I’m constantly thinking about how few sales people really understand what their customers are buying. They know what they are selling, but they can’t explain what they are selling it for-that is why the customer is considering buying the solution and the value it creates for them.

There are a few fundamental questions the sales person must be able to answer if they want to present their offerings in a way that is compelling and connects with customers:

1) How does it help them grow their business? That is how will they increase revenues/sales, how will it help them enter new markets, regions or acquire new customers?

2) How will it help them increase their profitability? Growing revenues or cutting expenses or both increase profitability, if the sales person can’t demonstrate this, then there is no justification for the solution-why should the customer buy it, how will they get their management to approve something that has no business justification?

3) How will it help them increase the satisfaction of their customers? Creating satisfied customers helps grow the business. Creating satisfied customers helps retain and grow current customers and acquire new customers.

4) How does it help the customer increase the quality of their products or services? Increased quality drives increased satisfaction, increased efficiency and effectiveness. These all contribute the other items.

5) How does it help the customer become more effective and/or more efficient? Effectiveness has to do with doing the right things, efficiency has to do with doing them in as short a time/expense as possible. These contribute to increasing productivity and driving revenue growth or expense reduction.

6) What may impair the customer’s ability to implement the solution, take ownership, assure internal alignment, and manage all the change issues internally? Sales is about change management, while we might have the most compelling solutions from a business justification point of view, if we can’t help our customers understand and manage the change issues, both we and they will be unsuccessful.

7) Why is this important to your customers (both the enterprise and individuals) now?

These issues are important, at whatever level you are selling. The mistake many sales people make is they think, “my product is only a small component in the overall scheme of things that my customer is facing.” However, the best sales people think in terms of “for the lack of a horseshoe, a kingdom was lost.” Just think, a small part or design flaw in the Toyota gas pedal is contributing to the loss of $ millions in sales, as well as reputation. Everything we sell won’t have that kind of impact on our customers, but everything contributes in some, even small way, to the attainment of the customer’s business objectives. Understanding this, communicating it to the customer-who often may not have a clear idea themselves about their contribution to the business-will set you apart from your competitors and help you create a tight, value based relationship with your customers.

The process of being able to answer these questions requires you to understand your customers’ businesses, markets, customers, opportunities, strategies and priorities at a deep level. The process of being able to answer these questions requires you to engage your customers in a deep discussion about what they are trying to achieve.You may not be able to answer all these questions, but the more you can answer, improves your competitiveness and the value you bring to your customers. If you can’t answer any of these, then you are not creating value for your customer, you are just a “live” product catalog.

China Sourcing Agent

Elksourcing：4 Tips for a Better China Business Trip

Apr 5, 2021 Elksourcing, trip by 露露

Have you ever faced travel difficulties while visiting a Chinese supplier? Maybe you got lost in the middle of Guangzhou South Railway station? Or maybe the driver that was supposed to pick you up from your hotel in Shanghai never showed? Planning your China business trip can be a painful process. This is particularly true when there are multiple suppliers and different cities to visit.

By following the below steps, you can take control and plan your own China business trip, allowing you the freedom to visit new suppliers and travel on your own terms.

1. Fly out from the last and nearest major city of your trip

Many business travelers are required to visit more than one area while in China. Quite often, these areas may be in the south, middle or north of China. Sometimes it can be more convenient to fly in and out of different cities so as to avoid back-tracking to the original point of entry.

For example, let’s imagine you start your China business trip by flying in to Hong Kong to visit Southern cities. If you’re planning to visit Northern areas as well, flying out via Beijing may cost a little more than a direct return flight from Hong Kong. But the time saved beats heading back to Hong Kong to catch the return plane.

2. Book your own domestic flights and hotels within China

When visiting suppliers in different cities, it can be difficult to arrange your schedule when the factory is making the hotel and flight bookings.

By using Chinese websites like C-trip, you can make your own domestic flight bookings ahead of schedule. Since C-trip is a China-based website, quite often the prices advertised are much cheaper than those offered by foreign travel websites. C-trip also allows you to search and select the most appropriate flights or hotels based on your budget and time schedule. For these reasons, C-trip can give you a huge leg up when planning your next China business trip.

3. Use your own driver when visiting several factories in one area

While having the factory arrange transport to and from your hotel is very convenient and cost saving, this can make factory visits very time consuming. Your china business trip could find an entire day is tied up just visiting a single factory.

