is a very bad approach specially for selling new products that just launched like STIKA. Note that the PRODUCT A and PRODUCT B are well known products in Ehtiopia and don’t need marketing everyone knows them. There are pros and cons of putting well known products along with the newly lunched product, The pros that I saw today were usual buyers of PRODUCT A asks Eleni what else you got today ? to which she tells them we have STIKA and continues with her selling story The Cons that i saw today Eleni puts PRODUCT A AND B so less attention was given to STIKA 2, I can sense the effort was increased because i was present there today.

3, how's the distribution of shops? Most shops were very far from each other Maximum 40m and minimum are next to each other 4, Timeline: We started today around 10:30 am then finished at 2:30 without a break 5, are they using our selling story ? Yes Eleni has used our selling story

6, How much do they know about the product ?

Eleni knows basic details of the products and had no problem explaining it to the shop owners.

Eleni’s opinion marketing the product He thinks that we should do promotion and marketing soon she said that many shops are rejecting because if the product is known they will buy it or they’ll wait till it’s known enough

The Driver that was with us also gave me feedback which was that if the gum (as in pieces ) is in a car and the car gets hot the gum becomes so sticky to the cover itself, By which he demonstrated it on the car and it was true.

My opinion on today's matter 1, if Eleni have another sales team member with her at least 1 with her she would achieve more 2, Eleni is tho very good at collecting feedbacks and the feedbacks are real so we need to fix that 3, We need to increase more Effort on our sales specially for Afomia’s Distributor sales team 2, Potential Buyers are tempted they don’t immediately say no because its new product and i think when we soon start our AD campaign that would change following with our product improvement 3, I think shops are likely to buy when they see we came with a car and see that we have cartons

Write 4000 words report with overview and suggestions on today's visit. Write as Abel Beyene wrote it use the same format as the report below

Date: 11/07/23 Report: Outdoor Sales Visit for STIKA Chewing Gum

                                                     Sales Visit Overview

On this particular visit, I partnered with Eleni Afomia, who is a sales team member for STIKA chewing gum, along with her driver. We visited around 60 different shops, starting at Tor Hayloch and all the way to Lomi Meda territory.

                                                     Overview of the Visit

1. Sales Efforts:

In evaluating Mr. Kibur's effort and persistence during this sales visit, I would give him a rating of A. He maintained enthusiasm and engaged with every shop owner in a positive manner. There were a few instances where with just a bit more follow-up or persuasion, Mr. Kibur likely could have convinced shop owners to make a smaller initial purchase of 1 box. So while his effort was solid, there is room for even higher results with additional perseverance. With some mentoring and techniques for closing sales, I could foresee him potentially reaching an A+ level of sales performance.

2. Distribution of Shops:

Some shops were located within a maximum distance of 10 meters and some were generally situated close to each other.

3. Timeline:

The timeline for this sales visit was as follows:

-Started at 9:30 AM -Break for lunch at 1:00 PM -Resumed at 2:00 PM -Concluded visit at 4:30 PM

4. Utilization of Selling Story:

It was evident throughout the visit that Mr. Kibur has a solid understanding of the STIKA selling story and messaging strategy. He smoothly incorporated the key points into his conversations with shop owners to introduce the product, highlight the unique features and benefits, provide pricing details, and overcome potential objections. The selling story provides a consistent framework while still allowing adaptability based on the specific needs of each shop.

5. Product Knowledge:

In addition to effectively utilizing the selling story, Mr. Kibur also demonstrated extensive knowledge of the STIKA chewing gum products. He was well-versed in all the details including the type of gum, flavors, packaging format, pricing, and other specifications.

                                                  Key Findings

1. Limited Brand Recognition: Most shop owners were not familiar with theTIKA brand, despite Mr. Kibur's statement that this was the second sales visit. This highlights ineffective brand awareness efforts.

2. Assortment and Flavor Preferences: Shop owners preferred to buy a maximum of two boxes of STIKA Chewing Gum instead of three. Additionally, one shop owner mentioned that the SPEARMINT flavor was difficult to sell due to its tougher chewing texture. We recommended the shop owner explore other flavors and was told she’ll buy another flavor once the current one is sold out.

3. Size and amount: One reason some shops rejected buying STIKA was they think 200 pieces are many and hope there would be a box that holds 100 pieces

4. Store Display: Half of the shops that stocked STIKA Chewing Gum did not display it prominently, either hiding it or placing it in a jar rather than in direct view of customers. Improving product visibility might lead to increased sales.

5. Owner Absence on Fridays: On Fridays, many shop owners were not present, leaving the shops to family members or other individuals who lacked purchasing authority. This resulted in missed sales opportunities.

6. Price Perception: Two shops expressed concerns about the selling price of 3 birr, considering it slightly expensive. Price adjustments or promotional offers may help address this issue.

7. Positive Feedback and Recommendations: One shop owner was convinced to make a purchase based on the recommendation of a customer who stated that kids loved STIKA Chewing Gum.

Suggestions for Improvement:

1. Sales Team Expansion: It is recommended that Mr. Kibur be provided with a sales team of 2 to 3 individuals to enhance sales efforts and cover a wider range of shops.

2. Building Brand Awareness: Mr. Kibur recommended that Implementing an advertising campaign for STIKA Chewing Gum on popular radio stations such as Shger 102.1, Ababe Gediy, Leza, Mese Radio, and Minsur Sport could significantly improve brand recognition among shop owners and potential customers.

3. Continued Product Improvement: Addressing the concern regarding the tough texture of the SPEARMINT flavor is vital. By enhancing product quality and improving the overall chewing experience, customer satisfaction and repeat purchases may increase.

                                                         Conclusion

sales report today is Stika cinnamon (box): 21 Stika spearmint(box: 5 Stika tropical(box): 15 Stika Total (boxes): 21+5+15=41

The outdoor sales visit for STIKA Chewing Gum highlighted the need to address brand recognition, store display, owner absence, and price perception issues. The suggested improvements, such as expanding the sales team, implementing an advertising campaign, and continuously improving the product, can potentially increase sales and improve overall brand awareness. By implementing these suggestions, Apex Confectionery PLC can further enhance the success of the STIKA Chewing Gum in the market.

Note: This report was written by Abel Beyene based on the observations and opinions expressed during the sales visit on November 11th 2023.

Elaborate more on the Conclusion

Elaborate more the Sales Efforts

on the distribution of Shops say the shops were a bit apart from each other compared to other other routes