Find clients and sell your products in Malaysia

Finding clients abroad is always a challenge, and business development in Malaysia is not different. You need the right contacts and once you reach the decision maker, you need the right sales pitch.

A lot of companies that want to enter the market in Malaysia do this with their general sales pitch. However, if you don't know the local regulations, pricing levels and your competition's product, sales meetings may be difficult to conclude successfully.

How to sell your product or service in Malaysia?

Malaysia has a population of about 33 million as of 2023. Known for its diverse culture, Malaysia is a melting pot of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and indigenous cultures.

Malaysia’s economy, with a GDP per capita around $11,400 USD in 2023, is well-diversified. Major sectors include manufacturing, especially electronics and automotive; palm oil and rubber production; and services, including tourism and finance.

The country’s main imports include electronics, machinery, petroleum products, plastics, and vehicles, supporting its diversified economy.

Malaysian business culture

Malaysians are extremely polite and courteous in their dealings. They aim to create and maintain a sense of harmony among their business circles. Though they are not known to drive a hard bargain, Malaysian businessmen are experienced and intelligent. Price is an important point of negotiation and most Malaysians can spend time on this aspect before they arrive on the agreed amount.

It’s important to establish a personal bond before proceeding with any business with Malaysian counterparts. Favoured ice breaker topics include family, soccer, your impressions about their country and, of course information about yourself, your business and future plans.

Malaysia negotiation style

Given a rich history of trade since the ancient times, Malaysians can be astute business people. The following guidelines can help clinch deals in Malaysia:

Offer long-term advantages
Build strong relationships based on your reputation and personal rapport
Personal relationships and mutually known third parties can he helpful while negotiating
Cross-verify claims made by your prospective customers and vet all business inputs received before acting on the information
Respect elderly business persons
Be ready for slow decision making and provide relevant information patiently when asked for; Malaysians refer to a lot of information before deciding
Expect some bargaining and haggling before a deal is concluded

VAlidate the HS-codes you use for shipping

Almost every country or trade block in the world has its own detailing on the international HS-code list. With our report you strongly reduce the risk on misclassifications, delays and higher custom duties than expected.

Tell us what you want to ship and where to and we ask you all relevant questions to get to the most likely code.

Translate your website and check your SEO

Even if your business is really international, it may be wise to set up local website translations and check whether your text aligns with the culture.

This also counts for Malaysia and its inhabitants. People prefer reading in their own language and also search most of the time in their own language. Therefore you need to include the relevant keywords in your texts, and these may not be a direct translation.

With regards to content, my personal experience is that if you have a successful blog topic in one language, it is likely to do well also in other languages. Don’t reinvent the wheel, just make a proper translation.

Shipping your products

If you sell physical products, you need them to get delivered into Malaysia. Depending on the country you are in, this may be a challenge.

First of all you may have to pay import duties or settle VAT. This can be complex if you don’t have your own legal entity in the country.

There may also be non-financial bariers, like certifications or approvals to be obtained. Especially for food, cosmetics or medicine this may be the case. Check this in advance, even before you invest in your marketing.