China Daily hails the success of several measures Beijing has taken to bring the city up to international standards.

There has reportedly been an increase in: “blue sky days” this year (though the blogosphere generally disagrees), standardized menu translations (which means no more delicious sounding dishes like “braised enterovirus”), and overhauled public toilets in Beijing.

The paper tells the story of one man’s experience with the improved public toilets, part of a 400 million yuan investment, reporting, “Inside, he found a granite floor, remote-sensor flushing, automatic hand drier and piped music. He found it difficult to believe that only three years ago when he first came to China, answering nature’s call was an experience not for the faint-hearted.”

As China prepared its bid for the Games the second time (after loosing out to Sydney in 1993) it looked harder at what foreigners wanted from a host city, and upped the ante on its message to the International Olympic Committee.

Everyone loves a good ‘underdog’ story, and the idea of a ‘Green Olympics’ in a city with such a poor environmental track record had some resonance. China’s vast financial resources to theoretically get it done didn’t hurt either.

Whether it’s an Olympics or new business pitch, ensuring that the message is right for an audience of deal decision makers is critical.

And now that China is coming out as a global player, the tables are turning. Chinese companies are beginning to outsource to Western ones.

So, knowing exactly what Chinese companies want from Western suppliers is key to honing an Olympic-caliber marketing message.

Here are some important factors Chinese businesses look at in finding suppliers, and how to approach those needs, according to China Success Stories:

Want #1: Top quality for the “Western price”

Approach: If a Chinese buyer is willing to pay the premium, ensure that they truly are getting market-leading quality. Extra foreign competition means this is getting increasingly difficult, so it is no longer enough to rely on the automatic higher status given to many Western brands.

Want #2: The best experience and credentials from suppliers

Approach: Chinese companies want to know that a Western company has had experience with other Chinese companies. Therefore careful attention must be given to presenting thorough case studies and client lists. Building a sense of trust is tantamount to a firm’s success.

Want #3: Reliability and understanding of a firm’s needs

Approach: For reliability issues, Western companies need to stress their established and permanent infrastructure (if it exists) within China to prove that they really are there to provide after-sale services. Chinese firms tend to be pickier about after-hours services and constant availability - especially when paying the Western price premium. Chinese companies also report that Western firms tend to spend too much time stressing what they offer, and not enough time listening to and understanding their needs.

Greek philosopher Epictetus would have made a great China sales rep, having coined the phrase, “We have two ears, and one mouth, so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.”

    Channel: Local Wisdom     |