Lampshade is one of the most important parts for pendant light. Now more and more customers buy this kind of accessories back to their countries from Guzhen,Zhongshan –international lighting capital to assemble by themselves.
As a lighting sourcing agent, we’ve taken many clients to lighting and lighting accessory markets. Not all clients need glass lampshades; some do. But this particular client was absolutely a classic case. Let me share my experience of taking this client there.
How do I Know this Glass Lampshade Customer?
Let’s call this bro Jack. He is from Middle east country who is a friend of one of my major clients. He only speaks a little English, and his Chinese is probably better than his English. However, he can’t read or write Chinese. So, it was indeed difficult for him to communicate when he went to the Guzhen lighting market. My major client introduced me to Jack. We got to know each other through WeChat, WhatsApp, phone calls, and other means.
Make a Schedule to Visit the Glass Lampshade Market
Jack’s general itinerary was as follows: arriving in Beijing on October 20th, going to Shenzhen on October 21st, and arriving in Guzhen on October 22nd. Therefore, we planned Jack’s reception schedule and a rough glass market visit itinerary in advance. Since the client mostly purchased accessory products, factory visits were generally unnecessary.
First, we arranged for a very experienced driver who was very familiar with the route to pick Jack up at Shenzhen Airport.
Secondly, we arranged our travel itinerary for the second day, including a market visit route. Choosing the right transportation was a major challenge, as the Guzhen International Lighting Fair was taking place from October 22nd to 25th, and transportation hubs would be extremely congested. All the lighting and lighting accessory markets were located within this transportation hub.
1.Driving would be inefficient and time-consuming.
2.Electric motorcycles would be efficient and fast, but it was raining that day, making it unsafe.
3.Hiring an electric tricycle would be faster than a car, slightly safer than an electric bike, and would also provide shelter from the rain.
Finalize the plan and accompany Jack on a visit to the lighting market.
As I suggested, we met at the lobby of the Silver Spring Hotel at 8:30 the next morning. I parked my car near the hotel in case of emergency, and then hired an electric tricycle to take us to the lighting market and the glass lampshade market.
On the morning of the 23rd, I brought my lighting sourcing agent three-piece set: Notebook, power bank, and laptop. arrived at the hotel lobby at 8:00 AM. I contacted Jack via WeChat, but he invited me to his room. Jack made me a cup of coffee from his country and offered me some biscuits he had brought there. We briefly discussed the day’s itinerary and exchanged some polite business pleasantries.
First Visit to Glass Lampshade Market
At 9 o’clock, we headed to the Glass Shade Lighting Accessories City. To our surprise, Jack was incredibly familiar with the city, even more so than I was. We first went to the largest store in the old town – Hui Glass Lighting. They had almost every type of glass shade available, including chandeliers, table lamps, floor lamps, wall lamps, and pendant lights. The store was about four floors, each about 200 square meters, and there was a constant stream of customers. Jack selected many products he wanted and inquired about prices. I mainly handled the translation, while my assistant, Amy, took photos and recorded the prices.We spent about two hours selecting products for the first store.
Second Visit to Guzhen International Lighting Fair
As planned, we took Jack to the Guzhen International Lighting Fair. This year’s fair didn’t seem very crowded. There were eight halls in total, from A to H. However, most of the exhibits were outdoor lights, with solar lights being the most common. Booths selling independently developed products got more visitors, while those selling mass-market products had slightly fewer visitors.
We quickly finished our tour in about two and a half hours. Jack’s goal was simple: to see if there were any accessories he was interested in at the exhibition. I told Jack that lighting accessories were too cheap, with too low a profit margin, and they wouldn’t exhibit there. Secondly, they usually have shops in lighting accessory markets, where their business is already very stable. In the entire lighting industry supply chain, accessories are at the front end, upstream. Everyone depends on them for their livelihood, so their business is the best. The owners of accessory businesses earn the most money, so with hard work, after a few years, they’re basically all driving BMWs and Mercedes-Benzes.
But Jack still found something that really interested him: a high-speed welding machine that could weld iron, aluminum, and copper. It was easy to operate and produced strong welds. Jack tried it out himself, and we even took videos and photos of him. Jack is a very interesting person; he’s always so curious about new and unusual products.
Second Time Visit to Glass Lighting Market
Regardless, Jack couldn’t find the lighting accessories he wanted at the exhibition. So, around 1:30 PM, we set off for the glass lighting market for the second time. This time, Jack was determined, going door-to-door, visiting almost every glass shop along the street. The salespeople and owners in each shop were very enthusiastic, patiently quoting prices and providing friendly service.
The general situation on the glass street was that every shop sold similar styles of glass shades; the only differences were only in service and quality. By 6 PM, Jack had visited most of the shops he wanted to see. Most shops close around 7:00-8:00 PM. So, starting at 6:40 PM, we began placing orders and paying deposits at our target shops. By 8:00 PM, we had essentially completed our first day’s visit to the glass lighting market.
Second Day and Third Day Go to Glass Lighting Market Again
Jack is a rather stubborn person, a China expert, and familiar with the glass and lighting market in the ancient town. He insisted on continuing even after failing to find what he wanted on the first day. So we spent another two days exploring the glass street. However, we still couldn’t find the one he wanted. I explained that privately made shades are never sold on the market; this is to protect original designs as much as possible.
Fourth Day Visit to Kaiyuan Lighting Market and Qifang Lighting Accessory Market
On the fourth day, we visited two more lighting accessory markets. Jack needed to purchase some other lighting components. Looking at finished lights was to inspire his designs, but buying the accessories was his main task. So, after visiting Kaiyuan Lighting Accessories Market to look at finished lights, I headed to Qifang Lighting Accessories Market.
There, Jack simply visited a few familiar shops and ordered some iron ceiling mounts and some copper base accessories.
For four days, Jack woke up at 7:00 AM every morning and was still talking to me about work at 1:00 AM. He was practically exhausted. But it was the first time we’d ever seen someone so diligent, working day and night. He did everything himself. Once the prices and orders were finalized, our lighting sourcing agent will take care of the rest: inspecting the goods, shipping, and arranging the containers.
In conclusion, this was a successful experience bringing clients along. For international clients, they appreciate a lighting sourcing agent who: 1. is honest and patient, able to solve their problems; 2. is not boring, has a cheerful personality, and is humorous; 3. is perceptive, understands what clients want and need, and doesn’t require much explanation from clients. That’s why Jack said he really enjoys being with Kash because he’s so funny.