Short Title:
How to find buyers?
Sector:
Automotive Parts and Components
Reading time:
12
Updated at:
Monday, May 9, 2016
Document name:
10 Tips for finding buyers in the European automotive parts and components sector (2016)
Intro:
Finding buyers in the automotive parts and components sector in order to become more firmly established in the market is easier now than 10-20 years ago. Below you find a lot of tips how you can get into contact with potential customers.
Content study:
Title:
In-depth market research
Body:
Start by validating and analysing your first priority markets. Don't underestimate the power of local supplier search engines (for example Autocluster.NRW), where you can select according to supplier name, product category and/or specific automotive parts, components and systems. Investigate which markets offer the best opportunities for your products and engineering services.
To better identify where your potential buyer is positioned in the supply chain take a look at CBI’s study about the channels and segments automotive parts and components sector.
Check valuable market data (car registrations, historical series and economic forecasts) at ACEA (European Car Makers Association) and CLEPA (European Association of Automotive Suppliers).
Update your market insight at PRODCOM statistics on the European production of manufactured materials and goods such as chemicals, plastics, metal parts, iron castings, tubes and lots of other relevant parts.
Check websites of European sector-specific market research companies and online portals for supplier studies, market data, statistics, the latest trends and services to support your market entry (market and competitor analysis):
CBI Demand for automotive parts and components in Europe
CBI Automotive trends
CBU Automotive product fact sheets
WardsAuto - Automotive industry news, data and statistics
INOVEV – Automotive data and analysis platform
LMC Automotive – Automotive forecasting sales and production
MarkLines – Automotive industry portal including automotive data and statistics
Just Auto – Automotive industry analysis portal
Automotive News – News about the automotive industry
Title:
Check members and the news of associated organisations
Body:
In Europe, there are several national and international organisations and associations, and their members offer valuable hints and information for you to find buyers, importers, exporters and distributors. On national websites you will mostly find indices of members that can be searched by products, materials, locations and/or names.
The following are important country associations:
Automobile Industry Association of Austria
Belgian Federation of Automobile and Motorcycle Industries
Association of Car Manufacturers and their Authorised Representatives for Bulgaria
Automotive Industry Association of the Czech Republic
Danish Car Importers Association
Union of Estonian Car Sales and Service Enterprises
German Association of the Automotive Industry
Association of Motor Vehicle Importers' Representatives in Greece
Association of the Hungarian Automotive Industry
Society of the Irish Motor Industry
Italian Association of the Automobile Industry
Automotive Association of Latvia
Lithuanian Autoenterpreneurs Association
Motorcycle and Automobile Industry Association of the Netherlands
Automobile Importers' Association of Norway
Polish Automotive Industry Association
Automobile Association of Portugal
Automobile Manufacturers' Association of Romania
Automotive Industry Association of the Slovak Republic
Association of Automobile Manufacturers and Authorised Importers of Slovenia
Spanish Association of Car and Truck Manufacturers
Swedish Association of Automobile Manufacturers and Importers
Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Ltd
Title:
Make use of social media
Body:
Social media can be very helpful in introducing your company and product brands to foreign countries and increasing their popularity. Go to business networking platforms such as LinkedIn, Google+ or country-specific expert websites such as XING in Germany and Viadeo in France. Find the expert websites most useful to you and your products and upload personal profiles, comments and articles to help with exposure.
Set up your own Facebook page, Youtube Channel or Tumblr hub. Use blogs and Twitter to promote and update your company´s latest activities and areas of expertise. Examples are the campaigns of MINI on Tumblr and BMW on Facebook.
Title:
Regularly visit and exhibit at automotive-related trade fairs
Body:
Trade fairs are great occasions to meet potential buyers face to face. If you have the budget and the time to attend and exhibit at trade shows you may find that they are the best places to present your products.
To get the most out of a trade show, always plan ahead (have a goal, know your budget and inventory needs, identify exhibitors and set up appointments in advance).
Have a look at the online exhibition guides. They provide an excellent opportunity to prepare yourself to identify the right companies and talk to the right participants. Most trade fairs have an alphabetical company and/or product index on their website.
Below you can find a selection of some of the top automotive-related trade shows in the EU in the sector.
Belarus:
Autoservice, Mechanics, Autocomponents & Int'l Automotive, Garage Equipment, Automotive Spare Parts and Accessories Exhibition.
France:
Mondial de L´Automobile.
