(I) Market Research
The first step in formulating a sales plan is to research the sales environment. The research on the sales environment includes both internal and external environmental research. The internal environmental research can focus on the product’s sales data, procurement data, logistics data, promotion data, after-sales data, etc.; the focus of the external environmental research is to identify and evaluate external development trends and events that are beyond the control of the enterprise. Through external environmental analysis, the enterprise can clearly understand the opportunities and threats it faces, thereby deciding what products the enterprise chooses to make. In the process of market research, enterprises can use the PEST analysis method for analysis. The specific contents include:
1. Market conditions
The market conditions mainly refer to the market size and growth status, sales conditions of various market segments, and changing trends in consumer demand and purchasing behavior.
2. Distribution conditions
The distribution conditions mainly refer to the types of distribution channels selected by the enterprise and the sales volume of products in various distribution channels, including the distribution ratio of products in various channels such as physical stores and online sales.
3. Macro-environmental conditions
The macro-environment includes the demographic environment, economic environment, technological environment, political and legal environment, and social and cultural environment. The development prospects of a certain product can be judged from the environmental conditions.
(II) Product analysis
First, it is necessary to determine the sales target. Sales targets include both qualitative targets, such as service quality, brand image, and market position; and quantitative targets, such as market share, operating income, and return on investment. Secondly, for cross-border e-commerce companies, if they want to create good products, they must accurately identify their competitors and analyze the listings identified as competing products one by one, including pictures, titles, keywords, product descriptions, prices, and reviews. When conducting product analysis, you can use the SWOT analysis method for analysis. The specific contents include:
1. Product status
List the sales price, market share, cost, profit margin and other data of each variety in the company’s product portfolio in recent years, and calculate the cost and profit space based on the product life cycle curve.
2. Competition
Identify the main competitors of the enterprise, and list the size, goals, market share, product quality, price, marketing strategy and other relevant contents of the competitors to understand the intentions and behaviors of competitors and judge the changing trends of competitors’ products.
3. Market demand
Check the number of related products on sale, the number of reviews of the listing and the search volume of product keywords to determine whether it is necessary to enter the market segment.
4. Supplier services
Cross-border e-commerce supply chain refers to providing services around product procurement, transportation, sales, consumption and other links, forming a network chain service structure that connects upstream brands and downstream consumers and carries the functions of “information flow, goods flow, and capital flow”.
(III) Sales plan formulation
Enterprises should combine production conditions, market demand conditions, market competition conditions, historical sales conditions, and competitor conditions, and conduct multi-dimensional analysis to segment, evaluate, and screen potential target markets, clarify which business field or fields the enterprise should enter, and formulate clear plans for the best combination of different categories in each business field or the same field. Before formulating a marketing plan, there should be a clear sales target. Focusing on this target, the entire process from international marketing research information to the formulation and implementation of marketing plans at all levels should be accurately controlled. During the implementation process, it should be judged whether the expected standards are met, and the deviations of the sales plan should be adjusted and corrected flexibly to meet the requirements.
Generally speaking, the factors included in the sales plan are: determining sales targets (sales, market share, distribution coverage, profit margins, investment return rates, etc.), formulating sales strategies, evaluating and selecting sales strategies, comprehensively formulating sales plans, specifying plans, executing plans, checking success rates, and error correction controls.