Comparing Different Western Countries比较不同的西方国家

By Matthew Harrison由Matthew哈里森

Most of this paper has talked about Western companies in general, and aims to provide recommendations on how Westerners should seek to market and sell themselves to Chinese businesses. It is worth, however, considering how companies from different Western nations are considered. Figure 9 summarises the main strengths and weaknesses of companies from the four largest Western economies, as perceived by Chinese buyers and business owners. 大部分的这份文件谈到了西方国家的公司在一般，旨在提供建议，就如何西方人应寻求市场和销售自己的中国企业，这是值得，但是，考虑到公司如何从不同的西方国家考虑。图9概述主要的优点和缺点，公司从四个最大的西方国家的经济，察觉到中国的买家和企业主。

Figure 9 – What Characteristics Do Chinese Buyers Associate With Suppliers From Different Western Countries?图9 -有什么特点，做中国买家与供应商联系，从不同的西方国家？

France: Extremely friendly and well disposed towards the Chinese. 法国：非常友好和处置，以及对中国。 Better than other Western nations at building up relationships with Chinese businesspeople. 优于其他西方国家建立关系，与中国商人。 Serious in all professional matters including product/service quality. 严重的在所有的专业事宜，包括产品/服务的质量。 No strong weakness, but French companies attract some criticism for their lack of efficiency. 没有强烈的弱点，但法国公司，吸引了一些批评为缺乏效率。

Germany: Serious, precise and methodical with a real emphasis on quality. 德国：严重的，准确和有条理的一个真正强调质量。 Technology is seen as market-leading. 技术被看作是市场领先地位。 German companies are also noted for their focus on worker welfare and environmental issues, and are seen as extremely trustworthy. 德国公司还指出，他们的重点是工人的福利和环境问题，以及被看作是非常值得信赖的。 German employees are viewed as harder working than many other Europeans. 德国雇员被看作是更难的工作比许多其他欧洲人。 Key weakness is a tendency to be ‘hidebound’ by procedures in production and purchasing. 关键的弱点是一个趋势，要'墨守成规'程序，生产和采购。 This is in direct conflict with the Chinese requirement for flexibility on all aspects of the business relationship, and can make German companies seem unresponsive or even aloof. 这是在直接的冲突与中国要求的灵活性，对各方面的业务关系，并且可以使德国公司似乎反应迟钝或什至置身事外。

United Kingdom: Good quality products, albeit perhaps less so than Germany or USA. 联合王国：优质的产品，虽然也许没有那么比德国或美国。 Extremely proactive in terms of telephone calls, conference attendance, and generally following through on conversations. 非常积极主动的条款电话，列席会议，一般通过对以下的交谈。 Thorough, professional and efficient, and at the same time quite flexible by Western standards. 彻底，专业及有效率，并在同一时间，相当灵活，由西方的标准。 Key weakness is an apparent unwillingness to discuss business outside the workplace, which makes UK companies seem unfriendly and hinders relationship building. 关键的弱点是一个明显的不愿意，洽谈业务以外的工作场所，这使得英国公司似乎是不友善的关系和阻碍建设。

United States: Extremely efficient and work at a fast pace. 美国：非常有效率和工作在一个快节奏。 Serious about work, and product quality is very good. 认真的态度工作，产品质量是非常好的。 Mixed views about ability to deliver on time, particularly when it comes to aftersales. 混合的看法，能够提供对时间，尤其是当谈到售后服务。 Some hold the view that American companies are more inclined than other Westerners to exaggerate their own capabilities. 一些人士认为，美国公司更倾向于比其他西方人夸大自己的能力。

How Do Chinese Companies Compare In Their Marketing and Sales Approach?如何做比较，中国公司在其市场营销和销售的办法呢？

We have devoted a lot of time to critiquing Western companies’ ability to market to Chinese businesspeople.我们已经花了很多时间去批评西方公司的能力，市场的中国商人。 But how do Chinese companies compare?但如何做，中国公司比较呢？ The answer is that, despite the experience they have of dealing with target clients in their own country, there is much room for refinement and improvement.答案是，尽管他们有经验，处理对象，在他们自己的国家，是有很大的空间，完善和改进。 Below is a summary of the key criticisms Chinese buyers level at their local suppliers:以下是访问摘要关键的批评，中国买家的水平在他们的本地供应商：

