Chapter 15 Chapter 14 Marketing Planning and Sales Planning

The sales plan is the basis of every plan of the enterprise.Formulating a challenging and practical sales plan is crucial to the realization of business goals.The sales plan should implement the marketing strategy of the enterprise, and the sales plan should be relatively stable. At the same time, it should have certain flexibility according to changes in the market environment. In today's rapidly changing market environment, only by systematically monitoring the changes in the marketing environment, according to the actual situation and development trends of the environment, the sales manager formulates and continuously adjusts marketing strategies, consciously uses market opportunities, prevents possible threats, and maximizes strengths and avoids weaknesses. To ensure an invincible position in the market competition.

Generally speaking, the marketing environment can be subdivided at the micro and macro levels. The micro-marketing environment is the near-level and short-distance market environment that enterprises face, and it has a direct impact on the marketing activities of enterprises.Specifically, the micro-environment of marketing can include various organizations and individuals closely related to the specific marketing business of the enterprise, such as the internal environment of the enterprise, customers, suppliers, marketing intermediaries, competitors, and the public, as shown in the figure below.

Among them, the chain of suppliers, enterprise internal environment, marketing intermediaries and customers constitutes the core marketing system of the enterprise.The success or failure of an enterprise's marketing activities is also directly affected by two other groups, namely competitors and the public. 1. The internal environment of the enterprise In order to carry out marketing activities, an enterprise must set up some form of marketing department, and the marketing department does not exist in isolation, it also faces a series of functional departments such as finance, procurement, manufacturing, research and development.Marketing and these departments work together to achieve corporate goals under the leadership of top management.In addition, there are many aspects of cooperation between the marketing department of the enterprise and these departments, and there are also conflicts in terms of fighting for resources.For example, in terms of product quality, the marketing department will put forward higher requirements for product quality from the perspective of customer needs; while the production department may lower the requirements for quality from the perspective of cost.Another example is that the marketing department and the financial department are often inconsistent in the approval of marketing and promotion expenses.Therefore, the business status of these departments, their cooperation with the marketing department and whether they develop in harmony have a great impact on the formulation and implementation of marketing decisions.When formulating and implementing marketing goals and plans, the marketing department should fully consider the internal environment of the enterprise and strive for the understanding and support of the top management and other functional departments.

2. Customer Customers are the object of enterprise service, but also the market for product sales and the source of enterprise profit.The marketing environment is of course extremely important for marketing activities.Enterprises should devote a lot of energy to study the real needs of customers, fully consider their requirements in all aspects of product marketing, and try to meet their needs as much as possible; situation.Corporate marketing activities are essentially launched around customer needs.For example, the reason why chain operation develops so rapidly is because it solves the consumer psychology that customers are not at ease about the reputation of the enterprise.

3. Suppliers A supplier is an enterprise, unit or individual that provides resources needed for production and operation to enterprises and competitors.The supplier has an important influence on the marketing activities of the enterprise. The quantity and quality of the raw materials it supplies will directly affect the quantity and quality of the enterprise's products, and the price of the supplied raw materials will directly affect the cost, profit and price of the product.Especially under the modern production mode, many finished products and semi-finished products of enterprises are jointly produced by many enterprises.

The relationship between enterprises and suppliers is not only a cooperative relationship, but also a competitive relationship.The competitive relationship is mainly manifested in the competition in terms of transaction conditions.If the suppliers benefit more, the enterprise will benefit less.In this competitive relationship, who is at an advantage and who is at a disadvantage is different for different companies and different suppliers.For example, when a certain product is in short supply, the supplier is in an advantageous position, and the trading conditions he obtains will be more favorable.Another example is that as the market reputation of chain enterprises continues to expand and their ability to control retail channels increases, the advantages of chain enterprises in the relationship between the two parties will also continue to increase. Higher products also require additional fees such as entry fees, which suppliers can only accept.

4. Marketing intermediary A marketing intermediary is a person or organization that assists a business in promoting and distributing its products to final buyers.Including middlemen (wholesalers, agents, retailers), logistics and distribution companies (transportation, warehousing), marketing service agencies (advertising, consulting, research) and financial intermediaries (banks, trusts, insurance, etc.).These organizations are indispensable intermediate links in marketing, and the marketing activities of most enterprises need their assistance to proceed smoothly.The more developed the commodity economy, the finer the social division of labor, and the greater the role of intermediaries.For example, with the increase of production scale, it becomes more and more important to reduce the distribution cost of products.As a result, the productive service industry that meets this demand has been developed.In the marketing process, enterprises must properly handle the cooperative relationship with these intermediaries.

5. Competitors There is only one enterprise in an industry, or a complete monopoly situation in which an enterprise can control an industry is not easy to see in reality.Therefore, competition with peers is inevitable.The company's competitors can be divided into four levels: (1) Product brand competitors.This refers to the competition among products with different product brands but the same functions and forms that meet the needs.Such as the competition among brands such as "Benz", "BMW" and "Buick" in cars.This is the most direct and obvious competitor of the enterprise.The internal functions and external forms of such competitors' products are basically the same, but the brands are different because they are produced by different manufacturers.Relevant companies compete in the market by cultivating brand preferences among consumers and users.

(2) Competitors in product form.This is a competitor at a deeper level than brand competition, that is, the basic functions of each competitor's product are the same, but the form, specification and performance or grade are different.For example, bicycles include ordinary light bikes and mountain bikes with better performance. Manufacturers start market competition by discovering and cultivating brand preferences among customers. (3) Parallel competitors.These are more latent competitors that produce different types of products but satisfy the same need.For example, cars, motorcycles or bicycles can all meet the needs of consumers for transportation, and consumers can only choose one of them.This belongs to a larger range of competition within the industry.

