# Smart Trade AI — Trade Methodology Summary

## 1. Target Market Selection

### Market Priority (By Deal Conversion Probability)

```
USA > Vietnam > Saudi Arabia > Thailand > Malaysia > Indonesia > Philippines >
Nigeria > South Africa > Egypt > Canada > Mexico > UAE > Qatar
```

### Market Tier Strategy

| Market Tier | Core Characteristics | Development Strategy |
|-------------|---------------------|---------------------|
| **Mature Markets** (US/Europe/Australia) | High barriers, strict certifications, high margins | Emphasize quality, certifications, compliance |
| **Growth Markets** (Southeast Asia/Middle East) | Fast growth, high demand, value-oriented | Fast delivery, competitive pricing, flexibility |
| **Emerging Markets** (Africa/South America) | High potential, low unit price, fast decisions | Cost-effectiveness, spot inventory capability, relationships |

### Customer Type Positioning

```
Brand Owners/Importers → Core customers (large volume, stable)
Engineering/Project-based customers → Easy to close (project-driven)
Traders/Wholesalers → Large volume, low margin (fast turnover)
Retailers/Small wholesalers → Small orders, quick settlement (fast cash conversion)
```

---

## 2. Customer Acquisition Methods

### 2.1 Social Media Precision Search

**Search Formula:**
```
(Job Title Keywords) AND (Industry/Product Keywords) AND (Target Country)
```

**Job Title Keyword Library:**
```
Buyer / Purchasing Manager / Procurement Manager / Sourcing Manager /
Supply Chain Manager / Import Manager / Category Manager /
Project Manager / Technical Manager / EPC Manager /
Owner / Managing Director / CEO / General Manager /
Distribution Manager / Sales Manager / Operations Manager
```

**Search Combination Examples:**
```bash
# Search procurement managers (US/Europe/Australia)
("Purchasing Manager" OR "Procurement Manager")
AND ("[industry keyword]")
AND ("Australia" OR "UK" OR "Germany" OR "USA")

# Search project leads (Middle East/Africa)
("Project Manager" OR "EPC Manager" OR "Technical Manager")
AND ("[industry keyword]")
AND ("UAE" OR "Saudi Arabia" OR "Nigeria" OR "Kenya")

# Search executive level (key decision-makers)
("Owner" OR "Managing Director" OR "CEO")
AND ("[industry keyword]")
AND ("target country")
```

### 2.2 Four-Step Customer Acquisition Method

```
Step 1: Build a pixel-perfect customer profile (20 minutes)
   → Target market + Company type + Decision-maker title

Step 2: Precision search + filtering (15 minutes)
   → Boolean search + company size filtering

Step 3: Create customized information package (30 minutes)
   → Tailored to the specific person/project, provide value not a hard sell
   → Solution PDF + product video/demo + success cases

Step 4: Send request + precise follow-up
   → Concise and professional self-introduction
   → Monitor backend data: reads/shares/feedback
   → Adjust follow-up strategy based on behavioral data
```

### 2.3 Outreach Email Core Principles

**High Reply Rate Formula:**
```
High Reply Rate = Basic Search, Target Right + Avoid SPAM trigger words +
                  Few images, few links + Good subject line + Concise writing + Attractive Key Point
```

**SPAM High-Frequency Words to Avoid:**
```
Free, Discount, Opportunity, Win, Winner, Cheap, Deal,
Debt, Income, Insurance, Loan, Money, Mortgage, Price,
Rate, Profit, Save, Merchant, Specialized, Check, Call
```

**Correct Outreach Email Structure:**
1. Don't say "I saw you on XX platform" — it exposes you as an unsolicited sender
2. Don't attach a Catalog — easily blocked by spam filters
3. Don't ask "Do you need..." — delete this
4. Use professional terminology to show value instead of "We have cheap price"

