Just when Pierre Cardin and Song Huagui began to work on model contests and fashion shows, his contact with Goldlion soon made substantial and good progress.
Goldlion, a small workshop from Hong Kong that originally only made ties, is also a legend among contemporary men's clothing brands.
In just thirty years, it has become a well-known men's clothing brand with a complete range of products sold in more than 40 countries and regions overseas.
Moreover, it has been a best-seller in Hong Kong and the Mainland for more than ten years, successfully creating the price point and image of a high-end brand.
And all of this is the credit of its founder Zeng Xianzi.
Zeng Xianzi was born in mainland China. He had just graduated from school and was taken out of the country by his relatives because of his inheritance.
Therefore, he has strong national characteristics, one of which is hard work, positivity and optimism.
You know, when he started his business in the 1960s, Zeng Xianzi was able to run an entire tie production line by himself due to lack of funds.
He purchased relevant production equipment, drew his own design drawings, purchased his own fabrics, sewed his own ties, and went out to promote the tie himself. He also named the tie brand "Golden Lion", which means that this brand will have a bright and bright future.
Not to mention that this is completely impossible in the eyes of Westerners, no one in Hong Kong City can do it.
The second is to be good at learning and enterprising.
The tie that Zeng Xianzi first made was ridiculed by the store when he was selling it due to his lack of experience and rough workmanship.
But even so, Zeng Xianzi did not back down, but chose to work hard to improve.
In order to improve the quality of his products, he not only consults with store owners who laugh at him about market demands, but also listens to opinions with an open mind.
He also spent a lot of money to buy several famous brand ties and carefully studied the design and workmanship of high-end products.
After repeated attempts to remove seams and seams, he finally mastered the technique.
Then we achieved product upgrades by using imported European raw materials and meticulous workmanship.
This also awakened brand awareness, and Zeng Xianzi was determined to get out of the mid- to low-end market and enter the high-end market.
For this reason, he seized the opportunity of the radio station to broadcast the national table tennis team's exhibition match in Hong Kong City in 1971, and did not hesitate to spend a lot of money to advertise for himself.
And considering that "Golden Lion" is homophoned as "Golden Loss" in Cantonese, which has a bad connotation, the brand name was deliberately changed to the auspicious "Golden Lilai".
In this way, the sales of Goldlion ties with good quality and good image increased greatly, and finally became the local famous brand tie in Hong Kong City.
The third is to be able to withstand pressure and be resilient.
In 1974, affected by the world economic recession, Hong Kong stock prices fell, many companies closed down, and countless workers lost their jobs.
What follows is a decline in purchasing power, leading to a backlog of goods.
At that time, I don’t know how many merchants, because of panic and pessimism, used the banners of “big auctions”, “big price cuts” and “big jumps” to attract consumers to buy.
The business has just started, and Jinlilai, which has initially gained recognition from customers, has not been immune to this storm.
Sales and output have both declined, and it seems that price cuts have become Goldlion's only option.
However, after careful consideration, Zeng Xianzi made the opposite move.
In order to maintain the high-end brand image that Goldlion has worked so hard to establish, it insists on taking the high-quality route.
Not only did he resist lowering the price, he actually raised the price to sell ties.
Just when everyone was busy cutting prices and clearing out inventory, he even went to Europe to select products with newer designs, colors and styles to imitate and produce and put them into the Hong Kong market.
This move made colleagues in Hong Kong City laugh and cry, thinking that he was ignorant of current affairs and would inevitably suffer a loss.
However, what happened next was different from what everyone expected.
Zeng Xianzi's price increase strategy and the latest newly produced ties are like a high head looking down on his counterparts in Hong Kong.
This suddenly improved Goldlion's status in the hearts of Hong Kong people, and became surrounded by high-end customers in one fell swoop, thereby boosting sales.
The final result was really shocking. No one expected that Goldlion would use this to make a comeback.
When the world economy recovers, not only those merchants who have adopted price reduction measures are dying, but many foreign famous brands that have been arrogant in Hong Kong for decades have also been squeezed out of Hong Kong.
However, under such a miserable market situation, Goldlion completed a glorious turnaround and completely established its status as a first-tier brand in Hong Kong City.
At this time, the price of the ties produced by Zeng Xianzi not only increased from 45 Hong Kong dollars to 100 Hong Kong dollars.
He also began to increase the production of lighters and leather goods.
It has also successfully extended its business reach to Southeast Asia and established a branch in Singapore covering the markets of surrounding countries.
The fourth is to never forget our roots and repay our kindness.
