What is the impact of the epidemic situation on foreign trade work

WHO defines new crown outbreak as public health emergency
On the evening of the 30th local time, the World Health Organization (WHO) held a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland, and WHO Director-General Thandese announced that the pneumonia epidemic of the new coronavirus infection constitutes an "public health emergency of international concern (Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)). "
In China, holiday delays in all walks of life and traffic control have had a significant impact on the current product delivery period, customer visits, after-sales service, and business development. In the face of this sudden epidemic, how should we conduct business, how to deal with potential customers, how to deal with customers who have not shipped orders and customer claims.
I. How to conduct business in an "outbreak" situation?

Outbreak report (data updated to 2020.01.31 16:52)
When the WHO announced that the pneumonia epidemic of the new coronavirus infection constituted a public health emergency of international concern, the circle of friends had two main reactions.
The first: Too pessimistic. Due to the severe epidemic situation, there will be a lot of products that internationally resist Chinese exports will be a fatal blow to foreign trade imports and exports. The economy has fallen back for 20 years, and many companies have broken and closed their capital chains.
The second type is too positive. According to the impact of SARS at that time, the impact on this quarter did exist, but it bottomed out and could be made up by the export growth in the next three quarters, so the impact of the epidemic was not large.
I prefer the second argument. With global economic integration, China and the global economy are interdependent. The epidemic situation is temporary. The decrease in exports is also temporary. The impact on the total export value is not large, but the impact on each company is huge. Some companies have bottomed out, and some have not rebounded.
The epidemic was also a reshuffle of the industry. Just like SARS at that time, online shopping led by Taobao made rapid progress in that era. However, there is a survivor bias here. We only saw the development of Taobao, but ignored many online shopping companies similar to Taobao at the time. What they experienced was a decline in performance, a loss of staff, and a company failure.
So what we need to do is to conduct business in a reasonable way, so that we become the fastest growing company after the "epidemic" has passed, rather than the one that has been eliminated.

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Five important data in the foreign trade business, the number of potential customers, the visit rate, the signing rate, the customer repeat order rate, the customer referral rate .
Under the influence of the epidemic, the visit rate, repeat order rate and signing rate of most foreign traders will be reset to zero, but this is an objective reason and beyond our control. What we can do now is to increase the number of potential customers and the rate of customer referrals.
To increase the number of potential customers, because many companies have already postponed their work hours, it is an opportunity for overtaking on a curve. Make good use of various network platforms and actively develop customers.
In order to improve the rate of customer referrals, in addition to routine customer maintenance, you should also actively communicate with customers about the real situation of the current epidemic situation in China. The impact of this epidemic on the industry. Development trends to prepare customers in advance.
Although the epidemic situation is severe and we cannot control the signing rate, after the epidemic has passed, a large number of buyers will come to China to make purchases intensively. We need to improve our professional skills during this time. When we face the buyers after the epidemic is over, see one Into one.
For sales to improve their professional skills, review ability is a better way to learn.
Summarize and analyze the entire customer received the process last year. From product expertise, quotation production, email reply, customer questions about product details, customer solutions after asking questions, customer visit reception process, customer interview sales skills, sales contract terms, cargo transportation, document production, after-sales service Wait, corresponding to each important customer, think about how it was done at that time, whether there will be a better solution now, and how to do it when receiving new customers after the epidemic has passed, which can improve their own signing rate.

How to deal with potential customers?
Many customers in foreign trade have a long procurement cycle. Although many foreign customers have learned about the "epidemic" situation in China through the news media, they are not purchasing now, but it will take a period of time to purchase. It is to solve all customer problems about the product, and prepare for customer visits and transactions after the "epidemic" has passed.
Of course, there are also some customers who are in urgent need of purchasing. This requires based on their understanding and control of the customer and their knowledge of the industry, whether to recommend better suppliers from other countries to such customers.
There is a huge risk in doing so, as it increases your competitors. But the ultimate goal for customers is to close the deal. Because the customer's procurement needs are urgent, we do not recommend them to customers, and customers will find them by themselves. We might as well push the boat smoothly, and also enhance the customer's favorability to me.
However, it is skillful to recommend other suppliers to customers. We do not just recommend customers to other suppliers. Our purpose is to solve the urgent needs of customers first, and to improve the customer's favorability. After the epidemic has passed, let the customers Back to our arms.
First, determine the product needs of such customers. The price quoted to the customer must be lower than the recommended supplier. Customers are advised not to purchase all at once, but to purchase a part, and to inspect our products after the epidemic is over.
Second, based on the advantages of our products, we give customers suggestions on how to judge the capabilities of suppliers. For example, what patents do our products have and which technologies are difficult for our peers to reach, and how our after-sales service can reassure customers. Let customers understand our advantages in detail, let customers use our advantages to compare with other suppliers. Although customers may purchase products from other buyers, make customers dissatisfied with other suppliers.
Finally, learn more about customer purchases from other suppliers. If the customer did purchase the products of other buyers, we must know the customer's final purchase price, so that after the "epidemic" has passed, we will be sure of the price when making the offer.

3. How to respond to customers who have not signed orders and their claims?
Proactively explain the situation to customers, I believe most customers are understandable, because now every country is reporting the situation of China's "outbreak."
However, if you encounter a more serious customer who must be compensated, you can allow the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade to issue a force majeure certificate. Affected by the new coronavirus-infected pneumonia epidemic, resulting in factual proof that the international trade contract could not be fulfilled on schedule or could not be fulfilled.
Of course, as a responsible company, it ’s like rent-free shopping malls, which are now very popular. Although the delayed delivery is not caused by us, we are not responsible for it. But in order to establish a good cooperative relationship, we can also provide customers with corresponding compensation or discounts.
I really like the way foreign trade companies like to compensate or offer is how to do it in the next order. It is also possible to do so, but they must tell the customer why they can't give compensation or offer in the current order. However, if conditions permit, it is still recommended to provide compensation or discounts in this order, which is more attractive and allows customers to appreciate our sincerity and increase the repeat order rate of customers.