Establishing and maintaining strong relationships with suppliers is essential for a successful sourcing strategy.
It is about building trust, understanding cultural nuances, and navigating the unique dynamics of Asian supplier relationships.
In this blog post, we delve deep into the complexity of building robust connections with Asian suppliers.
Why is a strong relationship important?
The Asian companies are used to representatives from Western companies shopping around and trying to maximise the profit of their business deals.
This means that the Asian suppliers, more often than not, will not take your first approach as a serious request. Whether you are genuine or not.
Instead, they take care of their existing customers. Sometimes you will even need a recommendation before the Asian supplier invites you in.
Have patience
Business in Asia takes time. When you come in as a complete stranger, you are not going to close a deal in 2 days. The Asian manufacturers are not putting aside what they are doing just to serve any newcomer.
Respect that it takes time to establish a relationship. If you have the first meeting, you are one step closer to a strong connection to your new supplier. But you are not all the way yet.
Talk owner to owner
In Asian cultures, they recognise authorities more than in most European cultures. That is why it is sensible that the owner of your company takes the first approach to the supplier.
They respect a visit from owners because they then will know it is long-term. Involving the owner of the company, essentially the decision maker, shows that you mean business.
When you are in – care for the relationship
At EA-Connect we spend a long time in Asia looking for new potential suppliers as well as maintaining our current relations.
When we have successfully contracted an Asian manufacturer and we are satisfied with the collaboration, we make sure to show up regularly, drink tea and discuss details.
It is a lot of travelling and hard work, but it pays off in the end. This way you build a long-term relationship that you can rely on. Do not underestimate the need for a personal relationship, it will provide you with security that short-term relationships cannot.
Are you interested in our sourcing strategy? Learn all about it here.
