1, price conflict.
Price is the most sensitive factor to produce contradictions, and the most direct contradiction often begins with price. Because of the existence of competition, in order to win customers, one side of direct stores or franchisees often regards price reduction as an important means of competition.
2. Commodity conflict.
In terms of commodity display, direct stores often have more resource advantages and can display all the products of the company to the maximum extent. The sales force generated in this respect is stronger than that of franchise stores. Especially in the control of some tight goods, direct stores often have more initiative.
3. Conflict of image, service and concept.
Direct stores can directly interpret the company's concept and show the company's brand image and service level, while franchise stores are relatively lacking in expressiveness in these aspects. As a result, the brand can not be harmonious and unified in the two types of terminals.
4. Man-made contradictions.
Managers and franchisees of some direct stores can easily stand on the opposite side because of their own interests, resulting in some other contradictions.
In the final analysis, the basis of contradiction is conflict of interest. As the marketing manager of an enterprise or branch, the key is to see how we coordinate their relationship and how to maintain the balance between them. It is necessary to ensure the interests and development of self-operated stores, but also to take into account the emotions and interests of franchisees and maintain the loyalty of franchisees.
5, after-sales service attitude
High-quality after-sales service is the product of brand service economy, and the after-sales service of brand-name products is often better than that of brand-name products. The price of brand-name products is generally higher than that of miscellaneous brands, on the one hand, it is based on product cost and quality, on the other hand, the after-sales service cost has been considered in the sales strategy of brand-name products.
As far as the service system is concerned, the after-sales service of products is jointly provided by manufacturers and distributors, but it is more displayed to consumers in the form of cooperation between manufacturers and merchants.
Resolution of contradictions
1. Make a reasonable sales radius.
Distance can produce beauty and reduce many contradictions. Direct stores and franchisees keep a certain sales distance, which can avoid the most direct short-distance interests and customer conflicts. In other words, in a certain range of Fiona Fang, it is best not to let the outlet stores and franchise stores appear at the same time.
The reasonable sales radius between stores in different industries is different, so we must make a reasonable sales radius distance with reference to local economic level, major consumer groups, consumption habits and other factors.
For example, in the same mainstream commercial street in a city, if your product has a large market capacity and you want to open more than two stores, then you'd better have both stores run by the company or run by the same franchisee. If there are already self-operated stores and franchise stores in a small area, it is best for both parties to negotiate one of them to quit.
A well-known restaurant chain in Guangdong operates in the Guangzhou market in this way: taking the administrative district as the unit, the company directly opens its own store in Dongshan District, while other districts set up a franchisee in each district, and franchisees can only open branches in their own areas. Keep your distance effectively, so as not to compete for passenger flow.
2. Strict price specifications.
As mentioned above, price is the most likely factor to cause conflicts of interest. This requires enterprises to have a strict price guarantee system in order to avoid direct price conflicts between direct stores and franchise stores.
Self-operated stores must be self-disciplined in price, and at the same time, companies should also control the prices of franchised stores to prevent disguised price cuts. Both parties can agree on the minimum retail price (or discount), and neither party is allowed to break the bottom line at will.
The most important thing for price protection is to strengthen price management. For example, we can collect a certain operating margin from franchisees to restrain and standardize their prices, and resolutely deal with franchisees' unauthorized violation of price policies, so that they can consciously abide by the price agreement, thus maintaining the whole price system of the brand from being impacted.
When a laundry chain enters every provincial capital city, it will open direct stores in advance and then recruit franchisees, so almost every provincial capital city has direct stores and franchisees. However, the service price of their store has been well controlled. Because the headquarters clearly agreed on the lowest price of washing all kinds of clothes in the contract with franchisees, and strictly restricted the issuance of VIP discount cards. Moreover, people in the headquarters often make unannounced visits to franchisees as customers. Once they find franchisees who violate the price policy, they will be fined 1000 ~ 3000 yuan. Therefore, even if seven or eight franchisees are opened in many cities, they can live a very stable life.
3. Unified terminal image construction.
It is very important for direct stores and franchise stores to maintain the same competitiveness. However, some franchisees are often unable to be unified with the company's self-operated stores in image because of their concepts and their own strength, and the decoration grade is not as good as that of the company's self-operated stores. This requires enterprises to be cautious when choosing franchisees, to give guidance on business philosophy, to organize supervision and training personnel to track management, and to strengthen the unity of terminal image and service.
4. Keep the unified pace of promotion activities.
Self-operated stores and franchise stores, one of which promotes sales, tend to impact the sales of the other. For example, during the promotion period of shopping malls or self-operated stores, enterprises should inform franchisees to carry out some promotion activities simultaneously, or give franchisees a certain promotion subsidy depending on the promotion scale. Self-operated stores should also provide franchisees with some effective special products as appropriate when operating special events. Enterprises can also require franchisees to report to the company for approval and filing when carrying out promotional activities, and may not engage in promotional activities without authorization.
1999, the author worked for Master Kong. At that time, Master Kong's business personnel were divided into two parts: direct sales generation and distribution generation. Responsible for the management of direct stores and distributors respectively. Supermarket stores are generally handled by direct selling agents. I remember when I was doing promotional activities in Carrefour, Dongguan, I sold out two shelves full of goods in one day, which needed urgent delivery, and Guangzhou Branch had no time to adjust the goods. So the agent had to consult the local dealer in Dongguan to borrow goods, and the dealer was very willing to cooperate and immediately transferred a lot of goods from the warehouse to the store. Because the company in the same period of promotional activities (the company's self-operated stores during the promotion period, dealers can enjoy the discount of buying 10 get one free), giving the corresponding compensation to the dealers, so that their interests are not damaged by the company's promotion.
5. Scientifically manage commodity categories.
Franchise stores are often at a disadvantage in product categories and product display. Therefore, enterprises should formulate more reasonable return and exchange policies for franchisees, encourage franchisees to boldly increase the variety and display quantity of goods and enhance their competitiveness. It can also effectively guide franchisees to optimize the structure of combined goods and speed up the circulation of goods.
Some manufacturers also use franchise stores and direct stores to sell products of different specifications and models to avoid the most direct sales conflicts.
In today's market environment, both direct selling and franchise stores have their rationality and limitations. In many industries, these two terminal modes will also exist for a long time in a certain range. How to strengthen management and coordinate the relationship between them should be the top priority of market work.