Guidelines for off-season strategies: How to enhance competitiveness in July and August

Every year, July and August are known as the “off-season” in the foreign trade circle. This is because, starting in June, Middle Eastern countries enter Ramadan, and in July and August, European and American countries have concentrated holidays. Foreign customers typically separate work and life, and over time, this has led to the concept of the foreign trade off-season. So, what should foreign trade professionals do during this “window period”?


 
1. Maintain a Positive Attitude
As July and August are the sales off-season for foreign trade, order fluctuations or even a lack of orders are normal. Therefore, don't become depressed. Use this time to chat with other foreign trade colleagues, listen to their suggestions and opinions. Learn from their successful experiences and coping strategies, and practice self-guidance to maintain a positive attitude.
 
2. Enhance Your Competitiveness
The off-season is a great time to enhance your competitiveness. Learn new skills to continuously improve yourself. For example, check out the development courses on Foreign Trade Bang, learn from the experiences shared by seniors, understand the latest industry trends and technologies, and broaden your knowledge and vision. Practice your spoken skills and learn some industry-specific vocabulary. Also, study your competitors' products.
 
If your company has its own factory, take this time to visit and chat with the workers. Deepen your understanding of the product processes, which might provide you with some new insights.
 
3. Optimize Products and Services
Organize previous customer complaints and summarize them into key points to see if there are any areas for improvement. If improvements can be made, these points can serve as future selling points. If you have e-commerce platforms or independent websites, spend some time studying how top platforms optimize product keywords, and consider testing 2-3 products. Consistently post on social media every day to increase your company’s exposure and influence, thereby attracting more potential customers.
 
4. Maintain Good Relationships with Old Customers
During the off-season, you will better appreciate the importance of old customers, especially those with diverse procurement needs. Use customs data to check the recent procurement situation of old customers, including types of products, prices, quantities, etc., to understand their current status, maintain customer stickiness, and lay a foundation for subsequent additional purchases and repeat purchases.
 
5. Find New Business Opportunities
When there are no orders, look for some free RFQs and send quotations. Use customs data, yellow pages, Google, Google Maps, social media, etc., to develop new customers. Expanding new markets is also a way to find business opportunities. Currently, popular markets include Russia and Africa. These markets are relatively easier to develop compared to European and American markets.
 
6. Develop a Marketing Plan
Although July and August are the off-season for foreign trade, the sales peak is in September and October. Buyers will prepare for Christmas and Black Friday, so marketing your products and platforms in July and August is very suitable. Organize customer information who placed orders in September and October in previous years, and prepare stocks in advance to facilitate subsequent follow-ups.
 
Fluctuations are normal on the road of foreign trade. What we can do is not just wait, but also take proactive actions. By summarizing experiences, adjusting strategies, and optimizing products and services, we can smoothly get through the bottleneck period and achieve business growth.