What Messages Must Western Businesses Communicate?有什麼訊息要西方企業溝通呢？

By Matthew Harrison由Matthew哈里森

Successful marketing communicates to a target audience that its needs can be met by a particular supplier’s offering. 成功的營銷溝通，以目標受眾，其需求可以得到滿足某一特定供應商的提供。 Any marketing campaign should have at its core the communication of the target market’s needs. 任何營銷活動應該有其核心的溝通目標市場的需要。 With this in mind, it is essential to consider what Chinese businesses require from potential Western suppliers. 這一點，這是必須考慮什麼，中國企業需要從潛在的西方供應商。 We have excluded ‘price’ from our analysis, taking this as ‘a given’. 我們已經排除在'價格' ，從我們的分析，以此為'給' 。

Figure 5 – Main Chinese Requirements From Western Businesses (Other Than Price)圖5 -主要中文的要求，從西部企業（除價格）

Communicating superior quality溝通優質

Unsurprisingly, the main requirement Chinese buyers have from potential Western suppliers is to provide market-leading quality.不出所料，主要的要求，中國買家已經從潛在的西方供應商是提供市場領先的質量。 Indeed, this is a ‘hygiene’ requirement, in that the minimum a Western company must do is justify its higher prices vis-à-vis the local competition.事實上，這是一個'生'的要求，在這方面的最低西方公司必須做的，是證明其較高的價格相對於當地的競爭。 In other words, the company’s offering must add value in the eyes of the buyer.在其他換言之，該公司的提供必須添加的價值在眼中的買方。

Importantly, communicating superior value in Chinese business-to-business markets is far more difficult than even two or three years ago.重要的是，溝通的卓越價值，在中國商業對商業的市場困難得多，甚至比兩三年前。 Most Western companies target the top end of their markets, in no small part because their higher cost bases force them to.大多數西方公司的目標頂端年底，它們的市場，這在不小的一部分，因為他們的成本較高，基地，迫使他們。 However, in many business-to-business markets the premium that can be charged for Western products is decreasing quickly.然而，在許多企業對企業市場的保費可以被落案控，為西部的產品是降低很快。 There are a number of reasons for this: firstly, increasing numbers of foreign companies are competing with each other, driving down prices; secondly, the quality of the local offering is improving rapidly, eroding Westerners’ competitive advantage; thirdly, the ability of local companies to communicate their offering is increasing; and fourthly, international companies based in China are recruiting more and more local staff into senior (buying) positions.有很多這種情況的原因：第一，越來越多的外國公司互相競爭，拉低價格;第二，高質量的本地提供的是迅速改善，削弱了西方人的競爭優勢;第三，有能力的本地公司的溝通，他們提供越來越多;第四，國際公司總部設在中國招募更多的當地工作人員到高級（購買）的立場。 Such staff are far more confident than their expatriate predecessors at ‘buying local’ and managing cheaper local suppliers.這些工作人員是遠遠更具信心，比他們的前任外籍人士在購買當地'和管理便宜，本地供應商。

Communicating experience and credentials溝通的經驗和全權證書

Two of the top four requirements of Chinese buyers and business owners – the need for Western companies to prove that they are ‘established’ in the market, and the need for them to demonstrate experience of dealing with similar companies (preferably in China), illustrate the difficulty many Western companies have in gaining the trust of their target audience.兩個最優秀的四的要求，中國買家和商業業主-需要西方國家的公司，以證明他們是'建立了'在市場上，並且需要為他們表現出的經驗，處理同類公司（最好是在中國） ，說明困難，許多西方公司在取得信任自己的目標受眾。 As discussed elsewhere in this paper, to a great degree ‘business’ trust is developed through relationships.作為討論的其他地方在這方面的文件，有很大程度『商貿』的信任是通過關係。 However, important as these will be, the first thing any Western company should do is prepare and present comprehensive case studies and client lists for the potential Chinese customer.不過，重要的，因為這些會，第一件事，任何西方公司應該做的，就是準備和目前的綜合案例研究和客戶名單，為潛在的中國客戶。 These should be leveraged to the absolute maximum, and from the earliest possible stage in the relationship.這些應槓桿，以絕對最大，從盡可能早的階段，在這種關係。 This is in contrast to many Western markets, where past experience is often mentioned in the vaguest terms and references are rarely followed up.這是在對比的許多西方市場，過去的經驗是經常提到的，在模糊的條款和參考，是很少跟進。

