2024 Business Trip to Europe: Building Trust with "Giants"

Lia Zhang and Xiaofei Li visited clients in Europe some time ago, and Lía later shared this part of her experience with us.

Getting to know Europe for the first time

Lía: "I don't know everyone's impression of Europe. My impression of Europe is that the economy is developed and the price acceptance is high. Take my current European orders as an example, such as flange products, there are very good cases of cooperation in Europe, and the feedback from customers is also very good. Therefore, I think Europe is a market worth exploring, and this visit will be very smooth. We were very excited before we left and took a group photo with the team." This is Lía's first impression of Europe and her good expectations.

Challenges in visiting

"Our business trip started in France and traveled through Italy, Germany, Holland, Belgium and then back home. However, at the first stop in France, Europe gave us a run for our money." Lía shared with us the challenges the SMLSCO team encountered in Europe.

"It was the first customer we visited in France, and we were passive throughout the communication, with the customer saying that there was an 18 to 20-point difference between our price and his target price, which was a bit frustrating for both Phoebe and me."

During later visits, Lía and Phoebe found that European customers were very professional, knew the Chinese market inside out, had transparent pricing, were mostly price and payment-oriented, and were very loyal to their existing suppliers. The market was much more difficult than expected. Nevertheless, Lía and Phoebe didn't give up and adjusted their mindset to keep moving forward.

"We try to show our sincerity and effort when dealing with some customers who do not want to see us. For example, on one visit when a customer we had made an appointment with refused to see us, we still went to the customer's location, left samples and gifts, and asked the warehouse staff to pass them on. We also face doubt from our clients. During a successful meeting with a customer and a presentation of our advantages, the customer questioned the difference between us and other suppliers. When faced with this situation, we provided a detailed chain of evidence to prove to the client that we do have a unique advantage. " Lía shared with us her response plan when faced with client rejection.

Lía's growth

It was Lía's first time to visit abroad, and the journey was new and meaningful for her. Lía says: "As a newcomer visiting abroad for the first time, I was under a lot of pressure. When I started visiting clients, Phoebe was the main speaker, but I didn't want to miss out on the opportunity to grow, so I took the initiative to communicate with the clients. Despite the nervousness and pressure I felt, I gradually overcame my nervousness after practicing and reviewing, and made some progress, which was a great feeling!"

Summarizing

"European customers are as professional and powerful as giants, we can't compare with them in terms of height, but we can compare in terms of flexibility. We are willing to start with small orders, build trust, and move through gradually. It is a long and arduous process, but we are confident that we can do it well." At the end of the sharing, Lía summarized in this way.

The above is the harvest of the SMLSCO team's business trip to Europe, let's work together, walk with the "giants", and open up a broader market.