wen/chancan
In the long river of human economic development, industries have experienced ups and downs, and enterprises have experienced success and failure. No enterprise in any industry can always stand at the center of the stage. Only Talents who continue to provide forward momentum for industries and enterprises are the constant protagonists on the stage. In view of the important role of people in the development of the ceramic industry and ceramic enterprises, China Ceramics Network is people-oriented and launches a new column from today"Ceramic Life", aims to truly unify individuals as individuals and people who are part of the industry and enterprises, light up dreams with work, warm the workplace with human kindness, and add a touch of warmth to the ceramic industry.
The first issue of "Ceramic Life" will tell the stories of business people in the ceramic industry.
The protagonist of the story is Brother Chan’s interviewee. He is a male businessman who has a lot of experience in the ceramics industry, but his experience is not simple. For the convenience of description and the requirement not to reveal his real name, let’s call him “Xiao Ming”, a name known to people across the country.
In fact, the ceramics industry was not the first industry he entered, and salesmanship was not the first position he held. After graduating from university, he had experience working in a branch of a large state-owned enterprise, which lasted no less than two years. Working in a large state-owned enterprise is not an easy job and the income is not stable, but working nine to five every day and seeing the future at a glance can easily make people lose their passion. He is very eager to go to the coast to work hard.
By various coincidences, he and his wife came to Foshan from the mainland, entered the ceramics industry, and started business in a ceramics company. He has been doing this for more than ten years. Although he has changed jobs several times, he still sticks to his sales position in a ceramic company.
一
The ceramic industry is still worth fighting for
Of course, the last of Xiao Ming’s several job changes was across industries, and the span was quite large.
As we all know, in the face of overcapacity, increased environmental protection, channel fission, and rising consumption,Under the combined effect of factors such as the epidemic and other factors, the situation of the ceramic industry has taken a turn for the worse since 2018, with production and sales declining severely. Bankruptcies and closures of manufacturers and dealers, as well as job-hopping and unemployment among employees, have occurred from time to time. After January 2020, the sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic This has made the industry even worse.
Xiao Ming told Brother Chan that it was at this time that he jumped from a sales position in the ceramic industry to a sales position in the IT industry. For such behavior, I have to say that it is courageous, but it also has to be said that the timing is wrong.
He switched jobs across industries mainly for two reasons. One is to have more time to take care of the family. Salespeople in the ceramic industry need to travel for long periods of time and find it difficult to take care of their families. As a middle-aged man, he already has two children, his wife is also engaged in a stable job, and his family has a house, a car and savings, which can be called a small amount of prosperity. The focus of his life is gradually transitioning from career to family. The second is to prevent unemployment and hope that making money will be a little easier. The current situation of the ceramic industry is worrying. It is getting harder and harder to make money, but the work effort is getting bigger and bigger. Stories about people changing jobs and losing their jobs are happening around him every day. Many people can't find a job for nearly a year after resigning.
However, "Every line is like a mountain, and it takes three years to change a line." If you don't cross a line, you don't know, but if you cross a line, you will be shocked.
After several months of hard adaptation and hard work, he has yet to make a single sale, and it is hard to see much hope for the future, and he is under great pressure. Only then did he understand that some jobs in other industries may seem glamorous, but in fact they are not as affordable and stable as those in the ceramics industry. Although the ceramic industry is currently in a "cold winter", the remuneration of many positions is really good compared with the remuneration of corresponding positions in some industries. Needless to say, the remuneration was really good when the situation was good in the past.
The comparison of personal income in the past and present is the same, and the comparison of corporate profits in the past and present is also similar. He believes that in an era when there was no excess production capacity in the ceramic industry, that is, supply was still less than demand - 2014 was a watershed, and many manufacturers and dealers could easily earn 30 to 40%, more than 50% or even more pure profits . As production capacity gradually becomes overcapacity and product prices become more and more transparent, the profit margins of manufacturers and dealers continue to be compressed. Private sales manufacturers only have about 5% or even 2% of their net profits. Most non-private sales manufacturers may also earn less. It’s only about 10%, but some can reach about 20% or even higher, and dealers’ profits may be even more variable.
