Up close & personal with Annah Stretton - April

Made in China… dispelling the myth

I’m back in China and extremely excited as to the possibilities in this market. It’s been exactly a year since my first visit. I know this given the Hong Kong sevens was on then as well.

So after a year of endeavouring to do business at many levels with the Chinese in China, the results have certainly been good but also mixed…

It has certainly been a highway of lessons, from bungled orders to counterfeit money, hair-raising taxi rides and scams at many turns.

A foray into the mandarin language though a 10 week course was certainly not the answer to what can be a massive and difficult communication barrier in this country.

Conversely though these hurdles have all yielded some wonderful outcomes as I have persevered in this market building relationships and establishing sources of supply. And with each visit I am incredibly excited as to what can be achieved.

It is important to note that we are only using China as a supply and manufacturing chain; not as a DESIGN base and that maintains the credibility of our brand in NZ.

My connections up here are not about cheaper, faster and bigger margins. They are all about the access to a significantly broader range of fabrics, trims and manufacturing capabilities from a country that has its heart in manufacturing.

From the fabrics and trims to the extensive array of accessories, nothing is impossible and each trip uncovers more and more opportunities.

So what do I like so much about this new market?

 

• The Chinese are smart
• They work in immediate time frames
• The results are fast
• They answer emails the same day (often within an hour)
• They seek new opportunities
• Nothing is too hard
• They need and want to work
• They are ‘can-do’ thinkers
• They can access anything (or at least will give it a go)
• They want to do business with you
• They will make it work
• And best of all, they don't bring emotion into their business dealings. They just get on and get the job done.

So how do you make a start in this expansive market?

The expos in Hong Kong are always a great place to start when endeavouring to enter China. The wide array of exhibitors will enable you to see the possibilities and make the first contacts.

So get up here and make a start and watch how it grows!

March - Up close and personal with Annah Stretton

How to get a NO to mean a YES

Relationships - form the right ones and the world is your oyster.

Why do we crash and burn so many opportunities when in many instances all it takes is a little effort and a dollop of tolerance to create great outcomes for ourselves and others?

I think about my life and I know truly that the successes we have are driven by the relationships I have formed and yes, I have had to put in lots effort. I have even had to overlook the small stuff that used to get right up my nose.   

-It’s about getting to know as many people as you can.

-Never taking ‘no’ for an answer.

-Being likable.

-Being memorable.

-Never abusing the connections you have.

-Never burning bridges no matter how angry you are; be smart, look forward…get over it!

-Ensuring that you start all new relationships in credit - what you can do for them, not what they can do for you.

Being interested in the most insignificant people (the ones that make the least noise) in the room…they hold the delightful surprises, as I found out when I gained a ride back to Wellington City one night from the homes of one of our diplomats, and happened to be in the car with a very unassuming but delightful High Court judge.

The girls that succeed in my company and truly get the outstanding results are the ones that have a strong relationship with me and are confidentially maximizing this daily.

The ones that don’t have this level of relationship are often the grass is greener types. They will always be looking for someone to provide something better, so rather than create their own outcomes and work hard to achieve them within the environment they are in, they simply keep moving on in search of someone to generate those things for them.

My success in forging relationships and establishing connections in the Australian market, where we are endeavouring to grow the brand, has been about the connections I have made over the years. Even small things like setting up for telephone or power in this country are not like NZ; you need faster pathways to the top to get things happening within reasonable time frames.

Encouraging Australian women's groups to have me as a speaker requires connection and persistence. The brand is unknown in this country so no one really cares. I get a lot more ‘no's’ than I get ‘yes's’ at the moment, but as long as I have a plan and a vision I will keep on persisting. I certainly know that Sir Edmund didn't conquer the mountain first time around. 

  

I, however, never take no for an answer. 

Sure it’s a temporary roadblock and I simply need another route, and I will always look for it. Yet most people I deal with walk away after the first no even though they cared enough to ask the initial question.

It has been interesting forging new relationships in China as they certainly don't take no for an answer!

Say yes to more opportunities. Yes, I've got myself into some underwhelming scenarios and I've also been in some excellent ones. Lets face it, they are all easy enough to remove yourself from!

The relationships that you form will determine the level of success that you achieve in your life…believe it and get out there and get yourself known.

Sit comfortably in your own skin and know that you can and will achieve anything you set your mind to.