I had a discussion with a buyer several days ago.

I contacted a supplier for a product the buyer required and tried to negotiate the price on behalf of my buyer.

The supplier sounded sincere and seemed to be willing to cooperate after I introduced a little bit about this buyer (like this buyer is serious and big buyer).

I wrote to my buyer after talked on phone with the supplier as follows:
From the dialogue, I am condifent that there is flexible in their price.
XXX said, as they didn't know if the specification of their products are same as what you required.They tried to quote a round price.
If you have the pictures or details products information, they can try to work out a better price and send you the samples.
In my view, when the importers are going to give a real order, most of the suppliers are willing to give a better prices to get the ball rolling.

My buyer said the following:
My philosophy is; If the price is not right, there is no order.
I can't get the business or make orders, assuming the factory will give the right price. Right now there are six cans on the water to test from other factories.
If this factory wants to be considered, they can't play games with the price. It just wastes everyone's time.

Then I tried to tell him something about China culture:
When you said,if the price is not right, there is no order, I understood it well.
And this is also quite typical western mind and western way.
So there is culture differences between China and western countries.
In China, most of the suppliers are "flexiable".
When they see a real chance is there, they will be "easier" and flexible to deal with.
If they are happy with the business relationship, they can spend money to treat you as a freind with a nice diner or wonderful gift.
I know this sounds crazy for western people.
Thanks for sharing me with your philosophy.
I try to communicate with my western buyers to know what they think, so i can know how to work well with them, I also try to tell something i know about Chinese cultures.

My buyer replied again:
Dear Jasmine. You understand well. It is just a different point of view. It is the same in the west. The western supplier looks at an account to see how much they can buy. They look for efficiency in production costs by producing larger orders.
The they quote the price. The western buyer studies the market and finds the target cost where he can be competitive and asks for a certain cost. But he may not be able to satisfy the manufacturer's needs for production. It is the same everywhere.

I think this is an interesting topic to discuss and communicate.
Chinese are more flexible in ways.
I understand we Chinese well. Everyday, the sellers receive many inquiries, most of the inquiries are "fake".
So the sellers use a rough quotation(or email format) to reply to those inquries.
When the buyer reply with more details and seems to be their potential buyers, they will pay more attention and work out a better price according to their exact order quantity.
In China, things can be negotiable (most of the time).

Chinese seems like to "bargain" when shoppings.
For example, in some shops, the prices are negotiable, they are some tips there.
When the vendor quote a price, you feel too high to accept, then you plan to go away.The vendor would ask you how much you can go.
After several bargains, the transaction can be done. (waste time and efforts, but it is really funny)

This may sounds crazy for westerners, they just feel being cheated when the vendor sell at a high price then quote a cheaper prices when they want to go.

Because Westerners are "systematic" in ways . When the quotation is not matching, they just delete the supplier from the list.
Although the Chinese supplier may write to them like, we can give a better price when you settle the order quantity and inform me more information about the products.

We can't say which way is correct or wrong. It is just culture differences.And nowadays China links to the world, we need to communicate with each other more and more to overcome the culture shock, not only in the business field.

Dear sir or maderm,I agree with you .As I am a Chiese ,your suggestion is very  good

.I hope we can establish good relationships with each other.Good luck for you !

Yours fathefully!

I agrre whith you very much.Because I like to bargain with peddleries in my life.It is so rifeness in china.

I agree with.Yeah almost everything can be assorted to a few cases.

Sorry ,as a chinese ,I must say it is really a problem of culture shock . Maybe you met some chinese who ask your questions but had not establish the relationship.this does not mean they do not have the sincerity to deal the business.Perhaps they think your conditions is not suitable or other various reasons. So,we should communicate and know each other more and come over the business culture shock together .

shimi wrote:

In the USA if some in a professional business will start bargaining, i have heard the other person say as a joke " what do you think i ama woreor chinese ? "

Now I know why you spelled it "wore". Alibaba doesn't allow the correct spelling. Oh well... But anyway, let's hope this kind of thinking is not so common in the US, because it sounds rather chauvinistic and offensive. There is more to this world than the US and its way of being.

Regarding your other comments, sounds like you had bad luck. What I have found a few times were people whose English was so lousy that for this reason I lost my time, but otherwise people were normally helpful and... willing to negotiate (adapt). Can't see anything wrong with that.

i am agree you said !

but , cultural differences ratahr then the end of internation !

Righti have meet some person,they just ask some question,but they didn't give me a order,and when i want to connect with them ,i can't find or they didn't answer me.

let me learn more and for help to improve my achivement of sales .why not to do this

Nice sharing.

In fact, we ,Chinese do like to bargin in the shopping. And some oversea clients would ask for discount as well!

In my opinion, people would like to go ahead when they taste the sweet.That is why the supplier will just offer a round price(yet no the exact one) at the begining. Then if both sides communicate more and well, competive price will be worked out and even best for large qty!

Therefore, negotiation is need and counts.

Business is same all over the world,going for profit..
Diference is peoples and ways of doing business...