Cambodian silk fashion accessories suppliers upgrade skills at How to Win More Export Orders workshop

Export Service Centre Cambodia hosted training to help suppliers get more overseas orders and create jobs; 95 percent of attendees received ‘great value’ from the 1-day program

PHNOM PENH, Mar. 25, 2011 – The social enterprise Export Service Centre Cambodia, a member of the non-profit Kearny Alliance, conducted the first-ever “How to win more export orders” workshop in Phnom Penh on Mar. 18 to help small and medium-sized suppliers of silk fashion accessories.

The objective of the hands-on workshop is to give suppliers tools to immediately apply to their export business to generate orders and create more jobs. Participants learned practical, relevant integrated export marketing and buyer inquiry management skills.

Phnom Penh-based suppliers Sentosa Silk’s managing director, Seng Takakneary, said: “This is the first training I’ve attended. My company produces quality products for buyers; however, our marketing activity and knowledge is still limited.

“Now, I have more practical tips in how to effectively communicate with buyers. I am thankful to the Kearny Alliance with its export assistance so far. I hope I can attend such kind of useful training again in the future.”

Alexander Boome, program director of the Kearny Alliance, said: “Our aim is to help Cambodia’s SME exporters generate more orders through more effective buyer communication. Many producers we work with employ disabled and needy people. So all export orders they get provide much-needed work that enables people to be self-sufficient.

“Export marketing and inquiry management training is a core component of our Developing Country Export Assistance Program. Through that program, we help beneficiaries market their products to buyers worldwide. Suppliers receive valuable export sales inquiries, and we want to give them the skills to reply quickly and professionally so they can turn more leads into orders.”

Another participant, Ho Chamnab, marketing manager of Khmer Silk Village, said: “In this competitive market, it is very important to stand out from others. The training helps me to identify more about my unique selling points (USPs) which are the strong messages to communicate with buyers.

“I feel confident in applying this valuable guidance in my marketing strategy.”

Export Service Centre Cambodia export manager, Sokunthy Heng, said: “Survey results show that 95 percent of participants said the ‘What buyers want’ session offered great value to them. Ninety percent gave high ratings to ‘How to differentiate yourself’, ‘Effective online marketing’ and ‘Effective inquiry management’.

“We’ve also conducted this training for our beneficiaries in The Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam. To date, program beneficiaries have received more than $750,000 in export orders.”

The Cambodia Sourcing Report: Silk Fashion Accessories is available online. Cambodia Sourcing Report: Silk fashion handbags will be published soon.

About The Kearny Alliance
The Kearny Alliance, a US nonprofit 501 (c) (3) foundation, partners with other international organizations to further its mission of ‘Aid through Trade’, to advance international development and poverty alleviation through trade-related business, education, training and applied research.

Key programmatic areas include:

• Livelihood development at the grassroots level: Through the social enterprise Export Service Centre in Indonesia and Cambodia, the Kearny Alliance assists small producers who do not have the capacity to export direct to participate in the global economy. It estimates that in 2009 it created more than 3,800 jobs.
• Job creation for small & medium producers: Through the Developing Country Export Assistance Program (http://kearnyalliance.org/sourcingreports), the Kearny Alliance connects smaller exporters in developing Asia with buyers worldwide. Surveys of beneficiaries show that suppliers have received $772,000 in export orders, and they expect more than $5,500,000 to develop in the next 12 months.
• Trade policy research: One major initiative is The Future of US China Trade .Com, an online center for data, analysis, and insightful discussion on U.S. - China trade offering Forum Discussions, News & Analysis, Facts & Figures, Discussion Outcomes, Book reviews and Meet the Experts. This was developed from The Kearny Alliance – Arizona State University forums on China, trade and the world economic order high-level series of interlinked meetings – held in Phoenix and Beijing which explored potential solutions to issues and challenges of mutual benefit to China-US trade relations.

- Ends -