- Inconsistent product quality -不一致的产品质量
- General lack of professionalism -一般缺乏专业精神
- Unsophisticated approach to marketing and promotion, with websites, brochures and other promotional materials seen as poorly presented and uninformative -简单的方式推销和宣传，网站，小册子和其他宣传材料被视为不善的陈述和u ninformative
- Disorganised approach to paperwork -混乱的办法文书
- Surprisingly, Chinese companies are seen as not willing enough to attend conferences -奇怪的是，中国公司被看作是不足够的愿意参加会议
- Written communications seen as vague rather than direct -写在通讯看作是空泛的，而非直接
- Specific mention made of some Chinese companies’ tendency to turn up at the customer’s office uninvited – this is often seen as extremely impolite and unprofessional. -具体提到了一些中国公司'的倾向，从而在客户的办公室请自来-这是常常被看作是极不礼貌和不专业。

The above criticisms highlight two key issues.上述的批评，突出两个关键问题。 Firstly, Chinese buyers and business owners assess suppliers on their merits, and are as willing and able to criticise Chinese companies as they are to criticise foreigners.首先，中国买家和商业业主，评估供应商本身的是非曲直，是愿意和能够批评中国公司，因为他们批评的外国人。 Few Chinese buyers pretend that Chinese companies do not have room for improvement on a number of important issues.几个中国买家假装中国公司并没有改善的余地就一些重要的问题。 Secondly, it is clear that there remains, and will remain for a long time, an opportunity for good quality Western companies to enter Chinese markets, usually on the basis of a high value added, high price offering.其次，很明显，仍然存在，并会继续相当长的时间，一个机会，良好的质量西方国家的公司进入中国市场，通常是在此基础上高附加值，高价格提供。 Western companies must recognise, however, that their competitive advantage on quality and professionalism issues is eroding, and will continue to do so, making innovation and efficiency increasingly important requirements.西方国家的公司必须承认，不过，他们的竞争优势的质素和专业水平的问题是削弱，并会继续这样做，创新与效率的日益重要的要求。

Why Do Western companies get it wrong?为什么西方国家的公司得到它错了吗？

Before moving on to discuss how companies should implement change in terms of their marketing and selling approaches, it is worth considering why Western companies often target the Chinese market in an inappropriate way.然后才转谈，讨论如何落实公司应该改变而言，他们的营销和销售的办法，这是值得考虑的，为什么西方国家的公司往往目标，中国市场在一个不恰当的方式。 There are a number of reasons for Western companies’ apparent lack of understanding of how to market; many of these are self-evident and all of them stem from a lack of experience in the market.有很多原因，西方公司显然缺乏了解如何市场;很多，这些都是不言自明的和他们都干，从缺乏经验，在市场上。

Life cycle 生命周期
Some of the ‘mistakes’ made by Western companies in terms of their marketing and sales approaches and messages can be explained by the fact that many of their Chinese activities are relatively new.一些'失误'所作出的西方公司而言，他们的营销和销售方法和信息可以被解释的事实，他们的许多中国的活动是比较新。 Companies are providing solutions to needs which have only just emerged, and mutual understanding between buyers and suppliers is still developing.公司所提供的解决方案的需要，才刚刚出现，之间的相互了解，采购和供应商是仍处于发展阶段。
There has been a strong tendency for Western companies to undervalue the importance of marketing in China, seeing it as something that takes place not at the beginning of the product life cycle, but once channel access and market penetration have been achieved.有一种强烈的趋势，西方国家的公司低估的重要性，市场营销在中国，把它作为一些需要的地方，而不是在一开始的产品生命周期，但一旦渠道准入和市场渗透率已经达到。 This is extremely surprising, given the sophistication of marketing techniques in the West, and may result from a lack of knowledge of the target market, as well as a lack of confidence that marketing techniques will be successful.这是非常令人惊讶，由于先进的营销技术在西部地区，并可能导致从一个缺乏知识的目标市场，以及作为一个缺乏信心的认为，营销技术将取得成功。

