On the afternoon of March 25, 2022, we held the first business‑sharing session of the year via video conference. The theme was prospect‑development skills. Different from last year’s event, the team‑based competition was replaced by one‑on‑one duels. Li Xiaohong and Yang Shitao took part in this debut match.

First to share was Li Xiaohong, who is capable in business with an engaging personality. She elaborated on ideas covering prerequisites for customer development, target identification and developing foreign intermediaries. The prerequisite for development lies in understanding the company and oneself, while target identification means locating and contacting potential clients. She then presented three real‑world cases, illustrating how problems were addressed to secure customer orders, delivering plenty of practical takeaways. She mentioned her mentor Yu Zipeng as her role model. From communications with him, she perceived his passion and original aspiration for customer development and foreign‑trade business. She noted that early‑stage customer development demands time and energy, and rewards will come with persistence.

Next came Yang Shitao, a witty and promising young professional. He conducted analysis from the perspectives of market, product and customer. It is easier to achieve success by starting with mature markets, familiar products and high‑quality clients. He cited two real cases from his mentor Zhang Shiyun. Two conclusions were drawn from the cases: first, seize market opportunities and impress customers with quality products to boost deal‑closing rates; second, get familiar with customers’ purchasing habits, keep track of ordering timelines and follow‑up promptly to win orders. Yang Shitao believes that with solid personal competence and thorough research into products, markets and clients, the chemical foreign‑trade industry holds great promise, and a brilliant future is within reach.

Then came the exciting vote‑soliciting round, where each contestant’s mentor campaigned for them. After fierce competition, Li Xiaohong won by a narrow margin of several votes. At the closing, Mr. Pang highly recognized the new employees. Their spirit aligns with the corporate value that hard work brings rewards. He encouraged everyone that outstanding business performance should go hand‑in‑hand with broad vision and high emotional intelligence.