Amber & Co - How to Impress Your Chinese Customers

Impress Your Chinese Customers: All you need to know about the Chinese New Year.

Chinese accounted for about 30% of the population in Greater Vancouver; they have contributed to the growth of the retail sales significantly. Showing some sensitivity about Chinese cultural events will help keeping your Chinese customers happy and deepen business relationship.

You have probably seen the Chinese New Year décor in the malls and on the street already. The Chinese New Year festival is a major holiday for many Asian cultures. This is a great opportunity to impress your Chinese customers.

So, what are things you can do to impress your Chinese customers and prospects for the Chinese New Year? Here are 3 most important practices you should consider:

1) GREET YOUR CUSTOMERS IN CHINESE
During the New Year, Chinese people greet one another with loud, enthusiastic wishes when they meet each other. Some of the most common greetings are:
MEANINGS MANDARIN CANTONESE CHARACTERS [Traditional/Simplified]
Happy New Year Xin Nien Hao Sun Nin hou 新年好/新年好
Happy New Year Xin Nien Kuai Le Sun Nin Fy Lok 新年快樂/新年快乐
May you be prosperous Gong Xi Fa Cai Gung Hay Fat Choy 恭喜發財/恭喜发财

2) DELIVER YOUR GREETINGS
It is customary for Chinese business to deliver greetings to their customers. You can send a greeting card or better still send a small gift. Common gifts include fruits, sweets, flower/plants, and money god figuring. Here are the symbolisms of some common gifts:
CATEGORY GIFT ITEM MEANINGS
Fruits Oranges Wealth
Tangerines Luck
Pomelo Abundance and Prosperity
Candies Dried Winter Melon Growth, Good Health
Chocolate Gold Coins Good Fortune
Dried Pineapple Excellent Fortune
Flower/Plants Kumquat Tree Ushering in Good fortune, Wealth and Prosperity
Lucky Bamboo Perpetuates Growth and Prosperity
Pussy Willow Abundant Luck and Prosperity
The gift should be wrapped or decorated in red as red is a colour of good fortune. In general, it is wise to avoid giving any gifts that are white or black. Other taboo gifts include clock, pears, knives and anything that comes in a group of four.

3) DECORATE YOUR OFFICE/STORE
Chinese decorate their home and office prior to the Chinese New Year's day. There are a wide variety of Chinese New Year decoration items; Flowers/plants, platters of Mandarin tangerines, a candy tray of dried sweet fruits, and poetic couplets are very important elements. This year is the year of the snack, so you can centre the decoration around snack. Chinatown, Yaohan Centre, and Lansdowne Mall are the great places to do your Chinese New Year decoration purchases. Some local Chinese groceries also carry some décor items.

The holiday is celebrated as a family affair, a time of reunion and thanksgiving. This year Chinese New Year falls on February 10th. The celebration is 15-day long; wrapping up with the Lantern festival which is celebrated at night with lantern displays. If you would like to invite your Chinese customers to celebrate this vibrant and festive occasion, there are many affairs around town until the 24th. The events like Chinese New Year Parad, Year of the Snake Expo, Chinese New Year Flower & Gift Fair, and CIBC LunarFest Lantern Jungle, will definitely let you soak up the festive atmosphere of Chinese New Year.

 

February 02, 2013
Posted By Amber Liu

Tags: Multicultral, Chinese New Year, Vancouver, Chinese Customers.