How To Approach Potential Buyers

In the ever competitive world of international trade, there is never a dearth of challenges. While some exporters and suppliers struggle with finding buyers, others find it most challenging to capture buyer’s attention. But in almost all the scenarios, there’s one common bottleneck that poses the question – How to approach potential buyers? It is the answer to this question that sets the tone for the rest of the negotiation along with the success of the deal. So when you finally do have a genuine buyer in sight, these are the steps you should follow to not only get the attention but also a positive response from the buyer.

Create an irresistible sales quote

Well begun is half done! This surely applies to your approach in connecting with buyers. Buyers receive hundreds of proposals and quotes from suppliers every day. If there’s one way you can stand out or at least be shortlisted by the buyer, it is with competitive target price and a detailed proposal that addresses buyer’s product specifications as well and requirements. Keep the language of the sales quote very simple and easy-to-understand. In the product details part of the quotation, make sure to mention the following:

• Product Name
• Grade or quality
• Product quality Certification
• Production year
• Country of origin/manufacture
• Pricing/Order
• quantity/Delivery timelines

There’s much more to preparing an effective sales quote. Read the blog linked below to learn the art of creating compelling sales quotes.

Follow up over call

The first time a buyer listens to your voice over phone is the moment you can make maximum impact. If you’re not confident on phone, rehearse. Practice what you want to say to the buyer and keep it short and crisp yet impressive. Speak about your product in 50-100 words, often the most excellent telesales executives keep the word count of product description very low and to-the-point, making sure they mention at least one highlighting feature or USP in the opening sales pitch.

Another great way to let the buyer know you respect their time and schedule is by setting up an appointment over phone or via email. If the buyer has time, he/she will engage in conversation in first go, otherwise you have a time slot now to have their undivided attention. 

Sometimes, it’s the basic courtesies and mannerisms that reflect a positive image of you and your business. Make them count.

The power of sampling

If you ever attended any trade show, the one thing you’d hear from all buyers who frequent these shows is their ease and comfort in evaluating the quality of the product before placing bulk purchase orders. It is the same focus on quality that can get a buyer interested in your product. So initiate this very important step in the process of securing buyer’s attention by offering product samples.

Although there is always a risk of coming across fraudulent sample pinchers who earn a quick buck by collecting samples from different suppliers and eventually sell it to good profits, if you keep the terms of sample sharing reasonable (asking buyer to pay for the courier charges), a genuinely interested buyer will always be willing to pay the courier charges to get his hands on the sample for further progress in deal negotiations.

Persist not pester

There is a fine line between persistence and pestering. Make sure you fall in the former category of communicators. It may be of utmost importance to close the deal to your business but remember, at the end of the day, everything rests on buyer’s decision. Nobody likes constant reminders. Be responsive, do everything from the book but never oversell your product. Your product sample, catalogue and sales quote will do your bidding for you. Respectfully negotiate your way to the deal and learn when to stop the communication. Buyers always go for the option that promises best price and quality, if you have convinced them of the same, rest assured. Your patience and respectful negotiations in an unsuccessful deal of ‘today’ might pave the way for ‘future business’ with the same buyer. Taking one’s business international is a big aspiration, one that needs major commitment and the ability to take calculated risks. However, in-depth research and planning help you overcome all initial barriers to realize your export business dreams.