2004年,我的第一次中国之旅(上)
My First Trip to China in 2004
为什么有第一次中国之旅?
老实告诉你,是因为我听到太多关于在中国做大生意的故事。
我们的一些竞争对手,特别是在美国的陶瓷企业,已经和中国开展业务往来,一些企业甚至转移了一定数量的订单到中国。或许你可以参考:在2002―2004年期间,美国一些较大的瓷砖生产工厂和代理商每年从中国进口数百个集装箱的瓷砖产品。而我的公司,Interceramic,却是“0”。
有一天,我收到一份商务邀请,来自中国最大的陶瓷集团之一,这个集团在美国有代表处和贸易合作公司。
这里关系有点复杂!多数企业,乃至大企业都是依靠当地的贸易公司开展出口业务,包括产品销售、公关推广、参展等等;同时,这些贸易公司在美国会有或合作另一家本地的贸易公司,去服务本地的大客户,例如Interceramic公司。因此邀请我的是美国的贸易公司,而邀请函则来自中国佛山的大型陶瓷生产商。
他们希望通过这次邀请,向我展示中国市场的商机,以及有可能在美国、墨西哥畅销的中国产品。我们主要关注当时在美洲非常受欢迎的产品:600X600的渗花产品:抛光的、良好的尺寸、适宜的设计以及具竞争力的价格。
对于这次中国之旅,我有点担心、紧张、焦虑,又有点兴奋。这是一个漫长的旅程,从美国达拉斯起飞,途经日本东京转机,最终到达上海,整个行程至少要23个小时。我担心的是,我能够和别人沟通吗,假如我需要的士从机场到酒店,我怎么说?那里的食物怎么样呢?
大多数没有来过中国的人会有这样的印象:这是一个古老的国家、有点贫穷,建筑物都是200年前的样子,食物不是很好,甚至听说广东人什么都拿来吃。嗯,会飞的除了飞机不吃,会游的除了潜艇不吃,四条腿的除了桌子不吃……
所以,我怎么能不担心呢?……他们让我吃什么?我住的酒店是怎么样的?我怎么和别人说话?我有很多很多问题,却没有很多答案。
转眼启程了,我到达上海,走出机场叫的士。出发之前,我非常细心地打印了地址,英文和中文对照。中文地址果然大派用场,因为司机以及等的士的人都不会说英语。
然而,机场和去浦东酒店沿途的景观,轻而易举地、迅速地改变了我对中国的印象!当到达酒店大堂和房间时,我几乎说不出话来!多么的精美,令人叹为观止,老实说这是我一生中住过最好的房间!非常宽敞,有独立的电脑、打印机,两个大理石装潢的豪华浴室……然后我打开窗帘,意想不到的景观出现眼前――浦东的天际线!我想自己是在做梦吗,或许我仍然在飞机上睡觉,这是真的吗?如果这是真的,有人给我一个准确的解析吗?
不管怎样,反正那天晚上,在有史以来最舒适的床上,我熟睡得像一个婴儿。第二天早上我乘坐飞机到广州,然后来到佛山,入住当时最高档的佛山宾馆,现在的佛山皇冠假日酒店。
虽然不比上海的酒店,但是每晚220元人民币的价格让我相当满意,折合当时8.3的汇率,才26.5美元。如此的舒适、干净,这个价格真是很便宜!
在佛山的第一晚没有上海那么舒服,床像桌子一样硬,或许地毯也比床软。不过我很快知道中国人喜欢这样的床,所以我得入乡随俗了。
接下来是这次旅程的重头戏了,我第一次和中国企业开会,第一次与他们沟通谈判,并签订了大量渗花产品的采购协议。
在下一周的专栏里,我将继续讲述我的第一次中国之旅。
The story begins like this (I am going to focus in our Industry):
My First Trip to China in 2004
What was the reason of making the trip? To be honest with you I heard a lot of stories of great opportunities of doing business in China.
Some of our competitors in America specifically, were already doing business here and even some of them were already moving an important amount of containers back then. Maybe just to give you a reference: Some of the bigger manufacturers and distributors in USA were already in 2002-2004 importing hundreds of containers per year, and us as Interceramic “Zero”
I got an invitation from One of the big Chinese groups that had a USA representative and a Trading Company Partner.
Kind of complicated right? Well back then and even now many of the big companies rely on local trading companies to do all the export work, sales, public relations, trade shows, etc. At the same time some of these trading companies have other trading companies in USA that do the sales work with the big distributors like Interceramic. I was invited by the USA trading company and I got the letter of invitation from the Big Chinese manufacturer from Foshan.
The goal was to show me the opportunities and products from China that will sell well in USA or Mexico and we focused mainly on one that was very popular those years: Soluble Salt 60x60. The product was Polished, Good size, decent design and a great price.
I was a little afraid, nervous, anxious, excited about this trip. It was a long trip, at least 23 hours flying from Dallas to Tokyo and then to Shanghai. I was afraid if I was going to be able to communicate and even get a taxi from the airport to my hotel. How will the food be?
Most people that have never been to China think that the Country is old, somewhat poor, with architecture same like 200 years ago, that the food is not good at all, that in Guangdong they eat everything. Yes, everything that flies except airplanes, everything that swims except submarines and everything that has four legs except tables.
So how could I not be somewhat afraid…………………………..What would they make me eat? How would my hotel be? How am I going to communicate? I had too many questions and not very many answers.
So the time came and I arrived to Shanghai, I go through customs and go to take a taxi to the hotel. I was careful enough to make a copy of my hotel address not only in English but also in Chinese. That saved me because nobody spoke any English on the taxi stand or the driver.
What I saw on the airport, and on the way to my hotel in Pudong started to change very fast my impression of China. And when I got to my hotel, saw the lobby and got to my room left me almost speechless. It was absolutely beautiful, breathtaking (Honestly the best room I have ever stayed at in my life) big, with my own computer and printer, two marble bathrooms, etc. Then I open the curtains and saw something I was not expecting! Pudong skyline, I thought that I was dreaming and maybe still sleeping on the plane. Is this real? Could this be possible? How come nobody explain this correctly to me?
Anyway that night I slept like a baby in the most comfortable bed ever. Next day I took a flight in the morning to Guangzhou and then moved to Foshan where I stayed at the famous Foshan Hotel, now Crown Plaza.
Not as nice as my hotel in Shanghai but I loved the rate 220 RMB per night at an exchange rate of 8.3, a little over $26.00 US Dollars per night. The hotel was nice and clean and for that price it was a steal.
That night I did not have as nice of a night as I did in Shanghai. My bed was as hard as a table. Maybe the carpet floor was softer than my bed. I learned very fast that in China they prefer this type of beds, so I had to get used to it.
The following day was the “BIG ONE”, my first meeting and potential purchasing agreement with a Chinese Company to buy multiple containers of the soluble salt product.
That will be part 2 of this story on the article next week…………………………………
With Great Respect
Humberto Valles
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