"In such a difficult situation, it is really commendable that individuals can have such income, and manufacturers and dealers can have such profits. Moreover, this state may continue to exist, and ceramic people will never be able to return to it. To the era where 'a brick press is a money printing machine'. Whether it is general practitioners or factory owners and dealer owners, they must face reality and cultivate and maintain a good mentality. Compared with many industries, the ceramic industry with new trends such as rock slabs is still worth fighting for. " he said frankly.
二
Only by following big brands can we have a future
Struggle requires strategy. In Xiao Ming's view, in the development of the ceramic industry, only by following big brands can we have a future.
"Don't think that I only said this after I returned from the IT industry this year and switched jobs to a big brand. I have always thought so." He smiled and said to Brother Chan, "Since I joined a leading brand, I have been doing Business has become a lot easier. In the past, doing business mainly relied on individuals, who were stretched thin and had to work hard. Although they could often get it done, they were exhausted mentally and physically. Things are different now. Doing business for leading brands mainly relies on brand strength rather than personal ability. There are companies. With the support of institutions, processes and systems, and the endorsement of brand strength, I feel that as long as the business ability is not completely unreliable, anyone can succeed. In a word: when doing business in small and medium-sized brands, you must recognize the character and ability of the salesperson. There are not a few customers who value the strength of the brand; the majority of customers who do business with big brands value the strength of the brand more than the character and ability of the salesperson.”
Why is there a way out if you follow a big brand?
He further analyzed that big brands are generally backed by large enterprises and have strong comprehensive strength, which is mainly reflected in two aspects.
Firstly, most big brands have been established for a long time, and large enterprises have invested heavily, and have obvious advantages in terms of brand awareness, reputation and influence; secondly, big brands rely on the advantages of large enterprises such as scale and intensification. It has strong competitiveness in product research and development, production and sales services. Salespeople from big brands don’t need to explain much when negotiating business, as customers already know what they are doing. It takes a lot of words for small brand salesmen to talk about business, including explaining why the manufacturer does not advertise on CCTV, explaining why the manufacturer does not invite celebrities to endorse, and ensuring that the product color and quality will not lag behind other brands. Guaranteed supply and terminal assistance must be timely and effective, but often "press the gourd and the gourd floats", making it difficult to truly impress customers.
Small brands have the advantages of quick response to the market and flexible decision-making, but big brands may not be in a position to turn around. Many years of sinkingDian's channel resources and brand value, rigorous decision-making process, and powerful operation and management system allow big brands to move up and down, and it is easy to carry out dimensionality reduction attacks on small brands.
The feedback from another ceramic enterprise salesperson who just returned from a business trip to the terminal market just confirms the above point of view. This friend said, "After the COVID-19 epidemic, second- and third-tier brands continue to decline, while first-tier brands continue to expand, and consumers care more about brands."
Xiao Ming concluded: "In the face of the 'cold winter' in the ceramic industry, whether you are a dealer or a practitioner, it should be a very wise approach to choose a big brand that has the ability to withstand risks. 'It's easy to enjoy the shade under the big tree' is this principle However, small brands do not have no future. Market segments and special services are the direction of their efforts. In these areas, they are strong competitors to large brands. ”
三
People are afraid of entering the wrong industry, so you need to be cautious when choosing a career and changing jobs
Going back to the topic of career choice mentioned earlier, Xiao Ming continued to tell Brother Chan his views: As the saying goes, "People are afraid of entering the wrong industry." You must be cautious when entering and changing careers.
For those who have been immersed in the ceramic industry for a long time, before changing jobs, especially across industries, you must first consider your hard and soft power, and secondly, consider Your age and other factors.
Let’s talk about hard power first. It means how much money you have saved, how much wealth you have, and whether you have the ability to cope with situations such as a job change that fails, i.e. your income is in arrears, your income is greatly reduced, you have nothing to gain, or you lose your job, etc.? How long can it last? How to judge whether there is hard power? It is an ideal hard power to be able to support the family's normal expenses during two years of not working.
