Chinese customer-supplier relationships don’t exist in isolation—they’re embedded in personal relationships between individuals and in broader networks of social and commercial connections. The quality of your commercial relationship depends significantly on personal relationship quality between key individuals at both organizations.
When your account manager changes, the relationship partially restarts because its personal foundation has changed. Intermediaries who introduced you remain involved; their reputation depends on your relationship’s success. Your behavior toward one supplier affects your reputation with others in the network.
This embeddedness provides both resources and constraints. Strong networks give you access to better relationships, information, and support. But network obligations, reputation considerations, and relationship spillovers constrain your freedom. Invest in personal relationships with your counterparts—this is commercial investment, not mere socializing.
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