A merchandiser refers to a full-time person who tracks products and services according to customer orders during the operation of an enterprise. Everyone who works around the order and is responsible for the delivery date is a merchandiser.
Second, the definition of merchandiser work: merchandisers widely exist in order-making enterprises and import and export foreign trade enterprises. The nature and characteristics of merchandiser's work vary with the scale and nature of the enterprise, but generally speaking, merchandiser exists as a business merchandiser and a production merchandiser.
1. Business Documentary: Follow up with customers. In particular, people who have been interested in our products will follow up. A series of activities aimed at concluding transactions and signing contracts. Call a salesperson or business assistant.
2. Production documents: orders received according to production arrangements. Follow up the production progress and deliver the goods to customers on time. Internal telephone: business manager or production supervisor or assistant to the general manager. Whether it is a merchandiser in a foreign trade company or a merchandiser in a factory or enterprise, their basic duties are composed of "business documentary" and "production documentary".
Third, the job orientation of the merchandiser: (job nature) The merchandiser is a salesman. His job is not only to passively accept orders, but also to actively carry out business development, target customers to implement sales follow-up, with orders as the goal, not just to carry out business documentary.
Therefore, the merchandiser should:
(1) Finding customers: Find new customers through various channels and follow old customers.
(2) Set targets: major customers and customers to be developed. Our work focuses on key points and allocated working hours.
(3) Information dissemination: the dissemination of enterprise product information.
(4) Selling products: for the purpose of obtaining orders, actively contacting customers and displaying products.
(5) Providing services: after-sales service for customers' products and services.
(6) Collecting information: collecting market information and conducting market research.
(7) Product distribution: When the product is in short supply, it should be distributed to major customers first.
Documentary is a business assistant: Documentary often plays the role of assistant to business manager. They help business managers to receive, manage and follow up customers, so merchandisers should:
Reply (1) letter:
(2) Calculate the quotation
(3) Check and sign the form
(4) Fill in the reconciliation form
(5) Classification, sending and registration of samples
(6) Customer file management
(7) Customer reception
(8) Handling matters assigned by supervisors.
(9) Business contact with relevant departments
The merchandiser is the coordinator: the merchandiser tracks the delivery of products ordered by customers, that is, tracks production. The focus of tracking is production progress, goods declaration and shipment. Therefore, in a small enterprise, the merchandiser holds several positions, not only in the back office, but also as a production planner, material controller and possibly a buyer. In large enterprises, on behalf of the business department of the enterprise, urge the manufacturing department to ask for goods and follow up the delivery.
Fourth, the work characteristics of the merchandiser:
The work of merchandiser involves almost every link of the enterprise, from sales, production, materials, finance, personnel to general affairs. Features: complex and comprehensive.
1. Great responsibility. The work of merchandisers is based on orders and customers, because orders are the life of enterprises and customers are the gods of enterprises. Losing orders and customers will endanger the survival of enterprises. It is a great responsibility to make orders and do the work of customers.
2. Communication and coordination: The work of the merchandiser involves various departments. The work of merchandisers and customers, planning departments, production departments and many other departments is a kind of communication and coordination. They all communicate with people on the premise of completing the order. Communication and coordination skills are particularly important.
3. Do a good job of customer suggestions: the merchandiser has a lot of customer information and is familiar with their needs. At the same time, I also know the production situation of the factory, and I can make comments on customers' orders to facilitate customers to place orders.
4. The pace of work is changeable and fast: the customers we face come from all corners of the country, and their working methods, schedules and work rhythms are different. Therefore, the working rhythm of follow-up should be variable. In addition, the needs of customers are diverse. Sometimes the customer's order is not large, but it needs to be delivered in time. This requires the efficiency of external documentary to be fast.
5. Work comprehensiveness: The work of the merchandiser involves all departments of the enterprise, which determines the comprehensiveness of its work. External implementation is the responsibility of the sales staff. Internally, it is the coordination of production management. Therefore, the merchandiser must be familiar with the import and export trade practice and the production and operation process of the factory.
Verb (abbreviation of verb) salesman's dominant consciousness:
What is the dominant consciousness? Is the overall concept. You should have a deep understanding of the environment, tasks and results, so that you will have a strong sense of leadership when you do your work. For example, in a football team, every player has his own position, but if he only cares about his own position, it must be a very poor team. This requires an overall concept: either lose the ball or attack, beat the opponent and score.
As a salesman, so is sales. It doesn't mean that I will be fine if I place an order. How did you produce it? When will it be finished? What about the product? It's none of my business, then you can't be a merchandiser. You have no sense of dominance.