After becoming prosperous, Zeng Xianzi began to donate to his hometown of Meizhou, Guangdong in 1978.
He also donated a teaching building and a large number of facilities to his alma mater, Dongshan Middle School.
All of this happened before it even opened up the mainland market.
There must be no calculation of interests and it is sincere, and it will naturally gain the closeness and praise of the people of Guangdong.
So in 1983, good things come to good people.
With the rise of the first suit craze in mainland China after the founding of the People's Republic of China, when Zeng Xianzi really decided to enter the mainland market, Goldlion's business activities in Guangdong were going particularly smoothly.
The products he put in, accompanied by the slogan "Goldlion, a man's world", were all sold out.
Especially in its hometown of Meizhou, Goldlion has won enthusiastic support from the local government and people.
In this way, just one year after entering the mainland, Goldlion has established a firm foothold in the southernmost province of the Republic.
Zeng Xianzi then naturally went north, aiming to expand the market in Shanghai, Shanghai and Beijing.
And this is the person Ning Weimin needs to negotiate with. The person at the helm of Jinli Lai has great business acumen and far-sighted vision, and has commendable moral character and a heart to serve the country.
Not to mention that Ning Weimin has a very clear understanding of Goldlion's future huge corporate scale.
Regarding his mother, he also knew that Zeng Xianzi donated more than 1,400 times to the mainland throughout his life, and in the end even his personal property was donated to the country.
Just from what has happened so far, Ning Weimin can see what a shrewd, capable, respectable and admirable entrepreneur Zeng Xianzi is.
Therefore, for such people, Ning Weimin never thought of playing tricks or beating around the bush, but went directly to them to show his sincerity.
He handed his business card, an easy-draw tie and a patent document to the person in charge of Goldlion's business in Beijing.
Then he politely expressed his intention to cooperate and went back to wait for the other party's reply.
As expected, he soon received a positive response from the other party. Zeng Xianzi himself would go to Beijing from the Hong Kong city as soon as possible to negotiate with him in person.
Such a face-to-face meeting is of course unequal in terms of status.
After all, Zeng Xianzi is the top leader of a multinational company, while Ning Weimin is just a senior executive of Pierre Cardin's Chinese branch.
However, from Zeng Xianzi's perspective, he had no choice.
On the contrary, his impatience, which is a bit self-degrading, is the most natural and true reaction.
You know, Goldlion's business structure is relatively simple.
Ties are still the core business of the company, accounting for more than 70% of sales profits.
So it is self-evident what the patent for easy-to-pull ties means to Goldlion’s development in mainland China.
No one knows the seriousness of this potential threat better than Zeng Xianzi himself.
How could he not feel fear? Not anxious? Not nervous?
Fortunately, although Ning Weimin took full initiative, he never thought of using his power to bully others and form an alliance with Tan Yuan.
Instead, based on the principle of "good for you, good for me, good for everyone," we worked very pragmatically and tried our best to plan a fairly fair cooperation plan.
Even when they actually met, Ning Weimin remained courteous and courteous, leaving an excellent impression on Zeng Xianzi.
So after listening to Ning Weimin's oral description of the cooperation method in person, Zeng Xianzi was a little in disbelief and didn't know how to react.
He originally thought he would encounter business extortion, but he never expected to encounter such an unexpected good thing. He really got a cooperation opportunity that would be of great benefit to both parties.
So he took the plan and read it for a long time before he hesitated and tested it.
"Mr. Ning, these documents... I... can I take them back and look at them carefully before giving you an answer? Also, please don't take offense. I would also like to take the liberty to ask... can you really represent this matter...
Is it your company? I mean...if we have a good deal, will your signature count?"
Ning Weimin can certainly understand Zeng Xianzi's concerns.
So he not only replied in a positive tone, but also gave the most reasonable explanation.
"Mr. Zeng, of course you can take these documents back and read them slowly. I even suggest that you should seek professional advice from a lawyer on the possible terms. After all, if you implement a literal commitment, you need to strictly abide by it after signing it. We
Both sides should take the most serious and responsible attitude and consider everything in advance to ensure smooth future cooperation."
"As for my signature, it must be for the record. Don't think that I am unreliable at a young age. If you have read the patent document carefully, you should know that I invented this tie. In addition, my job is to be responsible As for the commercial operation work of Pierre Cardon Company in China, I don’t think anyone in the whole company has a better say than me regarding the specific strategy for bringing this product to the market. This is why my boss, Mr. Pierre Cardon, can rest assured to take this matter to the next level. The reason why I leave the decision-making power to me."
