46 articles on sales transformation, crisis economies, and strategic field-work across Southeast Asia.
In the remote villages of northern Shan State, farmers release their cattle into the wild for up to 6 months every year. They return because of one dependency salt. In leadership, your core values act as your salt anchor.
Read Field Note →The ROI of Cetana: How Memory Outlasts the Sales Pipeline...
Read Field Note →The case study focuses on coaching a sales team for an organic fertilizer company in Myanmar....
Read Field Note →When conflict turned a booming factory to ash, conventional credit policies collapsed. Discover why a profound, unspoken trust between farmers and local shops became the only currency that still worked.
Read Field Note →The regional manager in Upper Myanmar was observed spending significant time sourcing seeds and providing advice to customers, beyond typical sales responsibilities....
Read Field Note →A sales rep in Myanmar charged customers extra for installation, violating company policy....
Read Field Note →How do you convince a market that 'never pays cash' to prepay? Learn how redesigning commissions and making performance public completely eliminated 98% of our consignment sales.
Read Field Note →Over 70% of a client's last-mile sales reps in Myanmar worked through the 2024 Water Festival and all public holidays....
Read Field Note →We hired a 40-year-old former teacher with zero sales experience, blunt manners, and betel-stained teeth. Within a week, she shattered our targets by perfectly matching the authentic culture of the farmers.
Read Field Note →Resilience in conflict zones isn't just about survival; it's about maintaining human dignity....
Read Field Note →The modern revenue engine is redlining. It is not a lack of effort: it is a failure of architecture and a lack of field-tested grit.
Read Field Note →Built systems to ensure organizational resilience in Myanmar, even with leadership changes....
Read Field Note →The author adapted a triangle framework of Mindset, Skillset, and Action for coaching rural sales teams....
Read Field Note →A 10% price reduction by an FMCG brand in Myanmar resulted in a 70% loss of market share....
Read Field Note →Informal experts, not formal leaders, are key to successful last mile distribution. Ko Pway, a betel grower in Myanmar, exemplifies the influence of these experts. Social enterprises often mistakenly prioritize formal leaders over these trusted figures.
Read Field Note →You don't need to be a crop expert to sell to farmers. See how admitting zero knowledge, but mastering the art of listening, unlocked a massive sale in one of Myanmar's toughest agricultural regions.
Read Field Note →Account-based selling is effective for shipping and delivery services in the booming E-Commerce and M-Commerce sectors. The Challenger Sales methodology is suited for the proliferation of AI startups. Customer-centric and relationship selling are ideal methodologies for building strong connections in healthcare.
Read Field Note →The most in-demand business in a conflict zone in northern Myanmar is hair and makeup. People in conflict economies buy products that keep their dignity alive, not just those that ensure survival. The key to building impact businesses in last-mile economies is understanding what helps people feel alive.
Read Field Note →The core sales process involves understanding the customer, matching offers to needs, and closing the deal. Scripting provides a foundational structure, especially crucial for training AI sales agents. Even experienced salespeople follow patterns, whether they consciously recognize them as scripts or not.
Read Field Note →The author rode motorbikes with sales reps in Myanmar to better understand their experiences in last mile distribution. A sales rep with over 10 years of experience expressed gratitude, noting that no previous leaders had ever engaged in such activities. The author emphasizes the importance of humility and shared experiences in building trust and fostering open communication within a sales team.
Read Field Note →Café Salween in Myanmar achieved virality by serving "King's Gooseberry & Pork Curry," a royal delicacy. Tesla's Cybertruck defied automotive tradition with its unconventional design, sparking widespread conversation. Seth Godin's Purple Cow theory emphasizes the importance of being remarkable to stand out in a crowded market.
Read Field Note →Corporate sales training often struggles in last mile distribution due to the unique rhythms of rural markets. In Myanmar sales, understanding the specific time windows for engaging with farmers and shop owners is crucial. Field intelligence emphasizes adapting to the local context, such as offering tea, rather than relying solely on corporate logic and abstract numbers.
Read Field Note →The primary obstacle in last-mile distribution across Myanmar, Thailand, and Asia is the need for tangible proof of a product's effectiveness....
Read Field Note →International projects often try to eliminate the 'middleman,' only to fail miserably. Discover why local dealers and brokers are the unbreakable, trust-fueled backbone of the rural economy.
Read Field Note →Observed a promising team lead in rural Myanmar to assess leadership potential. A sales team pushed water tanks onto a chicken farm that already had one installed. Leadership requires humility to slow down and see, not just rely on sales instinct.
Read Field Note →The article details a shift from centralized control to decentralized leadership in last-mile distribution in Myanmar. A key incident involves a sales interaction in Kamma Township where a zone manager enforces a "no installment sales" rule, even against the author. The success of the Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP) strategy hinges on empowering local teams to make autonomous decisions.
Read Field Note →Silos in marketing, sales, and customer service are creating friction and slowing down deal closures. A unified Revenue department (RevOps) with shared goals and incentives can improve agility and collaboration. Implementing RevOps requires strategic changes, including unifying leadership, cross-training teams, and redesigning commission structures.
