I am Timmy from one of electronic company in china, I always encounter the problem as belows:
New customer require us provide free samples. Usually we do like this: offer sample on receipt of the payment, after they place an bulk order from us, we will return the sample cost, or deduct the payment from the large order. But some of customer cannot accept it. and they insist on free sample.
Certainly, for our old customer, we will offer them free sample once any new products comes in.
Being a suppiler, If a new customer ask you for free sample, what will you do .Dear Friends?
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If your product is standard product ,you should qualify if the buyer is large or small,and what is the potential.
If the potential is large you should bend the rules otherwise western company will think you are a cheap company with no cash resources.
It is common for western company manufacturers to give samples free of charge if the potential is great ,so they cannot understand why you want to charge when it is for your ultimate benefit.
I am in the swimming pool equipment business and recently a chinese company offered me a new alarm system which is in wristwatch form .
The cost of the unit is around $25 and we had the potential to sell 10,000 units per year.
They wanted me to pay the $25 for the sample and i said no.
Our company policy is that we don,t pay for samples.
So they have missed out on $250,000 of business for the sake of $25 ,now that is not smart,it is downright stupidity.
My advice is "EVALUATE THE POTENTIAL" and if it is large you should not charge if they want it for free
2. But if the client would like to pay freight charge, such as give us DHL account, and the sample is not expense, we can offer client sample free.
3. If the client is a real business person. and want to do this kind of products business, they will pay the samples charges and freight
4. For me, there are 90% samples to oversea market are not free. we do stainless steel products.
Aprreciated your faithfully comments on the problem, and I got some very important news from your massage.
I absolutely agree to your ideas, if the customer is valued, we would offer them free samples. and we always do like this.
Where there is a loss, there is a harvest.
I've lost some sample, while got some order from the real customer. If they are really want to buy the product, I thought they wouldn't insist on the stupid requirement, it's nothing compare to the large order.