"I even know that you will have some doubts in your heart, wondering whether you should believe our sincerity. You may also think it is a bit incredible that we extend an olive branch to you with such a patent that can almost change the pattern of the tie market in the mainland. This point is actually very easy to explain. This is mainly because our two companies are so complementary. Although our customer groups in the mainland market should be the same, our main businesses do not conflict. If we join forces, we will both benefit from each other. And it’s useless.”
"You see, Goldlion specializes in suit accessories, while our main business at Pierre Cardin in the Mainland is men's suits. Your base in the Mainland is the south, and our company has a solid foundation in the north. We have a solid foundation for cooperation with each other. It's perfect, it's like a match made in heaven. As for my roll-up tie, it was purely an accidental invention to meet the special needs of the mainland market, and it was just for fun. Our company has no intention of getting involved in the tie manufacturing industry, nor does it want to contribute to the operation of this industry. The project has cost too much, and we just want to get a certain profit from it. Considering the huge domestic market capacity, we can definitely share the benefits of easy-to-use products together, and even make a bigger cake together."
"Once this kind of cooperation is achieved, it will last for a long time. I think we all know the importance of partners. If there is no basic morality, how can we achieve trust and good cooperation? Instead of being suspicious of each other, we should If things get worse, we might as well keep fighting on our own. We really want to cooperate and form an alliance with you, not to enmity with you. How can we use patents to coerce and destroy the basis of mutual trust?
"On the other hand, what will happen if we can't reach cooperation? Maybe we can use easy-to-use ties to cause heavy damage to your company's main business. We may even force your company to withdraw from the mainland market. But in that case, wouldn't other tie brands? Is it coming? Can we firmly occupy the tie market share in the mainland with the patent of Easy-to-Lad? Impossible."
"Not to mention the lack of legal awareness in the country, which will inevitably lead to the rampant counterfeit goods in the clothing market and impact on genuine products. Even our company's main business will inevitably encounter jealousy and competition from other foreign counterparts. So why are we so short-sighted and doing this kind of useless work? Obviously, as an early clothing company that set foot in the mainland, instead of fighting each other, it is better for the two of us to join forces to compete with latecomers and increase the profits of our cooperative business, which is the best choice."
"Lastly, there are some personal reasons. I admire you very much, Mr. Zeng. You have been of great help to the mainland. I am happy to help you where I can and watch your business flourish. So I will never force you. No matter what unequal treaty Mr. Zeng signed, it doesn't matter even if we disagree on many issues. We can sign clauses that can unify our opinions first. Just like the Sino-British negotiations, seek common ground while reserving differences. Take your time, and problems will always be solved reasonably. What do you think?"
Zeng Xianzi was surprised and surprised by these words, but he could not help but agree and feel uneasy.
I can only say with emotion, "You are young and promising. Mr. Ning, your ideas and structure are really amazing. They opened my eyes."
After pondering for a while, Zeng Xianzi didn't know whether it was intentional or just out of curiosity. Then he didn't continue to talk about cooperation. Instead, he asked some questions in person that seemed to be destructive to cooperation.
"Although you have transferred the patent to your company, I am still curious. How do you personally evaluate the value of this patent? In your heart, how much do you think this easy-to-laid tie project is worth?"
Ning Weimin answered happily, "I estimate that a reasonable transfer fee should be 10 million. Because if it is done, the profit of this tie should be conservatively worth 100 million, it depends on how it works."
Zeng Xianzi frowned, "Then how much did you sell it to your company? Do you know how much I am willing to pay for your patent?"
If things continue to develop in this way, I'm afraid it would usually be Ning Weimin's turn to worry.
However, Ning Weimin shook his head indifferently.
"Mr. Zeng, you may not believe it. I originally decided to give this patent to the company for free. Although Mr. Pierre Cardon did not give me 10 million, he clearly could have taken it away for free, but in the end he still followed his own standards.
, gave me a lot of material compensation. I am already very satisfied with it. So no matter how much you are willing to give, it is meaningless to me. Just like you run a business, it is obvious that businessmen want to pursue profits. But why do you always
Should we donate the money we earn in our pockets? Right? Some things are not about money. Although it seems silly, it is still correct..."
Zeng Xianzi was really happy now.
I couldn't help but stretched out my hand, "Okay, great. Young man, you really impress me. Although I still need to study the documents carefully, you have convinced me and I am willing to believe you. Let us work together,
Please make this happen. I am really looking forward to cooperating with your company.”