For a lot of products working with a local sales agent or with a dedicated sales representative can be a good solution.
Especially if you have a customized product or service, or you want to work with a number of resellers in the country, an agent can be the one connecting these parties to your organization abroad.
Agents can be individuals, but I often recommend to work with established companies who already have a good network and where you are not dependent on just one person.
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.
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.
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.
If you don’t want to work with agents, you can always set up a local office yourself or try to sell your product from abroad. This all depends on the product or service and the ease to reach the right buyers. Be careful with the contracts that you close with agents. In many countries their status is well protected and you can’t take their recurring income easily away from them.
I always put a lot of emphasis on drafting a good distributor pitch. Even if you already have great sales materials for your end-users, this often does not make clear what the benefits are for a potential agent, distributor or retailer to work with you.
When you approach potential sales channels with your standard documentation, chances are high that they are holding of. If you make it crystal clear what are the benefits for them, like in the example presentation, you will get a much higher response rate.
Please note that it helps to put concrete data in your presentation. You may think it is sensitive, but just know the secret is in how you achieve the rotation or the low returns level, not in the data itself. So share it here, in order to get the right attention.