Recruiting the right people is always a challenge for foreign companies in China. We have struggled quite a bit ourselves. I had the opportunity to ask a few questions to Jim Nelson, the president of SHI Group, a China-based recruitment … [Read more...]
Archives for December 2017
How To Cooperate With Your Chinese Supplier, Part 2: Still Hoping Your Manufacturer meets Your Quality Standard?
Are you frustrated because a Chinese manufacturer has proven unable to meet your quality standard? Do they keep making promises of imminent improvement? And are you seeing no improvement? So typical. I have had several discussions … [Read more...]
Sourcing from China 101, Part 8: Project Management of Your Orders
One recurring theme in this course is that you should not rely on the supplier’s salespeople. Most of them would have been hired solely on the basis of their English skills. They are interpreters with very little technical knowledge, and … [Read more...]
How To Cooperate With Your Chinese Supplier, Part 3: 4 Habits of Your Chinese Suppliers You’ll Have to Get Used To
Expats living in China tend to be bothered by many aspects of the local culture. Here are a few common questions I was asked many times: How can they be so self-centered and so unaware of what happens around them when they drive, walk, … [Read more...]
Sourcing from China 101, Part 7: Pre-Production: Describing What You Want
I have stated several times that you need to describe your product in detail. I know this is obvious, but most buyers don’t do is well… and often regret it later. There are two ways of formalizing your requirements: A written … [Read more...]
Sourcing From China 101, Part 6: How To Keep Leverage Over Suppliers
Up until now, I have explained how to find a good supplier and what terms to negotiate from the get-go. But this is not enough. Buyers who are new to China often make a mistake: they trust their suppliers too much. How to keep leverage … [Read more...]
Sourcing from China 101, Part 5: Negotiating With Chinese Suppliers: The Terms you Need to Discuss
Chinese suppliers are good at detecting which purchaser is inexperienced. If that's the case, and if you are dealing with dishonest suppliers, they could think that they will be able to take advantage of you. Therefore, it is … [Read more...]