An overseas buyer just enquired. What do you answer first?
Hello, this is MAKENOV. What you put in the first reply to an overseas buyer decides whether a second message ever comes. It does not need to be long — only what the buyer needs in order to decide.
Why does a slow reply cost you?
Buyers usually enquire with several suppliers at once for the same item. The terms in the first reply become the benchmark, and everyone answering later starts out being compared against it.
Rather than being late while assembling a perfect answer, send what is confirmed and state when the rest will follow. The fact that you replied at all is already information.
What must the first reply carry?
Six items are enough. A reply with these goes straight into internal review.
| Price and basis | FOB or CIF, and how long the price holds. |
|---|---|
| Minimum order | Include volume tiers if you have them, and say so if there is room to negotiate. |
| Lead time | Days from order confirmation. Mention stock on hand if there is any. |
| Payment terms | T/T deposit percentage, when the balance falls due. |
| Documents held | Ingredient list, test reports, certificates. List only what you actually have. |
| Contact | Name, a direct channel, and the hours you can be reached. |
Enquiries arriving through MAKENOV already carry the company name, contact person, contact details and the request itself. Check who you are dealing with, then reply.
How do you write the parts that are not settled?
Do not leave them blank. A missing line reads as "this company is not ready".
Write it out instead: "Vietnamese labelling is being confirmed and we will come back to you by Friday." One sentence with a date does the work of the blank.
The riskiest move is throwing out a number you have not confirmed. If the terms change later it stops being a pricing question and becomes a trust question. When unsure, give a range and say what determines where in that range it lands.
Can you take enquiries with no export experience?
Yes. First deals almost always start as small trial orders. Do not hide the lack of experience — write down what is ready and what is not.
But you must have an export price and a minimum order quantity decided in advance. They are the first two things a buyer asks, and without them the conversation cannot move even when an enquiry arrives.
If a document is missing, offer the lead time with it: "We do not hold that test report; issuance takes about three weeks." That lets the buyer plan around it.
About MAKENOV
MAKENOV keeps supplier products in front of overseas buyers continuously and forwards only enquiries from buyers who have passed business verification. Product information and company profiles are published in Vietnamese, English and Korean. There is no listing fee, and you may keep selling through other channels.
To list a product, just leave your company and product details.