Instead, organize your own driver via your hotel concierge or via your independent quality control agent. This way, you’ll have the freedom to visit more than one factory in a day, and the suppliers won’t need to know exactly where or whom you are visiting. If you really want to blow your hair back, hop on the back of a motorcycle – at your own risk, of course!

4. Bring an independent interpreter

Most factories you visit will have English-speaking sales staff. But a lot is said in Chinese that you are not privy to, and this could be important information. Aside from literal translation, cultural differences could lead to a misunderstanding where a factory representative says one thing but means something very different.

Bring your own independent interpreter. An independent interpreter can help you to pick up on nuances, connotations and other less obvious points discussed in Chinese after a meeting. The interpreter will also be able to advise you on what the factory actually means, which can be a major benefit, particularly during negotiation.

Conclusion

If you have another China business trip coming up, why not consider planning it yourself to give you extra independence and control? Planning your trip with above 4 tips in mind will help you to keep within your budget and stick to your schedule.

China Sourcing Agent

Elksourcing：How to Plan Your First Meeting with Your Target Client?

Apr 4, 2021 Elksourcing, meeting by 露露

You’ve finally scheduled that meeting you’ve been trying to get with a good target client. You know that first impressions are critical and you want to make sure you get it right and don’t fall at the first hurdle. If you ask yourself these seven questions they will help you make the meeting a resounding success:

1. Are you meeting the right person?

This is really a question you should be asking before you schedule the meeting.

If it’s your first meeting with your potential important client, you should be aiming for the highest level executive you can reach.

The best way to do that is to define your business value proposition for that specific company and, depending on the company you’re targeting, approach the CEO or other senior executive.

Tell them you’d like to discuss how you can help them to achieve a specific business goal that they really care about. If they do care about it, they will either see you or refer you to the person who has responsibility for that area.

It’s critical to enter a major account at the right level. If you start at the top and you’re referred down, you go to a meeting with the imprimatur of the person who referred you.

2. What do you know about the company and person you’re meeting?

It’s no longer enough to go into a meeting with a senior executive and say “tell me about your business” or “what keeps you awake at night?” Senior executives expect you to have done your research before they meet you.

You need to understand what the company does, who its key customers are, its offerings, its history and its business challenges – and how you can help them.

You also need to know as much about the person you’re meeting as possible – what other positions they have held, what they care about in their current role, any articles they have written and so on.

By doing effective research using the company web site, their annual report, newspaper articles, industry research, LinkedIn profiles, articles the
executive has published and so on you should be able to get a good picture of the company and executive you’re meeting with.

3. What is your key objective?

It’s important to know what your objectives for the meeting are – and not
to have too many.

If it’s your first meeting it’s too early to sell. They aren’t interested in your company, your offering, your brochures, your presentations and your case studies. They are interested in themselves, their business issues and the possibility you might be able to help them.

The objectives of a first meeting are usually:

· To discuss the business issue, you can help them solve, its implications and the impact of solving it (or failing to solve it)

· To show you understand the issue and are an equal in this area

· To develop credibility as a person and an organization that can help them

· To agree there’s potential for you to help them

· To agree on the next step

The first meeting should be almost all about them and very little about you. You should encourage them to do the talking by asking intelligent questions (see below) then listening to (and taking notes of) the answers.

You shouldn’t take presentations, brochures and other marketing aids to the meeting and under no circumstances should you even consider demonstrations during a first exploratory meeting.

My strong recommendation is that the only props you should take to a first meeting are your brain, your research and either a pen and paper or a laptop/table for taking notes.

4. What is their key objective?

You know what you want from the meeting. But what do they want? Senior executives are very busy and they have many demands on their time. They rarely meet anyone without a specific objective in mind – so what is it?

You should be able to make an intelligent assumption about their objective based on the reason they accepted the meeting and what was said to get them to agree to the meeting.

However, the best way to validate your assumption is to ask them. Two questions you can ask are;

“I know you’re very busy – what was your motivation to accepting this meeting?” or “What objective do you want to get out of this meeting?”

Then make sure you address those objectives as a priority and at the end of the meeting ask them if you’ve done so to their satisfaction.

5. What intelligent questions can you ask?

The quality of the questions you ask will determine how they view you. The statement “there’s no such thing as a stupid question” is in fact a stupid statement (if there’s no such thing as stupid question, what sorts of
questions do stupid people ask? – to quote Dilbert).

Generic questions such as “Tell me about your business” or “What are the top three business issues you’re facing?” simply show you haven’t done your research. If you’re talking to an important target client and you believe you can help them with a key business issue you need to know all about that issue and its impact on them.

