If you were assigned to a territory where sales have been consistently below target for six months, how would you diagnose the issue and create a plan to turn it around?

Situation

In my first sales role, I inherited a route where three major sari-sari stores had stopped ordering our beverage line after a previous promo failed to deliver promised margins.

Task

I needed to regain those stores' trust, identify why sales dipped, and restore monthly orders to at least 80% of the territory's original volume within two months.

Action

I started by revisiting each store and observing foot traffic and competitor activity. I sat down with the store owners to understand their frustrations, which revealed that our higher price point was a barrier for their customers. I then proposed a bundling strategy where we combined a slow-moving item with a fast mover at a slight discount, effectively lowering the perceived price. I also coordinated with our marketing team to provide free sampling stickers for the store to attract attention.

Result

Within six weeks, two of the three stores resumed orders, and the third started a trial order after seeing the neighboring store's increased traffic. Territory sales recovered to 90% of the original target.