What to put in a quote request to an overseas supplier
Hello, this is MAKENOV. A lot of quote requests go out and never come back. Usually it is not that the other side ignored you: with what they received, they simply cannot work out a price.
Why do quotes come back slowly?
To price anything, a supplier needs to know how many and by when. Without those two, the person handling it has to write back asking "what quantity?", and that round trip alone costs days.
An email that only asks "how much is it?" is a hard question to answer. A hundred units and ten thousand units are different prices, and shipping next week is a different arrangement from shipping in three months.
What must a quote request contain?
Fill in these six and most suppliers can answer in one pass.
| Target quantity | For the first order. If you plan to reorder, say so and the terms usually improve. |
|---|---|
| When you need it | The date you must have it by, and the season if one applies. |
| Sales channel | Pharmacy, cosmetics stores, supermarket, online. Packaging and terms follow the channel. |
| Destination | Arrival port or city, needed for any quote that includes freight. |
| Documents | Ingredient list, certificate of origin, test reports and whatever your import process requires. |
| Samples | Whether you want to see samples before the main order. |
The MAKENOV quote form is built around exactly these fields. Fill the blanks and the supplier receives it already organised.
What if the MOQ is too high?
A high minimum is not a reason to end the conversation. More suppliers are open to trial orders than you would expect. But "can you lower it" on its own is hard to answer.
This gets a negotiation started instead: "Your MOQ appears to be 3,000 units. We would like to start at 500, see how the market responds, and reorder quarterly. Is there an arrangement that works at 500?"
It is not only a request to cut the quantity; it shows what comes after. Products tagged negotiable on the product page are the ones where this discussion is possible.
When should you ask for import documents?
The most common mistake is going looking for paperwork after the order is placed. Cosmetics, food and medical devices need product notification or registration before import, and parts of that dossier only the supplier can provide.
So ask for them at the quote stage. That is also when you find out whether the supplier has produced such a dossier before. If they have not, the schedule needs rethinking, and it is better to learn that now than after you have ordered.
About MAKENOV
MAKENOV is a B2B platform that gathers innovative products from suppliers worldwide and opens unit prices and minimum order quantities to buyers who pass business verification. Requests go straight to the supplier with no middleman, and you can request a video meeting when you need one.
Signing up and verifying is free and takes about a minute.