Germany:
Automechanika Frankfurt: The world's leading trade fair for the automotive industry and service industry, unique in terms of its product range and variety. The fair is the shop window for innovations in the automotive aftermarket across the entire value chain. As an international meeting place for all market participants from the industry, dealership trade and maintenance and repair segment, it provides a major platform for business and technological knowledge transfer.
IAA Cars Frankfurt/Main.
IAA Commercial Vehicles, Hannover: Leading international trade fair for mobility, transportation and logistics.
eCarTec: Trade fair for electric and hybrid mobility.
Composites Europe.
Russia:
International exhibition of automotive parts, components, car maintenance equipment and products.
Spain:
Motortec Automechanika Madrid: The Spanish edition of the world's leading trade fair for the automotive industry, catering for trade visitors from Spain, Portugal, Latin America and North Africa.
Switzerland:
Geneva International Motor Show.
United Kingdom:
Automechanika Birmingham: The UK's leading exhibition for the automotive supply chain and aftermarket.
Title:
Make use of online trade directories and local cluster organisations
Body:
In the automotive parts and components sector there are many online platforms and country-specific local cluster organisations through which you can find buyers. Some of them will require membership and/or official registration. After that you can login and search for potential buyers.
Some online registries and cluster organisations offer a free trial period so that you can check in advance if the platform is worth paying a membership fee.
Helpful online supplier directories and registries are the following:
Worldwide index of the automotive industry: The automotive index currently has more than 4,500 registered companies and institutions that can be found under 30,000 links.
Automotive Supplier Finder: Search the UK SMMT's association directory by key words or browse using the ‘browse by categories’ button. Here you can find companies categorised by product and the services they supply, all or part of the company name or brand name.
Automotive components and parts: Automotive industry B2B marketplace. Search by product and/or company name.
Groupauto: The No.1 automotive trading group in the UK, including 360 member companies.
Local country supplier cluster organisations are:
Austria:
The Automotive Cluster (AC) is an interbranch network that supports innovative strengths and international competitiveness of companies in the automotive sector.
ACstyria Autocluster, Austrian supplier cluster organisation.
Clusterland Oberösterreich GmbH – Automotive Cluster, Austrian supplier cluster organisation.
Automotive Cluster Vienna Region, Austrian supplier cluster organisation.
Belgium:
Flanders' DRIVE, Belgium supplier cluster organisation.
France:
MOV'EO – Technopôle du Madrillet, French supplier cluster organisation.
Germany:
Auto.Cluster NRW: Local German supplier cluster organisation.
BAIKA bayern innovativ: Local German supplier cluster organisation.
Automotive Rheinland: Local German supplier cluster organisation.
Automotive Thüringen e.V.: Local German supplier cluster organisation.
Cluster MAHREG Automotive: Local German supplier cluster organisation.
NoAE / Rhein-Main-Neckar – EWF Institute: Free, open initiative for the automobile and supplier industry and intercompany professional network with the objective to intensify strategic, organisational and technological exchange of ideas and experiences between companies.
Hungary:
North Hungarian Automotive Cluster: Hungarian supplier cluster organisation.
Poland:
Automotive Cluster: Polish supplier cluster organisation.
The Netherlands:
Automotive Technology Centre (ATC): Cluster organisation that stimulates technological innovation and cooperation. Its mission is to strengthen the international technology and business position of the Dutch automotive sector and grow and preserve this important industry and its spin-offs within the greater Amsterdam area and the rest of the Netherlands.
Spain:
ACICAE – Cluster de Automoción de Euskadi, Spanish supplier cluster organisation.
Sweden:
SAFER – Vehicle and Traffic Safety Centre: Competence centre where 34 partners from the Swedish automotive industry, academia and authorities cooperate to make a centre of excellence within the field of vehicle and traffic safety.
United Kingdom:
European Automotive Strategy Network (EASN).
Title:
Your website is your global business card to attract potential buyers
Body:
A professional and transparent website is “a must have” for everyone. Buyers should be able to easily find your product and service portfolio as well as technologies and R&D capabilities. Show your references and business cases to demonstrate and underscore your expertise. Offer material for downloading so that potential buyers will learn more about products, specifications and everything else which you believe might be useful to attract future business.
Your website should be up-to-date and designed by a professional
Your website must be written in English in addition to your own language and perhaps other languages may be added
Your website should be easy to find with the help of search engines
Google Adwords could increase the traffic on your webpage – keywords
Title:
Send a mailshot, newsletter or press release
Body:
After finalising your list of potential buyers and local key contacts you need to draw attention to your products and services. Regular contact with the press is particularly helpful to publish your company’s name in well-known magazines.