---

## 3. Customer Types and Profiles

### 3.1 Four Major Customer Types and Follow-up Strategies

| Customer Type | Characteristics | Core Needs | Follow-up Strategy |
|---------------|----------------|------------|--------------------|
| **Retailers/Small Wholesalers (Small B)** | Small orders, fast decisions, urgent | Price, delivery time, quality | Fast, accurate, decisive! Close within half a month |
| **Traders** | Familiar with Chinese market, shop around | Price, cost-effectiveness, trade margins | Find the right contact, reserve commission, cooperate on market development |
| **OEM/Brand Importers** | Large volume, stable orders, brand-focused | R&D capability, factory scale, certifications, after-sales | Show R&D capabilities, quality standards, complete certifications |
| **Chain Retailers/Brand Owners** | Large volume, long cycle, slow decisions | Compliance, reliability, cooperation awareness | Prepare for a long game — three months to half a year |

### 3.2 Supplier Traits Preferred by Major Customers

```
1. Professionalism — no carelessness, no procrastination
2. Easy to communicate — understand the other party's perspectives and preferences
3. Thoughtful — think one step ahead, prepare in advance
4. Responsive — quickly respond to needs and suggestions
```

### 3.3 The Value of Small Customers (Important!)

```
1. Easy to build relationships — smaller size, smoother communication
2. Understand the end market — larger sample size for more accurate demand insights
3. Unknown growth potential — small customer ≠ small market, potential may be unlimited
4. Unknown niche markets — discover new细分领域
5. Higher "needed" status as a supplier — advantageous position in negotiations
```

**Core Insight: Rather than gambling on landing a big customer, focus on nurturing small customers into big ones**

---

## 4. Inquiry Handling and Reply Techniques

### 4.1 Inquiry Reply Process

```
Analyze customer → Praise/icebreak → Address needs → Showcase success cases → Drive conversion
```

**Three Icebreakers:**
- **Method 1**: Inform the customer that the product they chose is the latest/best-selling model, compliment their taste
- **Method 2**: Inform the customer of high market share in their country, mention locally popular styles, demonstrate expertise
- **Method 3** (for small customers): Express willingness to provide 100% support, take a win-win stance to make them feel valued

**Conversion Driving Techniques:**
- Run promotions/shipping discounts
- Offer discounts for orders placed this month
- Support small MOQs

### 4.2 Vague Inquiry Handling

**Principle: Don't quote immediately, first guide the customer to engage**

**Must-Ask Questions:**
1. Order purpose (own use or resale)
2. Customer type (wholesale/retail/online/B2B/platform)
3. Offline contact method (WhatsApp/Skype/WeChat/Email)

**Goal: Trigger a second response, establish ongoing communication**

### 4.3 "Price Too Expensive"? Three Steps to Handle It!

```
Step 1: Others can buy it, why can't you?
   → Send photos of other customer visits, feedback, cooperation case links
   → Tell the customer we have customers from many countries at this price

Step 2: Break down the product, vivid and detailed
   → Show product certifications/qualifications
   → Introduce product details/selling points
   → Tell the customer the warranty period
   → Attach product specification sheet/parameter table

Step 3: Strike while the iron is hot, analyze both sides
   → Positive: Our price is based on good quality — you get what you pay for
   → Negative: We can give you the price you want, but the warranty may be shorter
```

### 4.4 Customer No-Reply Follow-up Template

```email
Subject: Kindly check - Did you receive my previous message?

Hi [Name],

Kindly reminding you have you got my last message information?

Once you worked with us you'll have bellow benefit：
1. 1-2pcs Free sample for our new design when you ordered
2. 100% Quality Warranty: quality issue → send new one free in next order
3. Small MOQ SUPPORT: mix style and mix color in small quantity

Best regards,
[Your Name]
```

---

## 5. Customer Follow-up and Classification Management

### 5.1 Four Customer Types and Follow-up Frequency

| Customer Type | Source | Follow-up Frequency |
|---------------|--------|---------------------|
| **Ordering Customers** | Platform, website, outreach, RFQ | At least every 3 days — send new products, greetings, ask about usage |
| **Strong Purchase Intent Customers** | Inquiries, messages | Follow up daily to ensure the customer always remembers you |
| **Interested Customers** | Platform, website classification | Maintain regular contact — update products, quotes, upgrade information |
| **Potential Customers** | Outreach emails | Don't forget them when sending product promotions |

### 5.2 Solutions for Three Dilemmas

| Situation | Solution |
|-----------|----------|
| **No reply after sending quote to inquirer** | 1. Keep email concise; 2. Dig deeper into needs; 3. End email with 1-2 questions the customer might be interested in |
| **Customer disappears after receiving PI** | 1. Attract with cost-effectiveness; 2. Follow up on status from time to time |
| **Customer "vanishes" during normal communication** | Long-term follow-up customer, needs patience, use multiple methods to develop |

### 5.3 Follow-up Timing

```
80% of customer deals close after the 4th follow-up — patience is key!
```

---

## 6. Customer Reception and Negotiation

### 6.1 Pre-Reception Preparation Checklist

```
□ Report to department head one week before visit
□ Print key email correspondence and quotation sheets
□ Prepare samples (customer interest + takeaway)
□ Prepare product certificates and qualification documents
□ Learn about customer's country customs, dietary habits, taboos
□ Reception team division: lead negotiator, deputy negotiator, logistics, photographer
□ Beverages: coffee, tea, cola, mineral water
□ Small gifts (if needed)
□ Formal attire
□ Business cards, notebook, pen, calculator
□ Book hotel, restaurant
```

### 6.2 Negotiation Icebreaker Techniques

**Empathy Details:**
- Ask about the customer's itinerary, accommodation, transportation convenience
- Proactively offer airport pickup/drop-off
- Help book discounted hotels near the exhibition

**Customs Respect Examples:**
- When hosting Muslim customers: respect dietary restrictions, prepare a prayer space
- Understand cross-cultural business etiquette differences

### 6.3 Core Business Negotiation

**Three Elements of Closing a Deal:**
```
1. Comfortable communication
2. Risk control
3. Profit management
```

**Negotiation Presentation Framework:**
```
1. Company experience in the target market
2. Product certifications (qualifications required by the target country)
3. Product lines / Product development / Design / Quality Control
4. From raw material supplier management → In-line production inspection → Pre-shipment QC testing → Warehousing
5. Delivery guarantee measures
6. On-site staff follow-up process
```

**Solutions for Customer Concerns:**
- Quality issues → Suggest batch orders to ensure consistent quality
- MOQ issues → Suggest flexible MOQ solutions, lower the barrier at the start of cooperation
- Inventory issues → Suggest reasonable stocking strategies or localized solutions

### 6.4 Quotation Strategy Techniques

**"Low Price with Strings Attached" Method:**
```
Quote a low price while specifying restrictive conditions such as validity period,
quantity, payment terms, delivery time, etc.
Use the low price to spark customer interest and provide a basis for future price increases
```

**"High Price with Strings Attached" Method:**
```
After quoting a high price, deliberately set some easily achievable conditions
that come with discounts
Choose which method based on the customer's situation
```

**Payment Terms Affect Price:**
```
Higher upfront T/T ratio → Price can be discounted
Poorer payment terms → Price needs to be increased
Credit term requests → Risk cost factored in
```

---

## 7. Sample Shipping Process

### Pre-Shipment Confirmation
```
□ Customer contact information (company name, address, phone, zip code, contact person)
□ Sample specifications, model, parameters
□ Payment method (prepaid / freight collect / account)
□ Courier account validity
```

### Shipping Process
```
We pay: Prepare samples → Fill in waybill → Agent ships

Customer pays: Prepare samples → Fill in waybill → Agent ships

Customer collect account: Confirm account validity → Prepare samples/waybill →
                        Prepare customs declaration authorization/proforma invoice (3 copies) →
                        If using FedEx, also need collect LOU + business license with seal
```

