SELLING TO THE CHINESE

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 54, 6 March 1922, Page 3

SELLING TO THE CHINESE

SOME INTERESTING HINTS.

Returning from a two- years' commercial investigation trip round the world, Philip Sturm, an observer for. a group of American interests, gives some useful hints on how to trade with, the Chinese. He says:— , " "It is impossible to sell the Chinese anything he dote not want, or which ■will not lend itself to manipulation in the Chinese., markets in tho same manner as similar goods in the markets. While-absolute inflexibility does not prevail, tho Chinese, nevertheless, require newigoods to be according- to their commonly accepted idiom 'not very much different.' I know of several instances where firms tried ;to force a different make-up, on the market and in each case they failed. The prime necessity for any new firm breaking^ jnto the Chinese marfet' is the .recognition of old customs; that is to say, current usages. Another ■much neglected rule is the need to keep the market supplied with, samples and !.made up in a. manner similar to the best sampling -practices. Americans must remember that the Chinese dealer's demands are merely ■' reflection of the needs of the. market in wl:ich he operates and are no' crazy ideas born of ignorance and foolish notions as' so many new salesmen seem to think. ' "After all, one of the fundamentals of business is supplying the market with what it wants, riot what you want it to buy. The Chinese are adopting new ideas and buying new goods* all the time; but the manner in. which these things are marketed never departs from a' close recognition of customary procedure and. a keen observance of the :, requirements of the market as manifested in the apparent prejudices of Chinese dealers. ■ "Business in China is almost a social institution and more important affairs are transacted at a. dinner than are accomplished elsewhere. It is -the tendency of the; American manufacturer, when he does not have the exact eoods ordered 'in stock, to substitute. This is fatal in Chinese trade. ■ If a Chinese merchant orders a product .trimmed with red ribbon, he wants exactly what, the sample shows and what, the order specifies. A better quality of, blue ribbon will not do. .'lt: does not'matter how superior the substitution may be to .the original, it is unwelcome and raises indignation in the breast of the Chinese buyer. The Chinaman is the most -conservative person in the world. He hates changes. You cannot rusri business over there as you do in this country, and the difficulty is that the Americans do not understand that time in China.is no .object. "The love of the Chinese for America is one of the greatest of our national assets and their doors are wide open to Americans. I can praise with com.plete confidence the Chinese hospitality. I have been welcomed everywhere with a warmth that has surprised and touched me. I have been treated with extraordinary kindness. _ ■ "China is now, in. a critical situation. The attempt of her nearest neighbour. Japan, to swallow her up is being re-i garded as. a fact. She is, therefore, :n need of a friend, and such a friend and protector she ' finds in no other -than the United States of America; , "The boycotting of Japanese trade by the Chinese in Shantung was very much in evidence at the time I was in that province, which was also the case in Shanghai. ' Japanese business has lost much prestige in China. The Far East is loaded with, Japanese goods of a cheap kind, and they are very unpopular with buyers all over the Orient, who are weary of the inferior kind of goods mado in Japan."