Ways to increase export sales?

I dont really know enough about how you are doing things to give an accurate response my friend. Dont know if your prices are competitive...? What kinds of emails and offers you are sending? How you are approaching it? I know my own approach and the way I teach it works, but I have no idea how you are approaching this....Can I see a link to your listings?

Are you actively going after buyers via pm when you see a new buyer listing come up?

-John

Ps. There do seem to be some buyers... Here are some current listings on just Alibaba... http://sourcing.alibaba.com/rfq_sear...plier=supplier

Again, can we see your listings? Maybe it's something easily fixed. With almost 200 million dollars per "day" exchanging hands there, certainly there are plenty of real buyers. We probably just need to tweak your offer and approach.

On another note, I have a whole forum on this subject, perhaps you should join. Not plugging, but it might help.

Yes it helps alot... My first year I didnt use Alibaba chat, because I was so new, that I would have to think my answers out ahead of time, so I only used PM... Then when I felt confident that I could hold a real time conversation, I started using chat with any prospect that I felt was serious.

It helped ALOT because my prospects and I could accomplish more in one day that I previously could in a week sending PM's back and forth. Many of them were in a different time zone, so the delays made things slow. Once I got on chat though, it really helped me close deals alot faster, plus I got to know my customers more, and we enjoyed a sense of humor together...

One night, lol I was praying for this deal to close hanging on the edge of my seat and I was saying "cmon God , cmon God..."

And this dude suddenly popped up on chat and said "Hi John"

Shocked, I said back I "Are you God?" Lol

And he joked back and said "No, but close enough".

It was funny for me to see how people from other countries shared the same sense of humor we do, and I began having fun with my prospects...He had no idea what I was talking about and I was just acting stupid, but he was funny enough just to go along with it.

It really helped alot to get on chat and get to talk to people... Also I find its a good way to query people and find out what they want to buy... I sometimes get on there and if someone has buyers listings up for my product I will say "Hey are you still in the market for....?" and get some dialogue started.

Anyway, that was a long story, but yeah I find chat to be good, when you get close to closing someone especially... I usually let a couple of PM's go back and forth first and make sure they are serious and then I will get on chat with them, unless Im just on the trade manager surfing around to talk to someone... You pick up some good leads that way.

Sometimes they wont be interested in YOUR product, but they may offer you an opportunity to sell one of theirs.

Trade MGR is a good thing. I'm not always on but when I get on its good.

-John

Ps. Also, whether its chat or pm...if Im not getting leads and I want to make a sale I proactively chase buyers down and pm them... That is how I have gotten most of my more serious leads. By making the introduction via PM. Sometimes the leads that naturally come into your box arent always serious, fewer one are, however the ones you pm you have more control over who they are so you get better leads.

Almost everyone will answer you.