Core conclusions:In this case, Zhengzhou's heavy truck parts factory developed 5 Russian after-sales customers in one year, with an annual order amount of 600,000 yuan, accounting for about 10% of the local regional after-sales market, and its profit margin is higher than that of the domestic supporting business. 20%.
1. Customer background
An automobile parts factory in Zhengzhou, Henan Province specializes in heavy truck parts. Its products cover multiple series such as brake systems, transmission parts, and filters. The factory has complete casting, machining and assembly capabilities. Over the past ten years or so, orders from this factory have mainly come from the supporting system of domestic heavy truck main engine factories, which belongs to the typical business model of "eating with the main engine factory".
After the supporting business reaches a certain scale, the problems become more and more obvious: the accounting period is long, the pressure of annual decline is high, the bargaining power is in the hands of the main engine factory, and the parts factory has almost no room for price increases. The company wanted to find a new market where it could control its own pricing power, and finally decided to target the Russian aftermarket. The reasons for making this judgment are: Russia has a large number of local heavy trucks, a harsh operating environment, and a high frequency of replacement of parts. However, there have been gaps in the local supply chain in recent years, and there are clear replacement opportunities.
2. Problem diagnosis: Why does the original path fail?
- After-sales market and supporting market are two sets of logic.The main engine factory supporting equipment is "system-oriented", and customers look at certification, quality system and long-term stability; after-sales is "channel-oriented", and customers are repair stations and parts manufacturers, and they look at whether there is stock, whether it can be shipped immediately, and whether the brand is mixed or not. It is basically impossible to talk about after-sales customers with the idea of supporting them.
- Language and data gaps.The technical communication of Russian after-sales customers is mainly in Russian, but this factory does not even have a complete Russian product catalog. The technical parameters, suitable models, and installation instructions are all in Chinese, which customers cannot understand even if they get them.
- Can't find anyone.The factory has no local channels or exhibition experience. It does not know where to find a list of Russian repair stations and parts suppliers, making it even more difficult to judge which objects are truly capable of purchasing.
- Tools do not match.Local customers are accustomed to using WhatsApp to communicate and respond quickly to requests; while the factory only has Chinese salesmen. The time difference and language add, and each round of communication takes several days. Customers have long turned around and asked others.
The core problem is that this factory has production capacity and products, but there is no road to the entrance of the Russian repair station.
3. What have we done?
- Data screening of russian heavy truck aftermarket.Focusing on the categories of heavy truck accessories, sort out the coverageMore than 3,000The list of repair stations and parts suppliers is graded according to region, model coverage and procurement scale, giving priority to customers with actual procurement records and inventory needs.
- AI Russian development letters are automatically generated and followed up.Generate Russian emails from different angles for different levels of customers: the first one talks about product adaptation and stock capabilities, and subsequent emails are followed up at a pace to avoid one-time group sending from being regarded as spam.
- WhatsApp automatically translates Russian.Customers 'Russian messages on WhatsApp are automatically translated into Chinese, and the salesperson's Chinese replies are automatically translated into Russian and sent out, shortening a round of communication from days to hours.
- Translation of product technical data in Russian.Organize the matching model comparison table, technical parameters, installation instructions, packaging and delivery information into Russian data so that customers can directly take it to their downstream customers.
4. Execution rhythm
Month 1: List and Classification
Completed the sorting of customer data in the Russian heavy truck after-sales market, divided more than 3000 repair stations and parts manufacturers into three categories: key follow-up, regular follow-up, and long-term cultivation, and checked the model coverage and main categories of each family.
Month 2: Content and Reach
The Russian product materials were finalized, the development letter sequence was launched, and key customers began to be reached in batches. The goal at this stage is to get a reply, not an immediate deal.
Month 3: Enquiries and Samples
Transfer responding customers to WhatsApp for continuous communication, processing quotations, model confirmation and small-batch sample requirements. In this case, the first batch of trial order customers were negotiated in the first three months.
Months 4-12: Regional penetration and repurchase
Regional expansion is carried out with the first batch of customers as the fulcrum, and maintenance stations in the same region are introduced through old customers; at the same time, repurchase follow-up and annual framework cooperation negotiations are carried out for customers that have already been sold. The procurement of Russian after-sales customers is continuous, and maintaining stable services is more important than continuously developing new lists.
V. Outcome data
During the 1-year period, the observation results of this case are as follows:
- Developing Russian customers:of 5
- Annual order amount:600,000 Yuan
- Local after-sales market share: approximately10%
- Profit margin: higher than domestic supporting business20%
- Customer structure: from trial customers gradually to stable repurchase of long-term cooperative customers
6. Which factories can this method be replicated to?
This "minority language data + minority language content + instant messaging tool" approach is especially suitable for factories with high product standardization, stock capabilities, and customers who are maintenance parties or users. Typical examples include heavy truck and engineering machinery parts, agricultural machinery parts, motors and pump valves, bearings and seals, hardware tools, automobile wearing parts, etc.
To judge whether you are suitable or not, you can look at three things: whether the product has a clear model or equipment adaptation relationship; whether the customer is in a just-needed situation where "it has to be replaced if it breaks down"; and whether the factory has the ability to quickly deliver goods in small batches. If all three are satisfied, the minority language market is usually worth a try.
7. Common questions
Q: If you don't understand Russian, can you do the Russian market?
A: Yes, provided that the translation tools and processes are put together. In this case, the development letter is generated by AI, instant communication is undertaken by automatic translation, technical data is uniformly translated and reused repeatedly, and the salesperson operates in Chinese throughout the process. Language is not an obstacle, process is.
Q: How to handle the payment method of Russian customers?
A: Such issues need to be evaluated separately in conjunction with the current settlement channels. The factory's finance and external comprehensive service agencies usually confirm the plan together. In this case, it was only after confirming that the path was smooth that it began to reach customers in batches.
Q: Is it too few to develop only 5 customers a year?
A: The after-sales market is characterized by a small number of customers, a large output per customer, and stable repurchase. Five customers brought in 600,000 first-year orders, and these customers will continue to place orders in subsequent years, which is a normal rhythm in the channel-based market.
