How to sell a superbike to a Chinese farmer
"Italians and the Chinese have much more in common than you'd think," says Sara Falzolgher. After graduating in 2008 at Bocconi with a degree in Business Administration with a focus on Marketing, Falzolgher went to Shanghai to do an internship at Ducati, which was just opening its first Asian office. She's still working for Ducati today, as their marketing manager, but has moved to Beijing, where she lives with her Italian husband and their son. "I have Chinese, Italian and German colleagues. And without a doubt, I face the biggest differences in how production processes are approached with the Germans. They are programmatic, whereas we Italians and the Chinese share a disorganized attitude and the tendency to do everything at the last minute, while still reaching our desired results." The biggest cultural difference, however, revolves around creativity. "In our private and workday lives, we Italians are great at coming up with unpredictable solutions. The Chinese, on the other hand, are used to a standard way of thinking; this is why I always try to encourage my assistant to try and find an original solution rather than giving up on a problem. In fact, I am convinced that if she is accompanied in this new way of thinking, she'll be able to change her mental framework." This aspect of their behavior, which almost seems childlike, is balanced by a rather clear and innate desire in the Chinese to make an impression and be part of an élite group.
"If you want to enter the hearts of the Chinese, you need to demonstrate that an exclusive relationship exists between your brand and the consumers. To achieve this, we organize promotional events in the city's most exclusive clubs." Sara Falzolgher's experience with relational dynamics and social customs also includes bizarre episodes, such as what happened once during a motor show: "We were in a small town and nobody knew what a Ducati was. A farmer came and bought our top brand bike, a superbike. He had never ridden on a motorcycle, so the Ducati team told him to be very careful. But then he told us that he had no intention of riding the thing, and that he just wanted to show it off to his friends." To live in China and engage with people there, one of the most important resources you can have is a flexible mentality. This is true also in the domestic realm, when it comes to making decisions about schooling for one's child. "You need to accept the fact that your child will grow up in a different culture from your own. For example, he or she will eat local food prepared by a Chinese woman, and be cared for by her while you and your spouse are at work."
Sara Falzogher is one of the over 500 Bocconi alumni present in China - where on March 11, in Shanghai, will be held the 4th edition of the Bocconi Alumni Global Conference.
Click here to learn more about the Bocconi community in China and read the stories of other alumni living there