elidatrading (68 points)
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Just a hint or two from a retailer in the UK who has imported from China several times, from four different suppliers. We're not in a position to order right now but we do often get approached by Chinese companies and we do hope to be ordering later in the year. You're most welcome to send me a price list, but please read the below first.
1. When you send your initial approach, tell us the prices, don't make us write back to ask what they are, we want to know straight away.
2. Tell us the prices you actually want. We don't do negotiation well in the West. If you tell us a price that is too high you simply won't hear from us. If you actually want $20 for a particular item and hope you might get $40, don't tell us it's $100, we won't come back and say "I'll give you $10 for it" in order to start negotiations, we'll just go elsewhere. We are well aware that the price will vary according to how many we buy, but equally, the amount we order will depend on the price you quote. Give us a basic price and specify quantity discounts, that's the way we like to do things.
3. If we ask you if you can do something (such as provide a case to a particular specification) and you can't, please say no. It is infuriating when we ask a question and the supplier just doesn't reply, in the end we will give up asking and look elsewhere.
4. Please don't keep nagging us. If you send us a price list and we don't reply it's because either we do not have the money to order at the moment (in which case we will have your details filed for the future) or because you do not sell what we want, or because your prices are too high. Especially, please don't call us on the phone to try to persuade us to buy, it has the opposite effect! If you want us to remember you, just send us an email whenever you update your website - and do keep your website updated!
Sorry for the rant, we just find it very difficult to deal with China because of the cultural difference, and the fact is that there are an awful lot of Chinese sellers out there. We'll deal with the ones that give the best deal and make it easiest for us.
We greatly admire the Chinese work ethic and the way the quality of products increases year on year. We do want to deal with China. We just need you suppliers to make it easy for us to deal with you, that's all!
Liz
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