As one of the world’s oldest and also most inventive civilisations, China is thought to be the original home of sculpture.
It deserves its reputation for innovation and creativity, but with it goes a history of shrewd bargaining. So it’s wise to remember the old Western saying: When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Legends of negotiating with the inscrutable orient go back hundreds of years. Put into an oriental perspective, it means no more, but no less, than respecting local customs and practices. Showing a willingness to engage with your Chinese foundry — or have me engage on your behalf — brings rewards out of all proportion to the negotiating tactics and price-setting discussions we take for granted in the west.
Personal formalities are important
Traditional negotiation methods in China are markedly different to western methods. For a start, personal formalities are considered to be of much greater importance than we attach to them.
To use a sporting analogy, China is a marathon not a sprint. In the west, we’re accustomed to a mix of communications: conversation, phone, email, fax, and social media all work to varying degrees. But in China, face-to-face meetings, taking part in traditional gong fu tea ceremonies and banquets are considered paramount in any serious attempt to establish trust and form solid business relationships.
Westerners prefer a minimum of social chat before getting down to business. The Chinese custom is to exchange extensive personal pleasantries as a means of establishing goodwill.
The Chinese also have a much more team-orientated approach to business. Allow time to identify the key decision-maker without alienating his or her team mates.
Listen more, talk less
As a general rule, the Chinese are not overtly assertive. Aggressive posturing goes down poorly. The preference is for modesty, patience, and understatement. In other words, listen more and talk less.
That said, you must provide sufficient information to persuade them you are worth investing in for a prosperous future together, or they’ll quickly lose interest.
Bear all this in mind before you begin your negotiations on price with your chosen foundry. Even if you believe you’ve found exactly the right workshop, you need to take the time to make them aware that you have knowledge of their competitors’ products processes, methods, and prices.
It’s vital that you establish this early in the relationship, otherwise you will waste vast tracts of time obtaining optional quotes on all subsequent projects in an attempt to keep your chosen foundry competitive.
Transparency and trust
In my twelve-year experience with our preferred foundry, I declared at the very outset that I wanted to build an honest and supportive relationship based on transparency and trust. Once these were established, I undertook never to query or attempt to negotiate on price. I’ve never been disappointed.
Too often, we westerners push too hard on price. While some foundries will accede to the lower figure to get the work, they will also feel compelled to quietly cut corners on materials and less visible structural work.
Pitting foundries against each other on price rather than quality may save you a few short-term dollars. But you will in all likelihood pay a price in the shortened life and compromised appearance of the finished sculpture, to say nothing of your reputation.
Interested in learning more about price negotiations on your Chinese-manufactured sculpture? call Todd Stuart on +61 4 5151 8865, or visit mainartery.art.
