Moments in Trade
If you've done it, you'll nod. If you haven't, you'll get it.
A 25-person Taiwanese bicycle parts exporter: preparing for a trade show, getting haggled down, changing orders, chasing suppliers, and answering the email about one missing carton. It happens every day, but rarely gets written down. Here are 23 of those moments.
The people
Chairman LinSecond-generation ownerLoves high-mountain tea. Talks slowly, counts fast. Most afraid of taking an order the company can't deliver.
A-ZheSalesHandles a dozen-plus overseas customers alone. His lunch box always goes cold next to the keyboard.
A-MeiPurchasing and production planningHer notebook beats the system, and she's LINE friends with the sales rep at every parts factory.
Hsiu-ChinAccountingMonth-end catchphrase: "Which order does this invoice belong to?"
Xiao-YuNew hireJust out of military service. Gasps at the file names in the shared folder.
JonasBuyer at a German customerCareful with money and great at haggling. One line, "the booth next door is 30% cheaper," keeps A-Zhe busy.All moments
Getting ready
The trade show
Catching new customers
On the road
Sourcing
New to trade? What does one deal take?
In the order a deal goes. For each document, there is an episode that shows when it comes up.
- CatalogWhat you sell, the book you show the other sideRead #1
- Price list and trading termsWho sees which price, on what termsRead #2
- InquiryWhat they want to buy, and how muchRead #5
- QuotationThe price and terms you offerRead #7
- Proforma invoice (PI)What both sides agreed; they pay and order against itRead #4
- Change historyWho changed what, and whenRead #10
- Purchase order (PO)Order in hand, you source from your suppliersRead #14
- Packing list, commercial invoice, bill of ladingWhat the goods need before they leaveRead #18
Do these moments happen at your company too?Talk to us and see which parts Patisco can take on.
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