不抛弃不放弃,外贸谈判从零到千万

我,FRANK,一个两年多经验的外贸新手,每天发着开发信,忽然有天觉得:是不是联系不上的客户,就应该马上电话联系,总之就是要联系上,问清楚行还是不行(恰恰这点很简单,但很多新人都做不到)。

  马上发传真,大体上介绍了下公司及产品问对方的兴趣,客户没回复,后来打电话,告诉他email,客户回的第一封邮件摘要:

  We checked shipping possibility from your port to our discharging port (Damietta Egypt) we found the following ;-

  1. container loading is very expensive and we can not do .

  2. we looking for Break Bulk loading for quantity about 3000m3 every single shipment , we checked the shipping companies from our side but they are not interest to load this cargo .

  看来难度不小,我们所在的城市港口很小,散装货轮一般都看不上。怎么办?放弃?呵呵,不是我的作风。马上回信告诉客户,我能找,你先把量和目标价痛快的说出来。这客户很乖,又很不乖~~~

  for your info, we can confirm immediately from 2500 up to 3000m3 board as follows;-

  3.6mm = 200m3 @ $200

  …………

  this price is FOB + $40 up to $42/m3 freight .

  这价格太离谱,差距不是一点两点,产品的规格还不大一样,没关系,生意人嘛,谁还不知道讨价还价这点破事儿,我跟你磨.我回复如下:

  I will check the price tommorrow with shipping company. and for the FOB price I think it is really difficult for us . but anyway I will try my best to meet your target price. so I will quote you for CFR price tommorrow. Do you know any shipping companies that you are dealing with now? we can contact them.

  客户给了我他现在用的货代的联系方式,

  the companies which we are dealing with are thoresen , cosco and hyundai ,

  but unfortunately they refused to load the cargo from south china for that

  we rely on you to find a suitable shipping company .

  经过我联系之后,他们压根没兴趣,因为量太少,根本不值得停靠一次我们的港口,怎么办?只能多找,多撒网,靠我的劳动来弥补这个劣势。

  终于找到三家愿意走货的,但是价格太高,比客户在连云港的高20美金每立方米。对于几千立方米的货物,这是个很大的差距。不管如何先报给客户再说,经过几轮讨价还价,最终客户确认了价格:

  Re your offer and phone discussion,-

  We can confirm the following ;

  3.6 No sanding US$260.00 about 200m3

  Kindly issue sales contract and send it back.

  貌似该庆祝了吧?呵呵,definitely no。

  因为还要跟船公司确认运价和运输方式,包装方式也要考虑。因为包装意味着成本。

  再向客户要量,作为价码跟船公司谈,但是客户说有些规格由于我们做不了所以量最多只能这样了。

  3000m3 one shipment is no problem if you can follow our market standard

  thickness which I explained before 11/14/17/21/24mm .

  17mm we can get about 800m3 .

  11mm about 500m3 .

  so we can easily manage 3000m3 .

  but if you don’t do and we had to follow your thickness it will be according

  to our yesterday e-mail .

  hopefully you reconsider and revert with positive news to can start new long

  business relationship

 我的回复,如下:

  1)the 9mm sanding board we quoted to you is our best price.and as we are sincecely to run a good business with you .we alaways quoted you our best price to you.also as you know ,our board is with good quality according to some other suppliers in china..even so ..our price is similar as the price of them..so I think our Products is more competitive than others and the board in your current market

  2)11mm/17mm/ , the thickness above is difficult for us to produce.and the price is higher as we have quoted to you .if you can accept the price quoted ,,so we can produce for you.

  3)anyway.I will check the cost again to see if it is possible for 11/14 to reduce some rate for you.

  4)please re-advice the quantity can be ok for 9mm(ifpossible),12mm,14mm,15mm,16mm,18mm,25mm.

