Daily work of a PCB trader

 ShenZhen is a city with high pace. It is just like a program that everyone is doing his own part to make sure the program(city, country) can be functioned normally. Work, off work and work. From a macro perspective, it looks rigid and boring.However, when it comes to an individual, things is much different, every one from different field is leading a colorful and fulfilling life. Here I would like to introduce the daily work of a PCB trader.

What’s the most import for a PCB trader, of course it is the customer. So every detailed job a trader do is closely connected with the customer.

1. Search for customers and send developing email. 

From some business platform such as Alibaba and Global Source, you may get some inquiries PCB Manufacturer. However, that’s far from enough. In sales industry, there is a saying goes that as a International trader, it is your customer from any other platforms except for Alibaba and Global Source that proves your ability. So to increase your performance and show your ability, search for customers and send developing emails is a must. You can search from all kinds of platforms such as google, facebook, linked in, twitter and other websites. Only if you can find customer, any way is acceptable.

  2. Deal with inquiries and send quotation. 

After first step, you will have some inquires, they will ask for exact quotation. For a PCB trader, you must make sure they have gerberfile and inform you the quantity. If they can provide, then things become easy. Send gerberfile to engineer for technical data, share the bom list to purchaser to get a best price for electronic components. After that, you need to calculate the PCB price and combine it with component price, find a suitable time to send the quotation to your customer for PCB prototypes producing. The reason why I emphasis on suitable time is because of time lag from different countries. It will be much more useful if you can send the quotation when they’re on work. After that, what you need to do is to wait for reply and follow up in a timely pace.

      3. Negotiation. 

This is the most challenging job and I like it best. After your quotations, there maybe some customers that interest in your PCB, PCBA, or any others, they will reply you and keep contact with you and negotiate with you to get a best price. Based on my experience, the India like to bargain the most and most European customers would not like to do that. Sometimes you may feel boring and angry when a customer force you to price down, but most of the time you may feel excited and a sense of achievement when you win the fight.

     4. Production. 

When you win the price fight and get an order from your customer, you need to arrange the production and update the progress to your client timely. Besides, you need to confirm every detail with your factory and customer in case of any error. So you must be a careful person and at the same time good at communication. 

     5. Shipping. 

After production finished, you need to ship the PCB or PCBA. If your customer have his own shipping agent, it is easy, what you will do is just deliver the goods to the agent he specified. However if he don’t have shipping agent and account, you need to contact you own shipping agent to ship. Besides, for the goods with total value more than 5000rmb,you need to prepare the customs clearance.

     6. Feedback. 

Once your customers get the PCB, he may do some test to match his end product, if the your PCB can’t pass the test, you need to keep in touch with him and re-manufacture for them when needed. Only in this way can you have a good business relationship with your customer and they may place repeat order for you.