How a field sales funnel differs from an online funnel
Online, a funnel starts with an ad impression and ends with a purchase. In field sales, the deal happens in a neighbourhood shop, a bazaar stall, a pharmacy or a café, and the person who says yes is the owner or the buyer. One delivery proves very little. The real result is an outlet that reorders regularly, keeps your product visible and slowly takes more of your range.
That is why the funnel has two halves: winning a new outlet, and growing sales in an outlet that already buys from you. Many companies in Tashkent and the regions pour effort into the first half and leave the second to chance, while existing outlets quietly drift to competitors.
The stages, from territory map to wider range
Track each stage separately. Otherwise you cannot tell where outlets are actually being lost.
- Territory map: every suitable outlet by format, size, location and audience.
- First visit: meeting the person who decides on purchasing.
- Pitch: range, terms and the benefit for this specific outlet.
- First delivery, even a small one.
- Shelf check: the product is visible and priced.
- Repeat orders on a predictable schedule.
- Expansion: from one item to a line, a better shelf position, joint promotions.
Building the outlet database and running the first visit
Without a database, a rep just revisits familiar addresses. For each outlet, record who makes purchasing decisions, which suppliers it already uses and which days and hours suit a visit. This is not paperwork. It stops the second visit from starting with the question of who to talk to.
Keep the first visit short. Owners see many reps and have little free shelf space. Say who you are, what you offer and why it pays off for this outlet. If the decision maker is away, agree a time to return. A visit with no next step is one of the most common leaks in the funnel.
What the outlet owner actually cares about
A shop owner does not care how polished a brand's advertising is. They want to know whether the product will sell and how much they earn per unit. A rep who answers those questions wins shelf space more easily than one who recites a brochure.
Prepare your arguments, but never invent numbers: what you know about demand in similar outlets, how delivery works and whether it can be trusted, payment terms, what happens to unsold or expired stock, and what help you offer with display and point-of-sale materials.
After delivery: shelf checks and regular orders
The most frustrating scenario is a delivery that ends up in a back corner. It does not sell, so there is no second order. On the next visit, check where the product stands, whether it has a price tag, what sits next to it, and what stock and expiry dates look like. Photograph the shelf where you can.
Regularity comes from a schedule. When a shop knows the visit day, it checks stock and prepares an order in advance. The rep's job is to prevent an empty shelf, because a shopper who cannot find your product will buy a competitor's. Routes should not be identical for everyone: larger outlets get more frequent visits, smaller ones fewer, and every visit needs a goal, whether that is taking an order, introducing a new item, settling a return or asking for extra shelf space.
Metrics and where outlets get lost
A short set of indicators is enough to show where the funnel is weak:
- active outlets in the territory;
- share of outlets that ordered in the period;
- average order per outlet;
- number of your products stocked per outlet;
- visit plan completion;
- share of outlets with a correct display.
Record keeping, and where markdev can help
The common mistakes are familiar: visits without a purpose, delivery promises the company cannot keep, attention only on new outlets, ignored shelves and no records. If outlet data lives only in a rep's head, you lose the relationship when the rep leaves. Contacts, order history, agreements and shelf photos belong in a CRM, a mobile app or at least a shared sheet plus a Telegram bot.
markdev helps business owners in Uzbekistan build this kind of system as part of a marketing strategy: describing the funnel stages, choosing metrics and connecting the reps' work with your other sales channels. If you want to go through your territory and range together, get in touch and we will discuss the task.
FAQ
How is a field sales funnel different from an online sales funnel?
The customer is the outlet owner or buyer, and the goal is regular orders and good shelf presence rather than a one-off purchase. The funnel therefore continues after the first delivery.
Which metrics matter most?
Start with active outlets, the share of outlets that ordered in the period, average order and products per outlet. They show whether you lose ground on new outlets, repeat orders or range width.
Why does an outlet stop ordering after the first delivery?
Typical reasons are poor display so the product does not sell, a late delivery, a rep who stopped visiting, or an unresolved return.
Does a small team of reps need a CRM?
Not from day one, but outlet, order and agreement data should be stored by the company. A simple shared sheet is enough while the team is small.
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