From Reactive to Proactive: Adapting International Business to Post-Pandemic Realities

Ever since China's opening and reform began over 40 years ago, international trading has seen continuous growth and development. Most businesses readily took advantage of this momentum, with many achieving significant growth with minimal effort. However, the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted this dynamic.

Upon reflection, we can see that many businesses followed a simple path of passive product promotion through limited channels, waiting for potential clients to reach out to them. In the earlier days, tens of thousands of overseas merchants would travel to Guangzhou for the Canton Fair to converse with exhibitors, many of whom had limited English. However, the emergence of the internet has changed this dynamic.

The advent of email and instant messaging dramatically improved communication efficiency and lowered cost. Fax machines became less commonly used for business activities. The channel of promotion was transformed by the emergence of B2B platform websites such as Globalsources, Alibaba, and Made-in-China, as well as search engines like Yahoo, Google, and Bing. This shift led people to search for suppliers on the internet, avoiding the need to visit physical exhibitions, and meet vendors virtually anytime, anywhere, and in the most efficient manner.

Despite these advancements, promotions and communication with suppliers have one thing in common - a reactive approach to buyer requests. While referred to as "active," this approach is technically reactive. Suppliers seldomly visit entirely new prospects, instead relying on connected clients. They rarely proactively prospect ideal clients.

The pandemic has disrupted everything, including physical industry exhibitions, with no clear timeline for when they will resume, and when visitors will feel safe enough to travel and attend them. Cross-continental in-person visits have also been suspended indefinitely. While some business people are eager to rush out, most are reluctant to travel, and accept incoming visitors. With these challenges at hand, how can we sustain and grow our businesses?

Fortunately, technology has emerged and matured with the significant changes caused by the pandemic. Virtual visiting and video conferencing have enabled us to converse with current clients and new prospects. Moreover, through table research, we can prospect more, converse more, and act more, even if we cannot go to on-site locations temporarily. This change has prompted a shift from a passive, following-up business approach to a proactive, developing-in journey.

It is both the worst and the best of times. The only difference lies in how we perceive and pursue matters - proactively.