Foreign trade business mentality training and core skills analysis

In the foreign trade industry, mentality cultivation is as important as core skills. On the one hand, a good mentality helps us better cope with various challenges encountered at work; on the other hand, mastering the necessary skills can help us complete work tasks more efficiently.

The importance of mentality cultivation

In foreign trade business, it is inevitable to encounter challenges and difficulties. How we respond to these challenges and demonstrate a different mindset and attitude will directly affect our growth and success in this industry. When we are still a fledgling salesperson, facing tricky, stingy, and mean customers, we may feel angry and helpless, and even have the idea of ​​giving up. Colleagues will also discuss the difficulties of these customers together and comfort each other, as if they all face the same challenges. However, when such complaints are heard by supervisors or managers, they may give completely different advice: emphasize the importance of serving customers and being patient and attentive when dealing with difficult customers. In their view, customers’ pickyness is only an external manifestation. We need to insist on serving customers well and strive to win orders. This can reflect our professionalism. And when salespeople who have become leaders hear such complaints, they may look at the problem more rationally, emphasize the rational use of profits and resources, and will not sacrifice the company’s interests for a difficult customer. They remind team members not to get caught up in battles with customers, but to face problems with a pragmatic attitude and make decisions based on the best interests. Therefore, cultivating a good mentality and attitude is crucial to our development in the foreign trade industry.

Seven indispensable skills for foreign trade sales

1. Language ability

Foreign trade sales personnel need to have good language skills, especially English. Communicating clearly and accurately with customers from various countries is an important daily task. In addition, understanding the language and culture of the target market can help salespeople better communicate with local customers and build trust.

2. Market analysis ability

Before launching a sales campaign, it is crucial to have a deep understanding of your target market’s needs and trends. Through market analysis and research, sales staff can better understand the needs and preferences of local customers and provide appropriate products and services for different markets.

3. Product knowledge

In-depth understanding of product characteristics, uses, prices and other information is crucial to foreign trade sales. Only by knowing the product well can salespeople provide customers with accurate information, answer questions, and provide solutions.

4. Communication skills

Good communication skills are essential for foreign trade sales. Building good customer relationships and fully understanding customer needs requires salespeople to have the ability to express their views clearly and concisely, while also focusing on listening to customer needs and feedback.

5. Business negotiation skills

In foreign trade sales, commercial negotiation is a key link to business success. Sales staff need to have good business negotiation skills, including the use of negotiation strategies, mastery of the negotiation process, etc. Through excellent business negotiation skills, sales staff can better meet customer needs and achieve sales goals.

6. Customer relationship management capabilities

Establishing good customer relationships is one of the important skills of foreign trade sales personnel. Through the collection, classification, and maintenance of customer information, sales staff can better understand customer needs and feedback, adjust sales strategies in a timely manner, and improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.

7. Market expansion capabilities

Market development is an indispensable ability for foreign trade sales, including market research, analysis of market opportunities, formulation of marketing strategies, etc. Through market expansion, sales staff can continuously expand sales channels, find new business opportunities, and achieve improvement in sales performance.

Seven practices for cross-border e-commerce merchants

The first training: foreign language communication

Regarding the importance of foreign language (mainly English) in cross-border trade, good foreign language is a necessary condition for doing well in cross-border trade. If you don’t know English, you will lose communication with the other half of the world; 70% of the world’s civilization is recorded in English. If you don’t know English, you will not be able to share the fruits of these civilizations.

Second training: trading practice

A cross-border e-commerce merchant should first master the terminology of international trade, understand foreign trade processes and operations, understand letters of credit and customs clearance business, and be proficient in handling complex customer complaints. Furthermore, you should know how to design and plan a company’s international promotion plan, how to quickly improve export performance, how to build and manage a company’s foreign trade team, how to build European and American channels, and other practical trade knowledge and capabilities.

The third discipline: industry background

You must study hard and memorize the information, instructions, advertisements, etc. related to the company’s products. At the same time, you must collect competitors’ advertisements, promotional materials, instructions, etc., and study and analyze them in order to “know yourself and the enemy.” Only in this way can we truly know ourselves and the enemy and take corresponding countermeasures.

The fourth discipline: international marketing

A cross-border e-commerce merchant must understand e-commerce methods and techniques. For example, how to publish high-quality product information on Alibaba International Station, how to improve search engine SEO rankings, how to refine keywords, how to improve inquiry conversion rate, and how to develop international network marketing skills such as P4P and Chengxintong.

The fifth discipline: laws and regulations

Due to the development of e-commerce, global trade rules are undergoing tremendous changes, which requires cross-border e-commerce practitioners to keep abreast of changes in the international trade system, policies, rules, tariff details, etc. It is also necessary to have a deeper understanding and analytical ability of the import and export situation. Avoid infringements in cross-border trade.

The sixth discipline: human geography

Cross-border e-commerce means having a deeper understanding of international traffic introduction, international marketing, foreign local brand knowledge, etc. It requires a deep understanding of overseas trade, the Internet, distribution systems, and consumer behavior. It is necessary to have a certain understanding of the customs, customs, and shopping habits of people from all over the world.

The seventh discipline: perfect character

Cross-border e-commerce merchants should have a good mentality and personality, and be good at communicating with customers and handling various disputes. You need to be able to persist in your work and maintain your passion.