For foreign trade salespeople, every inquiry received is hard-won and should be treasured. However, inevitably among these inquiries, there will be phishing emails, junk inquiries, and even more seriously, potential scammers. Therefore, upon receiving an email, the immediate response is not advisable. Instead, it's essential first to discern and analyze. How to handle and reply to inquiries more effectively is the key to success.

1. Determine authenticity:

  01 Check the IP: Check the sender's IP by right-clicking the email, selecting properties-details to view the IP address of the email. Determine its geographical location. Also, cross-reference the IP records in the website counter to observe whether the visitor clicked a link to enter the website or typed in your URL directly.

  02 Consider the sending time: Look at the email sending time and account for time zone differences. Generally, no one would send emails in the middle of the night in their own country.

  03 Detailed information: Examine if the client has provided detailed contact information in the email. If there's a website, specific phone/fax numbers, and address, it's generally more credible. For those who provide incomplete details, you can request further contact information. If suspecting any discrepancies, consider sending a fax or placing a phone call for clarification. Calling the client can give them the impression that you value them. Even just informing them that you've received their inquiry can be beneficial.

  04 Content observation: Review the email's content. Some issues can be detected directly from the email content, such as phishing emails and those looking to gather information.

2.Analyze the Inquiry:

Many buyers send very brief inquiries, like "Send me price list" or "Send me catalog". Some salespeople directly send them the catalog or price list. As a result, the number of responses received in return is often minimal. So, it's essential first to calm down and conduct a preliminary analysis of the inquiry: