The sample list is the most expensive part of the road between foreign trade inquiry and formal order: proofing requires man-time, shipping requires freight, and follow-up dignitaries. Many factories send hundreds of sets of samples a year, but only a few are converted in the end. Most of the problem is not the samples themselves, but there is no screening before sending the samples, no specification when sending the samples, and no rhythm after sending the samples. This article provides a set of SOPs that can be implemented directly according to the entire process.
1. Before sending samples: screen customers with five questions first
Not all inquiries for samples are worth sending. Ask yourself one by one:
- What is the role of the other party: brand owner, wholesaler, chain retailer, or individual buyer? The first three are worth sending samples;
- Procurement magnitude and frequency: If you can ask for the annual purchase volume and order cycle, the priority will be high; if you don't know about one question and three questions, you will postpone it first;
- Target market and channel: Which country does he want to sell to and what channel does he want to use? Does the channel match your existing certifications and specifications;
- Whether there are specific specification documents: Customers who can provide drawings, parameters, and reference samples will have significantly higher authenticity in purchasing intentions;
- Decision chain: Is the docking person the boss, purchasing manager or ordinary business? Who is the decider and when will it be possible to make the decision?
If more than three of the five questions cannot be answered, do the background adjustment first (official website,customs data, social media), don't rush to open the mold for proofing.
2. Proofing and cost sharing: Three modes of writing into email
| mode | applicable scenarios | How to write in the email |
|---|---|---|
| Free samples + freight paid on delivery | Regular customers return orders, high-intention large customers | The samples are free, the freight is borne by your company, and please provide the express account number |
| Sample fee + order refund | Medium-looking new customers | The sample fee is XX yuan/piece, which will be fully deducted from the purchase price when your company places the first order |
| Full prepayment (sample fee + freight) | Customized development, mold samples | The proofing fee is XX yuan and the cycle is X days, arranged after confirming the drawings |
The key is not which one to choose, but to write it clearly in black and white. The allocation method of sample fees and freight is itself a sieve for testing customers 'sincerity: buyers who are unwilling to bear the freight on arrival have a low probability of transferring orders.
3. Sample delivery execution: Five details determine professionalism
- Samples are labeled.Label each sample: model, key parameters, quote, quote validity period. When customers are holding samples to compare prices, your quotation cannot be absent.
- Packing list and declaration specifications.Low-value samples should be declared on a sample basis, and the product name should be clearly stated in the category of "sample, no commercial value". The category must comply with regulations. Don't make false claims in order to save freight costs and cause customs clearance problems.
- Logistics selects the right timeliness.Use commercial express delivery for urgent, and special line for waiting; send the tracking number + estimated arrival time to the customer before shipment, and don't let the customer check it themselves.
- Keep the sample files.Customer name, sample model number, quantity, cost, express delivery number, date of delivery, each record for each customer-this is the bottom account for subsequent follow-up and write-off.
- Sample status certificate is retained.Take photos and keep files before sending them out to avoid disputes such as "damage will be damaged when received".
Add another team rule when implementing: Sample delivery commitments must be exported uniformly. In order to complete the order, the salesperson personally casually agreed to "send samples for free and we will pay for the freight." Afterwards, the company refused to recognize the account, and the customer experience and internal accounts were in chaos. The sample shipping policy (applicable conditions for free, pay-on-arrival, and fee) is finalized by the sales supervisor into standard language, the salesperson follows the discussion, and the special approval is approved by the supervisor for approval-the policy can be flexible and the caliber must be unified.
4. Follow up the rhythm 30 days after sending it
- Week 1: Confirm receipt and use plan.After signing for it, there are two things to follow up: whether the sample is intact, when the customer expects to test it, and what the test scenario will be. After getting the test schedule, there will be anchor points for subsequent follow-up.
- Weeks 2-3: Provide testing support.Actively inquire about the test progress, reissue technical materials and specifications of the same series, and provide application cases of similar customers (concealing the customer name) if conditions permit to help him advance internally.
- Week 4: Offer Validity + Small Batch Ladder.Give a reminder of the expiration of the quotation, and also provide a price ladder of trial orders (such as 500/1000/3000 pieces) to lower the threshold for customers 'first order.
5. Three conversion signals and stop loss points
There are three positive signals: customers proactively feed back test details, inquire about production capacity and delivery dates, and require certification or factory inspection informations-any one that appears must be responded within one day. Corresponding stop-loss signals: no feedback for four weeks after sending the sample, repeated follow-up but not read back, refusal to disclose any purchase plan-record it, place it as a low priority, and send a wake-up email at the end of the quarter. The goal of the sample list is not to "send it out", but to "appear at the right customer's decision-making table at the right time."
Adhere to this process for a quarter, and you will get something more valuable than the order: a sample delivery ledger with the conversion results-which type of customer, which channel, and which fee model send the samples with the highest conversion, the next round of development budgets will be where to increase. When sample management reaches this depth, it changes from a cost item to a customer acquisition data asset.
common problems
1. The customer requires to send more than a dozen models. What should I do if the cost is too high?
Graded processing: Ask customers to select 2-3 models from other models that are closest to their market needs and send them first, and send detailed specifications and physical videos for the remaining models; if necessary, operate according to the sample fee + order return mode. Sending them all means not screening them.
2. If the samples are lost or the customs clearance is stuck, who is responsible?
Write the division of responsibilities into the email before shipment: the customs clearance agent of commercial express delivery, the method of payment of taxes and fees, and the confirmation record of recipient information will leave traces. The receipt information is confirmed in writing by the customer, and the card customs responsibilities are based on evidence.
3. Customers are unwilling to pay the sample fee. Should they send it for free?
Look at customer quality: For high-intention customers with solid adjustments and clear purchasing orders, free + pay-on-delivery can be accepted; for those with vague backgrounds and fierce bargaining, insist on charging sample fees-paying propensity itself is a preview of the conversion rate.
--Qihang AI Foreign Trade Research Institute·Let China Intelligent Manufacturing Set sail to the sea| Foreign trade customer consultation: 180-0327-6609
