Indian Sourcing Agents

   When channel is finally employed, it is better to approach it through an agent for establishing contact with importers. The agent will in fact provide guidance in choosing a right channel. Overseas agents are always near the market. They provide exporter latest information for proper marketing strategy. Appointment and maintenance of sales force on company's pay roll is very expensive. It is not always possible and economical to have sales forces all over the world. The (agents) help the exporter in consistently nursing the markets which is normally not otherwise possible even for a large scale organisation.   Sales agents are basically of three types, commission agents, distributors and agents with fixes amount plus Commission. The commission agents solicits orders and agent with fixed amount plus Commission passes on to exporters and get agreed rate of commission. The distributor buys the products directly from the manufacturer on his own account and sells through

1 Cost saving The exporters save the costs on account of following        a)     Cost of correspondences which is at times aimless and wrongly directed        b)    Courier charges for sending samples        c)     Cost of overseas trips        d)    Cost of participation in trade fairs abroad        e)    Cost of manufacturing irrelevant samples, at times in absence of proper guidelines from importers and also for the importers who may not be serious ones as expected on the basis of exchange of correspondence. 2 Time saving (a)     Substantial time of the exporters is wasted in probing the market & locating the buyers, who may not be as useful as thought to be. (b)    Even after locating genuine buyers, the process of sampling & the time consumed in it is at times frustrating and the whole process is futile if the buyer does not approve the same for any petty reason resulting in loss of business deal. This situation is totally avoided while workin