(4) Demand desire competitors.This is the competitor with the deepest potential. Different competitors belong to different industries and compete with each other for potential demand.Such as the competition between real estate companies and car manufacturers for customers.Customers' existing money cannot be used to buy houses if they are used to buy cars. Car manufacturers and real estate companies are actually competing for the various desires that buyers currently want to satisfy. Among the above four levels of competitors, product brand competitors are the most common and external, while those at other levels are relatively hidden and profound.Just like this, in many industries, the attention of enterprises is always focused on the factors of product brand competition, but how to seize the opportunity to expand the entire market, open up new market areas, or at least not let the market shrink, is often ignored regardless of.Therefore, far-sighted companies will not only be satisfied with competition at the brand level, it is more important to pay attention to market development trends, maintain and expand the advantages of basic needs.

6. The public The public refers to groups or individuals who have actual or potential interests and influence on the ability of the enterprise to achieve its marketing goals.The public's perception of the company and its relationship with the company have a great influence on the company's marketing activities.All businesses must take active steps to maintain good relations with key publics.Generally, there are roughly seven types of public around a business: (1) Financial sector: It has an important impact on the financing ability of enterprises.Mainly include banks, investment companies, securities brokers, and shareholders. (2) The media public: Refers to those institutions that publish and broadcast news, features and editorials, especially newspapers, magazines, radio stations and television stations.They mainly influence other public attitudes towards enterprises through public opinion.In particular, mainstream media reports have a great impact on enterprises, even to the point that "a good report can save a company, and a negative report can bankrupt a company".Enterprises should be cautious when dealing with the media. (3) Government agencies: Enterprise management authorities must carefully study and consider the development and changes of government policies and measures when formulating marketing plans. (4) Citizen Action Groups: A corporate marketing campaign may be challenged by consumer organizations, environmental protection organizations, minority groups, etc. (5) Local public: Every enterprise should keep in touch with local public groups, such as neighborhood residents and community organizations. (6) General public: Enterprises need to pay attention to the general public's attitude towards the enterprise's products and business activities.Although the general public does not take action against a business in an organized manner, the general public's impression of a business influences consumers' perceptions of the business and its products. (7) Internal public: The internal public of the enterprise includes front-line production staff, functional department staff, middle and high-level managers, board members, etc.Large corporations also issue newsletters and other communication methods to inform and motivate the public within the enterprise.When employees of an enterprise are satisfied with their enterprise, their attitude will also infect the public outside the enterprise. All these social publics have a direct or indirect influence on the marketing of the enterprise, and they control, supervise, influence and restrict the business activities of the enterprise from different angles and aspects.Therefore, as a marketer, we must attach great importance to and properly handle the relationship with the surrounding public, strive to shape and maintain a good reputation and public image of the company, and create a good micro market environment. The macro marketing environment mainly includes a series of large negative environmental factors that are difficult for enterprises to control, such as population, economy, nature, technology, politics, law, and social culture. 1. Population environment Population is the first factor that constitutes the macro market environment.Because the size of the population directly determines the potential capacity of the market, the larger the population, the larger the market size.Other indicators of the population, such as age structure, geographical distribution, marital status, birth rate, death rate, population density, population mobility and cultural education, will all affect the marketing activities of enterprises. (1) Population.Population is a basic factor that determines the market size and potential. Therefore, the market size can be roughly calculated according to the population.With a large population, our country is undoubtedly a huge market. (2) Population structure.The population structure mainly includes the age structure, gender structure, family structure and social structure of the population. □Age structure.Consumers of different ages have different needs for commodities.The needs of the elderly, middle-aged, young people and children are very different.At present, the population aging phenomenon in our country is very prominent. In this way, markets such as health care products, nutritional products, and daily necessities for the elderly will flourish. □Gender structure.Reflected in the market, there will be a men's products market and a women's products market.There are great differences