30+mba-第32部分

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If　your　customers　don’t　e　to　you；　then　you　have　the　following　options　
in　ge。。ing　your　product　or　service　to　them：　
。　Retail　stores：　This　general　name　covers　the　great　range　of　outlets　from　
the　corner　shop　to　Harrods。　Some　offer　speciality　goods　such　as　hi…fi　
equipment；　where　the　customer　expects　professional　help　from　the　staff。　
Others；　such　as　Marks　&　Spencer　and　Tesco；　are　mostly　self…service；　
with　customers　making　up　their　own　mind　on　choice　of　product。　
。　Wholesalers　and　distributors：　The　pa。。ern　of　wholesale　distribution　
has　changed　out　of　all　recognition　over　the　past　two　decades。　It　is　still　
an　extremely　important　channel　where　physical　distribution；　stock　
holding；　finance　and　breaking　bulk　are　still　profitable　functions。　
。　Cash　and　carry：　This　slightly　confusing　route　has　replaced　the　traditional　
wholesaler　as　a　source　of　supply　for　smaller　retailers。　In　return　for　
your　paying　cash　and　picking　up　the　goods　yourself；　the　‘wholesaler’　
shares　part　of　his　or　her　profit　margin　with　you。　The　a。。raction　for　the　
wholesaler　is　improved　cash　flow　and　for　the　retailer　a　bigger　margin　
and　a　wide　product　range。　Hypermarkets　and　discount　stores　also　fit　
somewhere　between　the　manufacturer　and　the　marketplace。　
。　Mail　order：　This　specialized　technique　provides　a　direct　channel　
to　the　customer；　and　is　an　increasingly　popular　route　for　new　small　
businesses。　
。　Internet：　Revenue　generation　via　the　internet　is　big　business　and　ge。。ing　
bigger。　For　some　sectors；　such　as　advertising；　books；　music　and　video；　
it　has　bee　the　dominant　route　to　market。　There　is　no　longer　any　
serious　argument　about　whether　‘bricks’　or　‘clicks’　is　the　way　forward；　
or　if　service　businesses　work　be。。er　on　the　web　than　physical　products。　
Almost　every　sector　has　a　major　part　to　play　and　it　is　increasingly　
unlikely　that　any　serious　‘bricks’　business　will　not　either　have　or　being　
building　an　internet　trading　platform　too。　Dixon’s；　a　major　electrical　
retailer；　has　shi。。ed　emphasis　from　the　high　street　to　the　web　and　Tesco　
has　built　a　￡　billion…plus　home　delivery　business　on　the　back　of　its　store　
structure。　Amazon；　the　sector’s　pioneer；　now　has　in　effect　the　first　online　
department　store；　with　a　neat　sideline　in　selling　on　second…hand　items　
once　the　customer　has　finished　with　the　product。
Marketing　107　
。　Door…to…door　selling：　Traditionally　used　by　vacuum　cleaner　distributors　
and　encyclopaedia　panies；　this　is　now　used　by　insurance　panies；　
cavity…wall　insulation　firms；　double…glazing　firms　and　others。　
Many　use　hard…sell　techniques；　giving　door…to…door　selling　a　bad　name。　
However；　panies　such　as　Avon　Cosmetics　have　managed　to　sell　
successfully　door…to…door　without　a。。racting　the　stigma　of　unethical　
selling　practices。　
。　Party…plan　selling：　This　is　a　variation　on　door…to…door　selling　that　is　on　
the　increase；　with　new　party…plan　ideas　arriving　from　the　United　States。　
Agents　enrolled　by　the　pany　invite　their　friends　to　a　get…together　
where　the　products　are　demonstrated　and　orders　are　invited。　The　agent　
gets　a　mission。　Party　plan　has　worked　very　well　for　Avon　and　other　
firms　that　sell　this　way。　
Selecting　distribution　channels　
These　are　the　factors　you　should　consider　when　choosing　channels　of　distribution　
for　your　particular　business：　
1。　Does　it　meet　your　customers’　needs？　You　have　to　find　out　how　your　
customers　expect　their　product　or　service　to　be　delivered　to　them　and　
why　they　need　that　particular　route。　
2。　Will　the　product　itself　survive？　Fresh　vegetables；　for　example；　need　
to　be　moved　quickly　from　where　they　are　grown　to　where　they　are　
consumed。　
3。　Is　it　patible　with　your　image？　If　you　are　selling　a　luxury　product；　
then　door…to…door　selling　may　spoil　the　impression　you　are　trying　to　
create　in　the　rest　of　your　marketing　effort。　
4。　How　do　your　petitors　distribute？　If　they　have　been　around　for　a　
while　and　are　obviously　successful；　it　is　well　worth　looking　at　how　your　
petitors　distribute　and　using　that　knowledge　to　your　advantage。　
