by Mike Genung
I just returned from a trip to China to visit factories there. I’ve been going to China for business since 1986 and it never gets old. Our 3 trading partners are a part of our family so for me it’s like visiting good friends. I’ve known them personally; 26 years, for one partner, 33 years, for two others. Business is about relationships; how we treat people. No matter what happens, I always try to treat people with kindness and respect. Sure, there are times when a situation doesn’t go to plan, but when the relationship comes first hopefully both sides will work to find a way to resolve it so that the outcome is a win for both sides. This approach has served us well over the years, with many of our customers continuing to work with us for over 10 years.
During my time this trip I visited a plastic injection molding company, a factory making die cast aluminum products, and an assembly company, among others. Many of the projects we put together for our customers require the involvement of 3-5 factories or more. Managing a project well so that production flows and the orders are delivered on time is a big deal. Every factory has to delivery quality product on time. Should one falter it will affect the entire chain. Our trading partners do this well. Some customers might assume that one factory works on their products, but this isn’t often the case, especially when custom packaging or assembly are involved.
In today’s business environment a lot of business is done by email or some other form of messaging. Face to face meetings are still the most powerful way to build a relationship and make progress. Every time I meet with a customer or supplier face to face I always learn far more than I do from email alone. Phone calls are a step above email, but it’s often difficult to get someone on the phone these days. Navigating an AI voice messaging system is often an exercise in frustration that can take a lot of time to navigate, and even then there’s no guarantee you’ll get through. Face to face meetings with our Chinese suppliers are a big part of maintaining our guanxi – our relationship over there, just as it is with our customers.
This isn’t to say that I’m constantly traveling, but that’s important to keep the relationships with our partners and our customers strong, and face to face meetings are a part of it. Zoom meetings are also a great alternative.
So I’ll continue to travel to China to keep our guanxi strong, which is a big benefit for you, our customers.
Mike Genung founded Global Trade Specialists, Inc. in 1991.
He has been traveling to China for 40 years and has a wide range of experience in manufacturing and new product development.