Do's and Don'ts of Importing and sourcing from China
Importing products from China - please read and practice
1. Don't try to reduce the price unreasonably.
Once the Chinese supplier feels he is not profiting enough but still wants your business he will save on things that will eventually cause you ten times the damage of what you have saved. The supplier will try to cut back on the costs in various and creative ways that will eventually hurt you.
2. Respect the Chinese supplier and view him as a partner rather than an adversary.
Don't patronize and don't insult. Be respectful of his customs and opinions.
3. Don't ignore questions raised by the Chinese supplier.
Usually when the supplier asks to clarify something it means that some points are not clear to him. Ignoring questions and failing in making yourself clear will result in bleak consequences down the road – a needless waste of time, money and energy.
4. Try to make your demands as clear as possible.
Remember well that there isn't always someone on the other side that understands everything you explain, even though he replies to everything with yes, yes, yes. At this stage he wants the contract.
5. Don't assume that everything that is understood by you is also understood by him.
A common error is to think that what we see as white is also seen as such by the other side. Differences in culture can cause misunderstandings, therefore things we hold as self-evident will not always be clear to the other party.
6. Don't underestimate yourself.
You come with knowledge and capabilities that the other side could learn from. Your knowledge equals money for a Chinese partner as well. Therefore, consider that in a way you are helping him as much as he is helping you.
7. Don't present unreasonable demands which will indicate ignorance or lack of experience.
Sometimes we tend to ask for things because the supplier doesn't say anything and we think we can continue making further demands. This is a harsh mistake and the import from China might eventually not occur at all because the supplier will simply break away.
8. Listen to what the supplier tells you.
He has knowledge, experience and capability and knows the market, often as well as you. He could teach you many things you don't know and you should pay close attention. Also be attentive to what is being said between the lines, there is a lot you could learn this way.
9. Even if you speak the language – don't say or show it.
By listening to conversations between the manger and his subordinates or by eavesdropping on their consultations you can learn a lot without exposing yourself. Also, if you indicate that you comprehend the language they will use it to converse with you and then they have the upper hand. Sometimes you might not even understand what is being said.
10. Don't be impatient.
As food is made with love, so importing is made with abundant patience, forbearance and nerves of steel.
And the additional number – often the most important:
Don't make any promises that you can't stand behind of them.