Read Field Note →The author recounts opening a new sales frontier in PinLaung Township, Shan North, Myanmar in 2017. A customer referral and agent program was initially unsuccessful due to the customer's lack of interest in earning more money. Leveraging a satisfied customer's testimonial to their neighbors resulted in a surge of sales, highlighting the power of customer advocacy in Myanmar.
Read Field Note →A sales rep in Meiktila Township, Myanmar, transformed from failing to close any sales to becoming the top sales rep in the country. The key to the rep's transformation was overcoming his fear of failure and being given the space to try, fail, and grow. The rep's success led to his promotion to Regional Manager and later to a National Sales Manager position at a larger company.
Read Field Note →Focus on cash discipline and trust KPIs are crucial in volatile environments. Prioritize steady effort over sporadic large volumes with consistency metrics. Qualitative KPIs measure leadership, integrity, and the soul of the organization.
Read Field Note →Logistics prices have surged, impacting last mile distribution and business operations. Unilever's Shakti Initiative in India provides a model for BOP strategy in challenging markets. Yoma Bank's "Grow Together BizPitch" Program supports MSMEs and startups in Myanmar.
Read Field Note →A sales rep in Myanmar initially failed to close a deal by focusing on cost savings for a betel farmer. The deal closed when the rep shifted to showing how the product could help the farmer fund his son's novitiation ceremony. A 2023 study found that 68% of buyers prefer salespeople who truly understand their challenges.
Read Field Note →Observed resilience of farmers and internally displaced people in a conflict zone in northern Myanmar. Identified unexpected demand for "hair and makeup" services even amidst conflict. Emphasizes the importance of products that maintain dignity, not just survival, in last mile distribution.
Read Field Note →Prioritizes system survival and trust in volatile environments like rural Myanmar. Tracks the efficiency of a unified marketing, sales, and service department. Converts various behaviors into a single performance score for off-grid teams.
Read Field Note →Social enterprises serving low-income communities face challenges including limited financial resources and accessibility. Building trust and credibility is essential, as low-income customers may be skeptical due to past experiences. Offering affordable pricing and flexible payment options, such as smaller product sizes, increases accessibility.
Read Field Note →Over 90% of sales were previously on consignment, draining cash flow. A point-based system boosted sales volume by 40% across multiple companies in Myanmar. The system revived monsoon irrigation sales and kept reps selling year-round, addressing seasonal slumps.
Read Field Note →The author transitioned from a high-pressure FMCG environment in Myanmar to a social enterprise, Proximity Designs, adopting a coaching-based leadership style. This shift involved prioritizing trust, customer relationships, and empowering the sales team, leading to a self-sustaining sales culture. The author now supports last-mile distribution businesses across Southeast Asia, still measuring success against the culture built at Proximity Designs.
Read Field Note →In 2024, 69% of B2B sales representatives missed their quotas, indicating increased sales challenges. Buyers are making 50-90% of purchase decisions independently using AI analytics, LinkedIn insights, and Google searches. AI tools like BoostUp.ai and Gong.io are revolutionizing sales by predicting deal outcomes and refining pitches.
Read Field Note →Sales closing percentages average between 15-30%, highlighting the challenge of overcoming sales objections. Organizations should equip sales teams with strategies to address common sales objections and understand their underlying reasons. Sales objections can be categorized into four key areas: Need, Budget, Authority, and Urgency.
Read Field Note →The author transitioned from a successful career in the liquor industry in Myanmar to working with organizations focused on farmers and livelihoods. A pivotal moment involved visiting a village and witnessing the struggles of a grandmother caring for her grandchildren, which solidified the author's commitment to social impact. The author now works with clients who are focused on "last-mile" distribution and creating real impact for overlooked communities.
Read Field Note →The author recounts their early experiences with public speaking competitions, highlighting initial failures and eventual success. The key to overcoming fear was finding an "anchor," often a personal story, to start with. The author applies this lesson to last-mile sales training, using relatable stories to connect with trainees.
Read Field Note →Recovery of misappropriated funds from Myanmar sales teams was the primary objective. The author emphasizes a zero-tolerance policy for intentional fraud in last-mile distribution. Consistency, rather than severity, is highlighted as crucial for managing teams in challenging environments.
Read Field Note →A million-dollar B2B deal was closed after a year-long pursuit in Myanmar. The key to success was shifting the sales team's mindset from technical specifications to customer benefits. The client's aspiration to export rice to Europe was the deciding factor, not price.
Read Field Note →Focus on building a culture of "Cetana" within last-mile sales teams. "Cetana" is defined as the intention behind an action, going beyond simple compassion or empathy. This approach fosters self-management and sustainability in field teams.
Read Field Note →The best-performing managers in last-mile distribution prioritize service over pure sales volume. A regional manager in Myanmar significantly boosted sales by assisting customers with needs beyond the company's products. Building trust through service is crucial for success in BOP (Bottom of the Pyramid) markets.
Read Field Note →How the evolution from mass media to the attention economy impacts last mile sales coaching and B2B growth. An essential field note for the best sales training in Myanmar and SEA.
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