Attracting and winning a buyer is the main goal of each company whether doing marketing for domestic market and/or International. Buyer can only be attracted and won if you can satisfy his business and psychological needs. Following 10 ideas have been designed to help you to attracting and winning overseas buyers.

1..Focus on first impression

 

First impression is the last impression. You can make your 1st impression effectively with the help of marketing communication tools like company Profile, Sales letter, Product Catalogue, Brochures, Website etc. Design and prepare your marketing communication tools informative and appealing that can impress and influence buyer's decision to start communication with you.

2..Create visibility

Create maximum online and offline visibility using informative and appealing communication tools so that whenever require, buyer can easily find you. You can create online visibility by posting company profile, product information and trade leads with images in maximum B2B portals, directories and search engines. Be sure that your company can be ranked in top of the search results with your products/services related keywords. Use SEO techniques for getting top rankings of your website in various search engines. Also participate in trade fairs, exhibitions, catalogue shows that will give your company offline visibility and live contacts with prospective buyers.
 

3..Be Trust Worthy

Doing business with overseas buyers always ask for trust. While doing business with overseas supplier, buyer checks for supplier reliability through various sources and personal insights. Though trust can be built by experience only but initial trust can be build by using various resources like using paid features of well known B2B portals like Trust pass of Alibaba, credit rating agencies, accreditation standards, membership of associations etc. You can be trustworthy and reliable among the buyers by genuine offerings and sticking to your commitments.

 

4..Effective communication

 

Communication plays a major role in attracting and winning the buyers. Whether you are approaching buyer first time and/or for further communication on buyer's inquiry, your communication should be enough effective and professional. Below are the few simple tips for effective and professional communication with overseas buyers.

•  Be fluent in writing and speaking English language as it is widely used business language in International trade. However to write and speak English as per buyer's understanding level is recommended. Knowledge of buyer's country's language will give you additional advantage.

• Do not use business jargons instead use simple and easy to understand English words
  
• Always use proper subject tagline, salutation, and mention your complete contact information in all communication messages.
  
• Give only subjective reply by understanding buyer's requirements
  
• Respond buyer's inquiries, queries in time without much delay.
• Mention dates of past communications if any for quick recall and references
  
• Do not spam

 

5..Understand needs of buyer

Understanding buyer's needs and satisfy it successfully is a key to win the buyer. Once you receive inquiry from buyer, read it carefully and understand his needs in regards of qty, quality, specifications, business terms and others if any. Make offer and give feedback accordingly. Do not stick to your terms of qty, quality, price and other business terms. Make a smart negotiation with buyer to convince him for your terms if not possible for you to accept his terms.

 

6..Make an irresistible offer

 

Always try to offer better than your competitor in case of offerings, it can be best product with best quality, competitive prices, suitable business terms, attractive packaging, promotional materials or affordable free gifts or in form of after sales services. Develop right export marketing strategies after understanding target market’s needs and situation. This will help you to make an irresistible offer that gives competitive advantage to buyers. Also create value for money for the buyers by highlighting unique selling proposition of your product/service.

7..Punctuality

Always be punctual in replying when ever you receive any inquiry from the buyer. Your quick and timely response will create positive and professional image of yours in buyer’s mind which will make him more interested to communicate further with you.  Also stick to your committed deliverables, timelines and promises. 

 

8..Live contact

 

Be in live contact with buyers through chat and phone. It will make communication faster and cost effective for both buyer and seller to understand each other and take decision faster. Consider buyer's country time zone while calling him. Take care of buyer's convenience for chat and/or phone conversation.

9..Business Etiquette

 

In virtual business environment where you have not met the buyers personally it is very important to create your professional image by following virtual business etiquettes while communicating online by email/chat or by phone and meeting personally. Follow business etiquettes of buyer’s country that will really help you to win buyer.

10..Be Friendly

 

Be friendly with your buyer. You can win your buyer and can build long term business relations with him if can build friendly relation with him. Always address by his/her name with proper salutation while communicating, this will give personalized feelings. Keep in mind your buyer's country culture and wish them on their special occasions like main festivals, new years etc. Give buyer a friendly treatment when he visits you and try to make meeting memorable. Use friendly language while communication with buyer’s on chat or phone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

dear Sir, Many thanks for your good article. It helps me. thanks again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

dear Sir, Many thanks for your good article. It helps me. thanks again.

good , thanks a lot . i have learned much

Dear Mr.Azaz,Motiwala,

Thanks for your article.It's really useful for me who get more information from your article.

Good article!

Hi Azaz


How do we win the Overseas Market Successfully? and to boost the Buyer confidence that they need to launch a education process to open up the market in their respective countries.


Conditions:  My product is considered as a fast selling consumer product, and has good margin for buyers, and yet the difficulty in penetrating overseas market is that there is a need for changing the mindset of the consumer.


We have a couple of buyers on and off, who buy small quantity for trial in their countries, however without sufficient education to the consumer the product are left on the store.


Currently we did a successful internet campaign and dominate the entire google search keywords for the product category, but it does not help in overseas sales.


thanks in advance for your advice.

Quoting from [francis teo]:


Hi Azaz



How do we win the Overseas Market Successfully? and to boost the Buyer confidence that they need to launch a education process to open up the market in their respective countries.



Conditions:  My product is considered as a fast selling consumer product, and has good margin for buyers, and yet the difficulty in penetrating overseas market is that there is a need for changing the mindset of the consumer.



We have a couple of buyers on and off, who buy small quantity for trial in their countries, however without sufficient education to the consumer the product are left on the store.



Currently we did a successful internet campaign and dominate the entire google search keywords for the product category, but it does not help in overseas sales.



thanks in advance for your advice.

internet campaign will not work to create awareness among end users(consumers) at this stage. Go for offline campaign like print media adv., sampling etc. to create awareness of your products among consumers.Once you could succeed in  creating demand from consumers, your distributor will start buying from you in bulk and regularly.


Recommendation


-Conduct Market research in each target countries for consumer and competitive analysis

-Develop marketing strategies according to research findings

-Choose right distribution channel

-Focus on consumer behavior and branding

-Take expert's help to execute all above functions if you can not do it by own

Nice article. If you like please feel free and see Procurement Professionals 5000+ on LinkedIn. Not for recruiters and sales.

Best regards,

Paul R. Bouwman

Hi Azaz



One last question for this category, is there a checklist for choosing the right Buyer?


Usually the Buyer will be choosing their supplier, and in fact we as the supplier are also choosing them.



At the current moment, I dont simply use my gut feeling to do the choosing for me, or use the first come first serve method. One problem with my product is that it requires registration in a particular country and the Buyer himself has to pay for the registration fee and such before importation begins. Sometimes, I have to choose between which Buyer that I can give the task to... cos the Buyer will become exclusive importer to the country,



I require a more systematic way of choosing the Right exclusive Buyer ... Being Big company doesnt mean that they will be hungry to push the sales.   Being small company with only a few products means they are more hungry to get the right sales target ....

Dear Azaz Motiwala , Many thanks for your nice advices, I will try to do my business in the future accordingly , thanks again!