Focus on product, channels and price, rather than promotion 专注于产品，渠道和价格，而非推广
If Chinese companies tend to regard promotion as the only aspect of marketing, there is an opposing tendency for Western companies in China not to pay promotion enough attention.如果中国公司往往把推广作为唯一的方面，市场营销，有另一种相反的趋势，西方国家的公司在中国没有付出足够的重视，推广。 Western companies entering the market have frequently conducted some kind of channel (place) research, as well as an examination of the likely prices the market will bear.西方国家的公司进入市场，经常进行一些种渠道（地方）的研究，以及作为一个考试的可能价格，市场将承担。 They have usually given a good level of consideration as to which products will appeal, albeit with insufficient thought to how these will need refining.他们通常是一个很好的水平，考虑到哪些产品将提出上诉，虽然与不足，思考如何将这些将需要精炼。 However, analysis of the market assessment research being conducted by market research agencies in China will tell you that the 4th ‘P’, promotion, has often been completely ignored.不过，市场分析评估研究正进行市场研究机构在中国都会告诉你，第4次以字母P ，升迁，常常被完全忽略了。 Company resources have been thrown into understanding the size and nature of the market opportunity, with much less emphasis placed on how that opportunity should be communicated directly with the target market.公司资源已扔进了解的规模和性质的市场机会，更将重点放在如何有机会，应该沟通，直接与目标市场。

“We know best” “我们知道的最佳”
A valid criticism made by Chinese businesses of their Western counterparts is that they sometimes appear hard-wired in thinking that everything they do is automatically superior to the local competition.一个有效的批评所提出的中国企业他们的西方同行是，他们有时似乎硬连线在思想，一切，他们做的是自动优于当地的竞争。 Essentially, Western companies forget that marketing is about the profitable satisfaction of needs, and that if a need is different in China to the West, then the value proposition must also be different.基本上，西方国家的公司忘记，市场营销是关于有利可图的满足需要，而且如果需要的是不同的在中国的西部地区，那么的价值主张，也必须有所不同。 Westerners tend to try to ‘re-educate’ Chinese buyers, rather than simply providing a value proposition that meets the market’s existing needs.西方人往往尝试'再教育'中国买家，而不是简单地提供一个价值主张，满足市场的现有需求。

“Marketing is a ‘Western’ discipline – it’s less important in China” “营销是一个'西方'的纪律-它的那么重要，在中国”
Some Western companies, many of them guided by Western market entry consultants, tend to overstate the importance of relationship building in China, in that they see it as a substitute to marketing effort, rather than a complement.一些西方公司，他们中的许多指导，西方进入市场的顾问公司，往往夸大的重要性，建立关系在中国，在他们所看到的，它作为替代，以市场营销的努力，而不是一个补充。 Good salespeople are sometimes left stranded alone in a small representative office, with no marketing capability to complement or assist them.良好的销售，有时左滞留，仅在一个很小的代表办事处，没有营销能力，以配合或协助他们。

Communication problems 沟通问题
It cannot be denied that there remains a significant language barrier between Chinese and Western companies, albeit one that is closing as huge numbers of Chinese businesspeople learn English and increasing numbers of Westerners learn Chinese.不能否认有仍是一个重大的语言障碍的中国与西方国家的公司，虽然是一个结束，因为大量的中国商人学习英语和越来越多的西方人学习中文。 Once companies need to interact at an operational rather than strategic level, mutual linguistic understanding can often be lacking.一旦公司需要互动，在业务，而不是在战略层面上，相互理解的语言往往可以缺乏。

Tips For Successful Selling In China提示成功销售在中国

So, based on our own experience of selling in China, and in particular the experience of our clients and survey respondents, are there any ‘golden rules’ that can be used by foreign companies looking to market and sell in Chinese business-to-business markets?因此，基于我们自己的经验，出售在中国，尤其是经验，我们的客户和调查，受访者中，是否有任何'金科玉律' ，可用于由外国公司寻求市场和销售在中国商业对商业的市场？ The answer is, of course, that there are differences by industry, geography and a host of other factors.答案是，当然有分歧，按行业，地理和一系列其他因素。 We would argue that it is perfectly achievable for a Western company to succeed in the Chinese market, so long as it remembers the basics of marketing, and is prepared to adapt these to the local environment:我们会认为这是完全可以实现的一个西方公司的成功在中国市场上，只要它会记住的基础，市场营销，并准备以适应这些给当地的环境：

