In the world of global trade, the difference between a cold lead and a closed deal can mean weeks of chasing emails, attending expos that cost more than they convert, and sifting through supplier directories that haven’t been updated since the Obama administration. But what if there were a smarter way—one that brings verified, data-backed opportunities directly to your inbox?
This is exactly what happened to a mid-sized manufacturer in Southeast Asia who used Hi-Fella’s Buyer Database to go from ice-cold international prospects to confirmed trade deals—without boarding a single flight.
This case study breaks down the transformation step-by-step, showing how modern export-import players can turn chaos into clarity using smart data, digital matchmaking, and zero BS.
The Business: Who’s the Player?
Let’s start with our subject—a growing but struggling furniture manufacturer in Jepara, Indonesia.
Company: PT. Cipta Kayu Abadi
Product: Sustainably sourced teakwood furniture
Capacity: 20 containers/month
Problem: Strong product, weak export network
For 8 years, the company relied on word-of-mouth, occasional trade expos, and personal contacts to find overseas buyers. They landed a few one-time shipments to Dubai and South Korea but lacked consistent volume or repeat contracts. The biggest pain points?
- Cold emailing 100+ importers with no replies
- No idea which buyers were still active post-pandemic
- Zero visibility into what markets wanted their style of product
This is where Hi-Fella came in.
Step 1: Signing Up and Getting Verified
In late 2023, PT. Cipta Kayu Abadi signed up for Hi-Fella’s verified supplier access.
To qualify, they submitted:
- Business license (SIUP)
- Product certifications (FSC-certified wood)
- Photos and videos of production facility
- Export history (via freight and customs data)
They passed the verification within 3 days.
🧠 Why this matters: Verified suppliers are prioritised by Hi-Fella’s matchmaking system, improving searchability and credibility to global buyers.
Step 2: Market Research via Hi-Fella’s Insights
Before they even connected with a buyer, they used Hi-Fella’s Market Intelligence Dashboard to identify three hot markets with rising demand for teakwood furniture:
- Germany (eco-conscious, premium buyers)
- UAE (bulk orders for hotels and villas)
- Japan (minimalist style, smaller SKUs)
They discovered that in the past 12 months:
- Germany had increased teakwood furniture imports by 18% YoY (UN Comtrade, 2023)
- UAE buyers were sourcing from India but had shown interest in Indonesian alternatives post-COVID
- Japanese importers were searching for modular designs with compact packaging
🎯 Real-time data gave PT. Cipta Kayu a strategic edge—it wasn’t about guessing anymore. It was about positioning.
Step 3: Smart Match Made the First Move
Hi-Fella’s Smart Match feature kicked in.
Instead of PT. Cipta Kayu sending blind outreach emails, Smart Match:
- Analyzed their company profile
- Scanned the buyer database of 60,000+ companies
- Delivered curated buyer matches across target countries
Top leads included:
- A hotel furnishing wholesaler in Dubai looking for sustainable luxury pieces
- A German interior designer network looking for exclusive contract manufacturing
- A Japanese online retailer focused on minimalist storage benches
Hi-Fella scored each lead based on:
- Buyer activity (past 60 days)
- Product alignment
- Purchasing power
- Past supplier reviews
PT. Cipta Kayu picked the top 5 and started outreach.
Step 4: Messaging Inside the Platform (with Translation!)
The manufacturer reached out to the matched buyers via Hi-Fella’s built-in messaging tool. The conversation flow was smooth, and here’s why:
- Instant auto-translation (Bahasa to German, Japanese, and Arabic)
- Pre-loaded product catalogue with pricing
- Sample shipment options integrated into the chat
No separate email chains. No PDFs lost in translation. Just streamlined negotiations with proper documentation.
Within 2 weeks:
✅ The Japanese buyer requested samples and agreed to a trial container of mixed SKUs.
✅ The Dubai buyer scheduled a video tour of the factory.
✅ The German distributor proposed a white-label manufacturing contract.
Step 5: From Lead to Deal (and Scaling It)
By March 2024, PT. Cipta Kayu had converted all three leads into active deals:
- Dubai – Recurring monthly container shipments for hotel chains. Value: $150,000/month
- Germany – Exclusive OEM agreement for modular office furniture. Value: $95,000/month
- Japan – Trial order turned into seasonal campaign partnership. Value: $60,000/quarter
They didn’t just win sales—they built strategic global relationships.
According to PT. Cipta Kayu’s export manager:
“We used to spend $10,000 per year on trade shows and cold prospecting with less ROI. With Hi-Fella, the data did the heavy lifting. We just had to show up and close.”
What Made It Work?
This case wasn’t luck. It was structured acceleration. Here’s what Hi-Fella did differently:
✅ Verified Buyer Database
No more fake buyers or inactive contacts. Every lead had a digital footprint, trade data, and real purchase behavior.
✅ AI-Powered Matching
The system used machine learning to understand compatibility—not just product-wise, but market-readiness, volume match, and B2B behavior.
✅ Cross-Cultural Communication Tools
Built-in messaging with translation and catalog sharing eliminated friction and delays.
✅ Market Intelligence
Having insight into where demand was rising, and what competitors were doing, helped the company focus its efforts sharply.
Lessons for Other Exporters
If you’re an SME or mid-sized exporter stuck in cold lead purgatory, here’s what this case proves:
- Manual prospecting is outdated. Data-driven outreach is faster and smarter.
- Market fit matters more than volume. Hi-Fella helped find the right buyers, not just many.
- Being verified pays off. Trust is currency in global trade.
- It’s not just a database—it’s a bridge between ambition and action.
Global trade in 2025 is fast, digital, and data-first. Hi-Fella understands this. It doesn’t try to be everything. It focuses on what actually moves the needle: connecting serious players with verified opportunities.
For PT. Cipta Kayu Abadi, the transformation wasn’t just in sales volume. It was in clarity. Knowing which doors to knock on—and which ones to skip.
And that’s something every exporter deserves.
Join Hi-Fella Today!
Turning cold leads into real, revenue-generating deals is every export-import business’s goal — and Hi-Fella proves it’s more than possible. As shown in the case study, leveraging Hi-Fella’s verified buyer database can drastically cut down prospecting time and connect you with serious, ready-to-trade partners. No more wasted effort on unreliable contacts or dead ends.
With Hi-Fella, you’re tapping into a network built for results, backed by data you can trust. If you’re ready to transform your outreach into real opportunities, it’s time to make Hi-Fella part of your global trade strategy.
