A $5,000 curtain accessories order that became a million-dollar deal(Part 2)

That $5,000 order was just the beginning.

After we successfully delivered the first shipment in January, the customer was impressed. The product quality met their standards, and suddenly, the second order came through.

This time? A full container – nearly $40,000.

That’s when I knew I had to see this operation for myself. I bought a plane ticket – an expensive one – and flew to South Africa. It was an 18-hour journey to Johannesburg, but it was worth every minute.

When I arrived, I was shocked. This wasn’t just a customer – this was a major player. They had headquarters in Port Elizabeth, operations in Johannesburg, and distribution in other regions. They employed over 100 people just for production and packaging. They would receive our products, repackage them with their branding, and distribute them to supermarkets across South Africa and neighboring African countries.

I spent a week there and came back with two more signed contracts.

From that point on, the orders kept coming. Every single month. Because I had found the biggest curtain accessories company in South Africa, and they had found a reliable partner in China.

The key relationship was with the owner himself – the big boss who had visited my booth. But as we worked together, communication became easier through his business partner, the second-in-command who handled procurement and finances.

Over that first year, we did over $1 million USD in business together.

But I didn’t stop there. I studied their needs deeply. I expanded from wooden rods to metal ones, then aluminum products. I visited them every year. When they came to China, I personally hosted them – took them sightseeing, showed them around, even had them stay at my home. We became friends.

Here’s what most people don’t understand: I didn’t just become their supplier. I became their teacher. In the beginning, they taught me about the market. But as I learned more, I started providing them with product design suggestions, solving their problems, offering innovative solutions. When you can do that for a customer, they can’t leave you. You become irreplaceable.

They invested heavily with us – over 1 million RMB in mold tooling alone. All their product molds were developed at our factory. Once that kind of investment is made, switching suppliers becomes nearly impossible.

My service was unmatched. I offered 24-hour support. In those days, we didn’t have smartphones – we had fax machines. I kept one right next to my bed. When it rang in the middle of the night with an order, I’d respond immediately. My client was amazed: “How do you reply so fast?”

That level of dedication builds trust money can’t buy.

Looking back, that $5,000 order taught me everything I know about this business. It wasn’t about the size of the first order – it was about recognizing a professional customer, delivering excellence, and building a partnership that would last for years.

That 100,000 RMB booth investment? It bought me more than display space. It bought me a future.

And it all started with someone willing to take a chance on a small supplier with a half-booth at a trade show, and a supplier willing to bet everything on being the best.