Remember the marketing basics – Product, price, place and promotion are all important. 记得营销的基础 -产品，价格，地点和推广都是重要的。 All should be researched before and after market entry, in order to ensure that the value proposition meets and continues to meet the target market’s needs.所有应研究之前和之后的市场准入，以确保该价值主张，会见，并继续以满足目标市场的需要。

Patience – Patience is required when applying the marketing basics to the local market. 耐心 -耐心是时，如有需要，运用市场营销的基础，以本地市场。 In particular, the sales process is longer and more complex than in Western markets, and local buyers will take time to be convinced that a Western company has the ‘local’ credentials to meet their needs.特别是，销售过程中是较长的和更复杂的，比在西方市场，和当地的买家将需要时间来说服西方公司拥有'当地'的全权证书，以满足他们的需要。

Listen – Only by listening will you be able to understand and therefore meet the local market needs. 听 -只有听会，你能理解，因此满足当地市场的需求。 Chinese companies do not want to buy a product or service that has come straight off a shelf in the West.中国公司不想购买产品或服务来直小康的架子上，在西方。

Relationships – Focus, but do not over-focus on relationships. 关系 -专注，但不要过分关注的关系。 Any salesperson must be prepared to be ‘friends’ with a potential supplier.任何营业员必须作好准备， '朋友'与一个潜在的供应商。 However, this is as well as, not instead of, the 4 Ps of the marketing mix.不过，这是因为，以及，而不是取代，四的PS的营销组合。

Be confident in your quality – Western companies start from a strong position, in that they are usually assumed to have excellent quality. 有信心在您的质量 -西方国家的公司开始从强有力的地位，在这方面他们通常是假定有优良的品质。 Focus on the value you add, and be prepared to explain why you can add value in China specifically.着眼于价值，您添加，并准备解释，为何您可以添加价值，特别是在中国。

Be methodical, but flexible – One of the qualities that defines Western businesses is their methodical approach to doing business. 被有条不紊，但灵活的之一-素质定义的西方企业是他们的方法，经商。 It is clear that when this turns into a dogma about how business should be done, Chinese companies quickly lose interest in your offering.很显然，当这变成了教条，有关如何业务应该做的事，中国公司很快失去兴趣，您的提供。 However, do not be afraid to highlight the methodical nature of your offering, as this is something that is valued by Chinese businesspeople and seen to be lacking in some Chinese businesses.不过，不要害怕，突出有条不紊的性质，您的提供，这是一件价值是由中国商人和看到的是缺乏在一些中国企业。

Be prepared for plenty of negotiation – The Chinese approach to completing deals relies heavily on many rounds of negotiation, and this is something that any potential supplier must be aware of. 准备大量的谈判 -中国的方式完成的交易在很大程度上依靠了多轮谈判，这是一件任何潜在的供应商必须意识到。 It is almost inconceivable that your first proposal (particularly your first price) will be accepted.它几乎是不可想象的，您的第一项建议（尤其是你的第一个价格）会被接受。 Companies wishing to do business in China should consider the price they are willing to accept for their offering, but never open negotiations at this level.公司希望在中国做生意，应考虑价格，他们愿意接受他们提供的，但从来没有公开谈判在这个水平上。

Avoid exaggeration – Focusing on the credentials you have, rather than exaggerating to make up for perceived deficiencies, is to be recommended. 避免夸张 -着眼于全权证书你有，而不是夸大，以弥补认知的不足，是值得推荐。 Chinese companies want above all to trust their suppliers.中国公司希望上述所有信任他们的供应商。

Matthew Harrison, Director of 马修哈里森，主任 B2B International B2B的国际 and 和 B2B International China 中国的B2B国际 . 。 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的国际公司是一家商业对商业的机构，总部设在曼彻斯特，英国，该公司有一个附属办事处-国际B 2B的中国-在北京和美国的办事处设在纽约。

This is the fourth and final part of the B2B international article Marketing and Selling to Chinese Businesses.这是第四次也是最后一部分的B2B条国际营销和销售，以中国企业。 Here you can find the在这里您可以找到 full article充分的文章 and和 part 1第1部分 , ， part 2第2部分 and和 part 3第3部分