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Introduction
Lance is a sourcing company in China. We have been in this field for 7 years and helped hundreds of foreign customers to find their products. From time to time, buyers come to us, and frustratingly complained, “Gordon, I sent out a long list of inquiries, why those suppliers didn’t like to reply to my emails?” Wow. That makes nonsense. Chinese suppliers are eager to do business. There is no point in drifting their buyers apart. But then, why Chinese suppliers don’t reply to your emails?
The problem is in your email. What that means? We’ve reviewed some buyer’s inquiries, and thought their emails totally went wrong. For example, a buyer just simply dropped us an email, “How much is this?” with a product picture attached, which is took by a cell phone. Sorry, we can’t give a quotation by that.
For Chinese suppliers, their emails boxes are packed with too many inquiries. In order to make the most of their time and energy, they only give quotations to those who seem to be more likely to make deals in the future. So, how to make your inquiry stand out is a critical thing. Keep reading, and we’ll tell you how to write a good inquiry email?
I. Make a good RFQ file
Making the RFQ file is the first and foremost step to make sure you have a smooth import process. A good RFQ file gains you more attention from your suppliers, and on the other hand, helps them quickly know what’s being really produced. Thus, they can give a correct quotation price within the shortest time based on your provided information. We’ve wrote an article 3 steps to make a good RFQ file here.
II. List all your requirement
However, a RFQ file isn’t enough. At this point, list all your additional requirements in your email, including but not limited to those as follows:
1: Your request for production photos
2: Your request for QC service
3: Your request for test sample
By doing this, it gives you two benefits. First, they will assess their capabilities first, checking whether they can meet your requirement or not, and they will indicate that in their reply. Second, they will analyze all your requirements, calculate all costs involved, and give you a final correct price.
III. Pick up your phone
Keep your email short and to the point. If you find yourself in a nonstop, back-and-forth conversation, pick up the phone. Claim who you are, what you need, and simply ask the most concerned questions such as MOQ, payment terms and lead time etc. Believe me. They will mark your inquiry as the top priority. Chinese suppliers don’t always receive international calls, and it will make you stand out from the crowd. Meanwhile, you can take this opportunity to check their professional level.
