This month's topic isn't much different from last month's.  In fact, it's really a part of last month's checking routes. 

In an environment where pay is based on number of stops on a route, it's easy to understand why you may not learn by any notation on the route sheet of the disappearance of one of your free publications boxes or a merchant's kicking your publication out of his store.  Rational people will not repeatedly act against what they see as their best interest, and an agent's reporting that a location is out of service can be seen as a request to take money out of his own pocket.  It's for this reason that a publisher needs to take steps to protect his own interest.  One effective strategy to take would be last month's tip of running the contractor's route yourself.  However, when crossing route boundaries, I favor a more general approach. 

All of us, no matter how small our budgets or tight our schedules, can put together a plan that gives us a thorough spot checking of our distribution endpoints.   If you have a distribution department, make it part of its staff's regular responsibilities to systematically check all of your outlets over regular intervals.  You should require reports that confirm the existence of the outlets and detail the condition and locations of displays and what action has been taken to remedy substandard situations.  Create a form allows them to report the most important information to you with check marks, "yes" or "no" responses and simple diagrams.  This allows you review the reports quickly while viewing all areas of concern.  Ideally, you should be able to review and designate for action no fewer than four reports per minute.  If you can't, find a way to simplify the form and your follow up planning.

If you don't have such a staff, you can look to those who have an interest in seeing that your publication reaches its audience.  In this case, it is best to stick with others in your organization whose jobs are made easier by a good distribution system.  Sales reps are probably the best candidates.  With their desires to maximize their commissions, they want the best possible distribution and generally will help with such monitoring when they are certain appropriate remedial action will be taken and that they won't become your de facto distribution staff.  Office staff can also help but don't have as direct a connection to the issue.

A riskier approach is to go outside the company.  Help may be available in the form of friends and family, but since they don't eat, sleep and live the business as you do, reporting will likely be spotty.  Never invite advertisers to report their findings at your outlets.  They will soon notice every one of your publication's flaws, and their timetables for fixing problems are too short.

However you approach this issue, make sure you know what is going on in your distribution network.  What would kill your credibility with potential advertisers faster than a graffiti-emblazoned, trash-filled honor box?

Ray Boddie, Jr.