General

Behind some foreign trade orders, there may be traps or peer probing, which often come with risks such as compensation and loss, and even hinder the development of salespeople. Therefore, when accepting orders, it is necessary to be cautious and have the correct judgment ability, and not accept all orders.

Today, let's take a look at which foreign trade orders are best not to accept!

01 Ambiguous requirements, didn't explain anything clearly

Too many people take orders in order to do so, thinking that doing business is to find ways to get the money first, and then take the initiative. But when you get the order, what's waiting for you is a series of changes.

Some foreign clients initially didn't say anything about their requirements, which were vague or often they didn't even think of the specific requirements themselves. You're too embarrassed to ask clearly and then take the order, but they end up demanding a lot! One order will kill oneself.

And although we have received the deposit, there is still more than half of the remaining payment in the hands of the customers. Many products are customized, and the risk of your production is even greater than that of the customers.

My former colleague always had problems with this and that when it comes to making orders. There were many issues with rework and compensation because he wanted to salvage the orders first, and eventually turn them into sales for one year, wiping the butt for three years, and endless after-sales service!

02 Incomplete customer information

If we want to accept a foreign trade order, we should have all the information about the customer, such as company name, email, phone number, address, etc. If the other party always deliberately avoids some company information, it may be problematic and there is a high risk of receiving orders.

03 Draw commission in the form of sales orders

Regular buyers do not ask suppliers for hidden commission, and the factory usually starts production after receiving a deposit after customers place an order. So, when encountering such foreign trade orders, do not accept them casually.

04. We need a kickback and a treat

The other party has a bill in their hand and says they can do it for you, but they need a kickback. These are all deceptive tricks. After just a few words on a certain platform, I said we can place an order for you, but you need to express that treating customers is not reliable at all. Don't talk to them too much.

05 orders with no deposit or high value but low deposit

If you encounter an order that does not even require a deposit, you should consider the subsequent risks when accepting the order. Because the value of the goods on the order is large, if there is a significant change in the exchange rate, the other party will find a reason not to pay for the goods, and your long-term profits may be lost.

06 itself has poor product quality

A friend of theirs often has problems with their products, and the factory does not follow orders. He is both a business and follows orders himself, but as a result, the quality cannot meet the customer's requirements because he cannot always focus on production. He often runs to the factory and has a headache, and he doesn't have time to develop clients. He has talked to the boss about the issue of recruiting and following orders, but it has been fruitless, so he is considering resigning.

So, what cannot be done must be clearly explained to the customer, so that the customer can modify the terms before signing. If it's really not possible, we can only give up this order.

For foreign trade orders, Ding is Ding and Mao is Mao. Since the customer wants you to sign an agreement and contract, they indicate that they are very concerned about this aspect. If they are clearly written in black and white, they must be met, otherwise they will not make 100% money or even lose money. Randomly signing quality agreements with customers is clearly destined to be a headache for those who have not yet received them.

07 tight delivery time

If you decide to accept an order, it doesn't just depend on the production time of a factory. Calculate all the time, and if you know there is no time for production, you must firmly reject the customer's order and not feel like we will talk about it later. If a letter of credit order is accepted and there is no shipment within the specified date, the customer can refuse payment and lose the trust they have cultivated with them.

08 Payment method is not secure

Some companies have poor business, and regardless of the order, they always accept it. They know that the payment method is not suitable but like to gamble.

Especially for old customers who have been cooperating for a period of time, they have come up with a very unfavorable payment method, which has obvious problems, but they still accepted the order because they were in a hurry. Dangerous payment methods include DP, O/A, and LC from some small banks in Bangladesh.

After receiving this kind of order, I became extremely anxious as the payment time approached, especially when it was very troublesome to ask for money from the foreign master who was thousands of miles away.

09 Too small and unprofitable order

For orders that are too small and unprofitable, it is often a loss to make a profit. If you take all the small orders, it will only make you half exhausted and disrupt the market, and ultimately suffer the loss.

Small orders are possible, but profits must be made. Each order must consider how much money one can earn at least. Not only should the factory consider MOQ, but also the lowest profit.

10. High quality, not ideal price

Anyone who has been in business for several years knows that the last person to pay for such orders is often themselves.

11. The customer is very troublesome

Some customers have a lot of conversation, which is very troublesome. For example, I have a customer who always comes with a small number of small cabinets and talks a lot. They send me voice messages several times a day, and the most important thing is that they come to China every time they ship, usually every two to three months.

You said you won't receive him, so you're also a customer. When someone comes to dinner, they always treat him to a meal. When they come, they ask me to pick him up, but if I don't pick him up, I can't justify it. People who receive too many customers must have a deep understanding. It's really tiring. They have to negotiate all day and have dinner with them at night, especially with foreigners. They can't even eat normal things.

I spent more energy on this client than any other major client, and in the end, I couldn't hold on anymore, so I declined his order request.

There are also many foreign trade salespeople who will encounter customers who ask you to repeatedly sample but do not place an order, otherwise they will be customers who often make changes due to nitpicking. It is really troublesome, and if you feel that it is not cost-effective, you should make an immediate decision.

Of course, it's okay to eat first and then eat well. When you don't have a list, it's okay to pick it up, but I'm sure you'll encounter a lot of trouble, a lot of pressure, and get stuck in a cycle of trouble.

There are too many turnover times in the middle of the 12 orders

There must be some tricky reasons for the excessive number of handshakes in the middle. Be cautious and consider various reasons before deciding whether to take over.

13 Beware of phishing of email links

For foreign trade emails that claim to have large orders, if the other party promises to give you a large order without consulting or understanding anything clearly, and makes you click on the link in the email for various reasons, it should be carefully considered as it may be a phishing link.

Points to pay attention to when receiving foreign trade orders

(1) The payment methods include L/C, T/T, D/P, D/A, etc. It is important to consider which method is most advantageous for your company.

(2) Transportation method and price terms.

(3) Cost accounting should take into account various factors, including tax refunds, customs clearance, transportation costs within the city, and additional fees at the port.

(4) Which inspection agency will issue the inspection certificate for quality and quantity issues.

(5) Some products require quotas and licenses, can you handle them.

(6) Considering the issue of exchange rates, sometimes the depreciation of exchange rates after signing contracts can also affect earnings.