Just like a "scout," you can’t get by without the ability to break through.

Wherever the business is, that’s where the “office” is.

It’s like going to war—they’re the advance guard.

Wherever there’s a project, that’s where you have to go and “make your pitch.”

The description above typifies the “mobile” investment promoter—the overseas investment promoter.

If serving local businesses is “in-store service,” then overseas investment promotion is like “out-of-store promotion.” So, how can we “operate” to attract businesses to “come in”?

01 Knocking on Doors, Meeting the Right People

There are no doors that can’t be opened, only the wrong people to approach.

New to the area, overseas investment promoters are unfamiliar with the local landscape and have virtually no contacts—let alone the ability to knock on a company’s door.

When calling the front desk, the number is either disconnected or no one answers; even if you manage to get through, the call is hung up before you can say two words.

It doesn’t end there. When visiting a company based on its address, you might be coldly turned away by security. After finally managing to get into a company, the receptionist might ask you to leave your materials for the manager—and then you hear nothing more.

The primary task of overseas investment promotion is to gather, analyze, and match corporate information and intentions, providing reliable intelligence to support follow-up coordination and services by headquarters departments.

In this context, the ability to break through is crucial, based primarily on three points:

First, targeting.

Gaining advance knowledge of local enterprises and identifying key areas and companies can significantly improve the effectiveness of information tracking.

Overseas investment promotion is no longer a scattergun approach; instead, it involves careful selection, focusing on leading industries and key industrial chains to target specific sectors for precise investment attraction.

Even if an individual project is promising, if it is not suitable for long-term development in the local area, the general principle is to pass on it.

Take the semiconductor industry as an example: overseas investment promotion targets key manufacturing segments, such as equipment, circuit manufacturing and design, and related packaging.

Second, targeting.

Only by having a clear understanding of the local industrial structure, major distribution patterns, key areas of industrial relocation, and investment trends can investment promotion efforts achieve effective results.

Overseas offices serve as the “eyes and ears” of the local government, armed with analytical reports and a clear understanding of the industrial landscape.

By leveraging local resources and strengths and conducting comprehensive comparisons of potential corporate relocations, we can focus our limited investment promotion resources where they are most needed.

Third, identifying the right people.

Whoever identifies the right contacts gains the upper hand in investment promotion.

Approaching the matter from the enterprise’s perspective demonstrates the level of importance placed on the project. In the context of overseas investment promotion, identifying the right contact is a means of unlocking potential and reflects the professionalism of accurate preliminary judgment.

Once the right person is identified, action must be taken with considerable force. The first five minutes—when you can “get straight to the point”—are the golden window for communication in overseas investment promotion.

This requires not only pre-screening project information but also identifying potential points of contention between both parties to address and resolve them proactively.

02 Pinpoint the Key Points and Act Swiftly

Identify “what the company needs” and promote “what we have to offer.”

Simply put, it’s about gathering information immediately and then responding with swift, precise, and decisive action.

Under normal development logic, when a company decides to increase investment or deepen cooperation in a particular region, it is the best endorsement of that region’s industrial support, business environment, and strategic positioning.

Two recent cases clearly demonstrate this:

One is Tesla’s expansion of its Shanghai plant, investing 420 million yuan to build a new facility for producing charging stations; the other is BMW Group’s announcement of a 10 billion yuan investment in Shenyang to construct a sixth-generation battery project.

Many localities are moving beyond short-term delegations “going out” or hosting a single investment promotion event. Instead, they are stationing “investment promoters” on-site to provide in-depth follow-up, continuously projecting an “attraction” for investment in their target regions.

This model, known as “vine-style” investment promotion, exudes “precision” at every step.

It primarily involves attracting businesses along industrial chains to draw in and encourage more companies to strengthen and fill gaps in the supply chain, ensuring high-quality projects take root and transforming “one-off deals” into “city partnerships.”

With the focus of investment promotion clearly defined, action must be decisive. We often hear that one should be a “mobile” investment promoter, not a “sedentary” one.

Previously, when meeting the director of a local government’s Beijing office, I was surprised to see him wearing a pair of traditional Beijing cloth shoes. Curiosity got the better of me, and I asked, “Since you’re in Beijing, are you just going with the flow?”

After talking with him, I learned that to visit companies, inspect projects, and go deep into production facilities, he walks as many as 20,000 steps a day. Over the past year, he’s worn out several pairs of shoes.

Especially in first-tier cities, where resources may seem abundant, companies are actually very “picky.” Generally speaking, once a “task assignment” is received, there are no bystanders.

Sometimes, missing out on a single project means missing out on an entire era—and could even impact the local industrial landscape. That’s why we’re constantly on the go, visiting companies, discussing their needs, and identifying challenges.

In every self-compiled “investment promotion handbook,” various plans hold a central position, covering every aspect from personnel arrangements and corporate outreach to flight bookings.

With tight deadlines and heavy workloads, to engage with as many companies as possible, we must plan meticulously and create a detailed schedule. This “roadmap” is the prerequisite and foundation for the success of investment promotion.

03 Breaking Through at Every Stage

In overseas investment promotion, several key stages determine whether a project will materialize.

First, understand the company’s basic situation.

This includes factors such as the company’s output value, tax contributions, environmental compliance, energy consumption, and reasons for relocation. We then identify and address the company’s specific “pain points” with targeted solutions.

Second, track the project step by step.

Assign a specific person in charge for each project. During the initial visit, focus primarily on introducing the company and promoting the project; during subsequent visits, provide detailed explanations and highlight the local advantages.

Next, assess policy alignment.

Develop tailored policies for enterprises of different industries, types, and stages of development, and align relevant support measures with the enterprises’ priorities to attract investment.

In addition, overseas investment promotion is gradually evolving into “system-based investment promotion.”

What is “system-based investment promotion”? In the words of local overseas offices, it is a “coordinated” approach where there are no longer barriers between regions.

This approach not only enhances investment promotion efficiency but, on a broader scale, fosters a collective synergy in investment promotion. Using compatibility as the benchmark, projects are directed to the city or prefecture with the highest match.

Operating in teams, specific project matchmaking is conducted based on industrial compatibility with different cities. This involves complementary coordination rather than homogeneous competition within the same region. Projects that a local city cannot accommodate are no longer kept hidden; instead, they are referred to sister cities.

Of course, when it comes down to it, overseas investment promotion ultimately hinges on industry, services, and the business environment. Only when new projects and enterprises resonate with the local industrial foundation and resource factors can we truly advance the front lines of the battle and achieve results-oriented investment promotion.