How to Be Professional in Negotiating with Foreign Clients? (17 Key Tips)

Many companies operate in the export and import sector and perform very professionally in this area, but they often falter when negotiating with foreign clients! In other words, negotiating with foreign clients is one side of business activities, while the other steps and specializations form the other side. You must first be able to negotiate correctly and systematically so that the other party trusts you and agrees to collaborate with you. People do not easily entrust their investments to you.

Part of mastering negotiation techniques and being proficient in negotiating with foreign clients involves acquiring information and theoretical education. The other part involves gaining experience and dealing with real situations, learning from challenges that can arise in each negotiation and teaching you something new.

In this article from the Hermes blog, we discuss various negotiation types and key tips that can help you establish productive relationships with foreign parties through practice. At the end, if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section. You will certainly receive guidance.

17 Key Tips for Negotiating with Foreign Clients in Exports

Negotiating with foreign clients in the export sector requires specific skills and strategies. Below are some important principles for negotiating with foreign clients in exports:

1. Complete preparation means thorough and adequate research about the client, target markets, and business conditions.
2. Knowing your and your client’s strengths and weaknesses is crucial.
3. Setting clear and specific goals for negotiation is particularly important.
4. Goals should be measurable and achievable.
5. Fully understanding the business culture, communications, and transactional expectations of your clients can help in building positive relationships.
6. Trust-based relationships and commitment to clients are more effective in long-term negotiations.
7. Creating a communication bridge and stability in communications can help increase customer trust.
8. Defining negotiation terms and prior commitments, including price, payment terms, and delivery conditions, is important.
9. Ensuring transparency in these terms is very important.
10. Local consultants can provide valuable insights about the market and customer culture.
11. Precise knowledge of local laws and regulations is also crucial.
12. Effective communication skills, especially in negotiation, are essential.
13. The ability to actively listen and convey ideas and concepts in an understandable way can facilitate negotiations.
14. The ability to manage and resolve disputes is of great importance.
15. Skills in maintaining mutual respect and addressing issues without bias are important.
16. The ability to accept and use constructive criticism and continuous improvement is a trait of successful negotiations.
17. Given the constant changes in markets and cultures, continuous learning and updating knowledge and skills is essential.

The Importance of Building Trust in Negotiating with Foreign Clients

Gaining trust in negotiations with foreign clients is one of the main factors for successful exports and enhancing international business relations. Trust is the foundation of any business interaction and serves as a strategic tool in negotiations with foreign clients. Here are six key ways to gain the trust of foreign clients:

1. Clear and honest communication with clients is very important. Providing accurate and correct information about the products or services offered, pricing, delivery conditions, and other related business aspects strengthens trust.
2. Ensuring the quality of products or services offered is one of the crucial factors in gaining customer trust. Offering high standards in quality control and continuous monitoring of product performance can increase trust.
3. The ability to offer diverse products or services and variety in business conditions can be reassuring. Flexibility in meeting different customer needs and preferences helps in gaining their satisfaction and increasing their trust.
4. Providing after-sales services and continuous customer support shows a commitment to long-term relationships and quality improvement. These actions demonstrate your serious concern for customer satisfaction in negotiations with foreign clients.
5. Fully understanding the business culture of your clients and respecting differences shows the importance you place on business interactions. This perception can effectively create a positive relationship and gain trust.
6. Experience and extensive knowledge in foreign markets significantly strengthen customer trust. The ability to understand market challenges and opportunities is of great importance.

You may be surprised to learn that giving gifts to foreign clients and any business partner you intend to collaborate with can have a significant impact on the progress of negotiations and your initial impression. Do not underestimate the importance of choosing an appropriate and culturally relevant gift when negotiating with a foreign partner.

Giving Gifts at the Beginning of Negotiating with Foreign Clients

Consider the following points:

1. Try to choose a gift that is not only beautiful and meaningful but also selected for a specific reason (importance of knowing the recipient).
2. Based on the occasion and context of the negotiation, choose a gift that is related to the subject of the negotiation or the culture of the audience. For example, in business negotiations, you can choose gifts related to the industry or your company’s products.
3. In many cultures, the value of the gift may matter. Therefore, make sure to understand how common gift-giving is in your recipient’s culture.
4. Choosing a gift with a known brand or mark can give the recipient confidence.
5. A gift with a company logo or a local brand can also indicate a commitment to mutual cooperation.
6. If possible, choose a gift that is related to your local culture or traditions, especially if the recipient is aware of them.
7. Giving a gift at the first meeting with a foreign client shows goodwill and a commitment to cooperation. This gesture indicates respect for the recipient and can create a pleasant and positive atmosphere from the outset.
8. Review local laws and regulations regarding gifts to avoid legal issues and refrain from giving high-value gifts.
9. A good gift can help expand and strengthen business relationships. It also demonstrates your positive intentions in negotiations and helps create a friendly and positive environment.

Principles of Email Writing and Correspondence in Negotiating with Foreign Clients

A simple internet search or using tools like ChatGPT can familiarize you with various types of business emails. Ensure that your email is grammatically and stylistically error-free, and that the person writing the email is proficient in English. Spelling mistakes are not a good sign in your email and detract from your professionalism.

Sample English Email

Consider the following sample email:

Subject: Proposal for Export Partnership

Dear [Client’s Name],

I hope this email finds you well. My name is [Your Name], and I am the [Your Position] at [Your Company]. We are excited about the possibility of partnering with [Client’s Company] to bring our high-quality [briefly describe your products] to [Client’s Country/Region].

Proposal for Collaboration:

We propose two potential export models:

1. Direct Export: Allowing us to control marketing, pricing, and distribution, ensuring alignment with your local market needs.
2. Indirect Export: Utilizing your expertise and networks to handle market research, logistics, and compliance.

Benefits for [Client’s Company]:

• High-Quality Products: Renowned for excellence and reliability.
• Competitive Pricing: Offering healthy profit margins.
• Support and Training: Comprehensive support to ensure success.

We would love to discuss this further and tailor our approach to your needs. Please let us know a convenient time for a call or meeting.

Thank you for considering this opportunity. We look forward to your response.

Best regards,

[Your Full Name]
[Your Position]
[Your Company]
[Your Contact Information]
[Your Company Website]

A suitable email can include the elements highlighted above. Note that this is a sample template, and your tone and word choice can be different while remaining formal and respectful. However, the email should contain some essential information for the recipient.

As much as possible, try to present your request and communication clearly and professionally. In negotiations with foreign clients, your foreign counterpart should know your name, address, position, area of activity, purpose of the email, competitive advantages of working with you compared to your competitors, and other details mentioned above upon receiving your email.