Yesterday, I attended a foreign trade exchange and sharing meeting organized by a group of friends and found that half of SOHOs work as purchasing agents for customers. And this customer is basically the largest customer at hand. It not only protects life, but also protects SOHO work!
For newcomers who are just doing foreign trade, they don’t have much concept of purchasing agents, so I will explain it from my personal point of view below. For foreign trade SOHO, I highly recommend getting a job as a purchasing agent.
1/Purchasing agent:
It can be understood as doing part-time or full-time purchasing for large customers, charging a certain salary and commission, deeply binding customers, and serving customers.
2/Customer characteristics:
- The order volume is large, the products in demand are rich, and the products are updated quickly;
- The customer is generous, loves to joke, has a sense of humor, and is approachable;
3/Work characteristics:
Free, unregulated, good income, occasional business trips, translating for clients, visiting clients, pampered by suppliers, sleeping until I wake up naturally.
4/Development prospects:
A, it is conducive to personal SOHO business, while earning wages, while using supply chain resources, while obtaining more orders from other customers;
- Set up a company with customers, open factories, introduce customers, and make it bigger and stronger;
- The customer is strong and has the opportunity to develop abroad.
5/Job risks:
If you don’t do a good job, your job will be ruined in a minute. If you trust your customers too much, you will pay a large amount in advance, and you will be in arrears with your wages, which will cause heavy losses.
*So how can I become a customer’s purchasing agent?
*Friends often ask me if I want to be a purchasing agent for customers but don’t know how to convince them?
Today I would like to share my past experiences and suggestions:
Experience sharing:
First, I was able to work in SOHO because I got a job as a purchasing agent for an American customer. I actually knew the customer for less than half a year and had placed a few orders. He thought that I spoke good English, was honest and reliable, and then the customer invited me to the United States. I made a purchase for him, but I wasn't too familiar with it. I refused, but he paid a thank you fee of US$150 through PayPal. Later, I quit my job and started purchasing for him in China. I received wages and commissions for two years. I also went to the United States to meet the BOSS.
Second, in 2019, I met a Thai customer on Alibaba who had just started his own business. He asked me to buy something, but the transaction was not completed. When I learned that he made all kinds of gifts, I decided to promote my purchasing capabilities to him. He immediately gave me a real order and asked me to find a supplier. I quickly found a matching supplier for him, saving money. 15% of the cost. Later he said he wanted to cooperate with me and came to China. Later, I proposed a cooperation method. I would pay him wages at the beginning of the month and give him a certain commission for orders. Then my job would be to find suppliers and visit factories for him. In the blink of an eye, it has been the fifth year of cooperation, and his company is getting bigger and bigger. Our relationship became like family.
Third, there are actually some other small customers who helped with some simple purchasing work and received a little salary, but they did not last long, so I will not list them one by one, and it is not recommended to spend a lot of time on really small customers. .
personal suggestion:
1/The working platform is very important. It is easier for a good company and good products to match high-quality customers, and high-quality customers are more likely to be converted into purchasing agent customers. We must do a good job in a down-to-earth manner and accumulate it for a long time, three years, five years or even ten years. Be sincere, careful and special. If you provide good service to potential customers who have the opportunity to become purchasing agents, provide them with some value-for-money extra help, making them feel that you are an old friend and can be trusted.
2/Good communication skills in foreign languages. Fluent foreign language writing and expression skills are more important. In addition, you must have rich knowledge, be interesting but not rude in conversation, and be able to compliment others. If a customer has a pleasant chat with you, it will naturally be easy to win the customer's favor. You can also quickly understand what the customer needs to express, helping the customer save communication costs;
3/Familiar with the domestic market. Not only the products you make, but also all walks of life should be understood. You can obtain more product knowledge through 1688, offline commodity markets, factory visits, exhibitions and other channels.
4/ Haggle and bargain. You must be sensitive to product prices. When you encounter new products, you can quickly learn about them online and get the price range. Then, before placing a formal order, bargain with the supplier to ensure quality and quantity, and find products and products with better cost performance. Suppliers to help customers save costs;
This is a top priority! ! !
5/Save logistics costs and improve shipping efficiency. Because the customer is a foreigner and does not know the domestic logistics charges, we can honestly give the customer some real suggestions to help the customer find a better logistics solution. Especially in some places where customs clearance is difficult, it is even more important to find a responsible and capable person. logistics company.
6/Risk prevention and control. Mainly when suppliers encounter after-sales quality problems, shortages, etc., suppliers argue. As a customer purchasing agent, I can better communicate with domestic suppliers to help customers maximize their profits and minimize losses. To prevent payment risks, whether it is TT transfer or RMB transfer, sometimes when encountering unscrupulous merchants, the money may be wasted, so purchasing agents can understand the suppliers in advance and pay online to reduce unnecessary losses.
7/ Talk about love without hurting your feelings. Don’t be afraid to talk about money, because many foreigners who want your help are willing to pay, so when you express the value you can bring to customers, then you should talk about money. A reasonable price will make customers feel satisfied. Your help will be more worthwhile and no debt will be owed to each other. There is no standard for this. It is set based on the customer's strength, personal ability, and time. The commission can be discussed later, because things will change after cooperation, including having an order, so you don’t have to worry about not making money.
These are my personal suggestions. I think if you do the above points, customers will naturally recognize you more, you will have enough confidence in yourself, and opportunities will naturally come to you unexpectedly!