between men and women in terms of consumption psychology and behavior, categories of goods purchased, and purchase decisions.For example, in our market, women usually buy their own supplies, groceries, clothes, and men buy big-ticket items, etc. □Family structure.The family is the basic unit of purchase and consumption.The number of households directly affects the quantity of commodities with the family as the basic consumption unit, such as housing, household appliances, cars, etc. □Social structure.The vast majority of my country's population is in the countryside, and the rural population accounts for about 80% of the total population.The objective factors of this social structure determine that in the domestic market, farmers should be the main marketing targets of enterprises, and the focus of market development should also be placed on rural areas.Especially some small and medium-sized enterprises should pay more attention to the development of cheap and high-quality commodities to meet the needs of farmers. 2. Economic environment The economic environment refers to the purchasing power factors that affect the marketing activities of enterprises, including the income level of consumers and consumption expenditure patterns. (1) Consumer income level. "You can spend money only if you have money", and the income level of consumers has a great influence on the marketing activities of enterprises.Consumers with different income levels consume different items, the quality of consumption is different, and their ability to bear prices is also different.For example, expensive branded clothing is targeted at high-income consumers. When researching consumption income, keep the following points in mind: □Personal disposable income.This is the balance obtained after deducting taxes, etc. from personal income. It is the part of personal income that can be used for consumption expenditure or savings, and it constitutes the actual purchasing power. □ Personal discretionary income.This is the remaining part after subtracting the indispensable expenses for maintaining personal and family survival (such as rent, water and electricity, food, fuel, clothing, etc.) from personal disposable income.This part of income is the most active factor in the change of consumer demand, and it is also the main object that enterprises should consider when carrying out marketing activities.Because this part of income is mainly used to meet people's basic living needs, generally used to purchase high-end durable consumer goods, travel, savings, etc., it is the main factor affecting the sales of non-necessities of life and labor services. □Family income.The level of household income will affect the market demand for many products.Generally speaking, the higher the household income, the greater the demand for consumer goods, and the higher the purchasing power; conversely, the lower the demand, the lower the purchasing power. It should be noted that when analyzing consumer income, corporate marketers must also distinguish between monetary income and actual income.Only real income affects real purchasing power. (2) Consumer spending patterns.Consumer spending pattern refers to the proportional relationship of various consumer spending by consumers, which is often referred to as the spending structure.With a certain income, consumers will sort their consumption items according to the degree of urgency of consumption, and generally satisfy the priority consumption first, that is, the main consumption.For example, food and clothing and medical treatment must be the first consumption, followed by housing, transportation and education; thirdly, comfort and improvement consumption, such as health care and entertainment. When household income increases, the proportion of expenditure on food decreases, while the proportion of expenditure on clothing, transportation, health care, entertainment, and education increases.This research conclusion is called Engel's law.The specific application of Engel's law is mainly through the calculation of Engel's coefficient, the calculation formula of Engel's coefficient: Engel coefficient = food expenditure ÷ total expenditure × 100% The larger the proportion of food expenditure in total consumption, the higher the Engel's coefficient, and the lower the living standard; conversely, the smaller the proportion of food expenditure, the smaller the Engel's coefficient, and the higher the living standard.Engel's coefficient reflects the general trend of expenditure changes when people's income increases, and has become an important parameter to measure the living standards of a country, region, city, or family. When analyzing consumer spending patterns, we must also consider the relatively strong saving consciousness of Chinese consumers.The more money you save, the less money you have to spend.In recent years, both the amount of household savings and the growth rate of savings in my country have been relatively large, which has prevented the total scale of domestic consumption from growing significantly and affected the sales of many commodities. 