After leaving the store owner’s shop, Xu Zhiqiang voiced the question that had been on his mind.
"Sister, weren’t we here to supply goods? Why didn’t we sell then?"
"Before we came, that was the plan, but now, let her wait."
Xu Niannian took this opportunity to instill in him the intricacies of doing business.
"In business, we must differentiate between being proactive and reactive. Right now, we have good products in our hands, we don’t lack a partnership with her store, and it’s only them who should be eager to please us—not the other way around, understand?"
Zhiqiang still didn’t quite get it, "But sis, when we first came here to discuss the partnership, weren’t you very accommodating?"
"This is precisely the proactive and reactive relationship I’m talking about. Previously, we were the ones urgently seeking partners, and since they hadn’t experienced any benefits, it was naturally up to us to take the initiative. At that time, expecting the other party to be proactive was impossible."
"Now, these shops have tasted the benefits of partnering with us. They won’t let a bird in hand fly away so easily. If she still wants to make money through my products, she’ll naturally need to cling to me."
Zhiqiang vaguely understood but was still confused.
"Then why did you still prepare their share?"
In the backpack, there were still two hundred pieces left, intended for the breakfast shop in the Southern Suburbs and the one in the Western Suburbs.
If she didn’t plan to supply to her today, why bother taking the goods here?
Xu Niannian suddenly felt that her younger brother was too naive.
Out of her three younger brothers, Zhiqiang, who was only a year younger than she was, was the smartest.
However, he had never experienced the viciousness of society and didn’t know that the most unpredictable thing in the world was the calculating nature of people’s hearts.
She patiently explained to him, "The points I mentioned earlier are based on the assumption that the other party wants to take advantage of us."
"The store owner showed her true colors before, clearly wanting to cut the price on the chance she got. When facing such a situation, we need to let her know who really has the upper hand. Of course, if we encounter sincere partners, we shouldn’t be arrogant just because we hold the upper hand, got it?"
Zhiqiang seemed to understand but not quite, and Niannian continued.
"A qualified businessperson has to ensure that their partners can’t find fault with them. Even if they do, they’re aware of the situation and still want to cling to us."
Take this store owner, for instance. Her previous excuses were just to beat down the opposition, making it seem as if she had plenty of partners, holding the initiative in her hands.
If the store owner wanted to profit from her Liuyue Su, she’d have no choice but to stick close to her.
We need to comprehend who truly deserves to be on a pedestal. ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ N0velFire.ɴet
Without a lesson, the store owner might continue to behave haughtily, and the bigger the business grows, the more likely unforeseen problems arise.
Listening to Xu Niannian’s explanation, Zhiqiang suddenly had an epiphany, so that was the reason.
No wonder his sister treated Li Qingshui, at the county center, so well—it was because of this.
To those who are sincerely cooperative, respond with sincerity. To those who seek to take advantage, you have to outwit them at their own game.
But there was one thing he still didn’t understand, "Since that’s the case, why not simply end the partnership with her store, and find another sincere partner?"
Xu Niannian shook her head, "For businesspeople, sincerity is important, but so is being shrewd. What we need to do is prevent others from scheming against us, not to find a partner who doesn’t scheme."
Despite how straightforward and prompt Li Qingshui was with her cooperation, she was a shrewd person herself.
So-called scheming isn’t just about nickel-and-diming for tiny profits, it’s about calculating gains and losses on a larger scale, choosing the strategy that is most beneficial for oneself and also advantageous for the partner.
That is the true meaning of scheming.
Without such calculations, how could she, once an orphan in her past life, have climbed to such a position?