Responsibility: overall awareness, sense of responsibility, and responsibility for everything.
Organized: Have the means and ideas, and have the ability to solve problems when encountering problems.
Effective: efficient and effective.
The goal to be achieved: all work takes the final result and the final goal as our guiding ideology. If it fails in the end, there is nothing to say.
In short, you should have a big goal in mind and a global concept. Everyone's work is just a link in the whole work chain. Instead of judging by someone or a department. Therefore, at work, you should treat others (people involved in the work) as your subordinates. Not that you are a leader, but that you give them tasks, clear goals and provide conditions. Your goal is clear: to be responsible for the final result.
Vi. Quality requirements of merchandisers: (Training of merchandisers)
The nature and characteristics of merchandiser's work determine the quality requirements of its business:
(1) analytical ability. Analyze the characteristics of customers and the price composition of products to facilitate quotation.
(2) predictive ability. It can predict the demand of customers, the production capacity and material supply of enterprises, and facilitate the arrangement of receiving orders, production and delivery.
(3) expressive ability. Good at communicating with customers in words and language.
(4) professional knowledge. Be familiar with the products you ordered. Understand the characteristics, sources and components of raw materials. Understand the characteristics, style and quality of products. Easy to communicate with customers and production personnel.
(5) the ability to deal with people. Work with people from all departments to make them fulfill customer orders consciously.
(6) the ability to deal with interpersonal relationships. Handle the relationship with customers, superiors, colleagues and other units. Finish what you want to do through them.
(7) Legal knowledge. Understand contract law, negotiable instrument law, economic law and other legal knowledge related to document work. Know the law, abide by the law, understand the law and use it.
(8) negotiation ability. Eloquence and skill.
(9) management and marketing capabilities. A master of external sales. Internal management experts.
(10) Logistics knowledge. Knowledge of transportation, loading and unloading, warehousing, distribution and customs declaration.
Seven, merchandiser's work content and knowledge and skills requirements:
The work of the merchandiser mainly includes: foreign trade business documents, material procurement documents, production process documents, cargo transportation documents and customer contact tracking (customer reception).
1. Documentary export goods; (foreign trade business follow-up) Understand the basic knowledge of foreign trade: (negotiation, quotation, taking orders, signing contracts, etc. ). Basic foreign languages and communication.
2. Procurement of documents and materials. (Business follow-up) Understand marketing and products. (Material, performance, use and maintenance)
3. Documentary production process (follow-up of production progress) Understand production, management and communication.
4. Cargo transport documents (shipment tracking) cargo transport knowledge, (means of transport, methods, cabinets) and customs declaration knowledge.
5. Customer contact tracking (customer reception): understand customer management and international etiquette knowledge;
Eight, the importance of merchandiser work:
The survival and development of enterprises are based on orders. Archives work is the main lifeline and management commanding height of enterprises. As a follower of orders, the work of the merchandiser spans every link of enterprise operation. It is the central area and bridge between departments within the enterprise, between enterprises and customers, and the window and portal of the enterprise. From the chart, we can get this argument more clearly:
Related to the work department of the merchandiser:
Salesman: External: Business Department (Domestic and Foreign Trade Department)
Customers (domestic and foreign customers, foreign trade companies, middlemen)
Transportation (sea transportation, air transportation, automobile transportation, railway transportation, containers, express delivery companies)
Government/Finance (Customs, Silver Lane, Taxation, Commodity Inspection, Insurance)
Internal: plan/material (production plan, material schedule, quotation)
Manufacturing department (production planning, sample manufacturing)
Technology/quality control (product specifications, new product development, evaluation, product standards)
Finance/Treasury (shipment control, finished goods warehouse, accurate quotation, packaging protection, exchange rate settlement)
Administration Department (automobile dispatching, release, customs declaration and shipment)
There are two forms of goods export transactions, one is through foreign trade companies, and the other is self-export. Documentary work of export goods mainly includes: receiving orders, following up production, tracking shipments, making documents, and settling foreign exchange.
1. Receiving orders: Receiving orders means signing contracts and obtaining orders.
The written form of a contract is not limited to a specific format. Any written document stating the names of both parties, the quality, quantity, price, delivery and payment of the subject matter, and other trading conditions, including letters, telegrams or telexes exchanged between the buyer and the seller to conclude the transaction, is sufficient to constitute a written contract.
1. Ordering method: customers can order by telephone, fax, e-mail or written contract.
2. Method of taking orders: trade fairs, visits, going abroad for exhibitions, inviting customers to visit, using our website, etc.
