Trade Leads - Effective Importing - Exporting

By Author: johanneshtrade
Total Articles: 1
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Have you ever wonder, how many importers and exporters get their suppliers and buyers from other foreign nationals so easily? After trying their hand on marketplaces like eBay, an increasing number of people are looking for either a foreign supplier for the items they are trading locally or global buyers look for the unique product that they can sell. If you are one of such person or if you have recently decided to explore import-export business opportunities, or looking for Online Foreign Trade, then using this simple method you too can find buyers and sellers from other foreign countries easily and effectively, in short span of time.

There are several means people use to look for a foreign supplier or buyer, which include attending trade shows, contacting trade section of embassies and chambers of commerce, posting advertisements on the Internet, etc. However, posting on the country and industry specific bulletin boards is by far the easiest and cheapest technique which brings pretty fast results.

By we understand a categorized advertisement of buy, sell or service trade opportunity related to export and import. ...
... Before the Internet era World Trade Centers, Chambers of Commerce, Export Promotion Bureau and some other Government agencies used to collect and publish trade inquiries and circulate them by mail to subscribers. Subscription cost of many of those lists some times was and still is quite hefty. A number of trade journals have also carried special sections for trade inquiries. In any case, the process of getting a lead and acting on it was slow, time consuming and sometimes even outdated.

Today, thanks to the Internet, the situation has changed dramatically! The development of e-commerce, global trade growth and increased use of the Internet have helped proliferate numerous bulletin boards, sites and B2B portals. Some of geography specific portals have become prime destination for both importers and exporters planning to do business in those countries.

When you are on a portal like you have two braod category of options. You can either find a supplier or a buyer for a product either by browsing or searching among the existing notes. Another option is to post your very own advertisement. Trade note also let you find trade shows and buying/selling offers. It offers members area to manage all your offers and products. In general, use of the pages including postings does not require a payment on most of the sites. And, yes, Trade note is also free to join.

How to use leads effectively?

online is an important aspect of international online business and considered as the most inexpensive way of getting new buyers and consequently export orders. To use these leads profitably, we need to understand who places these leads, why and how to use these leads effectively for expanding international business.

How Reliable are Trade

It is important to distinguish between and export order. 'RFQ' (Request For Quote) are enquiries from unknown buyers published in public bulletin boards or b2b marketplaces or sent directly to suppliers. These are certainly not export orders - though some of these could be converted into firm order after successful negotiation. At the same time, many of these could be of questionable value. So, how do we identify from serious buyers? Let us look at these critically and find out ways of dealing with them profitably.

There are many kinds of like business opportunities, foreign government tenders, Online foreign trade etc. For this discussion, we take the most prevalent type of offers in - message placed by private company or individuals to buy or sell a specific product/service within a reasonable period of time.

Navigate to find trade offers, b2b business leads, buy & sell offers posted by global exporters, manufacturers & importers for numerous business opportunities.

The Challenge - How to Separate Wheat from Chaff
There is no specific rules - but common sense, observation, care and imagination can help you locate potential leads and manage your time and resources that much better.

Following are some tips on this regard based on my experience since 1997:

1. Find Reliable and Exclusive Sources
2. Keep a Watch for Competitors
3. Be Careful of Large Orders
4. Observe the Language
5. Check the Market

Generating:

Generating is often seen as a very difficult task and holds a great importance as it forms the bottom line of any business. Though there are many portals that help in generating, there are some common things which can take us a long way in generating.

1. Customer contact: Not many of us realize this but are existing customers are the best source of generating sales leads. They can bring you loads of new business by referring you to their contacts. Keeping in regular touch with the customers by phone or email is one of the best ways to generate sales leads.

2. Trade groups and associations: Being an active member of trade groups also helps a lot. If you happen to be a regular speaker at trade events, it greatly increases your chances of generating sales leads.

3. Writing: Those who occasionally or regularly write for trade journals and magazines are held in high regard and increases your brand value. This brand value helps a lot in generating.

4. Quality of service: You may be able to get a few but if you don't provide quality service, you lose more than you gain. One of the best ways of generating sales leads is by word of mouth and no one does it better than a satisfied customer.

5. Complimentary products and services: Send your customers to the businesses that sell products that compliment yours. This is also one of the best methods of generating sales leads. You send them your customers, they will send you theirs.