Suggestions on How to Get Started on the Asian Market?
I am the International sales agent for a brand-new exercise chair that also is a very comfortable office chair. It is manufactured in Guangdong, China and has been in development for three years. It has 3 Patents and is ergonomically and orthopeadically designed which provides maximum convenience and minimum discomfort.
It is currently not available in the mainstream retails markets anywhere in the world and because of its uniqueness, it falls into a new sales category of office/exercise chairs. It’s not just an exercise chair or an office/desk chair, it’s both, in one chair. This chair is the next generation in comfort and fitness chairs and the opportunity exists to introduce this chair to the world.
I am looking for a distributor who can introduce the chair to their buyers, or someone who can introduce me to someone or some company that may have interest in buying this unique product. I can work with you to develop the necessary sales and marketing literature for introduction to your sales market. Our primary Asian markets are HK, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, S. Korea and India. If you’re interested in this one-of-a-kind exercise chair and are able to suggest how I can get started in the Asian market, please contact me. I will provide you with everything you need to know more about the product once I hear from you.
Sincerely,
Jim Filbird
September 6th, 2008 at 6:10 am
Dear Jim,
We have contact in the Philippines and in Saudi Arabia. We look forward to explore possible market for your product in both countries if you can give us more details.
Thank you.
September 6th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
I noticed you mentioned the product is manufactured in China, so you’re looking for export to other regions in East Asia?
This is just a typical globalization example, a China based company wants to sell products globally, what should be done.
Yes you do no need distributors and partners in those targeting markets, but make them heard first! How?
There are multiple answers, but one of efficient answers is through “localization” - a process to convert one language (English) into another language, both linguistically accurate and culturally fit.
If you even do not want to invest a few hundred dollars to translate your company brochure or products into Japanese or Korean, how can you expect normal consumers in Japan and S.Korean can buy your products, they do not read English or prefer to buy goods with description in their mother tongue. Hope you get my point.
Translate, localize, then multilingual SEO/marketing, get your voices heard in another country, dig deeper from that point.
Every internationally successful company succeeded not because they have more money or better products, it’s because they had a successful localization plus long term commitment in a foreign country - deep understanding to local consumers, local culture, local business practice, local law and regulations, hiring local employees, give support to local customers.
So my suggestion is, find a good translation company who offer you native, accurate translations of your products, attend industry exhibitions or launch other online or offline marketing compaign. When you marketing material is in target language, you always have better exposure than English description, should agree?
You can have quicker sales if you happen to network with some office supply distributors or furniture importers, but if you think from consumers’ point of view, you will understand my above mentioned.