In foreign trade business, novice salesmen often fall into the dilemma of passive transmission, and only serve as an information bridge between the company and the customer. However, with the accumulation of experience and the improvement of business capabilities, foreign trade salesmen should gradually change their roles from passive to active, and promote the conclusion of transactions through clever guidance and strategies. This article will explore how foreign trade salesmen can achieve the transformation from passive to active, and share some practical guidance strategies.
1. Understand price flexibility and product flexibility
As a foreign trade salesman, the first thing to do is to realize that prices are dynamic, not static. Factors such as order size, production schedule, transportation method and payment method will have a significant impact on prices. At the same time, the cost structure of products is complex and changeable. By adjusting parts or processing steps, costs can often be reduced while maintaining quality. Therefore, salesmen should flexibly use these factors to actively guide customers and companies to negotiate.
2. Master the company’s bottom line and customer needs
When communicating with customers, foreign trade salesmen should not be easily bound by the company’s price bottom line. On the contrary, we should have an in-depth understanding of the company’s actual production and financial situation, and flexibly adjust the quotation strategy in combination with customer needs and market conditions.
Third, actively guide customers and companies
In order to change from passive to active, foreign trade salesmen need to actively play a guiding role. When quoting, you can actively propose some bundling conditions, such as large quantity discounts, prepayment discounts, etc., to guide customers to make decisions that are more beneficial to both parties. At the same time, you can also actively provide process alternatives to help customers reduce costs and improve product competitiveness. When communicating with customers, you should learn more about the real thoughts and needs of customers in order to better provide personalized solutions.
Fourth, strengthen communication with the factory production department
In order to better meet customer needs and reduce costs, foreign trade salesmen need to maintain close communication with the factory production department. By understanding the production process and cost structure, salesmen can propose more reasonable process alternatives to help customers achieve cost optimization. At the same time, communication with the production department also helps salesmen better grasp the company’s actual production capacity and financial situation, and provide a basis for formulating more targeted quotation strategies.
5. Pay attention to the collection of business intelligence
In business competition, the collection of intelligence is crucial. Foreign trade salesmen should always pay attention to market dynamics and the situation of competitors so as to adjust their quotation strategies in time. By collecting and analyzing business intelligence, salesmen can more accurately grasp customer needs and market trends, and thus formulate more competitive quotation plans.