If you are a factory, you can focus partially on recruiting agents. It will definitely be easier to find people or companies who are more familiar with the Southeast Asian market than you to help you sell products. As for how to develop agents, you can choose from buyers you have worked with before or find familiar local Chinese as agents. Of course, the requirements for agents must be carefully considered.
Other social platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn, as well as some associations in Southeast Asia, can also be tried to develop clients. There are many ways and techniques to find the one that suits you, and precise research is more important.
Development Strategy for Major Trading Countries
No.1
China is the largest trading partner in ASEAN. The official language of Vietnam is Vietnamese. In addition, French is also very popular. Vietnamese businessmen generally have poor English.
Vietnam's imported products mainly include three categories: capital goods dominated by mechanical equipment (accounting for 30% of the import volume), intermediate products (accounting for 60%), and consumer goods (accounting for 10%). China is the largest supplier of capital and intermediate products to Vietnam. Vietnam mainly imports machinery, equipment accessories, computer electronic parts, textiles, leather shoe raw materials, telephone and electronic parts, as well as transportation vehicles from China.
To do business in Vietnam, you can make more emotional investments with your partners, that is, engage with decision-makers more to establish relationships and smooth relationships. Vietnamese business dealings place great emphasis on personal relationships. For Vietnamese people, being "one's own" or being perceived as "one's own" has absolute benefits, and can even be said to be the key to success or failure. In business in Vietnam, interpersonal relationships are very important, and without popularity, it is difficult to move forward. In business, start by discussing emotions. Vietnamese people attach great importance to etiquette and must walk around during festivals.
To do business with Vietnamese people, it is necessary to personally visit them multiple times in order to see any signs of impending decision-making. Therefore, if making decisions takes longer than expected, don't be disappointed. Because slow decision-making is a characteristic of Vietnamese people. Experienced businessmen believe that if 75% of a trip to Vietnam can proceed as planned, it is considered a great success.
Vietnamese businessmen believe that gifts can highlight the identity of the giver. Usually based on the principle of 'being generous without losing cultural connotations'. Vietnamese businessmen prefer exquisite gifts, with red wine being their first choice, while other foods are generally not given as gifts.
Vietnamese people are greedy for small bargains. If Vietnamese merchants come to visit, they will ask you to arrange accommodation, transportation, meals, and so on; I often attach many additional conditions to the negotiated price and try to be as cheap as possible.
No.2
Hardware and electromechanical products account for half of Thailand's total imports from China. Base metals and products, chemical products, and plastic rubber are the second, third, and fourth largest categories of imported goods.
Thailand is a Buddhist country, and dealing with Thai people requires Buddhist thinking. In addition, they are monarchy countries. Strong sense of superiority and inferiority. (Employees show great respect and obedience to their boss)
The Thai market, in fact, has the issue of credit disbursement in all markets. The Thai credit period is not fixed and can be as long as 180 days, but three months is quite common. (Reminder to Chinese suppliers, generally not very large customers use sight letters of credit or T/T sight copies of bills of lading, and customers accept them.) If the cooperation time is long, we will discuss it again.
In the Thai market, customers are very willing to try new products for compensation. So when new products come out, Thai customers will give them a try and the market will accept recognition. But the popular style still performs well.
Most Thai people are unwilling to engage in business dealings with people they do not know. This is especially true for foreigners who want to sell goods to them. A better solution is to use trade exhibitions or trade delegations to achieve your expected goals. Otherwise, it is necessary to introduce and introduce through a high-level organization or individual who is familiar to both parties. If none of the above methods are successful, it is important to see if you have a friend who works for a company in Bangkok that does not compete with the other party. If there are any, please ask your friend to introduce you on your behalf.
No.3
Electronic and electrical products are the most important imported products, followed by machinery and accessories, and then chemical and chemical products. In the field of agricultural product imports, cereal products (including unrolled wheat, barley, and corn) are the most important imported products. In the field of mineral and fossil fuel imports, crude oil and refined petrochemical products are more imported.
Malay is the national language, English is widely used, and Chinese is widely used. Islam is the state religion. Yellow and black are unpopular colors, and the numbers 0, 4, and 13 are taboo. The most taboo animal among Malaysians is the horse, so try not to mention this issue during conversations. They also abstain from eating pigs and dogs, especially pigs.
In the eyes of Malaysians, discussing business cannot be a serious and serious matter, for them. That's like the end of the world.
It is considered impolite to directly get to the point at the beginning of the negotiation. Negotiations usually start with trivial topics, with each party praising the other party's country, leaders, weather, and products before indirectly entering the main topic of the meeting.
