PLANNING TO GROW YOUR EXPORT BUSINESS IN ASIA?

Frequently asked questions:

1. How big is the potential market?

2. How often are sales lost due to pricing issues resulting from mark-ups?

3. Do we control prices directly offered to end-users?

4. How often was sale missed due to time differences and miscommunications?

5. Do our product gets the attention from appointed agents who may be keen only to push standardized big equipment?

6. Will our products be periphery to bigger equipment at large appointed agencies?

7. How knowledgeable are our agents? Have they managed a factory before to understand the operational needs of potential customers?

8. How costly it is to establish our own sales office and staff?

1. Singapore, ASEAN and Asia Pacific have a vast market with still many opportunities for all manufacturers.

2. We will offer products to end-users at manufacturer’s prices i.e. you set the prices and there is no mark-ups.

3. We are located in Asia. This means we will work in the same time zone as your target customers thus eliminating communication issues.

4. We make no differences between big or small manufacturers as we act as their direct sales outlet.

5. Our partners have managed factories whose annual turnover exceeds US$20 million and were involved in sales, marketing, production, customer service, outsourcing, maintenance, projects etc.

6. Fees to sign up with MaxSALES are less than one third of your own sales office.

7. We can assist you to manage your inventory and warehousing needs.

8. We will assist you to market your products to potential customers.

Traditionally, most manufacturers will sell their products by appointing middlemen, i.e. agents, brokers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers. No matter who is your middleman, the price of your product will be marked up. Price mark-ups will be repeated as the product travels down the distribution chain.

Under current conditions, price competitiveness will always be the dominant factor in determining the success of your selling effort. With the present business model, your success will be highly dependent on the quantum of mark-up, which will in turn determine how competitive your product will be in the market.

For complex equipment, the people representing such products plays a key role in helping the potential customers understand the technical details and capabilities of the machines. Most agents do not have the in-depth knowledge to market such equipment or products as usually they do not possess the technical background or manufacturing experience to convince customers of the benefits to install or implement these equipment or products.

However for manufacturers to start up their own sales office will not be immediately viable due to the high initial cost which involves a sales office, personnel and administration. Finding the right people will also be an issue. There is also not guarantee of quick sales and success. Another problem encountered is the time difference between, say, European manufacturers and their Asian customer. The 7 to 10 hour difference makes communication difficult and very often messages are ‘misunderstood’ or personnel unavailable.

To alleviate such problems and allow manufacturers to retain control and assure success in sales, we have conceived a new marketing model represented by the acronym “MaxSALES” – Maximise Selling At Low-risk Exposure.

Showroom and Sales Hub in Singapore is located at a central district. Manufacturers who participate in this programme will require to pay a fixed monthly rental for the display space at the hub. Through this arrangement, your products will enjoy good exposure and advertisement, as visitors will be drawn to the hub by our promotion activities. The hub serves as communication centre for sales & coordination.

The hub in Singapore offers the following immediate advantages:

Instant office in Singapore to represent manufacturers

Instant access to the Singapore market and subsequently the ASEAN region.

Instant display and presence of your products in Singapore

Your product, sold through the hub at manufacturer’s price without mark-up, is assured of substantial sales and market share by virtue of its competitive price. The policy of “no sales, no income” will ensure maximum sales at minimum risk-exposure on your part. Personnel with more than 30 years industry experience will be on hand to support all enquiries and sales.