This need to communicate relevant past experience cannot be overstated, and relates to perhaps the biggest barrier facing any Western company (particularly new entrants) in China – the time and effort required to gain the target market’s trust.這需要溝通，有關過去的經驗，怎麼強調也不過分，並涉及到可能的最大障礙所面臨的任何西方公司（特別是新入行者）在中國-所需的時間和精力來爭取的目標市場的信任。

Leveraging the brand利用品牌

The challenge of gaining trust can be turned into an advantage if the Western company leverages its brand to the maximum.的挑戰，贏得信任，可以轉化為優勢，如果西方公司利用其品牌的最高。 When approaching a potential customer for the first time, a company’s brand can communicate experience and credentials in the same way as a case study or reference.當接近一個潛在的客戶，為第一次，一個公司的品牌可以溝通的經驗和全權證書，在同樣的方式作為個案研究或參考。 Even if the company is unknown in China, the brand of ‘The West’ can be a real plus, and at the very least generate curiosity in the company’s offering.即使該公司是未知在中國，品牌的'西'可以是一個真正的加，並在至少產生好奇心，在該公司的提供。 In many cases, the Western ‘brand’ represents quality; therefore in at least one respect most Western companies enter the market at an advantage.在許多情況下，西方的品牌'三個代表質量;因此，在至少一個尊重大多數西方國家的公司進入市場，在一個優勢。

Of course over time, any company would want their brand to refine and develop a personality of its own in China.當然，隨著時間的推移，任何公司都希望他們的品牌，以完善和發展人格其本身在中國。 Nevertheless, Western companies’ cost bases are such that entering China without quality at the core of its branding strategy and other communications is virtually impossible.不過，西方國家的公司的成本基地等進入中國，沒有質量的核心，其品牌戰略及其他通訊幾乎是不可能的。

Communicating reliability溝通的可靠性

Reliability is linked to quality, articulating to a large extent quality of service as opposed to quality of product.可靠性是聯繫在一起的質量，銜接在很大程度上是服務質量作為反對的產品質量。 Chinese buyers are extremely demanding in terms of their service requirements, on issues as diverse as lead time (this tends to be shorter than in the West), availability after hours (a much more frequent requirement than in the West) and technical service (particularly when dealing with Western companies, Chinese businesses feel they are paying for top quality, and when technical issues arise they therefore expect them to be dealt with quickly and efficiently).中國買家是非常的條款，要求在其服務的要求，對問題的不同導致的時間（這往往是較短的，比在西） ，可用性小時後（一個更為頻繁的要求比在西方國家）和技術服務（特別是在處理與西方國家的公司，中國企業感到他們是支付頂端的質量，當技術問題出現因此，他們期望他們要處理的迅速和有效率） 。

A key challenge in respect of such needs is communicating that the Western supplier has an established and permanent presence and infrastructure within China.一個關鍵的挑戰，在尊重這種需要的是溝通，認為西方的供應商有一個既定的和永久的存在和基礎設施在中國。 There is a great deal of wariness regarding Western companies who are happy to export their products to China and charge significantly more than local competition, but who then have little interest or ability when it comes to aftersales service, ongoing relationships or even making good small issues with the product that has been sold.有一個很大的戒心對於西方國家的公司誰很高興他們的產品出口到中國和電荷明顯多於本地競爭，但誰是沒有多大興趣或能力，當談到售後的服務，持續的關係，甚至取得良好的小問題與該產品已經賣出。 The latter point also explains the prominence of ‘local presence’ as a requirement from Western suppliers.後一點也解釋了突出的'當地的存在'的要求，作為一個從西方供應商。

