Selling Big To China

This book is a complete sales and negotiating guide for mainland China and includes practical and measurable techniques that have been tested and proven to work with Fortune 500 companies operating in the 'Middle Kingdom'. It is divided into four main areas: The Knowledge The Sales Call The Negotiation The Maintenance The book is the result of my 8 years of training in sales and negotiation skills across mainland China, as well as running a multi-city, multicultural company in the 'World's Most Stressful Country' (according to Newsweek). The book includes a collection of anecdotes from this experience, as well as case studies developed by working closely with leading companies in China. Some of these companies include Rockwell Automation, Microsoft, Thomson, SAP, and NBC. Sales and negotiating is not easy, particularly when done in a country with completely new values and rules of engagement. The purpose of this book is to lay the rules out clearly, and provide the reader with an easy to understand strategy to doing business in mainland China.

The conventional wisdom that only large corporations can do business in China is a thing of the past. Small- and medium-sized businesses today enjoy the same opportunities in China once granted only to large, multinational conglomerates. In Selling to China, author Stanley Chao helps all businesses learn effective ways to deal with Chinese businesspeople and private and state-owned companies; analyze whether certain products or services are viable for the Chinese market; understand the psyche of the Mao Generation Chinese who are now Chinas business owners, executives, and government leaders; and develop low-cost, market-entry strategies Filled with clear, tangible steps and applicable personal anecdotes, Selling to China bridges the gap between Western and Chinese cultures, languages, and histories to help businesses enter the Chinese marketplace.

"This book was written for the many small and medium-sized business (SMBs) that are either thinking of or are already doing business in China. In light of the changes that marked the past 10 years or so -- China's entry into the World Trade Organization, the growth of the internet, the rise of China's middle class, and Beijing's willingness to open its business borders to the rest of the world -- today SMBs enjoy the same opportunities in China that were once only granted to large multinational conglomerates." --iii of introduction

This book is a must-have for anyone who’s working with Chinese social media or planning to enter China. It’s packed with the latest information, actionable insights and strategies for marketers to make the most of WeChat and Weibo. You’ll learn about Chinese consumers, WeChat and Weibo working models and the outlook for digital trends in customer relationship management, artificial intelligence and what kind of changes ‘New Retail’ will bring. What Every Marketer Needs to Know about ChinaHow Your Business Can Harness Chinese Social MediaWeChat: China’s Operating SystemWeibo: China’s Online HotspotThe Future: Get Ready for New Retail Whether you want to enter the market for the first time, expand your presence in China or provide services to Chinese tourists abroad, “Unlocking the World’s Largest E-market” offers practical advice about selling on Chinese social media from someone who has seen the transformation in China’s online world firsthand.

"What a romp….Alan Paul walked the walk, preaching the blues in China. Anyone who doubts that music is bigger than words needs to read this great tale." —Gregg Allman "An absolute love story. In his embrace of family, friends, music and the new culture he's discovering, Alan Paul leaves us contemplating the love in our own lives, and rethinking the concept of home." —Jeffrey Zaslow, coauthor, with Randy Pausch, of The Last Lecture Alan Paul, award–winning author of the Wall Street Journal’s online column “The Expat Life,” gives his engaging, inspiring, and unforgettable memoir of blues and new beginnings in Beijing. Paul’s three-and-a-half-year journey reinventing himself as an American expat—while raising a family and starting the revolutionary blues band Woodie Alan, voted Beijing Band of the Year in the 2008—is a must-read adventure for anyone who has lived abroad, and for everyone who dreams of rewriting the story of their own future.

"A highly personal, honest, funny and well-informed account of China's hyperactive effort to forget its past and reinvent its future."—The New York Times Book Review As one the first American students admitted to China after the communist revolution, John Pomfret was exposed to a country still emerging from the twin tragedies of the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. Crammed into a dorm room with seven Chinese men, Pomfret contended with all manner of cultural differences, from too-short beds and roommates intent on glimpsing a white man naked, to the need for cloak-and-dagger efforts to conceal his relationships with Chinese women. Amidst all that, he immersed himself in the remarkable lives of his classmates. Beginning with Pomfret's first day in China, Chinese Lessons takes us down the often torturous paths that brought together the Nanjing University History Class of 1982: Old Wu's father was killed during the Cultural Revolution for the crime of being an intellectual; Book Idiot Zhou labored in the fields for years rather than agree to a Party-arranged marriage; and Little Guan was forced to publicly denounce and humiliate her father. As Pomfret follows his classmates from childhood to adulthood, he examines the effect of China's transition from near-feudal communism to first-world capitalism. The result is an illuminating report from present-day China, and a moving portrait of its extraordinary people.

