Buyers Trade Related Technical Assistance for SRE Peter Bennett Trade Development Consultant

Mexico: SREBuyers2 Buyers Q. How difficult is it to make appointments with buyers? A. Can be very difficult. Cf The Trade Mission problem!

Mexico: SREBuyers3 Buyer introductions Introductions to buyers – key service  Exporter business missions  Trade missions Must understand buyer characteristics Must understand the commercial issues

Mexico: SREBuyers4 Buyers / Purchasing professionals Well informed Difficult to get access to – cf. large cos Existing suppliers – must replace Demonstrable advantage to product / service Benefits / benefits / benefits Marginal price difference – generally won’t work RFQ – benchmarking IPR with impact on buyers business

Mexico: SREBuyers5 Large companies / OEMs Interested in  Intellectual property  Technology  Design  Logistics  Price (Our trade mission problem. What were buyers interested in?)

Mexico: SREBuyers6 Engineering - Example 1 Two enginering companies  Identical products  Identical machinery  Identical labour costs and raw materials What distinguishes them is:  Design  Technology  Logistics

Mexico: SREBuyers7 Food – Example 2 Two food companies  Identical products  Identical machinery  Identical labour costs and raw materials What distinguishes them is:  Design / brands  Technology  Treacability / ISO Certification / Confidence  Logistics

Mexico: SREBuyers8 A new supplier Buyer will change supplier 1.When it is safe to do so 2.Minimum risk

Mexico: SREBuyers9 Vendor audit New suppliers / Plant inspection Quality control procedures Financials Raw material QC and storage Tracability Manufacturing standards End product QC Security – drawings and IPR

Mexico: SREBuyers10 Access to buyers Senior buyers - very busy Many new vendors seeking attention Appointments – weeks in advance Renumeration based on success of merchandice Decision – concensus  But only in some geographic areas

Mexico: SREBuyers11 Signs of seriousness Speed of communication Willingness to tell you about needs As trust builds:  Divulge more information  Identify preferences  Buying intentions  Buying  Loyalty Process takes time

Mexico: SREBuyers12 Contacting buyers - 1 Local language  English / Spanish / French Phone – AM is best Mobile – OK to talk / re-schedule call Importance of buyer’s assistant or secretary Tel conversations – short and cryptic  Must prepare  Avoid – “No. I’m not interested”

Mexico: SREBuyers13 Contacting buyers - 2 One of many new vendors Majority trained in purchasing techniques  Ask direct questions – blunt  Must pre-empt what these questions are  Have prepared answers Arranged meeting  Confirm by – date, time and location  Copy buyer’s secretary or assistant

Mexico: SREBuyers14 Contacting buyers - 3 Gifts  No Be on time Scheduled call  Use Outlook to remind you. Call on time. Switch off your mobile phone / Not silent Check format of meeting  Insert into Export’s mission document  Large organisations

Mexico: SREBuyers15 Contacting buyers - 4 Send an acknowledgement after meeting Spell buyer’s name correctly!  Incorrect – reflection of quality Give buyer at least 2 names in your company Alert your switch board Correspondence  Acknowledge 24 hrs  Full response later

Mexico: SREBuyers16 s Unsolicited s – spam Ask for permission  Senior buyers – dozens / hundreds of s per day The subject line  Do not use a commercial theme Use individual addresses  Keep message short

Mexico: SREBuyers17 Getting the buyer’s attention - 1 No commercial theme in subject line 1 st sentence  What the exporter does. One or two sentences  Cos may be of no help. Co brochures! 2 nd sentence - benefits  List one or two 3 rd sentence – references 4 th sentence – refer to exporter’s web site  If you are happy with site!

Mexico: SREBuyers18 Getting the buyer’s attention th – State what you want  Appointment  To talk  Show or send samples 6 th – Suggestion for follow-up  You will phone at…… 7 th – Who you are  One sentence about TPO  Do no insert a paragraph  The buyer is not interested in the TPO

Mexico: SREBuyers19 Getting the buyer’s attention - 3 Once dialogue established – send more elaborate info Exporter’s web site – broachures / PDFs  Provided you are happy with quality

Mexico: SREBuyers20 attachments The buyer should expect the attachment No unsolicited attachments Dated, contact, address, tel no, File format Attachment size