Instead of just being their supplier, we decided to step up as their business advisor. During a break in our conversation, we asked a simple but important question: “Your goods are arriving in two months—how’s your sales prep going?” That question was a real eye-opener for them, and they admitted they hadn’t really thought about it yet.

Here’s what we suggested: ASG would put together a complete product database with great photos, detailed specs, and compelling descriptions for everything they ordered. This would let their marketing team start promoting and pre-selling products right away, instead of waiting for the actual goods to show up.

We also recommended using pre-sale numbers to guide future orders—like if they get 50 pre-orders, they could confidently order 100 units next time. This approach would help them avoid getting stuck with too much inventory while staying responsive to what customers actually want.

Our conversation naturally expanded into bigger picture stuff. We talked about them potentially becoming ASG’s local partner in South America, helping other businesses there navigate payment issues and import restrictions when sourcing from China.

We also explored setting up additional sales channels to reach more customers, and even discussed turning their malls and online platforms into a local marketplace—kind of like a South American Alibaba—where they could help sell products for other clients and really expand their influence in the market.