Cross Border Superglue: The value 3rd parties bring in a partnership with China
Background
Party A: 1 of the top 2 OEM manufacturers of an in-demand product in China. Taiwanese led, makes perfect products. Party B: 1 of the top 3 brands of that product in North America. American led & the most innovative in the space. Brand orders 90% of all product from manufacturer (no suitable alternative.) Brand orders take up 80% of manufacturer’s capacity.
Problem
Brand’s young COO is ignored and outplayed by factory owner (FO). FO feels disrespected by brand’s founder for passing him off to a younger (trusted) associate. With little in common they fight constantly.
Solution
Local agent (LA) mentors the young COO on how to work with a traditional Taiwanese businessman & gets involved in daily communications/workflow to give each a sounding board for complaints/resolving disputes. Expensive arbitration is avoided. Both sides blow off steam without hurting business. LA’s unique role is secured. While LAs often get a bad rap, it’s nice to see cases where they have exceptional value, far beyond the scope of work. When I tell people humility is 1 of our team’s greatest strengths they think I’m nuts. But I find that if you lead with this, clients turn into partners, naturally.