Global Sourcing for Global Online Shopping Clubs

Almost every week, I get a call from a different start-up e-commerce company asking for product support and/or XML share. Their goals are identical: " - We want to do cross-border e-commerce focusing on fashion apparel ". It is great to see many "entrepreneurs" (at least this is the term they use to describe themselves) are pursuing their dreams on becoming a success story and ultimately attract a venture capital firm to buy them over for good sum of cash ! I could list many different real life examples here, but if you are into global e-commerce, you probably know them anyway.

Weather you hold a ivy league college degree, or graduated from "University of Life" , it is obvious that you need some cash, and a good business and solid marketing plan ahead. We all know this...but do you really have the network to source products globally to sell on line? What are the dynamics of finding the right sourcing companies which can offer you products/services internationally? What are the vital threats for both parties? JIT customs and delivery regulations? Believe me, there are no right answers for these (or alike) questions. All you need is to have the guts to try and see. However, it is very important to have someone, or some people in your staff who are familiar with ex-im formalities. Otherwise, the result can be tragic.

Here are some ironically stereotyped Shopping Clubs I had experienced with:

Untouchables:

They are the high-rollers ! You try contacting them with the utmost courtesy, explaining, if the chance is given, how profitable your products/services can be for them. But no, they are at the peak of "Mountain Arrogance" and they want you to go on and play with the sand. No matter what you do, how you try to get a foothold at their doorsteps, they push that door further to close up on your face. No sweat ! You tried, now wait for another 6 months to follow up on them and see if they remain as they were. If not, don't waste anymore time.

 

Elephants in a glass shop:

They are huge to move around ! You got in, but your emails are being forwarded from buyer to another buyer, while you are trying to keep up with the updates. So you got lucky and got a buyer who really clicks with you. Great ! Be patience, be polite, furthermost, be gently pursuasive. Follow up on them, answer emails within 6 - 8 hours, be as helpful as you can. Outcome will please both sides.

 

Timids:

Now this is a tricky one....these are the types which have dealt internationally in the past, but had terrible experiences with the suppliers. Probably they received nothing like what the customers ordered, or the PO has been delivered very late, and worst scenario is to have more than half of short sent items. If this is the case, I cannot blame them for not willing to give it a try with you. So it is "you" who should try three times harder to prove them that you are the good guys who stick to their promises by offering good products, with good prices, sending the right orders, within the right period of time. When and if you maintain a smooth operation, they can be a great referrence for you.

Party Poopers:

So you got everything in place, and started-off with some good online sales with good results. You think that you are in heaven ! Wait until you realize that your buyer is a "party pooper" . All of a sudden, and without a reason, your offers start to get rejected (I know an Asian giant did the same even a successful re-run from previous event which had a huge success) with no logical reasons. It can be very frustrating to see that all the energy, motive and hard work you put together to air your online events are now down in the drain. Your best call is to send a detailed email to her/his superior explaining that you need a good answer. In some cases (which really happened to me a few weeks ago) you get a mail saying that s/he is working on it to get some feedback, but then nothing happens. 

C'est la vie !

 

It is definitely not easy to overcome certain barriers including; cultural differences, language, time-zone, professionalism, humor, empathy and trust. However, if you get the job done, belive me it one of the greatest feelings to receive an email from your buyer how honorable and trustworthy you have been, in their paths of success.

Final Advise to,

To global sellers: Be polite, respectful, pursuasive, in reach, puncutal, and honest. Always, deliver your promises, don't make assumptions, be direct and most importantly, have some kind of empathy.

To global buyers: It is not easy for her/him to speak your language, understand and coop with your business culture, email language may sound very different than what you really meant, abbreviations can be tricky sometimes, so try avoiding them, what you perceive as "humorous" can be very offensive for your counter part.

Good luck to you all !

Generation Y.....The Androids

Betamax Video Casette for SONY C7 Video Player

For those of you who are in their early 40s like me, can remember 80s and 90s. Imagine a world where terms like, internet, cellular phones, texting, or sending an e-mail were obscure and unknown to most. We watched fewer TV channels, landline phones were kings, cars were just turning from bulkier to more compact forms, walkman was the king, casettes came in 45 - 60  or 90minutes types, video players started with Betamax system and white socks ruled.

I guess it was easier to fool your parents to have a sleepover in your friend's house and get wasted on Vodka, than getting lost with today's means of tracking devices like a cellular phone which doesn't allow you to disappear for one single second even if you wanted to. 

Then the Internet came along with computers taking the whole ball game into a different level. People could communicate in light speed, and at cheaper cost. Connecting people (Nokia's Slogan) were never made easier and more effective. We never anticipated a dramatic change in lives when a young nerd from Harvard called Mark Zuckerberg introduced Facebook in 2004 in USA where you simply added a circle of friends and shared thoughts, locations, images and ideas freely. Shortly after, a tiny blue bird called Twitter enabled our boxed in lives to reveal to the world. You could even share a photo of yourself while taking a sh*t with the rest of world. This was the beginning of new era for all the world and has created the famous "Generation Y".

 

All of a sudden, we started to share images, blogs, news (regardless officially confirmed or not), articles, and more which created a huge paradox in people's minds what to believe in. Although it is not the core of this article, but I think I will write on that one in the future as well. Today, we are living in an ocean of information, but God knows how much of it can be still reliable. As Andy Warhol said in 1968 "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes", I am now saying that today everyone has already became world famous with one tweet or by one image on facebook. In matters of seconds, millions of people can see you or your phrase in this virtual world and that can be scary. Look at the uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, Brazil and Turkey lately. Most of the visual or written media is wither bought by the governments to share what really happens in the country, or their bosses are too chicken to broadcast the truth. So most the movement has communicated through social media, especially Twitter. 

However, is it safe to trust the information which was posted by a teenager? What if he or she tweeted an information which is not confirmed. Who to believe or not to believe? This is the political dilemma which threatens all nations right now and will continue to do so. Although websites gaining a lot power, I think when it comes to sharing member information with governments they did and will always bow to the power of state and share it. Fear of losing money will always be heavier than the urge to be a hero. Sad but true...

My criticism is to the people who share their utmost intimacy or privacy of their lives in social media. I mean, who the heck cares about where you were, or with whom you are with, and what you did. I totally think that it is mostly the cause of lonely or loveless childhood. Come off it, I know people who had virtually fallen in love with....holy cow ! How can you love someone virtually? Where did the passion go? Joy of touching a human tan? Ecstasy of tasting lips? 

I am sad for "Generation Y" types....I really am....they see life from a 14 inch screen, and live it on the face of a keyboard. So far away from feelings of actual human soul and heart. Time to take one step towards them to get a better understanding. Who they are or what they really want.

Before they end up becoming "Androids"...teach them arts, cooking, sewing, tooling, fixing a bulb, an international flag, to think of needy ones, not to be greedy, share life, share food, share love but furthermore teach them how to be flesh and bone.

Have a great weekend to you all....