Agents and Distributors

Do you have agents or distributors already in place but need them to be qualified or managed?

Many American companies have complained of recurring problems and an overall lack of trust with their Chinese business partners. Even after training and product specs literature they're "just not getting it". 

Here are a few reasons why this happens:

• You don't know your market well enough in China and you don't know where your products are being sold.
• You don't know your business partner - you were referred to them by someone else or have a partnership because of a business acquisition and have never met face to face.
• Other companies/competitors using the same business partner have representatives in China who meet them semi-regularly and have built a strong business rapport - in their eyes you're not invested enough.
• Your focus is solely on numbers and your partner's is on price.
• There is continuing mutual misunderstanding and long lag periods when communicating important information, particularly through electronic media like telephone, teleconference  software, and email.

With a Shanghai base, My China Sales Team can monitor their work and determine if they are the right agent/distributor for your products. By having someone in China serve as your eyes and ears, you can have peace of mind that your company's reputation and best interests are properly represented and managed.

What if that still does not solve the problems? What if you don't have agents/distributors in place?

MCST can find both agents and distributors for you. Here's how we do it:

With this foundation,  we create a target list of well-established strategic partners in a similar but non-competitive industry that also possess a strong distribution system. We then qualify the targets  through direct contact and narrow the field to your company's best-matched targets.

Together we select the best strategy and begin negotiation with the targeted firm(s). Post negotiation we stay involved 3 to 6 months to monitor your new partner's entry into the  market, all the while providing development support to foster your company's partnership and ensure a slow and steady transition.

Part of the disconnect between a U.S. company and its China distributor stems from how the U.S. company presents themselves, the product and its benefits, and the market. In short, the factors behind differentiating yourself in the market are lost in translation and the Chinese partner isn't clear on how to push the product. Our previous experience with other clients gives us the ability to bridge this gap and show your Chinese counterparts the right way to sell and market.