Evaluate and update your list before sending out emails or other publications.
Set priorities in terms of personalised and mass marketing activities.
Personalise all email correspondence with a short attractive headline. The content should be to the point and concise.
Do not send newsletters too often – two to four times per year is enough. Your newsletter should contain news about your company, case studies, references as well as the USPs of your products and services.
Offer recipients the possibility to contact you as well as to unsubscribe.
Follow-up activities should be carefully planned after some weeks – don´t offend new contacts by pushing too much (phone calls, follow-up email etc.).
A press release must contain REAL news that might attract a lot of buyers (product advantages, new technology, expanding into new markets etc.). Content has to be clear and concise, no more than one page including contact details.
Title:
Get in touch with government institutions
Body:
Contact your country´s chamber of trade, chamber of commerce and other government agencies that support business transactions between your native country and intended European buyers.
There are also local, country-specific government organisations in Europe that promote imports and investment from developing countries. They offer companies up-to-date information on the local market, international tender opportunities, investment and development projects, legal information, customs regulations, as well as access to international business partners.
Examine with those authorities whether there are specific opportunities for your country and sector.
Examples:
Belgium: Trade for Development Centre (BTC) – Belgian Development Agency (BTC) programme that helps foreign companies to get in touch with Belgian companies.
Czech Republic: CzechInvest Investment and Business Development Agency offers advice and support to existing and new entrepreneurs and foreign investors in the Czech Republic.
France: Business France, the national agency that supports the international development of the French economy as well as promotes and facilitates international investment in France.
Germany: Trade and Invest helps any foreign company to explore avenues for new business opportunities.
Finland: Finnpartnership’s mission is to increase commercial cooperation and promote business partnerships between companies in developing countries.
Italy: Invitalia is the Italian National Agency for inward investment and economic development, owned by the Italian Ministry of Economy.
Poland: Invest in Poland – Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency (PAIiIZ), helps investors to enter the Polish market and find the best ways to utilise the possibilities available to them.
Russia: Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) is a fund established in 2011 by the Russian government to make equity investments primarily in the Russian economy.
Switzerland: Global Enterprise helps SMEs in selected partner countries and sectors to export their high-quality products to Europe.
Netherlands: CBI (Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries) assists organisations in developing countries to export their products to Europe. CBI offers export coaching and assists institutional development, HR development, market intelligence and more.
Title:
Use your own network, business partners, advertising and conferences
Body:
Sometimes it is easier than expected to do business. Tell your friends, clients, suppliers, business partners and others in your network about your future plans and capabilities and clearly describe your goals and targets. Carefully cultivate new business opportunities in order to attract new buyers.
An advertisement in a widespread automotive magazine or a banner placed at a specific material-oriented online news platform will very likely attract some new business contacts and potential buyers. Within the automotive industry there are hundreds of magazines and news platforms – so here are only a few examples of websites, magazines etc. that you might consider:
Automotive News Europe – Online automotive magazine including articles, interviews, facts, figures and the latest trends.
Bioplastics magazine - Online resource for readers seeking a bioplastics community that offers reliable news and informative content with immediate appeal.
Automobil Produktion – German online automotive magazine including articles, interviews, facts, figures and the latest trends.
European Polyurethane Journal – Online source including articles, company information, latest products and trends, interviews and statistics about Polyurethane.
Plastics News Europe - Online source including articles, company information, latest products and trends, interviews and statistics about plastics and composites.
Plastics Information Europe - Online source including polymer price indices, articles, company information, latest products and trends, interviews and statistics about plastics and composites.
JEC Group Knowledge and Networking – Online source including events, exhibition dates, news, a shop, education, articles, company information, products and statistics about plastics and composites.
Reinforced Plastics - Online source including news, webinars, comments, features, podcasts, products and events about plastics and composites.
Title:
Try and understand buyers before contacting them
Body:
It is extremely important to gain in-depth knowledge about your potential buyers before contacting them. You have to bear in mind the fact that buyers in the automotive parts and components sector are contacted by potential suppliers every day, and that convincing them is very difficult. If you are not well-prepared, you don’t stand a chance. Take a look at the CBI Doing business in Europe document, which provides valuable advice about aspects to be considered before entering the European Original Equipment and/or Aftermarket, and advice on topics such as market monitoring, opportunities and risks, different business cultures etc.
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