Export to China & Far East
I4D specializes in the Asia-Pacific region (the most promising globally), consisting of a mix of economies, from highly advanced to early-stage economies, for more than 3 billion consumers, predominantly young and with rising incomes.
This is the most dynamic area in economic development in the coming years, as evidenced by the speed of these markets’ response to the pandemic emergency.
The opinion of a great connoisseur of China, Alberto Forchielli: “I will go back to China to sell, not to invest.”
Exporting to China: What You Need
Open-mindedness, to confront new cultures and markets and, if necessary, adapt organization and products to the demands of the “new clientele.”
Patience, because the results of an export strategy necessarily are not immediate; all companies present in foreign markets have built their positioning with humility and tenacity; no one has done it in a few months.
Investment, as with any other business improvement.
I4D takes care of everything else. We assist the company in the entire internationalization process or only in certain aspects. Depending on the needs, the service is “tailor-made” according to the objectives, product, business organizational level, as well as the time and budget allocated to the project.
A Pathway in 4 Steps
We often see companies that, wanting to export to China and Asia, start their campaign by attending an international trade fair. Good impression, several visits to the booth and feeling of many opportunities. Back in Italy, the first week 10 emails with contacts, the second 5, and then nothing more.
Attendance, booth, travel for a couple of people: a ten thousand euro investment but. in the end, no return.
Asia is a promising market, but huge and distant, physically and as a mindset. Exporting to China and the Far East is certainly possible, but it is necessary to plan actions and timing, otherwise it will be easy to waste time and money.
I4D has the experience of 15 years of missions, from India to New Zealand. Dozens and dozens of trade shows visited, contacts in almost every Asia-Pacific country.
A network of reliable local contacts, a prerequisite for finding the most suitable partners to ensure the success of any internationalization plan.
Careful planning is essential to avoid wasting time and wasting money. An analysis of market data and import volumes is conducted to identify countries with the most opportunities; in addition, the most significant competitors and local fairs are identified. Local employees in different countries are educated on product and company characteristics and activated to find compatible distributors and partners.
After approval of the contact list, the local staff identifies a relevant person in the potential distributor's organization (owner, general manager, head of purchasing, etc.) and contacts him or her by telephone to propose cooperation. Interested parties are sent documentation and presentations about the company and product. After a few days, they are called back for follow-up and, if interest is confirmed, an appointment is scheduled.
The mission to the countries you want to penetrate is a key moment in the process, both because personal acquaintance is essential to doing business in Asia, but also to get a firsthand sense of the actual structure of the potential partner (often very different from its website!) and its compatibility with the goals of the Italian company. Where appropriate, the first negotiation of partnership terms takes place. This phase, because of its sensitivity, is always conducted personally by the I4D administrator.
Failure to properly follow up with newly acquired distributors means undoing all the work done. The signing of the agreement is only the first step; the relationship must be carefully nurtured until the relationship is solidified. Depending on need, I4D Consulting can manage the business relationship for a short period, taking care that the transition to the client's internal structure goes smoothly, or manage it longer on an outsourced basis in a manner to be determined on a case-by-case basis.
