首先,我们是一家有进出口权的外贸公司,专营家具出口,家具货值有大有小,体积比较大。一般样品单过后就是柜单,利润对于公司来说也是比较客观,但是由于不是工厂,既要回避工厂,又要回避客户,所以有时拼柜都要在深圳公司本地进行,十分麻烦。价格又无法和工厂竞争,可以说是在夹缝生存,由此我们的客户群就已经无法是老中国或者专业买家。俱我统计,我在网上找到的这些客户,80%连提单, FOB 是什么都不知道的。但是对于总结性的话题来说,我当时做我这个保加利亚客户的时候并不了解这一切,甚至造成了一时的BALANCE风险。无论如何,我先从认识到磋商开始讲起吧。
当时是来自TRADE BIG的一封 询盘 :很简短,但是看得出不是套价客户。
Pls send us your sales and delivery terms as well as catalogues and price lists.
We would you like to know other information
当时,我没有报价,只是把详细的CATALOGUE发了过去,并且询问了一下对方公司的情况(SORRY I HAVE LOST THE MAIL)提出了一些问题例如最小定量,是否能一次买柜。目标市场是哪里,能否接受付款方式。并且把网站给他,要他把感兴趣的ITEM NO告诉我。当时客户就给我发了封:
REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR KIND MAIL DTD 16.08.05 WITH ATTACHED PRICE LIST AND SALES TERMS ABOUT YOUR ITEMS.
WE ARE A TRADING COMPANY, WHOLESALER AND RETAILER OF VARIOUS BATHROOM FURNITURE FOR THE PAST YEARS NOW.
WE ARE DEALING WITH WHOLESALERS, HARDWARE AND FURNITURE CHAINS AS WELL AS RETAIL SHOPS. WE HAVE OUR OWN DISTRIBUTION NETWORK FOR OUR OFFERED BATHROOM FURNITURE AND ALONGSIDE WITH THAT TWO RETAIL STUDIOS FOR MODERN FURNISHING.
FOR OUR ENLARGING OF OFFERED ITEMS WE HAVE DIRECTED OUR INTEREST TOWARDS MODERN FURNITURE OF TRENDY AND MODERN DES IGN ON REASONABLE AND COMPETITIVE PRICES. FOR THIS PURPOSE WE ARE LOOKING FOR MANUFACTURERS WHO CAN SUPPLY US WITH SMALL QTY’S AND BIGGER VARIETY OF FURNITURE ON A REGUALR BASIS.
OUR TWO PORTS OF DISPATCH ARE NINGBO AND GUANGZHOU. WE ARE ALSO LOOKING FOR READY MADE FURNITURE WHICH CAN BE SHIPPED ASAP.
AFTER WE CHECKED YOUR WEB PAGE HOWEVER WE WILL NEED FULLER INFORMATION ON OFFERED ITEMS BY YOU SUCH AS COLOUR CATALOGUES AND SMALL SAMPLES OF FABRIC.
WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO COMMENT ON YOUR MIN. QTY – ONE 20 “FCL. WE DEAL WITH OTHER CHINESE SUPPLIERS BY COMBINING LOADS IN 20 AND 40 “ CONTAINERS. HOWEVER, AS YOUR FURNITURE IS VERY VERSATILE AND YOU HAVE MANY MODELS IT WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE FOR US FOR FIRST TRIAL ORDERS TO IMPORT FULL 20”. IN OUR LONG-TERM PRACTICE WE PREFER TO BUY SMALLER QTY’S MORE FREQUENTLY TO KEEP UP WITH TREND CHANGES.
ALSO IN FURNITURE LINE WE WILL JUST BE BEGINNING TO OFFER NEW FURNITURE AND WILL REQUIRE AT LEAST ONE FULL YEAR UNTIL WE CAN BE SURE WHICH MODELS ARE SUITABLE ON LOCAL MARKET.
RE: PAYMENT TERMS – YOUR OFFERED PMT TERMS ARE THE SAME AS OUR PMT TERMS 30% T/T AND 70% BALANCE PMT UPON ORIGINAL B/L SO IT IS OK.
AWAITNG YOUR FAVOURABLE NEWS AND COMMENTS I REMAIN WITH REGARDS
After I checked your detailed web page we express initial interest for following models. We will need their FOB Guangzhou prices for our perusal and their packing dimensions:
YD-RP0014 IN WHITE COLOUR
PLS FURNISH US WITH YOUR PRICES AND INFORM WHETHER YOU HAVE INQUIRED MODELS IN STOCK FOR US TO COOSE SAMPLES FROM.
AWAITING YOUR NEWS ASAP I REMAIN WITH REGERDS
当时在这个过程中我犯了几个错误,但是也不能说绝对的错误,因为我们是外贸公司,所以对于垫款方面我们必须先把钱垫给工厂发货,进仓,开船后才能拿到提单,而现在接受了见提单付款而不是发货前付款,等于是占用了资金并存在一定风险。所以在这个时候其实没有和客户磋商付款方式应该选有更有利一点的方式,比如样品单前T/T 100%。或者是50%OR 70% BEFORE DELIVERY。第二个很大的错误是没有把客户写的这些ITEM NO仔细核实一下是哪些厂做的,客户买的少,一款一两个,但是后来才发现这些货24件竟然有七家厂做。而且大部分厂选择样品T/T全款,造成了又一阵被动,垫出去的款实际上超过占用资金是要算利息的,这样也没有想到,自己贸易公司的财力是不可以和工厂去拼的。