By asking intelligent questions you not only get the detailed responses that allow you to understand more but you show that you understand their issues in the first place, you’re just clarifying how they view of them.

If you’re meeting to discuss a specific business issue, then the questions should be related to that issue and should demonstrate your familiarity with the issues and its impact.

6. What questions are they likely to ask?

At some stage, they are going to ask you a question. The better you’ve prepared the better your answer will be and the more professional you’ll look.

Ask yourself: “What questions are they likely to ask and how will I respond?” – remembering you want them to do most of the talking.

So prepare answers that are accurate, honest – and ideally fairly short. If they ask: “What do you do?” resist the temptation to launch into your company or product pitch. They don’t really want to know what you do. They want to know what you can do for them.

The correct answer is: “We help companies like you to insert the business problem you’re there to discuss>”.

And if they ask a question you can’t answer, rather than prevaricating it’s best to say: “I don’t know but I’ll find out.”

7. What is the next step?

You should have a next step clearly in mind. It may be to get a referral to another executive, it may be to organize an investigation, arrange a presentation or schedule a demonstration.

Whatever it is, know where you want to go, understand where they want to go and agree on the next step at the end of the meeting.

Then once the meeting is over send the executive a summary of what you discussed, what you agreed and what the next step is.

Summary

Like anything, implementing these ideas depends on many factors and circumstances. The main things to remember are:

· Initial meetings are to develop credibility, not to sell

· Make it about them first, you second

· Understand what they are trying to achieve

· Understand them and their business issues

· If you’ve gone to a lot of trouble to get a meeting at the right level, you need to prepare and research thoroughly

Your objective isn’t to qualify an opportunity – this should be a by-product of the meeting, not the rationale for having it.

China Sourcing Agent

Elksourcing：Things Should Do and Not Do Dealing with Chinese

Apr 4, 2021 china sourcing agent, Elksourcing by 露露

Are you interested to do business in China? Being the world factory in the world, it has immense opportunity for overseas business establishments. However, you have to remember that the culture, language and etiquette practiced in the country are completely different from that of your own nation. It is therefore important that you hire a China sourcing agent that can help you in the long run. This article is about things you should not do and those that you should do in China.

THINGS NOT TO DO IN CHINA:

1. Do not hurry

In developed economies, things happen at a faster rate than in developing economies. So, while you might have a practice to make quick decisions, in China they prefer to reach a decision after prolonged deliberations. So, your sourcing agency will inform you not to hurry things when dealing with Chinese business owners. If you push them to reach a decision, Chinese business owners tend to think that they are on the winning edge. This is not a positive situation for you.

2. Do not ignore cultural practices

Try to adhere to the cultural norms practiced in China. You need to do some research before sitting face to face with a Chinese business owner. For instance, the Chinese consider it rude to point at anyone with the index finger. While the above mentioned gesture might be perfectly normal to you, it might offend a Chinese. As a result, you might end up losing an attractive business deal that you had bragged with the help of a China sourcing agent.

3. Do not depend on a signed contract

In western nations, a signed contract may be the last word in a business deal. But, for a Chinese, it is not. The Chinese believe that a contract is only a draft that can be changed as per requirements. They believe in continuing negotiations even after the contract is signed.

THINGS TO DO IN CHINA:

1. Learn the local language

Learn Cantonese or Mandarin. Do some research to know which language is favored in the part where you want to do business. While Southern China is more into Cantonese, Northern and south western China is into Mandarin. Learning does not mean you have to be fluent in the local language. However, when you try to greet your Chinese counterparts in their own language, they take it a nice gesture. Most of the business will probably be done in English.

2. Get a good interpreter

A good interpreter not just converts one language from the other, he or she also interprets the tone in which the words are spoken.

3. Take your time

Take your time to know your partner, Chinese business owners like to take time before deciding whether they want to work with a particular partner. Also, the Chinese believe in building relationships before starting business. So, the first two meetings are not going to be much fruitful as far as business dealings are concerned. They are however, useful to know each other better.

These were some of the things you should not and should do when doing business in China. A reliable China sourcing agent can help you out regarding business matters in China

China Sourcing Agent

Elksourcing：Why Small Enterprises Are Sourcing From China?