Let’s talk about soft power. That is, how capable you are, can you meet the requirements of the new company and new position, and give yourself greater room for promotion and development prospects? When faced with a career crisis, can you adapt to the situation and turn the danger into a safe haven? How to judge whether you have soft power? It mainly depends on whether the job change is because the ability is too strong and the space is too narrow, or because the ability is not enough and the job cannot be continued.
Then let’s talk about age and other factors. When people reach a certain age, they often lack physical strength, energy, and passion, and their development in all aspects is restricted. This is why government departments and state-owned enterprises set age thresholds when selecting cadres.considerations in this regard.
There are risks in job-hopping. If you want to change jobs just because you are tired of working in the original company for a long time or it is not satisfactory, there is no need to do so.
For those who have just entered the ceramic industry, the first to three years after entering the industry are crucial. People with certain connections have the opportunity to directly enter large companies and brands. Working in a large company and brand requires a high starting point. In theory, you can avoid many detours, but this does not mean that you do not need to work hard. On the contrary, you must seize opportunities, become familiar with the operation methods of large companies and brands, and constantly enrich and improve yourself. Those who have no connections may only start from small and medium-sized enterprises, small brands or even private sales factories. When working in a large company or brand, you must quickly improve your abilities and accumulate experience to lay a solid foundation for your next move to a large company or brand.
If you enter the ceramics industry hastily and find that the position you are engaged in is not what you like at all, and you have no good impression of this industry, it is better to leave in time than to hang around.
四
The most unforgettable thing was throwing the table at the dealer in anger
When asked about the most unforgettable thing in his ceramic career, Xiao Ming initially thought there was nothing worth saying. After being reminded by Brother Chan, he said let’s talk about something that sounds like a Hong Kong gangster movie.
However, he first told something about someone else. "I used to have a colleague who was responsible for a certain sales area in the north. A customer with a gang background in the area was not very cooperative with the work. My colleague wanted to replace this customer, so he first started by looking for dealers of other brands to take over. As a result Somehow this client found out and sent a message to my colleague, ordering him to leave the area that day, otherwise his life safety would not be guaranteed."
"Is it that exaggerated? Are you trying to scare people?"
"What didn't happen, who knows if it will happen? Then let me tell you about my own personal experience. That year, I was responsible for the sales work of our brand in a northern province, and I also encountered A very uncooperative client."
The first time he went on a business trip to this customer, the customer actually didn't show up on purpose and let several clerks in the store deal with him casually. He had no choice but to use a provocative move and said to the clerks, "Do you believe what I say? If you have a boss like this who has no structure at all and does not pay attention to the brand and manufacturer representatives, the store will close down sooner or later. You should find a job as soon as possible." Go! ”
His words immediately had an effect. In the evening, the boss invitedI went to eat at food stalls, and the clerks kept me company. But the conversation didn't go well, and within a few words a deadlock broke out. The boss forced him to drink three glasses of liquor in one go. He is not good at drinking, and the most he can drink is two bottles of beer. But the boss still refused to give up, saying that if he didn't drink three glasses of liquor, he didn't believe he could return to the hotel safely.
"I got angry at that time, and the fire hit the roof beam door, but my mind was still very clear. I saw a taxi over there dropping off passengers, and I thought about it. I suddenly stood up and shouted "I'll drink my ass", and then suddenly lifted the table, leaving them stunned, then quickly ran to the taxi and left in the car... Later I changed this customer, and he threatened to spend money to buy one of my products. An arm and a leg."
“What I said is true, but it doesn’t count. The experiences of many ceramic salesmen are much more exciting than mine. As a salesperson, in addition to professionalism and professional knowledge and skills, sometimes emotional intelligence and adaptability are more important. For important.”
Before the interview ended, Brother Chan asked Xiao Ming if there was anything else he needed to add.
He said that he hopes that the development of the industry will become more standardized and healthy. Employees mainly rely on professional quality, professional knowledge and skills rather than relying on flattery and connections to make progress. Salesmen who work hard on business trips have been fired from the company and everyone knows it. Only things that you keep in the dark will no longer happen.
"Logistics staff should not only see the happy scenes of salesmen receiving commissions or bonuses. Have you ever seen them tired at the end of the month when they rush to three or four in the morning to achieve results?"
Author: Zen Can