Communicating understanding, and willingness to meet needs溝通，理解，並願意以滿足需要

Chinese buyers state emphatically that they want Western companies to show an understanding of their needs, but also a willingness to listen to and learn from the buyer.中國買家國務院強調指出，他們希望西方國家的公司，以顯示一了解他們的需要，而且也願意聽取和了解，從買方。 A frequent comment is that Westerners ‘turn off’ buyers by spending far too much time talking about what they can offer, and far too little time building up their understanding of what the customer requires, and what is driving that requirement.經常評論是西方人的'關閉'的買家，花太多時間談論什麼，他們可以提供，和深遠的時間太少，建立他們了解什麼客戶需要，什麼是駕駛這一要求。

Chinese buyers do not expect suppliers to understand their needs immediately; in fact they tend to believe that to do so is impossible, and perhaps even belittles the uniqueness of their challenges and requirements.中國買家並不期望供應商了解他們的需要，立即;事實上，他們傾向於認為，這樣做是不可能的，甚至是貶低的獨特的挑戰和要求。 Rather they want suppliers to listen carefully to the issues facing the business, and commence a dialogue which begins to identify their needs and put forward ways of meeting these needs.而不是他們想要的供應商，以細心聆聽面臨的問題業務，並展開對話的開始，以確定他們的需要和提出的方式滿足這些需求。 Suppliers who claim to have the solution as soon as they begin talking to the potential customer are seen as crass, naïve and untrustworthy.供應商誰索賠有解決辦法，因為一旦他們開始交談，向潛在的客戶被看作是crass ，幼稚和不可信。 On the other hand suppliers who listen, understand and suggest are seen as understanding the problem, qualified to give a solution and willing to work for the benefit of the customer.在另一方面，供應商，誰聽，理解和建議被看作是認識問題，合格的給予一個解決方案，並願意工作，為造福客戶。

Being easy to work with易工作

As well as being reliable in a business sense, Chinese buyers state that they want suppliers that are easy to deal with, and who engage with them on a personal level.以及作為可靠的，在商業意義上說，中國買家的國家，他們希望供應商很容易處理，以及誰從事與他們就在個人層面。 Business relationships in China can often be distinguished by the way they go beyond the workplace and impinge on the participants’ social lives.業務關係在中國往往可以區分的方式，他們超越了工作場所和影響的參加社會生活。 Companies that do not wish to take the discussion outside the workplace are often seen as unfriendly and – more significantly – hard to get to know, perhaps willfully so.公司不想花的討論以外的工作往往被視為不友好的-更重要的-很難去了解，也許隨意。 The latter can be fatal to a potential business relationship, in an environment where gaining trust is fundamental.後者可以是致命的一個潛在的業務關係，在一個環境下，獲得信任是根本。

Language and other barriers clearly make expanding relationships beyond the workplace difficult for many Western suppliers.語文和其他壁壘，顯然使擴大的關係超越了工作場所的困難，許多西方的供應商。 However, this, as well as the requirement to show a general interest in customers as people rather than ‘just customers’, is often essential.不過，這，以及規定顯示，一般有興趣的顧客作為人而不是'只是顧客，往往是必不可少的。

Matthew Harrison, Director of 馬修哈里森，主任 B2B International B2B的國際 and 和 B2B International China 中國的B2B國際 . 。 B2B International is a business-to-business agency headquartered in Manchester, UK.  The company has a subsidiary office – B2B International China – in Beijing and an American office in New York. B2B的國際公司是一家商業對商業的機構，總部設在曼徹斯特，英國，該公司有一個附屬辦事處-國際B 2B的中國-在北京和美國的辦事處設在紐約。

This is the second part of the B2B international article Marketing and Selling to Chinese Businesses, next week we will publish the third part.這是第二部分的文章的B2B國際市場營銷和銷售給中國企業，下週我們將公佈的第三部分。 Here you can find the在這裡您可以找到 full article充分的文章 and和 part 1第1部分 . 。