In overseas business, regardless of the client's size, the time and effort required to complete all the steps of an order are roughly the same. So, the more large clients you handle within the same amount of time, the greater your overall return.

How can newcomers assess a potential client's size during customer development?

In this post, I'll share some of my own methods for evaluating a client's potential and scale.

For newcomers, you shouldn't ignore small clients early on, whether large or small—because you don't yet have a customer base, and closing any deal is your first priority. Even small initial orders can ease psychological pressure and build confidence.

That said, small but promising and professional clients can gradually grow into major clients. For example, I once had a client who only ordered $5,000 worth of goods in the first year. By the third year, that figure had grown to $200,000. But such cases are rare and require consistent effort from both sides.

If your goal is performance and scaling your base, the best strategy is to target large, professional clients. So how do we judge a client's scale and professionalism?

1. Check the Company Website

Regardless of size, most legitimate companies at least have a basic website. This is your first stop for gathering client information.

If a client doesn't even have a website, there's a 90% chance they're a small business. Even scammers have websites these days—what excuse does a real company have?

What to check on the site:

·Company Introduction

·Development History

·Case Studies

·Partners

Why check these?

To understand:

·The company's origin and specialty

·How long it's been established

·Key milestones and transformations

·Project types and scales in their portfolio

·Synergy with your business

·Partners—are they your target clients or competitors?

Look at linked companies—they could be branches, long-term partners, or suppliers. These may be potential leads for your business.

2. Use Customs Data

Use customs/import-export data to check the company's annual purchasing volume and product categories. Compare this with your product line to evaluate compatibility and potential market share.

You can search by product keywords or HS codes to view:

·Complete transaction records

·Names of buyers and suppliers

·Transaction details

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You can also use the aggregated data to analyze market potential—knowing which regions buy your product and identifying key buyers.

3. Check Industry Rankings in the Client's Country or Region

Example: If you're looking for air conditioner distributors in Dubai, search:

"Top air conditioner supplier in Dubai" on Google.

Go through the top 8–10 links, and you'll quickly get a sense of the major players in that market. You can then compile them into an Excel sheet for your prospecting list.

4. Use Online Promotion Volume as a Size Indicator

This is one of the simplest ways to gauge company size.

For example, search “ABB” on Google. If hundreds of pages show up—including the company's site, news articles, product listings on B2B and B2C platforms, and promotional content—it's clearly a large company.

If you search a company name and only one page appears, or fewer than 10 links show up, it's probably a small company. In today's digital age, very few serious businesses invest nothing in online presence.

In Conclusion

These methods for evaluating potential client size are simple, low-cost, and highly effective. For the same amount of effort, targeting larger, more professional clients yields significantly higher value—making it the optimal approach for sales professionals.