Most factories usecustoms dataThe method is to download the database, export the list of buyers, and group development letters in bulk. The response rate is less than 1%, and then conclude that "customs data is useless." The problem is not the data, but the usage. This article talks about the correct way to open:Use the HS code to back-check the buyer's real supply chain, and then use his procurement records to write a development letter that "cannot be ignored."
1. Step 1: Choose the right code and don't lose at the starting line
The basis of customs data retrieval is HS code, but there are three levels to be distinguished:
- The top 6 are internationally accepted.The top 6 digits of your products in the tax codes of various countries are consistent. Cross-database search and benchmarking products from the same industry are used to classify them.
- 8/10 countries vary.The same 6-digit code will be broken down into different subcategories in the United States, India, and the European Union. When targeting the single market, it is necessary to identify the target country's own breakdown and corresponding tariff rates.
- There is more than one classification.The same product may fall under different codes (by material, purpose, or function). The correct approach is to list all possible classifications in the current tax code of the target country, check the data one by one, and miss a batch of customers if a code is omitted.
Utilities: Tariff inquiries on China Trade Relief Information Network and customs official websites of various countries are free. After the coding list is confirmed and re-entered into the data platform, the retrieval efficiency is an order of magnitude lower.
2. Step 2: Read "Should we develop" from the purchase record
After you get the list of buyers, don't rush to send them in groups. Each potential customer first sifts through four sets of data:
| see what | how to judge | mean anything |
|---|---|---|
| Procurement frequency | Stable monthly/quarterly import records | Stable procurement = There is a stable supply chain demand and is worth developing; one or two purchases a year may be replenishment or trial orders |
| procurement scale | The single quantity matches the minimum order quantity of your factory | He imports 20,000 pieces at a time, and you order at least 500 pieces. The scale of the two parties does not match, and the conversion cost is extremely high |
| origin of vendors | Which country do you buy from now and whether it is a single supplier | Single China supplier = difficult to replace but stable profits; multiple sources = many switching opportunities |
| Procurement changes | Has the volume increased or decreased in the past 12 months, and whether there have been any changes in suppliers? | Customers who are increasing or have just changed suppliers are the window period to find new suppliers |
After sifting through the four sets of data, only 10%-20% of the list remains worthy of key investment.The value of customs data is not limited to the length of the list, but to the accuracy of the screening.Two other points should be noted: there may be multiple entities (Hong Kong Procurement Center + U.S. Headquarters) under the buyer's name, and the real decision-making body must be found along the relationship; it is common for companies with the same name to be distributed in different countries, so don't exaggerate the documents.
3. Step 3: Write a development letter using his purchasing records
Customers receive dozens of letters every day, and the general words "We are professional manufacturer" go directly into the garbage bin. All letters that can get replies do one thing:Prove that you know him.The structural template is as follows:
- First sentence: Person-specific purchasing facts. Example: "I noticed that your company has imported stainless steel thermos cups (HS9617) from Qingdao in the past year, mainly through the Port of Los Angeles, with an average of about 3 high containers per month. "
- Second sentence: A verifiable value point. Example: "We have been manufacturing the same category for a German supermarket brand for 7 years. We can provide LFGB and EN71 reports, and the ex-factory price of the same specification is 8%-12% lower (with a quote). "
- Third sentence: Low threshold invitation to action. Example: "If you need to send samples for comparison, we will bear the international freight and send them within 48 hours." "
- Signature and attachment: Write down the factory name, year of establishment, and main market, attach a PDF version of the company profile, and do not put in a compressed bag (it is easy to be blocked).
Every information point in the letter came from his purchasing data-he couldn't delete it as a mass email. Even if there is no reply temporarily, it will be recorded in the follow-up list.
4. Step 4: Follow up the rhythm and record
Development letters are just the beginning. Executable follow-up rhythm:Follow up every 3 working days after the first round of email (change the angle, do not repeat the original text); Use WhatsApp/LinkedIn again two weeks later; send a "third letter" a month later-using new cases, new products or industry developments to give a reason to reopen the dialogue. If there is still no response after three rounds, it will be transferred to the quarterly maintenance list and will be touched again every exhibition or new product.
All contact records are included in one table: customer name, source code, first contact date, summary of each round of content, and customer feedback. This table shows your customer assets in three months-the data will tell you which perspective has a high recovery rate and which types of customers are worth continuing to invest.
common problems
1. Customs data is all customs declaration data. Will the real end customers not be found??
There are indeed limitations: data in some countries are not made public (for example, Germany only has statistical data), and orders transferred through traders cannot see terminals. Countermeasures: First, use three-source cross-verification with bill of lading data + exhibition directory + corporate official website; second, accept the path of "first develop traders and then borrow them to penetrate the terminal", and the traders themselves are also qualified customers; third, use the buyer's official website to check its store/brand and determine whether it is a trader or a retail terminal.
2. I don't know how to write English development letters. Is there a more convenient way??
The template can solve 70% of the problems: the "Purchasing Facts" section of the first paragraph is replaced one by customer, and the intermediate value points and closing action invitations are maintained in a fixed structure. What really determines the response rate is not the writing style, but the word "specific"-written according to his port, frequency and specifications, and simple sentences are also effective. After writing it, ask yourself: Can this letter be sent to anyone after deleting the customer's name? If you can, rewrite it.
3. The key customers screened out have not responded after three rounds of issuance. Do you still want to continue??
Switch to low-frequency maintenance and do not delete it. A buyer's supplier change window usually occurs at two times: problems with existing suppliers (delivery time, quality, price increase), or the purchase volume suddenly increases. Your quarterly touchdowns guarantee that "he remembers you when he needs it." Judging from actual combat data, a considerable proportion of the customers who received transactions from customs data did not reply after three months, but the first round of conversion was a minority.
--Qihang AI Foreign Trade Research Institute·Let China Intelligent Manufacturing Set sail to the sea| Foreign trade customer consultation: 180-0327-6609
