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10个月外贸总结(与在彷徨的外贸

michaeljude：10个月外贸总结....(与在彷徨的外贸人共勉)
写完这篇文章来记惦那已经逝去的5月，流逝的10个月（毕业到现在）….算是一个小小的总结----如何做一个成功的对外销售人员。
从一个文科毕业的新人进入一个完全陌生的机械行业，现在看来或许没有错。人民币不断升值，原材料价格，劳工成本不断上涨，出口退税下调等诸多因素的共同作用的情况下，有诸多以出口为导向轻工业的企业都开始由外销转内销，一些濒临破产，甚至倒闭。但是中国的重型机械行业似乎影响不是特别的大，出口依然强劲。也正是如此，我并没有面临新的失业。
按理分析起来
1. 与西欧等发达国家相比，中国的重型机械的成长特别是在技术的引进与提升上，速度大大加快；但是中国工程机械有成本上仍有相当大的优势。以我目前所销售的产品为例，我们的成本比西欧知名品牌到岸价要便宜30%-40%，但是我们产品在质量上相差只有80%，偶尔出点小问题，修一修就可以再用很长一些时间。只要我们的今后到位，客户还是会买我们的产品。这也是Made in China优势。
2. 中国目前的人力成本，管理成本，原材料成本，运输成本，还是有优势；
简单的分析之后，就可以明白，对日前机械出口形势有个初步了解吧。中国的机械生产企业，特别是知名的大型企业，进步的速度非常快，技术跟新、学习都在努力赶上世界领先者的步伐。但是我们在跑时，别人也没有原地不动，也在小步快跑。虽然还有很多小打小闹的企业在外面砸场子，但是我相信未来的中国机械，一定会做得更好。
话又说回来了，既然是个文科，怎么可能会做机械呢？
看看我的历程吧：
1. 三个月的车间实习，了解产品；熟悉生产流程，部件制造工艺；参观设备现场生产；学习看图纸；学习数以千记的零部件的英语说法；
2. 三个月后，进入部门开始接触业务，全面了解外贸销售流程。由于物流与销售分开，所以对物流也只是一知半解。只知道一些船代，简单的一些运输单证之类。也不知道，这是不是比较失败的地方；
3. 学习得很努力，很刻苦；加班加得很晚；
4. 别人用一个小时，或许我会用二个小时去努力了解一些机械的东西；
5. 用200%的真心去对待客户，特别是潜在客户；
6. 用照片和不一样的内容做一份开发信，扫描自己名片，做一份和客户介绍自己一样的PDF过的PPT；
7. 再怎么了解产品也不过份，不仅仅要看自己的，还要看别人的
8. 英语不好或许不是很大的事，但是英语好对于外贸人来说一定大有优势。对专业的英语一定要了解，一个配料站可以译成Cold feed unit, batcher, dosing device.最好是都要明白。
9. 不要奢望有周末，有午休，有假期，客户需求就是命令。
10. 永远不要在客户面前耍大牌，你永远是“孙子”（中性词）；
11. 不要以为今天你明白了一些，其实你才是万里长征的第一步，机械这行潭水深千尺；
12. 所接触的客户每个人都是工作狂，不由自己也染上了这个坏毛病；
13. 突发事情相当的多，心脏承受力要好，协调能力要好；
14. 办好事情是你应该的；办不好，受客户骂是理所当然的；
好了，写了这么多，与大家共勉。
做一个好的销售人员，真的不容易，有心，还要有脑子。

michaeljude：附上客户信一封,觉得他写得太好了!!
As we are in Pakistan and we have local knowledge, expertise, so we can advise you according to different clients.
Almost all the Contractors in Pakistan would negotiate with Local Agents.Sometimes, just to crosss check the agency, Client would contact the Principal.
If the Agent has a good reputation, good professional approach and back up services capability, then Client will not contact principal because Client wants one year after sales sevices warranty also.

Our marketing strategies are as follows:
1. We contact Customer and offer equipment and add our 5% share as sales promotion share. Some of our Principals will already include our 5% margin and give us quotation.
2. Sometimes the Customer anticipates a discount of 2-3% or sometimes even 5% or higher. So we always add this percentage so that we can negotiate. We add percentage for negotiations according to our analysis and it differs according to Customer.
3. Some of big Client staff also wants their shares. Usually 5% and in Public sector sometimes upto 10%. So we will ask the Staff, if we know that they want commission, and include their commission in the quotations. These staff will be responsible to buy the equipment and make statements for top Officers to buy.
4. Almost all the clients will want quotations on CNF Karachi basis. So we have to calculate freight and carefully give CNF rates, as our manufacturing Principals only want to sell on FOB due to increasing and uncertain freight charges.
5. Some big Clients wants quotations valid for 3-4 months. So we have to keep 3-4 months market fluctuation in view and then quote. Even we keep a margin for price fluctuations and freight charges differences. Sometimes we also face losses but we always fulfil our comitments and pay losses from our own pockets. But most of time we try to keep one month validity for our quotations and keep re-validating quotations according to market every month.

The above are just a short introduction to our market knowledge.

As far our Principal and Client contact relation is concerned, we would brief as follows:
1. We always keep in picture to our Principal for the quotations we offer to our clients, including client name
2. Sometimes client will ask some other sources to get rates from manufacturer. In this scenario, all the enquiries generating from Pakistan are always sent to us by Principal, so that the Client should be aware that we are manufacturer's agents
3. Once Client is confirmed that we are agents for manufacturer, then Client will not contact manufacturer.
Therefore, we always request our manufacturer Principal to send us enquiries those come from Pakistan or those have demand for equipment for Pakistan. Because sometimes we are also promoting equipment, providing catalogues to many projects, but havent offered or quoted equipment yet. so sometimes some small staff will try to contact manufacturer through their friends so that they can know the rates and then can try to negotiate.

Therefore, we are very careful. Now you please comment so that we can finally draw down a plan and startegy to promote your equipment, which we already have started.