My first understanding of Syria began during a business trip to Egypt in 2014. My boss asked me, “Are you willing to go to Egypt by yourself?” I agreed almost without hesitation. It was a golden opportunity to visit the ancient country I had only read about in geography textbooks.
I joined the exhibition group and traveled to Cairo. A client named H, a bearded man about my age, insisted on meeting me when he heard I was attending. But this meeting felt more like a “confrontation.”
A Tense Negotiation with an “Unwelcome Guest”
The problem was that we hadn’t communicated our cooperation model with him, our existing local client, before participating in the exhibition. In his eyes, I was an “unwelcome guest.” He wanted to share the booth and follow up with local customers himself. However, his purchase volume at the time was not enough to support an exclusive agency, so I had to refuse his proposal.
The atmosphere was tense, and he was clearly unhappy. Fortunately, he was a kind-hearted person. After the meeting, he still invited me to dinner and even brought his younger brother along.
A Meal, A City Left Behind
At the dinner table, he took out the menu and, in broken English, introduced the dishes to me one by one. It was only then that I realized he was not Egyptian. He was a refugee from Aleppo, Syria, forced to flee to Egypt because of the war.
When he turned to the page introducing Aleppo, he pointed to a photo of the city in its former glory, once “the most beautiful largest city in Syria.” His eyes filled with a mixture of pride, love, and heartbreak. Tears began to well up.
- “There used to be so many beautiful ancient buildings here,” he said. “I wish I could take you to my real hometown and show you each one. But now, they are all gone. I can only treat you to some dishes from my home.”
He went through the menu, dish by dish, as if each one were a delicacy. The man before me was completely different from the aggressive negotiator in the meeting room. To this day, I still vividly remember what he said:
- “I hope that in my lifetime, I can return to my country and rebuild it.”
After that meal, I was deeply moved by his story. Back at the hotel, I immediately searched for information about Syria. The images on the screen were devastating—families torn apart, homes reduced to rubble. What does war truly bring to humanity? In the end, it is the powerful devouring the weak for their own interests. This was the beginning of my understanding of Syria.In the end, I wish for a world free of war, and I pray that Syria and Gaza find peace.
Sales Debrief: How to Coexist with Existing Local Clients
This experience also taught me a valuable lesson: Always communicate with existing local clients before visiting a market. If handled poorly, a business trip intended to generate more orders can end up creating an enemy. When facing resistance from a local client, I suggest the following:
- Use Data to Paint a Bigger Picture: Compare the total market size of the country with the client’s current purchase volume. This helps them see the huge potential for growth. The key is to convince them that you are there to “grow the market together,” not to “steal their territory.” For countries where you don’t speak the language, partnering with a local agent is often a win-win strategy.
- Demonstrate Mutual Growth Potential: Use import data from other related clients to prove that the market is far from saturated. Show them that your presence can help them expand their own market share.
A Friendly Tip: For women traveling to Arab countries, it’s a good idea to carry a headscarf. It not only protects you from the sand and dust but also shows respect for the local culture.
The Syria Story (Part 2) — A Sisterhood Forged in the Fires of War
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