Chapter 438: First order
Chapter 438: First order
However, in the end, the signing of the contract, which had been delayed because Oberyang had been indiscreet and the customer had gone to the factory first, turned out to be quite good.
After a solid one and a half hours at the factory – as Feng Yiping had expected, Mr Raymond had indeed used the factory bathroom during the visit for some reason or other.
He didn't pay much attention to the equipment on the production line, but he was very interested in the production process. He also asked a lot of questions about quality control, especially the inspection of raw materials entering the warehouse and the inspection of finished products leaving the factory. At the end, he also had a brief exchange with the workers at different workstations.
Afterwards, Mr Raymond, a regular customer of Aube Yang, expressed his satisfaction. He looks like a strong man with a broad back and a big waist, but in fact he is a cautious and meticulous American.
He was even more excited when he learned that the beautiful lady was the group president and had a Harvard background, as they were both alumni.
When Aube Yang introduced him to Feng Yiping, who had been following along quietly and didn't say much, and who was more like an intern, as the group president and founder, Mr Raymond asked three times, 'Really?'
'No kidding, Mr Raymond, I hope this won't change your opinion of our company,' Feng Yiping said with a smile, extending his hand and reacquainting himself with him.
'How could it be?' Lei Meng said, 'This is truly an amazing country, and this is truly a great era. In my country, it is not uncommon for college students to start their own businesses, but there are really not many people like you who run factories and engage in manufacturing.'
'It's understandable. Those of my age in your country who start companies are in the high-tech or trade sectors, right? This is related to the general trend of the world. Currently, there is a major shift in global manufacturing. Your country's business community has long looked down on manufacturing, which requires large investments but low returns. Except for some key areas such as the three major automobile manufacturers and military industry, manufacturing may gradually shift to countries like my own, where production costs are low.
So Mr Raymond, all the money our company makes is hard-earned. The current price quote is the lowest price. If you cut it any lower, I won't be able to scrape together enough money to pay for my studies at your alma mater.' Feng Yiping followed up on his words, but at the end, he switched back to business.
'Why? I believe with your grades, Feng, it would be easy to get a scholarship from our school.' The foreigner is indeed very cunning. He didn't take Feng Yiping's bait.
'Mr Raymond, Miss Deborah, let's go and have dinner first, and then I'll take you back to the hotel afterwards,' said Jin Ling.
When faced with an impasse, our ancestors had an effective solution: let's put the problem aside and go and eat first.
After dinner, on the bus back to Yangcheng, the lights were bright. Ouboyang and Raymond were still talking, making the most of their time together. It seems that those articles that say foreigners don't talk about work outside of work are just trying to fool country bumpkins like Feng Yiping. Ordinary employees at European and American companies may be able to do it, but it's not so easy for executives like Raymond to completely separate rest from work.
In the end, Raymond agreed to Oberyang's offer, with one exclusive additional condition: Jiasheng must not find a second agent in the states where Raymond's company has hypermarkets. On this basis, he decided to purchase goods worth an average of more than 300,000 US dollars from Jiasheng each quarter.
Because the first batch of goods had to be distributed to various stores, he wanted to order more goods this time, almost doubling the 300,000 US dollars decided in the afternoon to more than 500,000 US dollars.
As for this exclusivity clause, Feng Yiping didn't care, except that the first agreement was for a period of two years, and subsequent agreements were to be signed annually. If it didn't work out, they could be adjusted.
In the short term, Jiasheng would not seek to build its own sales channels in the United States. It would be better for local experts like Raymond to help them build brand awareness.
Moreover, he was confident in his company's products. In terms of design, the classic IKEA styles of more than ten years ago would still have an advantage even if they competed with the current IKEA.
Another advantage is, of course, the price advantage.
Of course, this price advantage is compared to IKEA. Compared to other domestic furniture factories, the unit price is slightly higher, which is why Raymond has been bargaining for a lower price.
However, for Feng Yiping, who is determined to make money from foreigners, he will not compromise on this point. You can't expect the furniture to be better than similar products from IKEA in terms of design, but at the same price as those monotonous domestic furniture.
