Initial Q&A in Charcoal Order for Local and Export
Actually, this post is written as one of basic knowledge for our sales force and marketing staff while they meet new buyers, either genuinely new players in charcoal business or even experienced charcoal businessman for years.
We have to know clearly, is the question from the buyer is really a question or they want to know us more about our experience and knowledge in charcoal business by testing some questions about charcoal and related information around it.
Because, if we're in the second condition, once we pass the buyer test successfully, next discussion or negotiation will be more attractive and build more trust in front of buyers and of course, conversion rate to make a deal in the transaction will be higher.
But if we wanna prevent buyer test, we have to use our initiate to start question about their needs in charcoal.
Ask them about kind of charcoal
There are so many kinds of charcoal, you may start your first question about what kind of charcoal that they need. If they can't give us exact answer (usually new player) we can change the question with specific question about the purposes of their needs of charcoal.
Usually, charcoal can be used as barbeque, shisha or hookah, room heater, industrial fuel, industrial raw material, water purifier and many others.
After we know clearly about charcoal purpose, then we can ask them about next question.
Ask them about quantity
Once you know the purpose, you may offer them some kinds of charcoal but, you still can't inform them about price yet before you ask them about buying quantity.
In local market, you may ask maybe in kilos first and you may sell it without minimum order quantity, but for global or overseas market you may ask in tons and you have to ask him to buy in minimum order quantity.
For 20 feet container, we can load up to 18 tons for shisha and bbq briquette charcoal, for 40 feet container we can load up to 25 tons for shisha and bbq briquette charcoal and only 19 tons for wood charcoal.
For other types of charcoal such us coconut shell charcoal lump size, mangrove wood charcoal and any other types of charcoal maximum loaded cargo, you may contact us.
After we know the exact buying quantity, we can moving forward to the next question and you may pay attention in this quantity question but as far as you know also, the quantity is the most important aspect which influencing prices.
Ask them about specifications
Technical specs: moisture, volatile, carbon, ash, dust, gross calorific value, sulfur, etc
Non technical specs: size (25x25 mm, 5 x 10cm, etc), shape (stick, lump, mesh, powder, cube, hexagonal, finger, kaloud, square body, etc)
...
Ask them about packaging
Sack bag, Jumbo bag, Carton, Inner plastic, Inner box, Master box, etc
250gr, 500gr, 1kg, 2kg, 3kg, 5kg, 10kg, 15kg, 20kg, 35kg, 50kg, 100kg, 500kg, 1000kg, etc
...
Ask them about incoterms
Xwork, Loco, Franco, FOB, CNF, CIF, Door, etc
...
Ask them about payment terms
LC, TT, Cash, Partial payment, etc.
...
Final question
If you have been ask them all of listed question above, you may ask them about trial order to build good feeling and trust between us and please start in minimum quantity only because it will be always a little problem in first transaction. So, if we start in minimum quantity we can solve the problem easily.
But for wood pellet and palm kernel shell, the minimum problem is still big (lol haha) so keep your attention in transaction progress and update your progress to your buyer to make them feel comfort with us and they will be very happy if we inform them about the updates of their orders progress day by day.
Happy selling.
Brgds,
sales@dcharcoal.com
dCharcoal Market Research Department