5。　Will　the　channel　be　cost…effective？　A　small　manufacturer　may　not　find　it　
cost…　effective　to　sell　to　retailers　over　a　certain　distance　because　the　direct　
‘drop’　size　–　that　is；　the　load　per　order　–　is　too　small　to　be　worthwhile。　
6。　Will　the　mark…up　be　enough？　If　your　product　cannot　bear　at　least　a　
100％　mark…up；　then　it　is　unlikely　that　you　will　be　able　to　sell　it　through　
department　stores。　Your　distribution　channel　has　to　be　able　to　make　a　
profit　from　selling　your　product　too。　
7。　Push–pull：　Moving　a　product　through　a　distribution　channel　calls　for　
two　sorts　of　selling　activity。　‘Push’　is　the　name　given　to　selling　your　
product　in；　for　example；　a　shop。　‘Pull’　is　the　effort　that　you　carry　out　on　
the　shop’s　behalf　to　help　it　to　sell　your　product　out　of　that　shop。　That　pull　
may　be　caused　by　your　national　advertising；　a　merchandising　activity　
or　the　uniqueness　of　your　product。　You　need　to　know　how　much　push　
and　pull　are　needed　for　the　channel　you　are　considering。　If　you　are　not　
108　The　Thirty…Day　MBA　
geared　up　to　help　retailers　to　sell　your　product；　and　they　need　that　help；　
then　this　could　be　a　poor　channel。　
8。　Physical　distribution：　The　way　in　which　you　have　to　move　your　product　
to　your　end　customer　is　also　an　important　factor　to　weigh　up　when　
choosing　a　channel。　As　well　as　such　factors　as　the　cost　of　carriage；　you　
will　also　have　to　decide　about　packaging　materials；　warehousing　and　
storage。　As　a　rough　rule　of　thumb；　the　more　stages　in　the　distribution　
channel；　the　more　robust　and　expensive　your　packaging　will　have　to　
be。　
9。　Cash　flow。　Not　all　channels　of　distribution　se。。le　their　bills　promptly。　
Mail…order　customers；　for　example；　will　pay　in　advance；　but　retailers　can　
take　up　to　90　days　or　more。　You　need　to　take　account　of　this　se。。lement　
period　in　your　cash…flow　forecast。　
Logistics　
The　goal　of　a　marketing　logistics　system　is　to　manage　the　whole　process　of　
ge。。ing　products　to　customers　in　an　efficient　and　cost…effective　manner　to　
meet　marketing　goals；　and　to　get　faulty　or　unwanted　products　back。　This　
interfaces　with　a　host　of　related　areas　of　business；　including　physical　transportation；　
warehousing；　relationships　with　suppliers；　and　inventory　and　
stock　management。　Some　important　considerations　in　logistics　include：　
。　Just　in　time　（JIT）　aims　to　reduce　the　need　for　warehousing　through　
accurate　sales　forecasting。　All　parties　in　the　distribution　channel　carry　
minimum　stock　and　share　information　on　demand　levels。　
。　Vendor　managed　inventory　（VMI）　and　continuous　inventory　replenishment　
systems　（CIRS）　require　customers　to　share　real…time　data　on　
sales　demand　and　inventory　levels　with　suppliers。　
Both　supplier　and　customers；　while　benefiting　from　cooperation；　have　
mutually　conflicting　goals　in　that　they　want　to　shi。。　costs　onto　the　other　
party。　Their　capacity　for　doing　so　depends　on　their　relative　strengths。　For　
example；　giant　retailers　such　as　Tesco　and　Marks　&　Spencer　have　been　
very　successful　in　ge。。ing　their　suppliers　to　carry　a　major　part　of　the　cost　of　
stockholding。　
SELLING　
Marketing　is　the　thinking　process　behind　selling；　in　other　words；　finding　
the　right　people　to　buy　your　product　or　service　and　making　them　aware　
that　you　are　able　to　meet　their　needs　at　a　petitive　price。　But　just　because　
customers　know　you　are　in　the　market　is　not　in　itself　sufficient　to　make　
them　buy　from　you。　Even　if　you　have　a　superior　product　at　a　petitive　
price　they　can　escape　your　net。
Marketing　109　
Ge。。ing　customers　to　sign　on　the　do。。ed　line　almost　invariably　involves　
selling。　This　is　a　process　that　business　people　have　to　use　in　many　situations　
other　than　in　persuading　customers　to　buy。　MBAs　have　to　‘sell’　bank　
managers　the　idea　that　lending　their　business　money　is　worthwhile；　that　
shareholders　should　invest；　that　employees　by　working　for　them　are　making　
a　good　career　move　or　that　their　boss　should　back　one　of　their　proposals。　
Though　essential；　selling　on　its　own　is　an　inefficient　method　of　ge。。ing　
potential　customers　to　the　point　of　buying。　Understanding　the　‘ascending　
ladder　of　influence’；　as　marketers　call　it；　puts　t