Several insights from AAK, about a hydraulic manifold manufacturer with a "Chinese style" mindset in foreign trade

There is a hydraulic cartridge valve manufacturer engaged in valve foreign trade. Recently, they had some inquiries about hydraulic cartridge valves, but after replying, the customer had no further information. For foreign trade operations that he doesn't understand, he usually asks me for help. The hydraulic cartridge valves and hydraulic manifolds produced by AAK, have been exported for 13 years, and in his heart, AAK is his benchmark. I asked him, how did your salesperson respond to customer emails? According to the manufacturer of the hydraulic cartridge valves, the communication is like below:

Customer A: I am very interested in your MP08-30. Can you send me your price?

Reply from the manufacturer of the hydraulic cartridge valves: Please inform us of your quantity?

Customer B: Do you have inventory of MP08-30? I want to buy 2 samples for testing first.

Reply from the manufacturer of the hydraulic cartridge valves: Can you tell me your email address or WhatsApp number?

Perhaps someone may ask, is there anything wrong with the replies to these two inquiries? In the eyes of experienced sales personnel from many hydraulic manifold manufacturers in China, the reply is normal and has no problems. This is actually a typical Chinese style of thinking.

The sales of hydraulic manifold manufacturers, and even most experienced sales bosses of hydraulic manifold manufacturers, believe that there is a good price for good quantity, and that price optimization for big quantity is quite popular in China. So, salespeople are often tied down by this domestic trade mindset. For the question 'how many do you want', most foreign buyers are averse to the reply and question like this. From his perspective, the hydraulic manifold manufacturer did not give me a price, nor did they tell me about the hydraulic manifold functions and performance, nor did they express some of the characteristics, advantages, or professionalism of the hydraulic manifold manufacturer itself. So, the salespeople of hydraulic manifold manufacturers should not be constrained by many fixed trade thinking in China. Apply this mindset to foreign buyers, and they will ignore you. Some very realistic ideas and cultures may not be a problem for Chinese people, but when applied to foreign buyers, it may be counterproductive. Therefore, in the view of hydraulic manifold manufacturer AAK, the correct order should be: first, introduce the hydraulic manifold manufacturer AAK before a quotation, then go to the specific details of the inquired products (such as parameters, functions, performance, selling points, etc.), and finally return to the price link or quantity inquiry, so that the buyer feels much more comfortable.

For customer inquiries left on the internet, such as those from customer B of the hydraulic cartridge valve manufacturer mentioned above, many buyers do not often log in to the platform to read the replies of the hydraulic cartridge valve manufacturer. Therefore, the salesperson immediately asks the buyer to provide their email or WhatsApp and other contact information for follow-up. At first glance, there is no problem. In China, telemarketing is quite common. If one day a salesperson calls you to promote a product, describes the product letter, and asks you for other contact information such as QQ or WeChat, are you willing to give it? Similarly, in the eyes of foreign buyers, it is indeed inappropriate for you to ask them for other contact information in a very abrupt manner. Many foreign buyers, some of their contact information is personal, and their communication with you now is based on work. They distinguish work and personal life very clearly, and they do not want you to disturb them during their non work hours.

The foreign trade salesperson of a hydraulic manifold manufacturer should not immediately ask for the buyer's other contact information, but can first have preliminary communication with the buyer, accept your products and services, and let the buyer have a certain interest in you before naturally asking for their contact information. He would be more willing to give it to you.

On the foreign trade path of hydraulic manifold manufacturers, they often encounter buyers who say they have found same or similar products from other hydraulic manifold manufacturers, and the prices are lower than yours. At this point, most hydraulic manifold manufacturers replied: 'You get what you pay for, our quality is better. That company's quality is not good, and this low price is definitely for products with quality issues.'. This is also a typical Chinese way of thinking in foreign trade, and 99% of the time this explanation may not have any effect.

Firstly, their prices are lower than yours. To prove that your product has better quality and more complete performance, you need to provide evidence, facts, or customer cases. The truth that facts speak louder than words is understood by both Chinese and Western people. Secondly, many foreign buyers do not like one supplier very much who slanders the product quality of another supplier, which in their view is a particularly despicable business competition behavior.

In the final analysis, these foreign trade responses mentioned above are all constrained and influenced by fixed thinking, and most hydraulic manifold manufacturers find it difficult to jump out of it on the foreign trade path. Hydraulic manifold manufacturers use these ideas to communicate with buyers, especially Western customers, and there is basically no response.

Whether hydraulic cartridge valve manufacturers or hydraulic manifold manufacturers, there are some very unprofessional and old-fashioned phenomena in domestic trade. For example, the delivery time of the manufacturer is not guaranteed, the promised delivery time of the manufacturer is 4 weeks, and the actual delivery time is more than 10 days. For example, when you confirmed the quote and placed an order, this hydraulic manifold manufacturer will increase the price for you, or another hydraulic manifold manufacturer mentioned material cost increase and need a new price.

Hydraulic manifold manufacturer AAK in Ningbo China, on the road to foreign trade, understands rules and adheres to integrity.

AAK HYDRAULIC VALVES (707) 2023-11-04