After preliminary talks, the Malaysian businessman would say, "I need to discuss this matter with my partner again," even though he may not have a partner at all. If the negotiating party is gradually pressing, it may actually have a negative impact on Malaysian businessmen, as they never intend to make hasty decisions.
In Malaysia, if you plan to introduce a product or project to a potential partner buyer, they need to make sufficient preparations, have sufficient material backups, sufficient samples, and a detailed plan draft.
Your Malaysian customer is likely to want to keep one or two backups so that they can show the materials to their partners. It is impossible to do business in Malaysia to haggle over every ounce.
No.4
The Chinese people in Singapore, the "country of Chinese descent," are mainly from Fujian, Chaoshan, Guangfu, and Hakka. Most of the people engaged in trade are Chinese from Fujian. The Overseas Chinese have a strong sense of locality. Many people have parents here and brothers there. They are very happy to return to the motherland to do business. Trade with Overseas Chinese and negotiation in dialect can sometimes play a unique role. When encountering a businessman who speaks Chaozhou dialect, the first thing to offer is a Chaozhou dialect that says' don't be polite, my own people ', giving people a feeling of being at home. Other languages such as Cantonese and Dian are also helpful for the progress and success of negotiations.
Singapore is a civilized country, and emphasizing politeness has become their code of action. When conducting trade negotiations in Singapore, it is important to be polite, otherwise it will ruin the opportunity for a transaction. For example, if you cross your legs and face the soles of your shoes towards the customer during negotiations, it will leave a bad impression on Singaporean businessmen. Business activities usually wear white shirts, long pants, and ties. Visiting government offices should still wear suits and coats. Local business people often speak English and exchange business cards when meeting. Business cards can be printed in English. Try not to smoke during the meeting.
Singaporeans are very shrewd in business, with detailed business plans and contract data calculations, and strict requirements for product quality. On the other hand, the reputation of Singaporean businessmen is also very good, and regular companies have little problem making payments.
It is best not to involve domestic political, religious, and ethnic issues in Singapore, the guidelines and policies of the ruling party, and the relationship between Singapore and neighboring countries. It is particularly important to note that Singaporeans have a strong aversion to the phrase 'congratulations on getting rich'. They believe that this sentence carries the meaning of inciting others to make unjust gains and benefiting oneself at the expense of others.
No.5
Filipino businessmen have good English proficiency and a large number of Chinese businessmen, making them a relatively easy emerging market to explore. Many of their habits are similar to those of Americans.
At present, in the consciousness of Filipinos, products produced in China are definitely cheap. Based on the above concepts, many Filipino businessmen, in order to grab rich profits, are willing to substitute inferior products and import low-end products produced in China; In the Philippine market, we have also noticed that products from China are very cheap, but there are quality issues with some products.
Filipino merchants rarely use letters of credit for payment, unless there are no customs duties on the goods. Due to the high tariffs in the Philippines, especially on vegetables and processed meat products, and the loose foreign exchange management system in the Philippines, Filipino merchants generally use payment methods such as prepayment or partial prepayment to avoid tariffs. Therefore, when importing, Filipino merchants require their partners to agree to use the D/P payment method, or use a letter of credit for one-third of the payment, and wire transfer for the rest.
When doing business with the Philippines, it is important to find reputable and strong shipping companies to prevent illegal freight forwarders or shipping agents from colluding with illegal merchants to obtain goods. It is best to find Chinese shipping companies with offices in the Philippines, such as COSCO and China Shipping Company.
As a member of the ASEAN Free Trade Area, the Philippines has achieved zero tariffs in the ASEAN Free Trade Area as scheduled. When doing business with the Philippines, don't forget to use FORM E.
No.6
Most Indonesians believe in Islam, while others believe in Christianity and Catholicism. Don't talk about local politics, socialism, and foreign aid. The best time to go to Indonesia for business negotiations is from September to June of the following year, as most Indonesian businessmen go out for summer vacation in July and August.
Indonesian businessmen attach great importance to the spirit of mutual assistance in the industry, treat people politely, and do not speak ill of others, but it is difficult to become close friends. Once a confidant relationship is established, collaborating with it becomes easier and more reliable. Liking to have people visit their homes is an important characteristic of Indonesian businessmen, and home visits are an effective way to negotiate business with Indonesian businessmen smoothly
Indonesians enjoy bargaining. To avoid unexpected losses, leave special margin when bidding. Due to negotiations often lasting for months or even years, your negotiating partner has enough time to deviate from the initial pricing. A wise negotiator will anticipate these in advance and leave enough bargaining chips.
Compared to Frankfurt or Los Angeles, it takes four to six times longer to make a final decision in Jakarta or Bandung than in the first two cities. When you are preparing to conduct business in these regions, you must first be prepared with sufficient patience.