Apr 1, 2021 china sourcing agent, Elksourcing by 露露

One of the main reasons for China being such an easy place for Small Enterprises to do business in is because over the last four decades it has emerged as the top-sourcing destination for large businesses and built up the all the required capabilities that are typically required for global sourcing operations. The lure of outsourcing from a low cost country such as China, however gets somewhat diluted when confronted by the alien culture, language, currency, logistics, and business environment. Small Enterprises need to realize that by the simple expedient of engaging a trustworthy China sourcing agent, all problems perceived or real can be managed.

Advantage 1: Skilled Labor

Chinese labor is hardworking, disciplined, and highly skilled. Over many years they have acquired great skill in manufacturing a diverse assortment of products ranging from toys, to industrial machinery, automotive spares and components to computers and electronic communication equipment. There are a large number of factories of different capacities so Small Enterprises never have to worry about finding a good supplier match. A very high level of productivity not only ensures high-speed deliveries but lower costs. An experienced China sourcing agent will be able to identify a selection of suitable facilities for you.

Advantage 2: Easy Availability of Raw Materials and Supplies

The vibrant domestic market as well as the export-oriented manufacturing sector in China ensures that no manufacturing facility ever has to deal with uncertainties of supply of raw materials or sub-assemblies that need to be sourced. An abundance of agricultural and mineral resources besides a vast variety of supplies and components makes manufacturing efficient, prompt and cost-effective. Your China sourcing agent will be able to facilitate meetings with prospective suppliers for in-depth discussions of the stability of the procurement strategy and backup planning.

Advantage 3: Mature and Stable Supply Chain

One of the biggest anxieties of global sourcing is the stability of the supply chain. The worry is compounded due to the distance involved and more so when the company is a Small Enterprise as even the slightest of disruptions can cause severe market impact with drastic financial implications. With its vast experience of undertaking high-volume manufacturing for companies spreading all over the globe, every player in the Chinese supply chain understands the importance of adhering to the committed schedules and quality parameters. This foundation of reliability and assurance is what has made China the leading sourcing country in the world today.

Pointers to China Sourcing Success

For Small Enterprises to really succeed with their China sourcing strategy, it is vital that they keep certain factors in mind. Due diligence is important and to the extent possible, be carried out by the company itself. It is however most important that the company knows it own product intimately so that it is able to specify the components, extent of labor and skills required. Small Enterprises also need to be able to understand the business, regulatory and cultural environment and have some people on its team who are fluent in Chinese. In the absence of such familiarity it is imperative that the company has a China sourcing agent who can take care of all the local activities.

China Sourcing Agent

Elksourcing：Why a Sourcing Agent is Better Than Trading Company

Apr 1, 2021 Elksourcing, sourcing agent by 露露

If you are wondering why a sourcing agent is better than trading company, well there are many reasons, but what it all comes down to is that a sourcing agent will act on your behalf and handle all the outsourcing activities so you don’t have to. Rather than spend all of your time doing these things, the agent can do it for you, saving your business time and money.

Benefits

If you’re going to do business in China, a sourcing agent is a necessity since the quality control methods employed in factories there vary greatly. With a sourcing agent you can be guaranteed of getting quality service you paid, something a trading company cannot ensure. In addition to this, a sourcing agent is going to manage all the paperwork, logistics and communications necessary when dealing with suppliers. As anyone who has engaged in sourcing will tell you, getting a reliable supplier is difficult unless you have a representative to help you out.

Other Ways a Sourcing Agent Can Help

A sourcing agent can be of assistance in other ways such as conducting market research on your behalf, absolutely critical in China as the competition is very tight. As noted earlier, an agent is also tasked with finding a supplier or vendor and is going to help with the price negotiation as well.

A trading company cannot provide these services as well as a sourcing agent can, and in many cases they will actually charge more. In spite of claims to the contrary, they cannot guarantee quality control and won’t be able to supervise the production and use of raw materials quite like a sourcing agent can. The other services that a sourcing agent provides such as customs clearance and pre-shipment inspection also cannot be expected from a trading company at same cost. Given all these facts, it’s easy to see why these agents are very much in demand.

China Sourcing Agent

Elksourcing：Use a Sourcing Agent in Guangzhou to Source Electronics

Apr 1, 2021 Elksourcing, sourcing agent by 露露

If you are asking why it’s a good idea to use a sourcing agent in Guangzhou to source electronics, it all comes down to economics and business sense. Sourcing agents based in Guangzhou are there for a reason, and that is to assist you in locating suppliers you can trust, and when it comes to electronics, quality supplier is a must.

