The Art of Influence: I-C-A-C
From the original Sourcing Communication Playbook, kept unchanged. Practitioner advice, not yet source-checked. The English version is written for buyers; the Chinese version is written for young sales staff and gives different advice.
Information is gold. To gather it effectively, you must master the sequence:
Interest
➡️
Curiosity
➡️
Appreciation
➡️
Confirmation
The Golden Rule: Nobody wants to be lectured; everyone wants to provide the answers. Guide your suppliers to discover solutions themselves.
Buyer Strategy: Instead of demanding "You must lower the price," try: "Considering our target retail price, how can we work together on the design or materials to hit this cost? Your manufacturing expertise is crucial here."