Risk is a major reason that companies fail in, or fail to enter, China. Packed with case studies, this unique book demonstrates how correctly applied due diligence can not only reduce business risk in China, but also provide excellent business intelligence to support negotiations and business relationships.

China’s cross-border e-commerce market was worth 8.8 trillion yuan transactions in 2018, with 25-34 year-olds as the largest user segment making up 48% of China’s highly educated CBEC consumers. In early 2020. China also approved 24 more cross-border e-commerce pilot cities and has introduced relaxed foreign exchange regulations in its free trade zones. This is an area that China is clearly prioritizing. If you’ve ever thought about expanding your business into China but hesitated, this is the book for you. There are plenty of cross-border e-commerce options available without having to set up a branch office or hire a large group of local staff. It’s a great solution for brands of all sizes. Here’s an excerpt to give you a taste. China is a huge market with great potential. It’s unique, sophisticated, hyper-competitive and it’s not easy to succeed. Despite the challenges, international brands of all kinds are eager to get access to over 1.4 billion Chinese consumers. If you’ve decided that it’s time for your company to take its next big step and dive in, the good news is that it’s not necessary to set up shop in China to sell your products there. E-commerce is a way of life in China and by the end of 2019, e-commerce sales are forecast by some to expand 27.3%, reaching $1.935 trillion USD. This represents 36.6% of total retail sales in the country. Cross-border e-commerce can blur geographical borders so we’ve created this mini-book to help marketers better understand major online sales channels for cross-border e-commerce in 2019. You’ll find out about key players to watch and major e-commerce shopping festivals. We’ll dive into information that will empower you to take action and make wise decisions when it comes to your marketing budget. Social E-commerce and We-Commerce Whether it’s traditional media opening their own online stores, or e-commerce sites adding more editorial content and social features, both sides are coming closer together in the form of social e-commerce. It’s happening everywhere but it’s a trend that’s even more advanced in China. In the West, it’s more common to use an e-commerce site as the final stop when completing a transaction, whereas in China, e-commerce sites are destinations where you can make new discoveries, acquire information, socialize with others who can make informed recommendations and communicate with people who share your interests or concerns. Social commerce has become very popular in China because customer acquisition costs have increased significantly on traditional platforms, like Alibaba and JD.com, so brands and platforms are looking for new ways to engage customers. It’s estimated that by the end of 2022, 15% of all e-commerce in China will be social and it will became a major force in online retail sales. As more e-commerce outlets start adding a social element to their business model, three general categories have emerged. 1. Content Sharing Platforms The content sharing model is based on consumers trust in other consumers, influencers, key opinion leaders (KOLs) and key opinion consumers (KOCs). Brands and retailers cooperate with them to create content that informs potential buyers about their products and attempts to guide their purchasing decisions. KOLs and trusted consumers give products credibility and desirability. KOCs are a role specific to China and WeChat. KOCs are personal accounts listed under someone’s name but they’re administered by brand employees and WeChat users are aware of this arrangement. These accounts publish information, content marketing and many also do a wide range of customer relationship management tasks such as handling complaints, making product orders, handling returns, issuing coupons, promoting sales and more. This role was developed as a workaround on the highly influential WeChat social media platform as it is built for person to person contact so this method is not only functional but also feels more personal and can deliver the immediate action that many Chinese consumers demand. It also enables a low cost ad network as advertising rates on WeChat are very high. REVIEWS “Ashley is truly professional with international perspective, yet down to earth.” Bianca Un, Hang Lung Property “Nobody knows Chinese Social Media like Ashley. I say this as an ex-competitor.” Brad Emery CEO – Founder of The Aimviva Travel Club