3. Natural environment The natural environment is the most basic activity space and source of material for human beings. It can be said that the history of human development is the history of the relationship between man and nature. Changes in the natural environment are closely related to human activities. (1) The natural environment is currently in crisis.The main contents are as follows: □ Natural resources are gradually depleted.Traditionally, people divide the natural resources on the earth into three categories: inexhaustible resources, such as air, water, etc.; limited but renewable resources, such as forests, food, etc.; limited and non-renewable resources Resources, such as oil, coal and various minerals.Due to the unlimited demand and utilization of natural resources by modern industrial civilization, minerals, forests, energy, and arable land are increasingly depleted, and even water and air, which were previously thought to be inexhaustible, are in short supply in some areas.At present, the shortage of natural resources has become a restrictive force or even a reactionary force for the further development of the economies of various countries. □The natural environment is seriously polluted.Up to now, the world economy is a material economy, an economy that squanders natural resources such as raw materials, resources, and energy, and an economy that relies heavily on fossil fuels as the driving force for development.The extensive and high-speed growth of this economic model not only greatly consumes the earth's resources, but also causes unprecedented pollution to human existence.Soil desertification, greenhouse effect, extinction of species, destruction of the ozone layer, etc., the deterioration of the environment is causing human beings to pay a heavy price. (2) The impact of changes in the natural environment on marketing.Judging from the current situation, these impacts are mainly manifested in the following aspects: □Increased business operating costs.The impact of changes in the natural environment on the increase in operating costs of enterprises is mainly manifested in two aspects: On the one hand, the heavy dependence of economic development on natural resources is one of the main characteristics of the traditional economic development model.The depletion of natural resources and the increase in mining costs will inevitably lead to an increase in production costs.On the other hand, the crisis of human existence caused by environmental pollution has changed people's concept of the environment, and environmental protection has increasingly become the mainstream awareness of society.The production mode under the old extensive mode must be completely changed. Enterprises must not only take responsibility for pollution control, but also must carry out technological transformation on existing production technologies that may cause pollution and the raw materials used, which inevitably increases the burden on enterprises. Cost of production. □ Increased market opportunities in emerging industries.The market opportunities brought by environmental changes to enterprises are also mainly reflected in two aspects: on the one hand, in order to cope with environmental changes, enterprises must look for alternative energy sources and various raw materials, and alternative energy and material manufacturers face a large number of market opportunities.For example, the high and violent fluctuation of oil prices have stimulated a large amount of investment in the research of alternative energy sources. In the field of solar energy alone, hundreds of companies have launched a newer generation of products with practical value for home heating and other products. use.On the other hand, the increase of people's awareness of environmental protection and various legislations for pollution control have created a huge market for pollution control technologies and products, such as cleaners, backflow devices, etc., prompting companies to explore other methods that do not damage the environment to manufacture and Packaging products. 4. Technical environment Science and technology are the most active factors in social productivity. As part of the marketing environment, the technological environment not only directly affects the internal production and operation of the enterprise, but also depends on and interacts with other environmental factors, especially the economic environment, social and cultural environment. The closer relationship, especially the new technological revolution, not only creates opportunities but also brings threats to corporate marketing.For example, the application of a new technology can create a star product for the enterprise, which will generate huge economic benefits; it can also force a certain traditional advantageous product of the enterprise to withdraw from the market. The application of new technologies will also cause changes in corporate marketing strategies, business management methods, and consumer shopping behavior. (1) Changes in corporate marketing strategies caused by new technologies.New technologies have brought enormous pressure to enterprises, and at the same time have changed the internal factors and external environment of the production and operation of enterprises, which have caused changes in the marketing strategies of enterprises, mainly in the following categories: □Product strategy.Due to the rapid development of science and technology, the cycle of new technology application to new product development has been greatly shortened, and product replacement has been accelerated.Today, with the formation of the world market and increasingly fierce competition, the development of new products has become the fundamental condition for enterprises to explore new markets and survive and develop.Therefore, corporate marketing personnel are required to constantly search for new markets, predict new needs, and always pay attention to the application of new technologies in product development, so as to develop new products that can bring more convenience to consumers. □Distribution strategy.Due to the continuous application of new technologies and the constant changes in the technical environment, people's work and