FAQ

In this section, our experts will answer the most frequently asked questions about issues related to the Chinese market.

Why during trade fairs in China it is so easy to make contacts, but so hard to get follow-ups ?

Chinese importers, even before the price and the product, seek a personal relationship with their suppliers. It is nearly impossible to build a business in China without a relationship of mutual trust. And building trust takes time. Even if all the requirement for a successful business are met, it’s really rare to start selling immediately. In such cases the alternatives are to be patient, or else to find a subject within the network of the customer who can vouce for us.

Which subjects are suitable to vouce for us?

Anyone who is already part of the network of our importer may be a potential candidate. However agreeing to act as guarantor for someone is a big responsibility. From that moment on the importer will demand on the guarantor to solve any problem he was unable to resolve directly with the supplier.

Is it a good practice to give samples at trade shows?

Before taking such decision, some evaluations are needed. In the first place it's better to make sure that whoever is in front of you it’s actually a business operator. It is not uncommon to meet people who make "shopping" at trade shows pretending to be someone else, maybe holding a business card collected from the ground. A good conversation can help. Second, if the person in front of you is really an operator, he will most likely be willing to receive samples in any other way. But above all, before giving the sample lightly, think about how much effort and money it costed them to get there.

My importer speaks a passable English, but by email we have a hard time understanding each other, why?

It's good to know English email are written in 90% of cases by translators, usually language students hired for fixed term and with little or no knowledge of the sector. Even in the case in which the importer speaks some English. So, even assuming that these students have a good knowledge of English -which is not to be taken for granted- translations are often inaccurate when it goes to details.