P:Icometohearaboutyourofferforbristles.
L:Wehavetheofferreadyforyou.Letmesee.Hereitis.100casesTsingtaoBlackBristles,57mm,at…poundssterlingperkg,CIFEuropeanMainPorts,forshipmentinJune,1980.Theofferholdsforthreedays.
P:Why,yourpricehassoared.It’salmost25%higherthanlastyear’s.Itwouldbeimpossibleforustomakeanysalesatsuchaprice.
L:I’mrathersurprisedtohearyousaythat.Youknowverywellthatmarketsforbristleshavegoneupagreatdealinrecentmonths.Thepriceweoffercomparesfavorablewithquotationsyoucangetelsewhere.
P:I’mafraidIcan’tagreewithyouthere.Imustpointoutthatyourpriceishigherthansomeofthequotationswe’vereceivedfromotherssources.
L:Butyoumusttakequalityintoconsideration.EveryoneinthetradeknowsthatChina’sbristlesareofsuperiorquality,abovethatfromotherssources.
P:Igrantthatyoursareofbetterquality.Butthere’scompetitionfromthesyntheticproducts,too.Youcan’tverywellignorethat.Pricesforsyntheticbristleshaven’tchangedmuchalltheseyears.
L:Thereispracticallynosubstituteforbristleincertainuses.That’swhydemandfornaturalbristleskeepsrisinginspiteofcheapersyntheticones.Tobefrankwithyou,ifnoforthelong-standingrelationshipbetweenus,wewouldhardlybewillingtomakeyouafirmofferatthisprice.
P:Well,we’llhaveahardtimepersuadingourclientstobuyatthisprice.ButIguessIhavenochoice |
