Tips on Selling in China

China – A Global Giant Membership to WTO China offers astonishing growth Rapidly Expanding Domestic Market Here are some tips on selling in China

Know the market There are tremendous business opportunities in China, but don’t assume that Chinese buyers aren’t looking at other options. Your product or service may need to be altered to fit local needs or interests. Senior executives in Asia are quite accessible, and time spent meeting people before entering the market is essential. Government and quasi-government organizations have considerable influence in Asia and can assist you. Additionally, there are consulting and free services available to make introductions.

Hong Kong - A base to enter China Availability of a reliable legal and financial infrastructure 15% flat tax rate Ease of establishing a business entity Experienced local tri-lingual (English, Mandarin, Cantonese) executives and consultants who can be hired.

Learn about Chinese culture American and Chinese negotiation styles are dramatically different. –Properly handing your business card (with two hands) –using a Mandarin or Cantonese greeting will go a long way toward showing and earning respect. Negotiations in China are largely dependent on relationships and consensus decision making. Allow additional time for consensus building

Leverage an existing relationship Work with a company that already has a Chinese presence International marketing partnerships are effective in Asia only when you build relationships and work directly with your partner’s local staff. Cultivate “zhongjian ren” (the intermediary) because a gifted Chinese go-between is indispensable even after an initial meeting takes place.

Assist your family of companies Chinese companies would like to enter the American market. If you can come up with a way to assist them, they may be more willing to bring you into their network. The person with the best “guanxi” (personal connections) thrives.

Take care of the people who make introductions Maybe someday you will help them out. Or, if you can justify paying a referral fee up front, mention it. They may say no, no, no. If you think it’s a good idea to thank them in such a way, insist on it. Chinese are not as straightforward as Americans are—no doesn’t mean definitely no. Two Chinese can carry on the insisting- and-refusing game for a long time before one party gives up.

Bend the rules only in special situations Most rules can be bent for special situations for special people. If one is persistent, has endurance and is patient, one is more likely to affect the outcome. And although the Chinese might not respond to your communications and may act as if they are uninterested in what you are offering, remember this: it is your effort that gets noticed, and often the effort is far more important than your offering.

Slow your pace Meetings with potential partners over lunch and dinner are also occasions to recognize the slower pace of Chinese business. Meals in China are usually longer than what foreigners are accustomed to. Be patient and flexible. The time spent with people is a worthwhile investment that will pay off in the future.

Be courteous Courtesy and discretion are paramount. No Chinese would be eager to deal with people— whether online or offline—who do not respect their way of living and conducting business. Also, be careful with your opinions on politics and government. The Chinese may not want to share with you what they really think about the government policies unless they are very close friends of yours.

Create Desirability Building a large and profitable presence in China requires top-quality products that are affordable to the masses. You have to get to know your customer to determine which of your products offer the greatest consumer appeal and fit best with the local culture. Creating desirability is an absolute must.

Sources 1.United States of America China Chamber of Commerce 2.The United States Embassy in China 3.United States-China Business Council—the principal organization of US companies engaged in trade and investment in the People’s Republic of China 4.South China Morning Post—Asia’s Leading English News Channel 5.China Internet Network Information Center 6.The China Business Review 7.The China Commercial Brief, published by the US Embassy in Beijing