### Post-Shipment Follow-up
```
1. Ask if the samples arrived smoothly (show you care)
2. Guide the customer to give specific feedback (satisfied/not satisfied)
3. Establish stable two-way communication
```

---

## 8. Social Media Marketing Strategy

### 8.1 Three-Pillar Content Principle
```
Technical Content 40% (product knowledge/industry standards/solutions)
Project Content 30% (actual project cases/shipment stories/customer stories)
Engagement Content 30% (industry news/exhibitions/company updates)
```

### 8.2 Monthly Publishing Plan

| Month | Theme Direction | Target Region | Post Type |
|-------|----------------|---------------|-----------|
| January | Year review + industry trends | All | Article + image-text |
| February | Product selection guide / technical analysis | Europe/Middle East | Image-text + video |
| March | Emerging market project cases | Africa/Southeast Asia | Image-text + customer story |
| April | Regional market strategy | South America/South Asia | Article + poll |
| May | Industry solutions | Middle East | Technical image-text |
| June | Market standard interpretation | Europe/US/Australia | Image-text + article |
| July | Product application tutorial/demo | All | Video + image-text |
| August | Customer testimonial collection | All | Customer story |
| September | Project follow-up sharing | All | Article + update |
| October | New product launch/exhibition | All | Video + article |
| November | Regional market analysis | South America/Africa | Article + poll |
| December | Year-end summary + customer appreciation | All | Video + image-text |

### 8.3 Weekly Quantitative Goals
```
Weekly Posts: 2-3 (best on Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday)
Weekly Comments: At least 10 on target customer posts
Weekly Precision Search + Follow: 30 potential customers
Weekly Company Page Posts: 1

Monthly Conversion Goals:
New meaningful followers: 100-150
Outreach messages sent: 20-30
Conversions to Connections: 5-10
Referrals to WhatsApp/Email: 3-5
```

### 8.4 Four-Step Customer Acquisition Method

```
Step 1: Precision search + Follow
   → Just follow, don't disturb, let the system show your updates

Step 2: Comment and engage
   → Professional, appreciative comments — no selling

Step 3: Send outreach message (only when confirmed worth developing)
   → Concise and professional, English ≤300 characters
   → Provide value, not a hard sell

Step 4: Company-level development
   → Find target company → View all employees → Find procurement/project lead
```

---

## 9. Customer Background Check

### 9.1 Six Dimensions of Investigation

```
1. Company leadership situation
2. Recent business status
3. Company nature (retailer/trader/OEM/chain retailer)
4. Procurement decision chain
5. History with suppliers in China
6. Target market fit
```

### 9.2 Investigation Channels

| Channel | Purpose |
|---------|---------|
| B2B Platform Backend Data | Platform transaction records |
| Google/LinkedIn/Facebook | Customer company information |
| Customs Data | Purchasing habits, cycles, volumes, suppliers |
| Whois Lookup | Domain registration date, location |
| Social Media Platforms | Contact information, updates |

### 9.3 Key Judgments

```
Engineer ≠ Buyer — Find the procurement decision-maker, not technical/R&D staff
End user ≠ Distributor — Find distributors/importers
```

---

## 10. Foreign Trade Tool List

### 10.1 Customer Research Tools

| Tool | Purpose | Pricing |
|------|---------|---------|
| TinEye.com | Reverse image search | Free |
| RocketReach | Find email by person name | Paid |
| Hunter.io | Find email by domain | Free trial |
| LinkedIn Sales Navigator | Precision customer search | Paid |
| LinkedES (LinkedIn Assistant) | Batch add friends, send messages | Free trial |
| Owler | Customer company information | Free |
| Corporation Wiki | Customer background check | Paid |
| Spokeo | Personal customer information | Paid |

### 10.2 Email Verification Tools

| Tool | URL | Notes |
|------|-----|-------|
| NeverBounce | neverbounce.com | 1,000 free per month |
| Email Verifier | Online tool | High verification accuracy |
| Email-Camel | emailcamel.com | EDM email tracking |

