How to Make Chinese Factory Visits More Successful – Part Two – Making Your Trip Preparations
A thorough trip planning process can increase your chances of success on your trip. While it is contingent on the purpose of your visit, these general guidelines will work for the majority of them.
Is the power on While You’re There?
Chinese factories are required by the government to utilize electric power on two or three days of the week. The government-imposed outage is rotated between factories and factories throughout the week (including Saturdays and Sundays) since demand is greater than supply. There are severe penalties for those who violate the rules. Many factories have bought electricity generators to counter the power shortage, thereby preventing interruptions in production. But, ensure that there is power at the time you visit, or you won’t be able to observe production processes on the spot.
Business Cards are Essential!
They’re light and are able to be used for a long time after you have visited China. So, bring more than you consider necessary. In China, everyone will expect that you hand him at minimum an official business card, and when you’re having a meeting with a lot of individuals, you could hand out several dozen or more at once.
Concerning Cell Phones
I recommend that you consult your provider of cell phones at home to determine if your phone works in Hong Kong and China. Provide your cell phone number to any service provider you have arranged to meet.
The costs for calling Mainland China are extremely expensive, and the majority of visitors purchase a SIM card at a China Mobile retail outlet upon arrival in order to cut down on phone costs. Call charges for calls in Hong Kong are cheaper, but you can also purchase the SIM account from one of the local services.
You will require a digital camera.
Digital cameras are one of the primary tools you’ll need while visiting. There will be numerous opportunities to take photographs of the products, production processes, and quality control operations. This will include close-ups of details that cannot be found in a catalogue. Make sure you carry a spare battery along on hand since you will not be able to charge your battery while travelling between factories. You might also require another memory card in case you do not already have one of these 2-5 GB cards included in your camera.
You’ll need a notebook computer.
If you own an electronic notebook, bring it to each meeting. If you don’t have one, think about purchasing one. The purchase will be worth the cash you shell out to get it.
Your notebook computer will provide you with the information needed for business negotiations as well as allow you to display details about your business and the packaging concept for your products. It also lets you input important information in your discussions without having to take notes on paper. After each day, you can submit this information along with images to the office head.
Home-based colleagues can interact with each other and seek out more information in case something crucial has been missed.
I would suggest a larger capacity battery for notebook computers—a battery that lasts for six hours, or even more. If the type of battery you want isn’t compatible with your particular model, then bring a second fully charged battery.
Your Catalogue for Business
If you’ve got your own catalogue for your business, you can bring several sets with you to the gatherings with the suppliers. According to personal experience, I’ve found that it creates an impression and can help to strengthen the relationship you have with your supplier when you give them a set at the time of your crucial meetings. Keep in mind that you are your brand’s ambassador and will want to represent your business in the best possible image.
Conceptual Design for your Corporate Identity
Making your own identity for your company idea is crucial. After putting in a lot of time and effort in the home, it’s an excellent idea to take it with you and present it to suppliers at your meetings. It improves your impression and aids suppliers to understand the requirements you have.
Drawings, sketches, and Photos are Perfect Methods to provide information to suppliers.
Bring along any drawings, sketches or photographs that clarify the products you want from your supplier. Sometimes, suppliers will inform you where to find the items and can save you a lot of time.
Your Specifications
What is a particular requirement? One example of a specific requirement is a more complicated sales package as well as an instructional manual that is written in multiple languages, which are typically required for Europe.
In the case of electrical appliances, plugs are significant in terms of cost. Plugs made in the British BS plugs are more expensive than the US plug.
Quality Requirements
Your requirements regarding quality are an important cost element. The quality standard you request is determined by the requested Acceptable Quality Level (AQL), which defines the limit of the acceptable process average.
The License and Royalty Fees
Other significant cost elements include license and royalty fees, which have to be discussed with specific suppliers. DVD players/recorders, MP3 Players etc., are some examples.
Your Shopping List
To avoid getting distracted, create a shopping list of products you’re planning to buy. The list should contain at least these details:
Product description
Price of the Target Fob in US$
The quantity of the initial shipment
If you can, estimate your annual amounts
Insisted on the earliest delivery time.
Destination port
Packaging information that is different from normal
The number of samples required
Klaus-Dieter Hanke has been a successful exporter and importer for more than two years. He is the writer of the highly successful eight-ebook collection “Importing into China”.
