I presented proposals to 19 representatives of 15 Chinese organizations in Chongqing, including a bank, ICBC. We left with a signed framework agreement with Amberaising, one of the largest marketing companies in the city, with alliances with SPARK and SIMU in advertising and artificial intelligence tools, and with the incorporation of Viralcore Asia under way. Nobody signed in the room. These are the five things nobody had told me before I sat down.
1. "Yes" means "I heard you"
The agreement exists when there is a red seal on a document. If your supplier confirmed on WeChat and never sent the proforma, they did not lie to you: they heard you. Ask for the proforma with date, incoterm and a bank account in the company's name. If it does not arrive within 48 hours, there is no deal.
2. The meeting is the exam. The dinner is the grade.
What matters is confirmed at the table. The host faces the door; the main guest sits to their right. You do not choose where to sit: they show you and you accept. The toast is opened by the highest-ranking person and your glass always stays lower than theirs.
3. Nobody signs with a person
They sign with a verifiable entity. A U.S. company with an open bank account opened more doors than any presentation. Before the trip, sort out the entity; afterwards, the pitch.
4. The interpreter does not translate: they negotiate
Choose yours, not theirs. Give them the full file two days in advance. An interpreter who understands the business corrects in real time what you cannot hear.
5. What they want to see of Latin America is not the beach
It is the shelf: what sells, at what price and against whom. A motorcycle manufacturer from Chongqing does not want to see the main square of Santa Cruz. It wants to know how many motorcycles are on the road, how much they cost and who sells them today. With those three facts the conversation begins.
What happened next
I presented KAMAX, a motorcycle manufacturer from Chongqing, to the COPPPAL business council; the alliance is still under negotiation. Viralcore keeps Chinese companies under advisory for their entry into the region. If your company looks toward China, or from China toward the region, the conversation starts with number five.