3. Form of receiving orders: In export trade, there are no specific restrictions on the orders received by salesmen. The most common are:
(1) Contract: (Contract) Contract includes sales contract and purchase contract. The former is drafted by the seller and the latter by the buyer.
(2) confirmation letter; (Confirmation) is simpler than contract. Excludes clauses such as objection, arbitration and force majeure. It also has a sales confirmation and a purchase confirmation. This format of the contract is generally applicable to light industrial products, daily necessities, local products and so on. The transaction amount is small and the batch is large. And the contract is more formal. Import and export trade of machinery and equipment.
There are also agreements, letters of intent, orders and entrusted orders. It should be mentioned that customers should reply to orders or entrusted orders sent directly from abroad, and they should not ignore them, otherwise it will be regarded as a breach of contract.
4. Order taking procedure: The order taking procedure can be divided into four steps: inquiry, offer, counter-offer and acceptance.
(1) Inquiry: (Inquiry) is also called inquiry.
(2) OFFER: (offer) is also called an offer. It is a clear indication that the buyer or seller puts forward various trading conditions to the other party and is willing to reach a deal and conclude a contract according to these conditions. In actual transactions, one party usually makes an offer after receiving an inquiry from the other party.
(3) Counter-offer: Also called counter-offer.
(4) Commitment: It clearly indicates that the buyer or seller agrees to the terms of the transaction proposed by the other party in the offer, and is willing to reach a transaction and conclude a contract according to these terms.
Second, approve: that is, approve the contract.
1. Approved contents:
Confirm the product name, specification, quality, quantity, unit price, price terms, total amount, payment method, packaging requirements, delivery date and delivery method.
2. Review method:
(1) Product name and specifications:
Is the product code your own product at the time of audit? Can it match our product information? There are many companies and enterprises whose product name codes also represent specifications.
(2) Quality:
Also called quality. It is the synthesis of the appearance and internal quality of goods. In international sales of goods, the quality of goods is not only the main trading condition, but also the primary condition for our documentary review of documents.
(3) Quantity:
We should check whether the quantity of the goods can be ready in time, and what are the regulations on its unit of measurement, weight and approximate quantity.
Approximation: If the contract quantity is preceded by "about", the delivered quantity can be appropriately maneuvered. There are different interpretations of this word in the world. Some people think it's 2. 5%, some think it is 5%. According to the uniform customs of documentary credit, if there is a contract in the letter of credit, the increase or decrease shall not exceed 10%.
(4) Review of unit price and total amount:
1. Some customers will mark the unit price when placing an order. We should check whether it is correct against our quotation. Is it wrong to add up the total? When a new customer places an order, he should check the quotation we gave him.
Usually, we use the US dollar as the settlement currency, but there are some other currencies. Attention should be paid to the use of hard currency in international circulation. (GBP, HKD, EUR)
(5) Review of price terms:
The unit price terms of export goods, also known as price terms, are often used for:
FOB (refers to the price terms at the port of shipment)
Freight paid to ...) Freight paid to the designated destination.
CIF cost+insurance+freight (port of destination) price
Here are some commonly used FOB CFR CIF price conversions and formulas:
(1) FOB price is converted into other prices:
CFR price = FOB price+freight.
FOB+freight
CIF price =-.
1- insurance rate x insurance premium
(Conversion from CFR price to other prices:
FOB price = CFR price-freight
CFR price
CIF price =-.
1- insurance rate x insurance premium
(3) Conversion of CIF price into other prices:
FOB = CIF X( 1- insurance premium x insurance rate)-freight
CFR price = CIF price X( 1- insurance plus X insurance rate)
(6) Payment method review:
1. Is the payment method acceptable? LC, pay a deposit, and so on.
2. Is the payment currency acceptable?
(7) Review of packaging requirements:
1. The products of the factory have their own packaging. Is it acceptable to show it to customers?
2. Can we make the packaging (color printing, size) provided by customers?
3. Is the packaging information provided by the customer complete? (inner packaging, outer packaging, labels, instructions)
Internal packaging: ordinary, white, colored, blister.
Outer packing: cartons, wooden cases, barrels and woven bags. The most important thing is marking printing.
(8) Review of delivery date
The merchandiser should check whether the delivery date is reasonable and whether the company can prepare the goods for delivery in time. Generally, the delivery date should specify a time limit, not a specific date. There are long and short deadlines. It can be two weeks, three weeks, or a month, two months, a quarter or more.
(9) Review of delivery methods:
Transportation mainly includes sea, land, air and mail.
Note: If the freight is paid by the customer, the delivery method is decided by the customer. If we pay, we will try to send it by sea. If the quotation is combined with the sea freight price, and the customer requests air transportation (catch up with the sales), we can ask the customer to bear the extra cost.
