Making my first contact with a manufacturer's export department
As I promised my uncle, I called the US based manufacturer by phone. I called them asking to be connected with someone in their export department. I was transferred to their international trade division. Here is how the conversation went:
Export Department Representative: Hello, How may I help you?
Me: I am calling on behalf of a Saudi company that is interested in importing 4000 Stethoscopes from you. They know that you have a subsidiary in the region but would prefer to do business directly with your office if it is OK to do so.
Export Department Representative: Sure. We can export directly to other countries as it is allowed for all of our company's export offices around the world to do so as long as we did not actively and directly approached their customers. In this case, you came to us.
Me: Great! Based on the quantity, what would you estimate the cost to be?
Export Department Representative: FOB our warehouse, your total coast would be ... (at that time, FOB sounded like a foriegn language to me. It meant Free On Board. In this case, it meant that the buyer would take care of the rest of the journey for these goods from the sellers warehouse up to its final destination)
Me: Thank you. That's all what I needed to know.
Export Department Representative: You are welcome. And our pricing offer is guaranteed for 30 days from today for you. Out of curiosity; why do they want to buy directly from us and not our international subsidiary that is closer to them?
Me: What I understood is that the cost is becoming much higher for them and preferential/better pricing is being made for specific companies within the region that are of course their competitors.
Export Department Representative: Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to doing business with you.
Me: Thank you and good bye.
How I started in the import export business
How I started in the import export business