lifestyle have undergone major changes.The diversities of consumers' interests and ideas have expanded, and the concept of self-awareness has increased, which has caused continuous changes in distribution agencies and distribution methods, and a large number of specialty stores and self-service stores have continued to appear.For example, supermarkets in the 1930s, discount stores in the 1940s, fast food services, cafeterias, specialty stores, left-handed stores in the 1960s and 1970s.Especially in today's rapid development of information technology, online sales will become an important channel for enterprise product distribution in the future, and it will also cause changes in the flow of distribution entities. □Price strategy.The development and application of science and technology, on the one hand, reduces product costs and prices, and on the other hand, enables enterprises to use information technology to strengthen information feedback, correctly apply the law of value, the law of supply and demand, and the law of competition to formulate and modify price strategies. □Promotion strategy.The application of science and technology has led to the diversification of promotion methods, especially the diversification of advertising media and the complexity of advertising methods.For example, artificial satellites have become a means of information communication on a global scale.The efficiency of information communication, the effect of promotion mix, the reduction of promotion cost, and new advertising means and methods will become the main content of future promotion research. (2) Changes in business management caused by new technologies.Technological revolution is the driving force of management reform or management revolution. It puts forward new tasks and requirements for management, and provides a material basis for enterprises to improve management and management efficiency.At present, many enterprises use computers, fax machines and other equipment in their operation and management, which has played a great role in improving the operation and management of enterprises and improving the operating efficiency of enterprises.Now, all popular commodities are printed with bar codes on the commodity packaging, which makes the checkout operation rapidly improved, greatly improves the efficiency of retail store collection work, shortens the waiting time for customers to collect payment, and improves service quality. (3) The impact of new technologies on retail business and shopping habits.The emergence of vending machines has changed the form of sales. For the seller, this method does not require sales personnel, but only a small number of staff to replenish goods, recover cash, maintain and repair machinery; Subject to time constraints, goods can be purchased and services provided at any time.The emergence of online sales enables consumers to complete shopping without leaving home, which greatly facilitates consumers and also changes their shopping habits and lifestyles. 5. Political and legal environment Political law is an important macro-environmental factor that affects corporate marketing.Political factors are like an invisible hand that regulates the direction of corporate marketing activities, while the law stipulates the code of conduct for commercial and trade activities for companies.Politics and law are interrelated and jointly exert influence and effect on the marketing activities of enterprises. (1) Political environment.Political environment refers to the external political situation, national policies and their changes in the marketing activities of enterprises.In China, a stable and united political situation is not only conducive to economic development and the increase of people's income, but also affects people's psychological conditions, leading to changes in market demand.The guidelines and policies of the party and the government define the direction and speed of national economic development, and are directly related to the improvement of social purchasing power and the growth and changes of market consumption demand. The analysis of the international political environment should understand the influence of "political power" and "political conflict" on the marketing activities of enterprises.The impact of political power on corporate marketing activities is mainly manifested in the relevant countries' governments taking certain measures to restrict the entry of foreign companies and products, such as import restrictions, foreign exchange controls, labor restrictions, green barriers, and so on.Political conflicts refer to major international events and emergencies, and such conflicts have never disappeared even in an era where peace and development are the mainstream.This kind of conflict has a greater or lesser impact on the marketing work of the enterprise, or it means an opportunity or a huge threat. (2) Legal environment.The legal environment refers to various regulations, decrees, ordinances promulgated by the national or local government.The legal environment not only plays a regulating role in the marketing activities of enterprises but also in the formation and realization of market consumption demand.By studying and being familiar with the legal environment, enterprises can not only ensure that they operate strictly according to the law and use legal means to protect their own rights and interests, but also predict market demand and its trend through changes in legal provisions. Different countries have different social systems, different stages of economic development and national conditions, and different legal systems that reflect the will of the ruling class.Enterprises engaged in international marketing must conduct in-depth study and research on the legal systems of relevant countries and relevant international regulations, international practices and norms, and follow them in practice. 