### 10.3 Email Tracking Tools

| Tool | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| Was My Email Read | Track if email was read |
| WhoReadMe | Track email + attachment download notifications |
| Mailtrack | Gmail email tracking |
| Yesware | Email tracking |

### 10.4 Keyword/SEO Tools

| Tool | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| AnswerThePublic | Keyword question expansion |
| Google Keywords Planner | Keyword search volume |
| Ubersuggest | Keyword tool |
| Ahrefs/Semrush | Content marketing, keywords, backlinks |

### 10.5 Other Commonly Used Tools

| Tool | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| Keepa | Track historical prices on e-commerce platforms |
| Similarweb | Similar website analysis |
| Quantcast | North American website traffic analysis |
| Alexa | Website ranking data |
| canva.com | Design images, banners, logos |
| remove.bg | One-click background removal |
| timeanddate.com | World time, country holidays |
| track-trace.com | International courier tracking |
| hsbianma.com | Product HS code lookup |

### 10.6 Country Business Hours Reference

| Region | Country | Work Start | Work End |
|--------|---------|------------|----------|
| Asia | China | 08:00 | 17:00 |
| Asia | Japan, South Korea | 07:00 | 15:00 |
| Asia | Southeast Asia | 08:00-09:00 | 16:00-17:00 |
| Asia | Middle East | 13:00 | 21:00 |
| Europe | UK, France, Germany | 15:00 | 23:00 |
| North America | USA, Canada | 21:00 | 05:00 |

---

## 11. Breaking Through Foreign Trade Business Plateaus

### Four Stages of a Mature Foreign Trade Professional

```
Stage 1: Learn products, processes, order fulfillment (6 months to 1 year)
Stage 2: Practice foreign trade processes — documentation/inquiries/negotiation (1-2 years)
Stage 3: Independent, mature salesperson, 3-5 years of experience (golden age)
Stage 4: Plateau — performance growth challenges
```

### Two Development Paths

| Path | Characteristics | Suitable For |
|------|----------------|--------------|
| **M Path (Management)** | Horizontal development, lead teams, become a leader | High EQ, enjoys mentoring others |
| **P Path (Professional)** | Vertical development, focus on business, expertise-based | Values freedom, strong business skills |

### Breakthrough Suggestions

```
Management Path:
- May lose sales commission in the short term
- Shift from "me" to "we"
- Knowledge structure shifts from product to management

Professional Path:
- Learn to find partners (avoid working alone)
- Adjust mindset (income may fluctuate)
- Stay in the industry (don't switch industries casually)
```

---

## 12. Order Fulfillment and Risk Management

### 12.1 Order Fulfillment Process

```
Inquiry → Quotation → Sample confirmation → Contract signing → Production follow-up →
Inspection and shipment → Payment collection → After-sales service
```

### 12.2 Handling Sudden Price Reductions/Increases from Customers

**Customer Suddenly Demands Price Cut:**
1. Understand the reason (market competition? profit compression? testing a new supplier?)
2. Analyze your own cost structure, see if there is room
3. Offer differentiated solutions (payment terms, delivery time, volume discounts)
4. Emphasize value, not just price

**Customer Suddenly Raises Price:**
1. Respond immediately — don't leave the customer waiting
2. Explain the reason sincerely (raw materials/exchange rates/logistics)
3. Offer alternatives or phased adjustments
4. Emphasize long-term cooperation value and quality assurance

### 12.3 Risk Control Key Points

```
1. Before order confirmation: Check all terms (price/quantity/delivery/payment)
2. During production: Report progress regularly, give timely warnings of anomalies
3. Before shipment: Inspection report, complete documentation
4. Payment security: TT preferred, LC requires clause review
5. After-sales tracking: Receipt confirmation, usage feedback
```

---

*Document compiled from foreign trade training materials (2026-01 ~ 2026-02)*
*Compilation date: 2026-05-11*