Feng Yiping, who was fed up with the price war, did not want to follow the example of his peers this time, who were born in the same year and on the same day, and kill the price with themselves, only to end up dying on the same day in the same year. As a result, consumers, and even foreign consumers, benefited.
However, overall, the combination of these two advantages is still very advantageous, which is why the astute Raymond seized the opportunity to sign an agreement with Jiasheng on the first day.
The goods are good, the price is good, and predictably, the sales price will be even better. As long as the sales are effective, the profits are unlikely to be bad.
As long as Raymond's company has a taste of the sweetness, it will carefully maintain its cooperation with Jia Sheng. In the end, it is actually a win-win situation for both sides.
It was already past 10 o'clock in the evening when they returned the two gods to the hotel. Ouyang immediately called the factory to report the good news. He was sure that Cai and Xiong would still be waiting.
Sure enough, neither of them had gone to bed yet. On hearing the news, they were overjoyed. 'We'll arrange to increase production tomorrow.'
Ou Boyang was also very excited. This was considered a victory in the first battle, and they had signed a long-term customer at the first stop. "President Feng, President Jin, let's go for a late-night snack. My treat.'
Hehe, according to Jiasheng Furniture's commission system, Ou Boyang would get a lot of commission for this.
Feng Yiping glanced at Jin Ling, "That's fine,'
To be honest, he also quite misses the late-night snacks in Yangcheng, and it's only fun to have late-night snacks with a group of people.
Feng Yiping sat in the passenger seat, directing the driver to drive the Koster from Yuexiu to Shipai East in Tianhe.
The saying 'Food in Yangcheng is really not fake' is true. At this time of the day, Shipai East is very lively on the road for a few hundred metres, and there are also many foreign figures.
Jin Ling asked Feng Yiping in surprise, 'How come you know this place so well?'
'I'm a foodie, didn't you know? I checked out the guide before coming.' Feng Yiping couldn't speak very well at the moment, and smelling the familiar smell, his mouth watered badly.
Jin Ling looked at him doubtfully and followed him into a restaurant.
It seems that they are not familiar with each other. Feng Yiping, who is familiar with the way, ordered fried snails, grilled oysters, shrimp porridge, shrimp in vinegar, grilled fish..., until everyone shouted stop.
Midnight snacks go best with beer, of course. Feng Yiping has a good technique for pouring beer, and after filling the glasses of the three of them, he poured a glass for Jin Ling in a disposable cup. 'Don't mind the surroundings, don't worry, the taste is really good.'
Eating a midnight snack at a street stall is really quite different from eating instant noodles with a ham sausage at home.
Here, while eating, you can smell the wafts of the kitchen, which really whet your appetite. Then you look at the people around you, who, after a hard day's work, are very relaxed and enjoying their favourite food. The atmosphere is great.
Having a late-night snack with his colleagues, Feng Yiping drank with gusto. He toasted each of the three people in the Foreign Trade Department: 'President Ou, Zhao and Yu, the company's future foreign trade will depend on you. You have a heavy task. Our requirement is that the ratio of exports to domestic sales should ideally be 7:3. In the future, 70% of sales will depend on you three, so I would like to toast you here.'
'It's going to be a bit difficult at first,' although the start was good, Ou Yang was not yet carried away.
'I know that, and that is the ultimate goal,' Feng Yiping skillfully peeled the shrimp, 'and, starting from the next Canton Fair, President Jin and I may not come to the site again, and even if we do, we won't stay for long. You need to be prepared.'
'I'll try to find the time,' Jin Ling added.
The three people on the other side looked at each other. Feng Yiping and Jin Ling had helped a lot today, especially since they were there, the three of them seemed to have a backbone. Hearing that they would not be coming in the future, they all felt that the burden on their shoulders had suddenly become a bit heavier.
'Don't worry, bosses, we promise to complete the task.' Ou Boyang believed that after this session's influence, in the next session, he would be able to take up this burden.
'That's good. Today's results can be put aside for now. Over the next few days, we must all work together to make persistent efforts and strive to sign more orders.'
...
That night, the leader of the provincial department of commerce, who had led the delegation to the exhibition, received a phone call from the provincial general office and his own department. The senior official in charge of the economy and foreign trade and economic cooperation would lead a delegation to visit the trade fair the following afternoon.