How Do Top Salespeople Secure International Trade Orders? Three Tips to Win Over Foreign Clients

In international trade, it's common to encounter clients who seem interested for months but disappear without a trace when it's time to finalize the order. The market is full of diverse client types—such as retailers, distributors, and contractors—each with different needs, making it difficult to cater to them accurately. Additionally, clients often push for price reductions, and with insufficient negotiation skills, profits may be eroded. To address these issues, we can focus on three key areas: customer profiling, client follow-up strategies, and handling price objections, all of which will help facilitate successful international trade orders.

1. Decision-Making Process and Customer Profiling

(1) Foreign Trade Process

1. Opportunity Acquisition: Start by researching the client's background to understand their company and individual situation, which helps assess the credibility of their inquiries. Using tools like Tendata's customs data, you can analyze the client's purchasing history, product categories, order volumes, and sustainability, which allows you to identify their potential purchasing power and create a tailored strategy for initial communication.

>> Use Tendata for Client Research <<

2. Quoting Strategy: When the client's needs are clear, provide a detailed quote. For potential clients or those with unclear requirements, sending a product catalog first can help avoid early price reductions, keeping your final offer under wraps.

3. Samples and Test Trade Orders: After initial agreement, send samples for testing. Once the client provides feedback, move forward with a small trial order to gauge market response.

4. Order Confirmation: Once both parties agree on product specifications, contract terms, and payment methods, the client signs off, and the process moves to mass production and delivery.

(2) Customer Profiling

Using Tendata's customs data, you can develop precise client profiles to better understand their buying habits and business scale, increasing the likelihood of closing international trade orders. Here's a brief look at different client types:

>> Use Tendata to Analyze Customer Profiles <<

1. Retailers (Focused on finished products, small volume): For example, Amazon sellers. These clients purchase in small quantities but frequently, focusing on hot-selling items and quick delivery times.

2. Distributors (Focused on finished products, large volume): For example, trading companies. They buy in large quantities, are price-sensitive, and value stable supply and product variety.

3. Designers or Small Contractors (Focused on customization, small volume): These clients have specific design requirements, purchase infrequently, but demand unique products and flexibility.

4. Contractors (Focused on customization, medium volume): Such as hotel or school contractors, they seek comprehensive solutions and are moderately price-sensitive.

5. Large Buyers (Focused on customization, large volume): Retail giants like Walmart or IKEA require strict quality standards, complex processes, and prioritize product quality, delivery schedules, and after-sales service.

2. Customer Development, Follow-Up, and Negotiation Strategies

(1) Opportunity Classification

After gathering client information, it’s essential to categorize inquiries. These can range from non-priority leads to high-potential inquiries. Treating each category differently can lead to better success rates in converting inquiries into international trade orders. For high-priority leads, respond quickly with precise quotes to maximize your chances.

(2) Avoid "Three Good" Descriptions

Many salespeople like to describe products as offering "good quality, good price, good service." However, such vague statements rarely impress clients. Instead, address the client's pain points and use actual data and advantages to personalize your presentation, improving communication effectiveness.

(3) Improve Communication Skills

The key to building lasting relationships and securing international trade orders lies in effective communication. Successful salespeople move beyond basic quoting and pricing discussions, using probing questions to uncover the client’s true needs. Establishing trust through consistent, transparent communication will ultimately lead to long-term partnerships and repeat international trade orders.

3. How to Handle Price Objections

(1) Understand Client Price Pressure

Price objections are a natural part of securing international trade orders and don't necessarily indicate dissatisfaction with the product. It’s important to stay confident in your product’s value and positioning.

(2) Price Negotiation Strategy

In price negotiations, it's important to gauge the client's psychological price point and make moderate concessions while showcasing your strengths. This way, clients feel they've secured a favorable deal. Tendata's customs data can help you analyze the client's past purchase prices, allowing you to accurately predict their price expectations.

>> Use Tendata to Understand Client Purchase Prices <<

By mastering customer profiling and effectively using follow-up and negotiation strategies, salespeople can maximize their opportunities at trade shows and improve their success rate in closing international trade orders.