Henrik pontoppidan furniture

Henrik Pontoppidan, Director of S2U Design, talks about the elephant in the room – communication.

When sourcing from Vietnam, many of the delays, misunderstandings, and costly mistakes I encounter frequently stem from poor communication.

After 15 years of navigating these challenges, I’ve adopted methods that ensure clear, actionable agreements, which I highly recommend implementing for quick and effective results.

The following example outlines a – possibly familiar – frustrating flow of communication between Western buyer and Vietnamese Salesperson.

What you might not fully realize is that communication related delays, mistakes and excessive costs can be entirely avoided. Read on and find out:

Typical Scenario:

Buyer: “The sample finish is glossy, but we agreed on matte.

Can you confirm the final product will meet my specifications?”
(The buyer is really asking for a new sample, though this is not clearly stated.)
Salespers