In accordance to our last article about CANTON FAIR 2011, I went in search for testimonies.

So, to have a better look at this event and have a human point of view, interviewing someone who had been on the field was an absolute must. For this purpose, Angel Fernandez de Castro, one of SBE’s Account and Country Manager from Mexico, gave me some of his time.

Angel, tell us if it was your first time at the Canton Fair and why were you there?

(Laughs) It’s actually my second time, but SBE has been present on the field for years now. As a matter of fact, I was with another Account Manager Charles, who is much more accustomed to this event.

This time, SBE accompanied a Mexican customer who was very interested by the Canton Fair. Basically we were the link between the client and the suppliers: we helped the customer to choose the right suppliers.

So, compared to your first time, what did you see? What did you experience? What were your impressions?

This is a very interesting question, because it was my first time in the Canton Fair with a client, but also the first time for the customer as well. So we both had to deal with complete new tasks.

In general, I would say that I was very amazed because this event is getting bigger and bigger. The diversity of the suppliers, the pressure, the amount of people, just impossible to describe the density of people, the tremendous structure …

Even the organization of it was incredible. In fact, the first day, there was so many people, new buyers that we spent an hour and half filling up formalities and procedures documents for a badge! And if we consider that this badge is given only once in a life time, you can realize that there were lots of buyers who often come that already had their own badge. So it was just huge, and interesting on the large density they deal with when they organize the Canton Fair!

This event was and is so big that for our case, with three days, we did visit a very important amount of suppliers, but definitely we could not see it all.

What about the customer’s experience, reactions? Knowing that there was a lot of pressure, excitement in the air, how did you handle the situation?

Well, when you are in a Fair, especially one like Canton Fair, you face very human situations.

The client is excited and nervous. Naturally, you don’t find place to seat, so you keep walking and walking. It is very tiring. There are a lot of movements, a lot of things to see, stands to visit… You also need to face the fact that the time is limited.

We, at SBE, need to be very selective, and try to start by the items that the client really wants the most. You need to be smart enough to decide which goods are worth spending more time. Decide whether it is worth bringing catalogs etc.

So, in general, the client was really amazed by the variety of the products, and suppliers attending the fair. The client felt that has founded THE product, but realized on the other hand that sometimes the price is not as competitive as it should be, and that even if you order you still need to make sure that the manufacturer is really capable of maintaining the quality of the product over time. Because sometimes, you may find the supplier, get into details, make a deal. But when you receive the merchandise… well you realize that half of the merchandise is good but there‘s problems with the other half.

SBE is there to help the customer to find good supplier by talking with them and making sure that they could fulfill the needs of the customer. But this is only the first step. Then, when the customer chooses the suppliers, we recommend to the customer to have audits done in the factories selected, to make sure they are actually qualified to produce the goods well, as per the Customer’s requirements. We are really qualify to help the customer choose the right factories, and we are used to these situations and constantly try to make the service provided as perfect as possible. (Laugh) And if it is already perfect, well we try to make it even more perfect!

Finally Angel, would you say that going with someone as experience as SBE Account Managers to an event like that, is in the end essential?

(Smile) Off course!!

It is very important and worth it! First, when you go over there with us, well…you realize that what you may have thought before: (“oh! It will be easy”) is not it all. You face the complex reality of a Trade fair…well, you are happy to have someone as experienced as SBE by your side!

Second, from the customer’s perspective, the Account Managers that go with him are first the persons that will be in touch with him, managing or co-managing handling his or her project(s) here in China. So, it s very good and useful that the customer knows the Account Managers that will be dealing with his things know him and know in details the way he likes to work.

And that… gives confidence! Confidence is very important because in that case, it gives complete trust in a long term relations, and makes it easier and positive for everyone!

We’re arriving at the end of this Interview. Would you like to add something else?

(Laughs) Yes!

We at SBE, consider business differently. When we provide a service, we try to see and think in the customer’s way. At the very end it is a human relation, we are not just giving numbers or quotations; we work as a team with the client. Battling for the good sake of his or her interest!

And that, is once again proven by what we do. We don’t just exchange by skype, emails or over the phone. We actually go to Trade Fairs with the customer, talk for several hours, face together difficult and stressful moments sometimes due to languages & cultural barriers etc. And that it is what makes our service so worthwhile to our customers!

– See more at: http://www.sbeintl.com/

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