6. Social and cultural environment The social and cultural factors mentioned in marketing generally refer to various behavioral norms recognized by the society, such as values, religious beliefs, moral norms, and customs and habits passed down from generation to generation in a social form.Specifically, it includes the sum of values, lifestyles, customs, national characteristics, religious beliefs, ethics, education levels, literature and art, etc. of a country or region.The main culture occupies the main position and plays the role of uniting the whole country and nation. It is the historical precipitation of thousands of years, including values, life ethics, etc.; the secondary culture is the cultural branch formed under the domination of the main culture, including religion, Race, geographical habits, etc.The influence of culture on enterprise marketing is multi-level, all-round and permeable.Enterprise marketing personnel should analyze, research and understand the social and cultural environment in order to formulate different marketing strategies for different cultural environments. When studying the social and cultural environment, we should also pay attention to the impact of subcultural groups on consumer demand.Each social culture contains several subcultural groups.Therefore, when analyzing the social and cultural environment, enterprise marketing personnel can regard each subculture group as a market segment, produce and operate marketable products to meet customer needs. Through the research and analysis of the macro and micro environment of the enterprise, a comprehensive analysis of the marketing environment of the enterprise should be carried out in order to make an overall evaluation of the marketing environment and provide a reliable basis for the formulation of marketing strategies. A comprehensive analysis of the marketing environment is also known as opportunity and threat analysis and is usually divided into the following steps. 1. Environmental scan The so-called environmental scanning is to identify certain events from the market environment that have an impact on business operations and reflect changes in environmental factors.The market environment is dynamically changing, and different events occur every moment, but not all events will have an impact on the enterprise, and even the events that affect the enterprise will have an impact on the enterprise due to its own nature Or the urgency varies and needs to be identified through environmental scanning.Therefore, environmental scanning is the first step for enterprises to conduct environmental analysis. Through scientific and systematic investigation, research and predictive analysis, all events caused by changes in environmental factors that may affect the business operation of the enterprise are listed one by one, and then discussed, and the basis for all listed as relevant environmental events is reviewed one by one. Operations have varying degrees of impact on events. 2. Environmental analysis After scanning the environment and identifying various market factors that affect the enterprise in the environment, it is necessary to evaluate the degree and mode of influence of these factors. SWOT analysis is a good method, which is to comprehensively analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the company and its competitors. The common competitive advantages of enterprises include the following: (1) Cost advantage.Compared with other companies, the company's manufacturing costs or other operating costs are lower, and it has a cost advantage.With low cost, the company's products are competitive in pricing, which is one of the important competitive advantages pursued by general enterprises. (2) Quality advantage.Generally, products or services have different quality levels such as high, medium, and low. If the quality is good and recognized by consumers, then the quality of this product or service becomes an advantage.Because consumers may be willing to spend more money to buy this product, or at the same price, they are willing to spend more. (3) Brand advantage.This kind of advantage will not be born with it. If you want to have this kind of advantage, usually companies have put in a lot of effort, such as investment in advertising, the launch of various promotional activities, and participation in public welfare activities; A welcoming brand is a difficult thing, but once established it becomes the most precious advantage. (4) Efficiency advantage.Efficiency advantage is also called productivity advantage.The higher the production efficiency or operating efficiency, the lower its relative cost, which is naturally beneficial to competition.Usually, the streamlining and high-quality employees of enterprises have advantages in efficiency. (5) Scale advantage.Large scale refers to large market scale, large turnover and large market share.Enterprises with a large market share and economies of scale have a cost advantage. If the company's products are not the kind of products with economies of scale, it is still very beneficial to have a large market share.Usually the first brand or big brand in the market has a lot of convenience in sales, promotion, and distribution; just for advertising, the advertising cost amortized on each product is less, which in turn Another cost advantage is another form of economies of scale. (6) Technical advantages.Some companies compete in the market