General

Foreign trade inquiry, also known as inquiry, refers to the process in which one party to a transaction verbally or in writing inquires about the transaction conditions in order to purchase or sell a certain commodity. The content can be complex or simple, and you can only inquire about the price or other relevant transaction conditions. Although inquiries themselves do not have legal binding force, they are a method of contacting customers and an important means for us to investigate and explore market dynamics.

The response to foreign trade inquiries is a profound knowledge for most foreign trade professionals. With good mastery, it is easy to win customers. However, for those new foreign trade professionals who have only a limited understanding, they often encounter problems such as "low quality inquiries" and "no conversion of inquiries", which makes them particularly difficult. In response to this situation, today Xiaozhijun will share with you some experience in foreign trade inquiries. By organizing the work through process and steps, we will teach you step by step to narrow the distance with customers on inquiries.

01 Determine customer identity

Communicate with different people with different priorities. In international trade, facing different customers, we also need to have different response plans. Therefore, when receiving inquiries, we should try to obtain favorable information from the inquiries, in order to clarify the customer's identity. Generally speaking, overseas buyers are divided into large factories, purchasers, intermediaries, traders, intermediaries, sellers, and individual businesses.

If it is a salesperson who does not have much decision-making power, their job is mainly to conduct preliminary screening and report to the person in charge. Therefore, when making inquiries, they are usually conservative and have enough energy and time to communicate with us. Then, they can talk more about other topics and gradually become familiar with them. They can help us focus on recommendations, and even use certain methods to obtain the contact information of the person in charge through them;

If they are procurement managers, they are relatively more direct when sending inquiries. They hold the purchasing power, but are not the boss. On the one hand, they make them trust you and believe that your quality will not make their decisions complained by the boss. On the other hand, they let them know that working with you, whether it is for their company or themselves, will bring many benefits;

For bosses, they are decision-makers, and when communicating with them, they can try to discuss at an industry level. For example, the situation of the entire industry; The situation of his competitors, etc; Your product can help reduce operating costs and save labor; It can ensure the smooth operation of the company with stability, sustainability, and high quality; Can help him win the market or something At this point, it is important to enter the topic directly and provide comprehensive answers to the other party's questions. Try not to send a second letter to accomplish things that can be done in one letter, so that they can fully understand our product information and have a deep understanding of our product. When they are more suitable, they are likely to place an order directly with us.

02 Clarify buyer needs

Understanding is the foundation of communication, and carefully understanding the questions and needs of inquiries is often more important than responding promptly.

Firstly, we need to carefully review the inquiry content and list the customer's questions in detail. Don't blindly pursue response speed and ignore the customer's questions. Answer and reply gradually, so that the customer can get a clear answer to their questions and greatly improve their impression of you.

Secondly, when we receive inquiries from customers, we definitely need to ask them some procurement questions, such as their requirements and services. However, some of the questions are already stated by the customers in the inquiry, and we should also be careful not to repeat the inquiries. Otherwise, you may not respect the customers enough, and the customers may not have the patience to answer you repeatedly.

Furthermore, when facing customers, we need to learn to empathize and think about their thoughts. Only by looking at the problem from the customer's perspective can we obtain the best solution. When responding, we should also think about the context in which the customer asked you this question, and if you are a customer, what kind of response would you like to receive.

03 Start responding to inquiries

This step is also the most crucial one, as different types of inquiries require different responses.

The first type of inquiry (priority processing inquiry): has the recipient's title; Clearly inform you of the products you are interested in and request a quotation, which may include quantity, specifications, packaging, origin, quality standards, delivery time, provision of relevant certificates, port of arrival, etc., indicating that they are sincere in purchasing goods; Briefly introduce their company background, indicating that they are interested in arousing your interest and willing to let you know more about them.

Buyers who send such inquiries must have a very clear and strong purchasing intention. If the buyer is inquiring about several models of the product, they can provide separate quotes for each model, allowing the buyer to choose with the most peace of mind; Use more product and trade terminology to indicate that you are professional; Respond quickly to avoid being overtaken by others; Please ask the customer to reply to you regardless of whether the price is acceptable, which will help you understand if there are any areas that need improvement.

The second type of inquiry (second priority inquiry): Clearly tell you what products you are interested in and ask for a quote, but there is no other information besides that. This type of buyer is often in a wait-and-see and price comparison position, and their willingness to purchase is not urgent. Or a buyer who is not very professional themselves, may have just started the industry and need your guidance.

Be mentally prepared for such foreign trade inquiries, as it is highly likely that you will not receive a response for a long time after quoting. Don't be impatient and frustrated at this time, please give the buyer time because they need to make a choice. You can send another email within 1-2 weeks after the quotation to inquire about the situation and express your importance to him.

The third type of inquiry (second level processing): samples, invitations, investment information, etc. are required upon arrival; Not mentioning the product or one's own company at all. There is a high probability that this type of buyer is not a true buyer. You can try replying once. If the other party doesn't mention the product and only wants an invitation letter or sample, you can basically give up. Don't waste time on such inquiries.

So, after replying to the inquiry, did the foreign trade officer just sit back and enjoy it? Actually, the follow-up of foreign trade orders is also very important. In short, from foreign trade inquiries to orders, it may seem like there is only one step away, but there are actually a lot of details that need your attention behind them. Good foreign trade salespeople often have a little more attention, effort, and persistence than others, which will bring them closer to success.