  客户对量进行了重新规划:

  Re your below msg,

  You have two alternatives,

  A) 3.6 No sanding US$260 about 200m3

  …………

  if we add 250m3 9mm @ $240/m3 the total quantity will be = 2250m3

  B) 3.6 No sanding US$260 about 200m3

  …………

  Total = 3000cbm

  Kindly reconsider and cfm your favorite option

  鉴于与原来船公司谈判破裂,价格上涨,我的回复如下:

  1)for 9mm,ok,we drop our profit,USD245.25 per CBM ,we only want to add this item to have the quantity to negotiate with shipping company,and it is very difficult to negotiate with shipping company with the quantity under 2500.and it is nearly impossible to negotiate under 2000CBM ,please confirm this price and do us a favor.

  2)as we quoted you the CFR price based on freight price USD55.00.and this is quoted from a shipping company.but now they increased the freight to be USD68.00.a crazy rate.

  so we must find another shipping company available on price USD55.00.it is very hard to confirm the freight with shipping company now.and we have been informed that now the freight market is hot due to the chinese exporting and oil shortage.

  so we will try our best to reach the freight ,and run our business asap.but if we failed ,please participate the freight with us ..and if the freight out of bearing of both of us.we suggest to defer this order when the freight acceptable.please comprehend this point:the freight is out of our control……

  3)about 11/17/21/24mm,,we may add0 these thickness in next order,we are considering produce these sizes for you only ,but we must run once business smoothly to persuade our inverstor.

  4)can you inform me the Melamined or veneer or laminated paper MDF you want.we can add them into this quantity to make it up

  客户也很诚恳的回复如下:

  Ok we will confirm your price for 9mm @ $245/m3 C&F .But now total quantity still 2250m3 can not be increase to 3000m3 unless you produce even only one thickness 14/17mmother operative to increase this volume 3.6mm/5.5/7.5mm to be sanded I/O no sanding so we can increase some volume of this .Freight increasment from 55 to $68 is too much we can increase just

  $2/m3 .this will be workable for you or nor ??

  看来这个运费是无法逾越的障碍

  now ,we have reached a good position in our business.but as we know..the only thing is the freight. the freight market is increasing now even in lianyungang,and it is out of control for both of us.we have negotiated with many shipping forwarder these days.and got the freight from USD66-75,still in negotiation.so now we suggest proceed our business in two ways first,please increase thefreight to definite USD60.00 per CBM,and we will responsible for the beyondof this price in practice.second,we accept USD57 for freight, but we only burden the risk of fluctuation within USD60.00,but if the freight is out of USD60.00 in practice.it will be born by yourside.. kindly confirm this point and inform me back..then I can send u the contract

  客户提出了他的解决设想:

  Actually we can’t take the risk of freight fluctuations as it is completely vague for us, so we either buy on C+F basis and we don’t interfere in the freight matter at all or you ship the cargo from Lianyungang along with our other cargo.Please check and revert.

  开始运用话术对客户动之以情,晓之以理,但是我不得不承认,价格,是一个业务员必须倾力付出才能逾越的障碍,而且也是外贸业务员的天生杀手,多少英雄好汉,在这上面折戟沉沙,价格这把双刃剑,浸淫了多少鲜血……多少……(做抒情状@#¥)

  thanks for your email .wish everything goes well regarding your

  comments,yes,I do understand and agree with your idea about the freight

  fluctuations.the risk surely can’t be taken by buyers if in C&F terms.

  On the other hand,for your information, we have negotiated with over 4

  forwarders about the freight these days.they informed us that it won’t be a

  economical way to ship the goods from Lianyungang port because it is too far

  from our factory.

  and forwarders also took their strong will to ship our cargos to your

  port.but the freight was still firmly at USD66-68-72 around.they have quoted

  their best price as it is in competition,so I think it must be confirmed at

  USD65-66.00 per CBM.

  otherwise.as we want to start a business in your country’s market, my

  quotation are based on a “next to the cost-line price”..we wish our buyer

  could promote our good MDF at a nice price,so our business can grow up

  quickly in your competitive market.this is most important thing for a

  factory like us.,we must carve our way out to survive…

  Anyway ,In order to proceed our cooperation as soon as possible,please

  support the freight to be USD 60.00 per CBM,then we bear the other USD 5.00

  or 6.00 to settle the first shipment as soon as possible.