not by cost and quality, but by possessing technologies that others do not have. This technology may come from foreign authorization or from their own research and development.With unique technology, it usually means that this company can produce products that others cannot produce, and may also create a unique business. This company's technology may also produce products with the lowest cost or the highest quality, thus having a cost advantage and quality advantages. (7) Employee advantage.The quality of employees and the level of cohesion will also affect the efficiency of enterprise products or services.Employees with high self-consciousness can reduce the management cost of the company, and employees who are conscientious and responsible and able to cooperate collectively can reduce waste and improve efficiency. The common competitive disadvantages of enterprises are: (1) Insufficient funds. (2) Seasonal restrictions. (3) Too much dependence on a certain customer, a certain supplier or a certain employee. (4) Bottleneck within the enterprise. (5) System factors. (6) Talent shortage. Through SWOT analysis, we can evaluate the company's internal capabilities and qualities in combination with the environment, find out the relative advantages and disadvantages of the company compared to other competitors, and help companies formulate competitive strategies.As a sales manager, you must clearly know: what are the advantages of competitors, what are your own advantages, and how to strengthen them; what are the disadvantages of your competitors, what are your own disadvantages, and how to overcome them; What are the threats in the market and how to avoid them. Market segmentation is the process of classifying consumer markets based on certain characteristics or variables of customer needs.For example, according to gender, consumers can be divided into male consumer market and female consumer market; if according to income level, consumers can be divided into high-income consumer market, middle-income consumer market, and low-income consumer market Wait.This process is market segmentation, and the divided markets are market segments. Obviously, the consumer needs of different market segments are different.For example, in the clothing market, high-income consumers pursue high quality and taste of clothing, and can accept high prices; middle-income consumers pursue better quality and appropriate taste, and can accept moderate prices; What consumers pursue is low prices, and they do not have high requirements for quality and taste. After market segmentation, in the market of similar products, the needs of customers in a certain market segment have more commonality, while the needs of different market segments have more differences.Enterprises should clarify how many market segments there are and the main characteristics of each market segment. 1. Basis for consumer market segmentation The consumer market and producer market (organizational market) have different market segmentation standards due to their different factors affecting demand. From the perspective of the consumer market, the factors that affect the tendency of demand mainly include geographical, cultural, psychological, behavioral and other factors.Based on these factors to segment the market, four basic forms of market segmentation are formed: geographic segmentation, humanistic segmentation, psychological segmentation, and behavioral segmentation. (1) Geographic segmentation.Segmenting the market according to geographical variables such as the geographical location and natural environment of consumers is called geographical environment segmentation.Due to the differences in natural conditions, climate, cultural traditions and consumption levels in different regions, the needs, habits and preferences of consumers in different regions are quite different, and the marketing mix strategies they adopt for enterprises may have different differences. reaction.For example, as far as the food market is concerned, there is a saying in my country that "the south is sweet, the north is salty, the east is spicy, and the west is sour".Therefore, relevant factors that reflect the geographical characteristics of consumers can be used as important variables for market segmentation.Geographic segmentation variables typically include geographic region, city size, population density, climate, etc. (2) Humanities subdivision.人文因素是反映消费者个人基本特点的变量。它包括消费者的年龄、家庭规模、家庭生命周期、性别、收入、职业、受教育程度、宗教信仰、民族、种族、国籍、社会阶层等。人文细分就是根据人文因素来细分市场，是非常重要的消费者市场细分变量。人文变量是区分消费者群体最常用的基础，原因之一是消费者的需求、偏好和使用率经常与人文变量有密切的联系，并且人文变量比大部分其他类型的变量更容易衡量。下面选择几个主要的人文因素进行分析，其他因素可以此类推。 □年龄。包括服装、饮料、食品、玩具等许多产品都可按照年龄来细分市场。这些产品有一个共同特点，那就是他们的消费需求与消费者的年龄有密切关系。不同年龄的消费者有不同的需求特点，消费者的需要和消费能力随年龄而变化。企业在按照年龄对消费者进行市场细分时，不仅要重视消费者的生理年龄，还要注意他们的心理年龄。 □性别。由于生理上的差别，男性与女性在产品需求与偏好上有很大的不同。对于提供服装、化妆品以及杂志等性别差异较大的产品或服务的企业来说，性别是一个效果很显著的细分变量。男性和女性消费者对这些产品或服务的需求，有明显的差异。企业将消费者按照性别加以区分，可以更有效地满足消费者的需要，可以发现新的市场机会和建立特色。越来越多以前不太重视性别这一细分变量的企业开始重视这一变量。例如，一些香烟制造商也在将整个市场划分为男性市场和女性市场；一些汽车制造商也开始生产吸引女性的轿车。 □收入。消费者收入是直接影响其需求的重要因素。高收入消费者与低收入消费者在产品选择、使用时间的安排、社会交往等方面都会有所不同。例如，同是外出旅游，在交通工具以及食宿地点的选择上，高收入者与低收入者都会有很大的不同。收入细分主要运用于汽车、旅游、服装、化妆品等行业。 □职业与教育。即按消费者职业的不同、所受教育的不同以及由此引起的需求差异细分市场。消费者的职业不同，其需求和购买行为也会有较大的差别。例如，某一大学知名教授和某一公司中层经理，其收入水平大体相同，但他们的消费行为、开支方向可能有很大的差异。消费者受教育的程度则影响他们的价值观和审美观，也会使其消费行为和需求具有不同的特点。因此，一些企业用职业与教育变量来细分市场。 □社会阶层。消费者所处的社会阶层不同，其在某些产品或服务的需求上会有不同的偏好。例如，消费者在汽车、服装、家具、业余爱好等方面的需求就会受到所在社会阶层的很大影响。 (3)心理细分。根据消费者心理变量细分市场称为心理细分。消费者心理变量包括消费者的生活方式和个性等变量。这类变量经常影响、决定着消费者的需求，使人文因素相同的消费群体，往往展示出明显的需求差异。所以，它们可作为市场细分的依据。 □生活方式。生活方式是指个体在成长过程中，在与社会诸要素相互作用下，表现出来的活动兴趣和态度模式。消费者的消费行为与其生活方式有着非常密切的关系。来自不同文化、社会阶层、职业的人有不同的生活方式。生活方式影响着人们对各种产品的兴趣和态度，人们的消费行为体现出他们的生活方式。