About the sample:
Preparing samples is an important step in order to get the order.
1. Send directory, example:
2. Prepare samples.
(1) factory existing style
(2) New style
(3) samples provided by customers.
Essentials: No matter old products, new products or samples sent by customers, samples should be sent to customers for confirmation. Especially for new products, it may have to be revised several times. Documentary must keep the final confirmation sample to prevent customers from finding the confirmation sample when placing an order. In international trade, a large proportion of transactions are based on samples. As a merchandiser, we should do:
(1) The product information is complete and actively promoted.
(2) The cost and price of new products should be accounted.
(3) samples should be kept when producing new products.
(4) The customer's samples should be kept intact.
Three. proforma invoice
In order to apply for import license or approve foreign exchange from local authorities, the buyer requires the exporter to issue a reference invoice on the name, specifications, price and other conditions of the goods sold before the transaction is completed. This kind of invoice can't replace the official invoice after the transaction and has no final binding force on both parties. In order to distinguish it from the official invoice, the words "proforma invoice" must be clearly marked. Proforma invoices usually show information about orders. (consignee, contract number, proforma invoice number, date of issue). Product information (name, quantity, price, delivery date). Contract terms (price terms, payment methods). In addition, provide our bank information and open letters of credit or remittance for customers.
Please note the following points:
1. The unit price clause should be clear (FOB, CFR, CIF).
The delivery date should be clear.
3. The terms of payment should be clear (letter of credit, TT)
Four, the basic procedures of export goods documentary:
Recording export goods is the follow-up work of documentary performance of the contract. The emphasis is on goods, certificates, shipping and payment, including stocking, urging certificates, replacing certificates, chartering and booking warehouses, (customs declaration, inspection and shipment), document preparation and foreign exchange settlement. We summarize these procedures as follows:
(1) stocking: stocking on time, with good quality and quantity according to the requirements of orders and letters of credit.
(2) Reminder: Most payment methods are letters of credit, which ensures the safe receipt of foreign exchange, because it is bank credit. As long as the goods shipped are consistent with the terms of the letter of credit, the bank will guarantee payment. Documentary should follow up the contract with letter of credit as payment method, such as reminder, review and modification.
Reminder: When the goods are almost finished, you should remind them.
Examination of certificates: Examination of certificates is the common responsibility of banks and companies, but it is different in scope and content. From a policy point of view, do banks have trade relations with card-issuing countries? Credit of the issuing bank? The company examines witnesses and beneficiaries, right? Are the goods and amount in the letter of credit the same as those in the contract? Date of shipment? Special terms?
Replacement: It is common to find problems after inspection. On the package, the total amount, expiration date, including spelling mistakes. There may be several problems in asking the other party to amend a letter of credit, and we should point them out one by one, and make a one-time amendment.
(3) Booking shipping: After the goods are ready and the L/C is in order, we will enter the stages of loading, chartering, booking shipping space and loading. If the transaction is conducted according to CFR and CIF prices, we are responsible for chartering, booking and loading procedures. First of all:
Shipping and container shipping: Documentary should contact shipping and container shipping three or four days before shipment. The work to be done in this process includes container selection, packing list making, container loading tracking and so on.
A. container selection: choose different containers according to different goods. Commonly used ones are: 20' 29–30 m3/17.5 tons 40' 58–61m3 /22.5 tons 40'H 68 -7 1+0 m3 /27.5 tons.
B. Making packing list: Packing list focuses on the packaging of goods. It should include the name, specification, quantity, number of cases, gross and net weights, packing size, total volume, case number, shipping marks, etc.
C. Tracking container loading: notify relevant personnel one day before shipment and determine the accuracy of the shipment quantity. Assist the production department to arrange personnel to install cabinets. After the container arrives at the factory, the merchandiser should supervise the loading and guide the placement of the goods. If there are several kinds of goods in a container, one or two boxes of each specification should be left at the end of the container for customs inspection.
(4) Document preparation and foreign exchange settlement: it is the last link of export goods documentary.
A. Document preparation: After the goods are shipped, the documentary will prepare various documents in time according to the letter of credit, contract or other documents.
Documents should be sent to the bank within the validity of the letter of credit.
Export documents mainly include: bills of exchange, invoices, customs invoices, bills of lading, packing lists, certificates of origin, commodity inspection certificates, insurance policies, etc.
B. Settlement of foreign exchange: If the documents are made in accordance with the provisions of the letter of credit and sent to the bank in time, we can receive the payment in time.
Document requirements: correct, complete, timely, concise and neat.