Sample Follow-Up Timeline That Doubled My Conversion

Your first year should focus on learning the complete process: finding clients, cold emailing, quoting, sampling, ordering, production follow-up, inspection, shipping, and payment. Understanding each link is your foundation.

English is a tool, not the whole job. Clear written communication and basic conversation are sufficient. Product knowledge and communication skills matter more. Many top performers have average English but deep product expertise.

A typical career path: assistant, junior sales, senior sales, sales manager, export director, entrepreneur. At each stage, focus on different skills: processes early, client development mid-career, management later.

The transition from individual contributor to manager is the hardest step. You need to learn hiring, training, goal-setting, and team motivation. Start by mentoring 1-2 juniors before taking a full management role.