sinovels Chapter 55 Developing Campus Agents
Chapter 55 Developing Campus Agents
After the New Year's Day holiday, the first batch of expedited orders for the Lilac Flower Commemorative Edition MP3 players finally arrived.
Lin Feng immediately gathered his men, rented a small truck, rushed to the freight station to pick up the goods, and took the MP3s directly to the warehouse temporarily rented by Xichuan University, where he personally unpacked and inspected the goods.
The packaging boxes were neatly arranged. Lin Feng opened the plastic seal and took out the machine. The back of the machine was finely etched with a lilac pattern and Tang Lei's signature. The sound quality was also very clear after turning it on.
Lin Feng carefully inspected several units and confirmed that they matched the sample photos and descriptions sent by Wu Wenjie, and that the quality was up to standard.
Following the reservation list prepared by Liu Qian, Wang Peng and Li Hao began calling customers to notify them to come and pick up their MP3 players in batches.
Xu Qiang and Tan Zhao were responsible for assisting in verifying the list and machine serial numbers.
Liu Qian was responsible for registering and collecting the final payment.
The news spread like wildfire.
The first to be notified were the 327 students at Xichuan University's main campus who had paid a deposit for the New Year's Eve party.
A long queue formed outside the warehouse, and every student was filled with anticipation.
"Is this the one? Yes, the last four digits are 228... Here you go, try it out." Xu Qiang's voice was loud and clear, and his hands and feet were quick and efficient.
"The sound quality is amazing! It's even clearer than at the party!" A boy put on his headphones, listened for a while, and smiled with satisfaction.
"The full HD audio version of 'Lilac Flower' is worth the wait!" A girl was extremely excited when she received the device.
"Student, please sign here." Liu Qian pointed meticulously to the registration book.
The delivery process went smoothly. The student who received the machine left satisfied, eager to show it to his classmates.
The satisfaction derived from physical objects is far more impactful than that from posters and rumors.
Soon, on the campus of Xichuan University, during breaks, in the cafeteria, and in the dormitories, you could often see people wearing headphones and playing with that distinctive MP3 player.
Word-of-mouth begins to spread as the products circulate.
"Excuse me, do you still have any in stock? I'd like to buy one!"
"Excuse me, I'd like to become a campus agent. What are the requirements?"
After the first batch of more than 300 units were delivered, Lin Feng and his team returned to Xichuan University of Technology and held an impromptu meeting.
"Brother Feng, the hotline is about to explode!" Wang Peng, sporting dark circles under his eyes, said, "Ever since the posters went up, Li Hao and I have been taking turns answering them; the phone hasn't stopped ringing. People are asking about prices, how to order, when the goods will be available... from Normal University, Finance and Economics University, Jiaotong University, and even the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China!"
Li Hao added, "Several others asked if I could be an 'agent' at their schools. I've written them down as you instructed."
He handed me a piece of paper with seven or eight contact details and brief information of people who were interested in becoming agents.
Su Wan, holding her sketchbook, said, "The first drafts of the new promotional flyers and agency recruitment posters are finished. Please take a look, President. Also, the discussion threads about MP3s on several university BBS forums are gaining popularity, and I've arranged for someone to guide the discussion."
Lin Feng picked up the list of potential agents. There were countless tasks to be done, and the fire at Xichuan University, fueled by the gala and the delivery of physical goods, had already spread like wildfire.
"Okay. The market has taken off, and now what we need to do is capitalize on it. We can't handle it alone, so we need to establish an agency network."
He handed the list of potential agents to Xu Qiang: "Xu Qiang, you're in charge of following up with these people. Arrange for them to come over in batches this week. The meeting place will be a small private room at the water bar near the side gate of the school."
"good!"
Lin Feng then instructed him, "Get the details of the agency policy, the prices for different order quantities, and the draft cooperation agreement out as soon as possible. We'll discuss it first. Keep a few principles in mind:"
First, we are the only authorized channel for genuine products, and we are authorized by Tang Lei. We are responsible for product quality and after-sales service.
Second, the unified retail price is 699, and the agent's purchase price varies depending on the order volume, with a minimum threshold for the first batch.
Third, cross-regional or cross-school sales are not allowed, and unauthorized price reductions are not permitted.
Fourth, we need to collect a certain deposit, or full payment for the first batch of goods. If you can accept these terms, then we can discuss further details of the cooperation.
"Okay, I'll get it done this afternoon, then we'll discuss it." Xu Qiang was very enthusiastic.
"Liu Qian, for all receipts and ledgers, make sure every single transaction involving money is clear."
"Wang Peng and Li Hao, thank you for your hard work in answering the phone. Keep the hotline open and tell the callers who are inquiring about the goods that the first batch has been delivered and the rest will be shipped in the order of pre-orders."
Everyone accepted their orders and performed their duties. The Fengchi Digital Music Club began to resemble a team in action.
The next afternoon, the small private room in the water bar became a temporary meeting room.
The first person to come and talk about becoming an agent was Mr. Huang, the owner of the Caida Digital Store. He was in his early thirties and very thin.
"Mr. Lin, I'd like to become a distributor for your custom-made lilac MP3 players at the University of Finance and Economics. Could you give me a price quote? How do I purchase them? How much is the deposit?"
Lin Feng let Xu Qiang lead the conversation while he observed from the side.
Xu Qiang clearly explained the principles Lin Feng had set. Boss Huang hesitated a bit about the deposit, but was very satisfied with the profit margin, especially after hearing Lin Feng's guarantee of promotional material support and exclusive regional protection, and finally made the decision.
"Alright! This area around the University of Finance and Economics is mine. I'll start with fifty units to test the waters."
The second are Zhou Min and Li Ting, students from the Normal University. The two girls are fans of Tang Lei.
"We'll sell in the girls' dormitory, where it's easier to talk to the students. It's just... we don't have much capital, so could we take a smaller quantity? Or... pay after we sell?" Zhou Min asked tentatively.
Lin Feng's tone was calm, but he didn't back down: "The first batch must be at least twenty units. We can't settle accounts after the sale; we're a small business and can't afford to lose cash flow. But you could organize a small group purchase among your classmates, collect a deposit, and then pick up the goods to reduce the risk."
After discussing it, the two girls gritted their teeth and agreed, scraping together the money to pay the deposit and order twenty units.
Sun Mingyu, a student leader at Jiaotong University, has a completely different style.
He valued the "exclusive agency" title and the space to organize events even more: "Brother Lin, I know Jiaotong University well; I have connections in the student union and clubs. Agency fees are negotiable, but could you support us in organizing a few promotional events on campus? Like finding a classroom for a trial lesson or something. You provide the posters, I'll take care of the venue!"
Lin Feng nodded: "We can support that. You can come up with the specific plan. If it's reasonable, we can provide sample units and some small gifts. But the price must be uniform; the promotion cannot become a disguised price reduction."
Old Chen, the digital store owner at Xichuan University's main campus, and Wang Wei, a student team, also reached an agreement.
Old Chen has financial strength and stores; Wang Wei's team is energetic, but has limited funds. Lin Feng gave them a more flexible plan for small-batch, multiple deliveries.
By the end of the day, five agency locations had been preliminarily finalized.
Everyone signed an agency cooperation agreement and paid a deposit and an initial order for varying amounts of goods.
Driven by the surge of market demand, Lin Feng quickly wove together the rudimentary network. Each node connected to a university or a market.
On the afternoon of the third day, Lin Feng called Wu Wenjie again.
"Brother Jie, the first batch of 500 units has sold out. When will the second batch arrive? I've received quite a few more orders!"