Book Review – Selling Out China by Stanley Chao

In his book, “Selling to China,” author Stanley Chao offers a simple, practical guide for small and medium-sized companies doing business today and for those interested in expanding their horizons to China. Well crafted and straightforward, Chao has taken his 20+ years of experience in the industry and produced a “must have” read for anyone considering venturing into the corporate world of China.

There are many areas that are highlighted in “Selling to China”. As an avid reader, the most impressive thing to me is the writing. Without pretense or speaking badly of the reader, Chao educates through examples of real experiences, eliminating the tedious text that normally fills the pages of a business guide.

By dividing the topic into three sections, Chao offers all the tools you need to develop a well-informed strategy. In Part I, Chao presents detailed information on the cultural and practical methods of doing business in China. This includes material on understanding people, particularly the differences between Generation Mao and Generation Me, the role of government, and negotiations and contracts. Chao separates myth from reality, since everything one might think they know about doing business in China is probably wrong, one of the biggest fabrications is that only big companies can be successful there. The very premise of the book dispels this notion entirely.

Part II dives into creating an action plan and provides step-by-step instructions for determining whether or not your product or service will sell in China, how to do market analysis, and important items to consider when deciding how to register your business. .

Everything you need to know in a nutshell, Part III, deciphers the meanings behind some Chinese phrases and language, and includes a list of rules for doing business in China. Chao concludes it by making some predictions about the future of China.

There is certainly a lot of information to absorb, but Chao keeps it simple for the reader throughout. Diagrams throughout the book create helpful visual aids, and each chapter is carefully wrapped with a summary of the most important points structured in succinct bullet points.

Obviously, a lot of work went into “Selling to China,” and the knowledge Stanley Chao shares will save companies time and money, as well as help avoid potential mishaps. He uses the tools. He studies Chinese culture, business methods and social behaviors. Stanley Chao has developed the perfect roadmap to help small and medium-sized companies in their quest to do business in China.