目前以生活方式来细分市场的企业已越来越多。 □个性。消费者的个性对其需求和购买动机有较大的影响。虽然人们的个性千差万别，多种多样，但也可以找出共性，将其归类。有的企业使用个性因素来细分市场，设计出产品的品牌个性，以吸引那些相应个性的消费者。 (4)行为细分。根据消费者不同的消费行为细分市场称为行为细分。行为细分的变量反映消费者购买行为特点的变量，它包括消费者购买时机与使用时机、利益、进入市场的程度、使用频率、对品牌的忠实程度、购买阶段、对产品的态度等。 □根据消费者进入市场的程度情况，可将某种产品的整体市场分为经常购买者、初次购买者、潜在购买者等不同细分市场。 □根据消费者使用频率，可将某种产品的整体市场细分为大量使用者、中量使用者、少量使用者等细分市场。 □根据消费者的忠实程度，可将某种产品的消费者分为坚定忠诚者、中度忠诚者、转移型忠诚者、经常转换者。其中，坚定忠诚者始终只购买一种品牌的产品；中度忠诚者则是同时忠于两三个品牌；转移型忠诚者是从偏爱一种品牌转换为偏爱另一种品牌的消费者；经常转换者是指不忠实于任何品牌的消费者。 对于每一种产品来说，都可能同时存在对产品不了解、对产品有所了解、对产品感兴趣、想要购买、打算购买的各种各样的消费者。这些消费者处在购买过程中的不同阶段。消费者对企业产品的态度有五种：热爱、肯定、无差别、否定和敌对。企业必须针对不同态度的消费者，分别制定不同的营销策略，以巩固持热爱和喜欢态度的消费者，争取持无所谓态度的消费者。 2.市场细分过程中应注意的问题 对于大多数企业来说，市场细分是十分必要和非常重要的。它是企业营销活动中具有重大战略意义的环节。企业在认真选择市场细分变量的同时，还必须在市场细分过程中注意下列问题： 第一，不同企业的生产技术条件、资源和产品是不同的，市场细分时所应采用的标准和方法也应该是不同的，有些企业甚至是不需要进行市场细分的。例如，美国的可口可乐公司，就没有对其软饮料市场进行细分，它将整个市场视为同质的市场。 企业在对市场进行细分时，应注意下列几个方面的问题： (1)可测量性，即用来划分细分市场的变量应该是可以衡量的。 (2)可盈利性，即细分市场应拥有足够数量的潜在购买者和有效的需求量。 (3)可进入性，即企业有能力进入所选定的细分市场，并能为之提供有效的服务。 (4)差异性，即细分市场能够被区别开来，并且对企业不同的市场营销组合和方案具有十分明显的不同反应；否则，各细分市场就不能成立，企业也就没有必要针对各个市场部分分别制定不同的市场营销组合方案。 第二，企业并非只依据一个变量对市场进行细分，有时可以依据多个变量对市场进行细分，市场细分的标准很多，而且各种标准相互影响、相互作用，市场细分往往需要根据产品整体市场的特点，综合各种标准来进行。企业仅依据影响需求倾向的某一个变量或因素对某一产品的整体市场进行细分的方法叫单一变量法；企业依据影响需求倾向的两个以上的变量或因素对某一产品的整体市场进行细分的方法叫多变量法。企业应该根据企业的具体情况决定选择一个变量，还是选择多个变量，要选择哪些变量。 第三，市场细分不是越细越好。市场细分过细，会增加产品的品种，减小生产批量，提高产品的复杂性，从而降低企业的规模效益，提高生产成本。当市场细分过细而给企业带来不利影响时，就应采取反细分化策略，减少细分变量，将过小的细分市场进行合并，从而扩大细分市场的规模。 第四，市场细分的标准是动态的，它是随着市场营销环境的变化而变化的。许多地理因素，如城市的大小、人口密度的高低等也会随着社会经济的发展而不断变更；人口的年龄结构、家庭规模、消费者的教育、收入等也会随着时间变化而不断变化；消费者的生活方式、性格、追求的利益、使用率、对产品的态度也可能会发生变化；生产资料用户的生产经营结构及其对生产资料的要求、用户规模、用户的地理分布等也会随着时间的推移而发生变化。要使细分有效，企业必须树立动态观念，适时对市场细分变量的变化进行研究，以便更好地选择目标市场，采用适当的营销策略，保证营销的成功。 市场细分的最终目的是为了选择和确定目标市场。企业的一切市场营销活动，都是围绕目标市场进行的。企业需要评价各种细分市场，根据企业的资源与能力来选择目标市场，并确定目标市场策略。 1.评估细分市场 目标市场是指在市场细分的基础上，企业要进入并开展营销活动的一个或一些细分市场。企业要确定细分市场，离不开对细分市场的评估。企业应从下两个方面分析和评估细分市场： (1)细分市场的吸引力。企业必须考虑潜在的细分市场的规模、成长潜力、盈利率、规模经济、风险等。大企业往往重视销售量大的细分市场，而小企业往往也避免进入大的细分市场，转而重视销售量小的细分市场。细分市场可能具有适度规模和成长潜力，然而如果这个细分市场的盈利率很低，则细分市场未必具有长期吸引力。 (2)企业的目标和资源。某些细分市场虽然有较大的吸引力，但不符合企业长远的目标，因此，企业不得不放弃。即使某一细分市场符合企业的战略目标，企业还要考虑是否具备在细分市场获胜所必需的资源和能力。如果企业在细分市场缺乏必要的资源，并且无获得必要资源的能力，企业就要放弃这个细分市场。企业的资源和能力与竞争对手相比应该有一定的优势。如果企业无法向细分市场的消费者提供某些更有价值的产品或服务，它就不应贸然进入该细分市场。 2.选择目标市场 在企业市场营销活动中，企业必须选择和确定目标市场。这是企业制定市场营销战略的首要内容和基本出发点。企业应该根据其能力和资源条件选择具有较强吸引力的细分市场。可供企业选择的目标市场范围策略主要有以下五种： (1)市场集中化策略。市场集中化策略是指企业只经营一种类型的产品，满足某一类顾客特定的需要。较小的企业通常采用这种策略。 (2)选择专业化策略。选择专业化策略是指企业决定有选择地同时进入若干个具有吸引力并且符合企业的目标和资源的细分市场作为目标市场，其中每个细分市场与其他细分市场之间的联系较小。企业要有针对性地向各个不同的顾客群提供不同类型的产品，以满足其特定的需要。这一般是生产经营能力较强的企业在几个细分市场均有较大吸引力时所采取的决策。其优点是可以有效地分散经营风险。 (3)产品专业化策略。产品专业化策略是指企业生产一种类型的系列产品，并将其销售给各个顾客群，满足其对一种类型产品的各不相同的需要。 (4)市场专业化策略。市场专业化策略是指企业决定生产多种不同类型的产品，只将其销售给某一个顾客群，满足其多种需要。 (5)全面进入策略。全面进入策略是指企业生产各种类型的产品，全面地满足市场上所有顾客群的不同需求。 显然，目标市场的选择对企业生产、经营、效益等活动都有重要影响。如果采用市场集中化策略，企业可能对市场需求的适应能力弱，经营风险大；如果采用全面进入战略，企业可能会增加生产经营的复杂性，难以提高企业的利润率。企业应该根据外部环境的变化、企业目标、资源、竞争对手的情况选择适当数量的细分市场。只有这样，才能保证目标市场营销战略的顺利实施。当企业实力较弱时，在运用上述策略时，一般先进入最有吸引力且最有条件进入的细分市场，只是在机会和条件成熟时才酌情有计划地进入其他细分市场，逐步发展壮大。 3.目标市场战略 企业在市场细分、选择目标市场之后还要确定目标市场营销战略。有无差异性营销战略、差异性营销战略、集中性营销战略三种不同的目标市场战略供企业选择。 (1)无差异性营销战略。无差异性营销战略也称大量营销，是指企业不考虑细分市场的差异性，把整体市场作为目标市场，只推出一种产品、只运用一种市场营销组合，为整个市场提供服务的营销战略。 □特点：企业不进行市场细分，把整个市场视作一个大的、同质的目标市场，营销活动只注意市场需求共性，而忽略其差异性。实施无差异市场营销战略的企业，可以推出一种类型的标准化产品，使用统一的包装与商标、相同的促销手段。试图以此吸引尽可能多的购买者，为整个市场服务。 一般来说，这种目标市场策略基于两种不同的指导思想：一种指导思想是市场上的消费者认为某些产品是同质的产品；另一种主导思想是从产品观念出发，忽视需求的差异，强调需求的共性。例如，在20世纪60年代前，美国可口可乐公司由于拥有世界性专利，曾经以单一的口味、单一的瓶装、统一的广告宣传，长期占领世界软饮料市场。 □优点：主要表现为成本的经济性。单一的产品，大批量的生产、储运和销售，必然降低单位产品的成本；无差异的广告宣传等促销活动可以减少促销费用；不进行市场细分也会相应地减少市场调研、产品开发、制定多种市场营销组合方案等方面的费用。 □缺点：首先，是不能满足消费者多样性需求。消费者需求客观上是千差万别并不断变化的。由于消费需求不断变化，许多过去的同质市场已经转变为异质市场或正在向异质市场转化，一种产品长期为所有消费者或用户接受的情况越来越少。其次，当众多企业都采用这一策略时，市场竞争会异常激烈，而一些小的细分市场上的需求却得不到满足，这对营销者和消费者都是不利的。再次，易于受到采用差异性营销战略的竞争对手的攻击。采用差异性营销战略的竞争对手想方设法为需求不同的顾客提供更适合他们的产品或服务。这使得采用无差异性营销战略的公司非常被动。所以，世界上一些曾经长期实行这一策略的企业最终也实行差异性营销战略了。 (2)差异性营销战略。差异性营销战略是在市场细分的基础上，选择两个或两个以上乃至全部细分市场作为目标市场，分别为之设计不同的市场营销组合，以满足各个细分市场的需要。这一策略认为消费者的需要是有差异的，不可能使用完全相同的、无差别的产品去满足各类消费者的需要。采用差异性营销战略的企业一般是大企业，较为雄厚的财力、较强的技术力量和素质较高的管理人员是实行差异市场营销战略的必要条件。由于采用差异性营销战略必然受到企业资源和条件的限制，小企业往往无力采用。 □优点：可以提高企业产品的适销率和竞争力，减少经营风险，提高市场占有率。因为多种产品能分别满足不同消费者群的需要，扩大产品销售。某一两种产品经营不善的风险可以由其他产品经营所弥补；如果企业在数个细分市场都能取得较好的经营效果，就能树立企业良好的市场形象，提高市场占有率。所以，目前有越来越多的企业采用差异性市场营销战略。 □缺点：由于运用这种策略的企业进入的细分市场较多，而且针对各个细分市场的需要实行了产品和市场营销组合的多样化策略，随着产品品种增加、销售渠道多样、以及市场调研和促销宣传活动的扩大与复杂，企业各方面经营成本支出必然会大幅度增加。 (3)集中性营销战略：集中性营销策略是指企业不是面向整体市场，也不是把力量分散使用于若干细分市场，而是以一个细分市场为目标市场，集中力量，实行专业化生产和经营的目标市场策略。采用这种策略通常是为了在一个较少的细分市场上取得较高的市场占有率，而不是追求在整体市场上占有较少的份额。 这种策略被人称为弥隙策略，即弥补市场空隙的策略，适合资源薄弱的小企业。用生态学的理论解释，必须找到一个其他生物不会占领、不会与之竞争，而自己却有适应本能的小生存环境。也就是说，如果小企业能够避开大企业竞争激烈的市场部分，选择一两个能够发挥自己技术、资源优势的小市场，往往容易获得成功。 集中性营销策略主要适用于资源有限的中小企业或是初次进入新市场的大企业。中小企业由于资源有限，无力在整体市场或多个细分市场上与大企业展开竞争，而在大企业未予注意或不愿顾及而自己又力所能及的某个细分市场上全力以赴，则往往容易取得成功。实行集中性营销策略是中小企业变劣势为优势的最佳选择。 □优点：目标市场集中，有助于企业更深入地注意、了解目标市场的消费者需求，使产品适销对路，有助于提高企业和产品在市场上的知名度。集中性营销策略还有利于企业集中资源，节约生产成本和各种费用，增加盈利，取得良好的经济效益。 □缺点：企业潜伏着较大的经营风险。由于目标市场集中，一旦市场出现意外变化，如顾客爱好转移(特别是时尚消费)、消费者需求的突然变化、价格猛跌或者出现强大的竞争对手等，企业就有可能因承受不了短时间的竞争压力，而立即陷入困境。所以，许多企业除非有特别的把握，否则宁可将目标市场分散些，学“狡兔”营造“三窟”，以防止倾覆的风险。 采用集中性营销策略的企业，要随时密切关注市场动向，充分考虑企业未来可能出现的意外情况以及各种对策和应急措施。 市场定位是目标市场营销战略重要的组成部分。它关系到企业及其产品在激烈的市场竞争中，占领消费者心理，树立企业及产品形象，实现企业市场营销战略目标等一系列至关重要的问题。 1.市场定位的概念 市场定位是指企业根据竞争者的产品在细分市场所处的地位和顾客对产品某些属性的重视程度，塑造出本企业产品与众不同的鲜明的特色或个性，并传递给目标顾客，使该产品在目标顾客心中占有一个独特的位置。市场定位是塑造一种产品在细分市场中的形象，这种形象塑造得是否成功取决于消费者的认可与接受程度。产品的特色和个性，有的可以从产品属性上表现出来，如形状、成分、构造、性能等；有的可以从消费心理上反映出来，如豪华、朴素、时髦、典型等。 从理论上讲，凡是构成产品特色和个性的因素，都可以作为定位的因素。但是，企业在实际进行市场定位时，一般是依据目标市场对该产品各种属性的重视程度，综合考虑竞争企业及其产品状况、自身的条件等一系列问题，选择定位的因素，从而完成产品的市场定位。 2.市场定位的方式 在企业的目标市场中，通常竞争对手的产品已经在顾客心目中树立起了一定的形象，占有一定的位置。企业要想在目标市场上成功地树立自己产品的独特形象，就需要针对这些企业的产品，进行适当的定位。产品市场定位的基本方式主要有以下几种： (1)从时间过程来看，定位方式可以分为最初定位和重新定位。最初定位是指企业向市场推出一种新产品之前对其进行的第一次定位。重新定位也称为