The cross-border e-commerce B2B inquiry system refers to the channel for buyers to send inquiries to sellers (or sellers to buyers) on the cross-border e-commerce B2B platform, and for sellers (or buyers) to obtain, view, and reply to inquiries. It consists of a series of subsystems on the cross-border e-commerce B2B platform, such as inquiry boxes, foreign trade mailboxes, and instant chat subsystems. Proficient operation of the inquiry system is a basic skill that cross-border e-commerce B2B salesmen should have. In addition, cross-border e-commerce B2B salesmen should be familiar with the characteristics of each inquiry system to enhance their inquiry processing capabilities. Although there are many cross-border e-commerce B2B platforms in the world, the design of their inquiry systems has many similarities. Even if there are differences, there are only a few models. Here, we take Alibaba International Station, Global Sources Network, and Made-in-China.com, the top three cross-border e-commerce B2B platforms in China, as examples for analysis to explore their commonalities and differences so that salesmen can quickly master their operating essentials.
(I) Foreign trade mailbox
General cross-border e-commerce B2B platforms have foreign trade mailboxes tailored specifically for small and medium-sized foreign trade enterprises. Sellers using foreign trade mailboxes are conducive to establishing a professional image and are relatively safe. In foreign trade mailboxes, multiple sub-mailboxes can be managed through the main mailbox.
(II) Inquiry Box
The inquiry box is where sellers on cross-border e-commerce B2B platforms check buyers’ inquiries. Each cross-border e-commerce B2B platform must have an inquiry box. Usually, in the inquiry box, you can see which specific product the buyer has initiated an inquiry for and the buyer’s basic information (name, company name, phone number, contact email, etc.).
(III) Public Inquiry Section
General cross-border e-commerce B2B platforms have a public inquiry section, such as the RFQ (Request For Quotation) section of Alibaba International Station and the public inquiry section of Made-in-China.com. In this section, sellers can use keywords to find buyers who are interested in purchasing the products they sell. There are free inquiries and paid inquiries in this section. The number of public inquiries is generally large, and the quality of inquiries varies. Sellers need to judge the quality of inquiries and compete for quotations.
(IV) Customer Information Area
General cross-border e-commerce B2B platforms have a customer information area, which collects all the customer information of the inquiries received by the platform, including name, company name, phone number, contact email, etc.