Customer have several types .Some will only talk about the business with you ,in this situation, it is good and easy to get the order.

Some would become the friends of you ,most of your time would spend on talking other things not business.Then both of you become the good friend,but no order.

hhhhhhhhhhh,really interesting,so what type of person you are ,are you still thinking to make good relations with your  customer then it would be easy to get the order?

Waiting for ur opinion

Replying to [Shufen jie]:Towards factory I am a client, and to client I am a supplier,

firstly I would like to share how I deal with client.
To clients I only talk about “business”, because clients are in the side of “upper hand”, I could not try to make it equal or free, I must show my cautiousness and respect to client, if client want to ask something more about my personal issue , I would answer, but I will never intentionally to tell about own things and ask his personal issues. Because I could not waste client time to make “ friendship”, clients time and problems are considered top priority than to “win friendship from him”

Towards suppliers
I show much respect to supplier to win their respect, but I never allow real friendship to happen in my business, because otherwise I could not make it justice and honest. but always make some jokes, talk a bit rubbish sometimes could make the supplier feel easy and good..

To be honest, sometimes we could find some people we appreciate and like, but that’s all, I don’t think I will treat them as very close friend, but I will only show appreciation.

In one word, business is business, whatever I did in business affairs only for “business’ no personally “friendship” involved…

Replying to [heshelleyatgmaildotcom]
I would prefer to be a friend with my clients and at the same time build up business relationship with them.
I beleve that we can be good friends when we do business each other. Sometimes, You will find the clients are very good, nice people to going with.

Replying to [Shufen jie]:

My view, to customer or supplier we have to create an ambient and a good enviroment to develop the relationship for easy dealing in the future. To get an order or not it doesn't matter. If you don't get the order but you are close to your customer then it is easy for you to ask him/her why. From there you can improve. Maybe the pricing or your products doesn't suit the customer but if you are close with them and keep in contact, one day when they have something that suit you I'm sure you'll be the one they'll be looking for first.
There is a saying "it is not what you know that is important, it is whom you know is important"

Replying to [Shufen jie]:
I have also encountered this same kind of situation, it's important to always keep the relationship with other person professional (never disclose personal issues), sometimes we don't know the true motives of the person trying to contact us, maybe it's to gather competitive information on the kinds of services and/or products that we are offering (i.e. pricing etc.) so that they can enhance their own business operations, I guess the best advice that I can offer to my fellow Alibaba.com members is to be careful and think "why is this person trying to contact me and what is their possible motives", we must be careful in the field of international trade and finance because their are a lot of highly-intelligent criminals out their who enter our lives with a well-planned motive to steal the things we have all worked so hard for in our lives.

If you meet someone online, it has hard to become both friend and business partner, I think.

However, when I meet someone socially, we often become friends, and then later start doing business. But I never make friends with someone just to do business later.

Replying to [.......]:

Haha, Very Funny, I want to write it too.

First You mention them as Foreignors, Right!

so If you officially name them as your friends,
how much time could you spend with them,
and what are something you can do with them
if you are off the internet.......

I have met "Old "foreign teachers in Beijing,
and I m writing to them when they are out of China...

they are a good mentor, but still not be a friend...

and I have met more foreignors in our church,
we would greet each other for the god's sake....
We are still not that close as friends.

Finally I would talk about two foreignors....

One is from Iraq, I met him occasionally
in the same shop buying something.....

one is from Yiwu Fair, I met him and
told the right way to find a Taxi...

They are both my friends,
who never pay me cash,but get me
to dinner and send me some clothes made in their country.....


But I m very happy....

For bizness,
We have to treat some clients best
as ouor boss requested.
When we met some clients hard to talk,
who only command you get he wanted,saying you
stupid or something,could you see them as friends??

But He is your boss's client and you are working for your boss.

So it is always nice to meet someone
who you can share a talk.....

No matter in biz or social life

Replying to [jo8chinaETyahoocom]:yeah ,u are right,we should cherish everyone who can talk with us,for we can share the idea

Replying to [heshelleyatgmaildotcom]:hmmm, agree with you ,business is business,great! if we can treat our customers like friends ,I think it will be good .and can provide us more chances to get the orders ,because lots of people think friend is honest and friendly .so do business needs some friendship .