You want to avoid the hassle of commuting to and fro to your suppliers or other companies. It is not just feasible for you. Hence, you hire an agent who can do this job for you without you going to the place of the work. Hiring an agent can do the whole work for you. He can make your work of dealing with various stakeholders super easy, saving you a lot of time.
However, what is crucial is getting a good agent who is loyal along with knowledge of handling multiple tasks at the same time. It is not easy to hire that kind of agent, you need to be very cautious when hiring an agent. Else, things can turn out to be otherwise.
You need to keep in mind lots of things before hiring an agent. You need to be able to gauge certain things about the persona of an agent. In this article, we will talk about the must-have qualities for buying an agent.
- Well established locally
Technically, agents represent you outside your country and they work on your behalf, thereby avoiding the need for you to travel to another country. Your agent will carry out all the necessary functions that are required of you to run your business successfully. He will deal with local suppliers, he will fulfil all the necessary documentation, he will carry out the negotiation on his behalf. He will make sure that you don’t land up in legal trouble with authorities. A person who is based locally can carry out all the functions. This is the reason you should hire an agent that is well-versed with the local conditions.
- An agent that is based in your country as well as in another country
Let me tell you most of the agents are fraud and incompetent. They will dupe you for money and may put you in legal trouble. This is the reason you need to research your agents well. You must go for the client that has the office in both your country and as well as in the foreign country. It shows that your client has invested in the expansion of the business and it is reliable and you can also track him in case he fails to fulfil your expectations.
- Good communication skills
One of the biggest challenges western businesses face in China is communication. China is based very far away from the western countries and there is a huge difference of culture and language and a slight misunderstanding in the language can cause huge damage to the prospective business. This is the reason you need to consider China for buying an agent that can speak multiple languages and can understand your concerns well and can execute your tasks well in foreign countries.
- Experience in the exports in China
Having an experienced agent is one of the most important things in sourcing your consignment from China. Because in business, there is a huge risk and your reputation is involved. You can not afford to have an inexperienced agent with you. As he can make a mess of everything. Your revenue might fall and your customers may get upset with you.
You need to hire an agent that has more than 5 years of experience. Having an experienced agent has many benefits such as:
- They have a network of suppliers who are credible and work fast
- They must know their suppliers well and they must be able to conduct the business as per the requirement of your business.
- They will do everything to protect your interest in china.
- They can imagine the challenges well in advance and can advise you to take the steps to avoid the challenges.
- Accountability
Agents must have accountability if anything goes wrong. You must keep China buying agents no. in case any untoward incident happens, it can be used as evidence. You can see their records, what other clients say about them, and the scale of their business. They must be able to coordinate with suppliers well and they must be able to manage returns and refunds as per the terms of the agreement signed by the parties. They must take responsibility for their actions in case anything goes wrong on their end.
