Qing Lin has some invaluable tips on doing business in China
We’ve all heard the advice: localise your product if you want to sell in China: tweak your pricing, adjust the packaging, translate the brochures, make sure your colours don’t accidentally signal death or divorce, they love red and gold colour and more is more, etc etc. All sensible steps. But while you’re busy wrestling your product into a culturally appropriate outfit, let me ask you somethingelse:
Have you considered localising your reputation?
By the way, we ask this is because we live and breathe international trade and we are worried that many businesses not able to ask the right questions: but you don’t know what you don’t know, right? That’s where we the experts come in.
Because, here’s the thing; in China, reputation often walks into the room well before your sales team.
And if you haven’t already built your business’s influence quietly and expertly, and preferably a good few months before you officially do your marketing launch, you might find yourself enthusiastically pitching to polite nods, followed by radio silence. And we have heard plenty businesses come back deflated but never dig deep into the reason of what they have done wrong. Again, you don’t know what you don’t know, so we are here to provide you with a checklist.
Now, what does localising your influence actually look like and what does that mean?
It’s not just slapping a logo on a brochure and hoping for the best. It’s a strategic art form of equal parts humility, positioning, and cultural choreography. And when done well, it can open doors that no cold email or QR code scan ever will.
Let’s start with something most companies never considered to do, for whatever reason: co-authoring a white paper with a Chinese trade association or media outlet. Yes, it’s more paperwork, but it also signals that you’re here to participate but not just sell: no one wants to be blatantly sold to. We also advise clients to think of it as the business equivalent of bringing a bottle of good wine to dinner instead of just showing up empty-handed: if you can publish something that reflects domestic priorities (we can guide you on this) for example, clean supply chains or digital manufacturing, then you’re no longer a foreign business but a thoughtful contributor showing respect and commitment, and let’s also remember that you would have accumulated valuable contacts long the way.
Indeed, I am not against attending mega expos but these need to be with real focus. The truth is that the real action often happens at low-key regional conferences. You might be speaking to 60 people in a smaller venue in Hefei, Anhui Province in China, but three of them might be senior procurement heads or local government officials. And because the setting is modest, the conversations tend to be more genuine and definitely more perusal with more depth.
For any of you that follow me on LinkedIn, you may have read my post on “5 Advanced Tips to Help Selling to
Asia/China” with almost 20000 views in the first week!
And if your website only has an English-language version, or your Chinese site is just Google Translate dressed up in company colours, or you have the paid version of AI to do the translation, I would urge you that it might be time for a rethink: a proper (the key word here is “proper”) Mandarin microsite, thoughtfully crafted and expertly created by experienced and reputable professionals, either based in your home country or working alongside destination local team, sends a quiet but clear message: we’re serious. You don’t need to use fancy words, just a copy that reflects the market’s concerns and aspirations.
Remember, your website is often your first salesperson in China. Make sure it represent the quality company you are!
In short, if you’re preparing to enter China, don’t just think in terms of “product-market fit”. Think about “person-market fit”. How do you present yourself? Are you a curious guest, a knowledgeable peer, or just another Western business with slick power point presentations and aggressive timelines?
The companies that succeed in China today aren’t necessarily the biggest, fastest, or cheapest. They’re the ones who understand “Asia and Chinese culture”, and they make efforts to learn and apply their knowledge. Build resonance before revenue, and the rest tends to follow with far fewer nasty surprises. I am sure you know this but most of the businesses don’t achieve what they set out to achieve due to lack of know-how but you are reading this article so you know what to do next.
So at this positive conclusion I look forward to future discussions, where we shall talk about how international trade can be built on delicious meals together, or start with a nice cup of tea if thats what you prefer!
Arrange that conversation with Qing here: