Working with Chinese suppliers is not an easy task. Firstly, there is a communication barrier in different languages. Secondly, Chinese suppliers are known for their shrewdness, and unless you show that you are serious about working with them, they will not care to follow up with you for long.

In this post, I will be showing you a few tips about how to get your Chinese suppliers to perk up when you make the first contact with them.

Now, the first thing to note is to be detailed and straightforward in your emails, calls, or messages. By this, I meant the following:

#1: Show them that you know your product

Give a very detailed product specification. For example, what size – even down to the millimeter at times – do you want your product to be? What color do the products need to be? Are there any additional customized parts you need them to add? If so, what material do you want them to use for these parts, and what should the dimensions for these parts be? You should be able to answer questions like these by yourself first before you contact Chinese suppliers. In turn, when Chinese suppliers see that you have done your research, they will be really delighted and they are more likely to give you the respect that your approach deserves.

#2: Tell them your order volume

Set out the numbers of product units you want in your order clearly. You may want much smaller quantities than they are willing to make, so by being upfront from the start, both you and the supplier companies would be able to judge if you are the right match for each other more quickly. It will be good to have a ballpark budget in mind for the number of goods you can order from Chinese suppliers too, before getting in touch with them. This will save you both time and energy as you go through the process of finding a supplier who is able to work within your budget.

#3: State your estimated delivery timeframe

If possible, state the delivery timeframe that you would need the products delivered. Chinese suppliers are usually very prompt in terms of delivery, but if your order is particularly large, they might need some time to get their production line ready. Honesty is always the best policy, so do let them know what you are expecting. Or else, things may get rather nasty if both parties turn out to have different ideas of what is happening.

#4: Specify compliance requirements

Be clear about the legal and regulatory requirements for the goods in the country to which you will be selling. Not all suppliers are set up to meet these, and even for those experienced Chinese suppliers, some may still miss out on certain details or the latest updates about these regulations. As the party trading with them, it is your onus to be doubly sure of the sales country’s import-export rules. So do be clear about those regulations and remind the Chinese suppliers of them before confirming the order!

#5: Stand out from the crowd

There are three essential requirements for a Chinese supplier to consider you immediately:

1. You are ready to buy right now

2. You have the capital to buy at least the minimum order quantity (MOQ) immediately

3. You have great “repeat potential”

Do appear professional to your suppliers, as this will determine if they are willing to work with you. Many suppliers will prefer working with familiar partners, so the prospect of repeat custom is very important.

Another tip will be to appear to them that you are a company instead of an individual. Try crafting a professional website about your business so they can see for themselves – remember, while you are deciding whether to work with them or not, they are also doing the same. They thus will need to run through their necessary checks and research online about you.

#6: Follow up and communicate their way

In China, personal contact is preferred to “cold, impersonal” emails, so do follow up with your Chinese prospects regularly! Contact them to help them remember you and form personal relationships as you work on the product together. Consider getting an account with QQ Chat or Wechat, which are two of the best communication applications Chinese suppliers use for their day-to-day work.

#7: Work in their time zone

The logic here is simple: if your suppliers can get an instant response from you during their working routines, they will feel a lot more comfortable working with you. Thus, do commit to working on their Chinese 9-6 time one or two days per week. They will be delighted to know that you made the efforts to accommodate their working schedules!

#8: Be respectful of your Chinese suppliers

Chinese suppliers will communicate with you in the way they deem acceptable, and they might feel affronted by mannerisms which you would deem as appropriate business protocol. For example, one thing that Chinese suppliers often dislike about overseas traders is their directness and pushiness. This means that you need to take your time to build a relationship with them before they really start discussing business with you. Polite inquiries and thank-you emails will be much appreciated, and if you rush things too much, it may have negative consequences. Chinese suppliers will prefer to do business with those who are respectful of their culture and customs, so always bear that in mind!

So there you have it – some simple tips on how to get Chinese suppliers’ attention and form fruitful partnerships with them. The general rule of thumb is to be sincere and clear in your communication, for everyone will appreciate a genuine approach.

And speaking about being ‘genuine,’ I do notice that many Amazon business owners often exhibit a haughty attitude when trying to engage Chinese suppliers. Many of them like to believe that Chinese companies are competing very hard for their business, and they just need to send a mass email for Chinese suppliers to start fighting to work with them. But that’s not the truth!



In fact, Chinese companies are often overwhelmed with emails from importers who (most of the time) are not serious buyers and will never place an order. Instead of thinking that you are in the dominant position and can treat interactions with them superficially, always stay professional and be polite so that they can see you are treating them seriously. Draw on the aspect of achieving mutual benefits between your cooperation, rather than just simple monetary gains on your side. This way, Chinese suppliers will come to trust you, and your relationship will be able to get you more benefits than you have ever thought!

So, below is the summary of tips to get your Chinese suppliers’ attention:

1. Show them that you know your product

2. Tell them your order volume

3. State your estimated delivery timeframes

4. Specify compliance requirements

5. Stand out from the crowd

6. Follow up and communicate their way

7. Work in their time zone

8. Be respectful of your Chinese suppliers

Interested? Stay tuned to my posts, as I will teach you more of the specifics of how to interact with Chinese suppliers!