As you know, Guangzhou is a cify full of high tech and innovations. As a Guangzhou sourcing agent with over 9 year experience, we’re well experienced in various consumer electronic products. We have clients in USA, Germany, South Africa, UK, and several other countries. The followings are what we have learned from our work.

Cut Cost and Speed up Transactions

Sourcing electronics is all about speed and reliability, and that is where a Guangzhou sourcing agent can help you to cut the red tape, so business transactions proceed quickly. At the same time a sourcing agent will negotiate the cost and make certain you are getting the best deal possible by interacting with the best available electronics suppliers. Because Guangzhou is fast becoming the center of manufacturing electronic products, sourcing electronics has become ideal, but the products produced by suppliers vary so an agent can help in this regard.

Manage Business Made Easy

Sourcing agents are more practical and helpful than trading companies, and with their help you’ll be in a better position to source electronics as well as other related matters such as manufacturing and purchasing. It is also important to note that sourcing agents are very familiar with the situation in Guangzhou, the prevailing market and what the rules are, making it easy to source electronics. This is much better than doing everything on your own or relying on a trading company, which is not only expensive but won’t be able to ensure the quality of the product.

Monitor Product Quality

To make sure you have a sustainable business of importing from China, you need to make sure the products are produced in a certain standard, and kept at a stable quality lavel. Therfore, you need to find a reliable sourcing agent Guangzhou with quality background, preferable the founder has proven history of being an inspector himself, so the company has good sense of quality management and know-how in quality control technics. There are too Chinese traders who are good at sales skills so can win big orders, but soon or later, the business is ruined because lack of quality control. A hidden mistake happened in a big order will create a big disaster, think about the situation that multiple containers are received and partially sold, but many faulty products were claimed by consumers, what can the seller do? Most possibly the seller has to recall all the sold products, and re-check all stock products, which will bring huge cost.

Maintain Sustainable Supply Chain

To grow up your business in long-term, you have to own a stable and sustainable supply chain, but it’s difficult work to do by yourself. So, it’s recommended to hire a sourcing agent in Guangzhou to manage your electronic supply chain. If there are many projects and multiple suppliers, it’s time-consuming to monitor the issues and communicate with the people, especially if there are obstacles of time-zone difference and language issue. You really need someone on the ground to focus on full details, and report to you in timely and professional matter. With the help of the trustworthy sourcing agent, you will be able to own a solid supply chain, and bring your business to a higher level.

Beside above benifits, a sourcing agent will represent you, not the supplier, so your interests will be their main concern. And rather than waste your time and resources looking for the right suppliers, the agent will do it for you and at a price that you can live with.

China Sourcing Agent

Elksourcing：Qualities of Good China Sourcing Service Providers

Apr 1, 2021 Elksourcing, sourcing service by 露露

Companies in need of a sourcing representative in China often turn to sourcing service providers. By enlisting the help of a China sourcing service, companies are assured that they are dealing with reputable firms. Chinese sourcing service providers have a better reputation than sourcing agents because these are legal businesses with proper government accreditation. These service providers may charge higher rates than individual agents but most firms are willing to pay more if only to have peace of mind and assurance that they are transacting with legit entities.

While there are numerous sourcing service providers in China, certain qualities can make a sourcing firm stand out from the rest.

Expert in the business

Good sourcing service providers in China have years of experience in acquiring products in the country. The years in the business can be considered as a solid testament to the good reputation and track record of the sourcing service firm. The longevity means that the sourcing company has been able to provide good services to its clients, translating to its continued success.

Provides competitive prices

The best sourcing firms in China can offer the most competitive prices to its clients without sacrificing the quality of the products. Competitive prices do not mean the cheapest, but at least similar to the prices offered by other firms. Good China sourcing service firms are able to negotiate with manufacturers for low rates. The key to competitive costs is having a vast network of suppliers. Sourcing firms in the country that have a wide grid of suppliers are able to tap manufacturers that can work on a project at the lowest price possible.

Accessible

First-class sourcing service providers in Asia are accessible. They take time out to meet with their clients and even potential customers. Their officials or employees are willing to meet with prospective clients anywhere in the world to explain their services and get a better understanding of customers’ business requirements. Likewise, they make sure that they attend to the needs of their existing patrons.

Strict in quality and excellence

One of the reasons why businesses turn to China for sourcing their products is the quality of items produced in the country. China sourcing service providers are aware of this reputation and do everything in their power to protect the country’s image. They spend a lot of time and resources in guaranteeing that their suppliers produce only high quality products that they can present proudly to their clients abroad.

Category: China Sourcing Agent