The Language of Deals
I think it was the sheer speed and scale of the responses to the RFQ that surprised me. Within 48 hours, I had received 8 quotations, all of which means it’s time to talk about The Language of Deals.
Caption: 8 quotations received on Alibaba in response to the RFQ.
Unsurprisingly, the first messages I usually receive from these suppliers are all somewhere along the lines of: “Please send us your technical drawings or CAD files.” For many of you going down this path, it might be prudent to request them to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) before sending them your design documents.
However, I have already released the design online way back in 2024, thus forfeiting my rights to a patent and many other forms of legal protection. Therefore, in my specific case, I didn’t feel the need for an NDA, although I must stress that it’s generally a wise idea to have one. But please, this is my decision based on my limited legal knowledge and it is not meant to be advice in any way, shape, or form. If you need that, go find someone with a law degree.
Caption: Sending suppliers the initial design documents in industry-standard formats.
It can become quite tedious replying to similar things to each supplier. Therefore, I took a minute to set up a quick reply system. On the web version, clicking a small clipboard icon will allow you to add quick replies. I used these extensively as prewritten answers and thank-you messages to the dozens of suppliers who messaged me. Below are some of the ones that I have used frequently, and hopefully, you’ll find a use for them too:
Offering Initial Documents
Hello, thank you for your interest in my aluminum protractor project. Here are the design files in STEP format along with technical drawings:
Future Runs
This will be sold in the US currently for a small, limited run of 1000, and there are possibilities of further expansion runs of higher quantities in the future.
Asking for Samples
Could you please let me know what your factory’s policies are for samples? I would be willing to pay a fee as well as shipping.
Thank you (waiting for formal quote)
Thank you, please let me know if you need any additional details to prepare an accurate quote, including minimum order quantities, tooling costs (if any), and an estimated lead time. Please assume an order quantity of around 1000 for initial calculations, but the exact number will depend on the above information you could provide.
Supplier Rejection and Goodbye
Thank you very much for taking the time to respond to my request for quotation and for providing detailed information about your products and pricing.
After careful consideration, I have decided to move forward with another supplier for this particular order. However, I truly appreciate your time and effort, and I will certainly keep your information on file for future projects that may be a better fit.
Thank you again, and I wish you continued success.
Caption: The quick response menu in the Alibaba messenger.
These response templates also give a good idea of the general process for finding a supplier on Alibaba. The process went as follows for me:
Send out an RFQ (check my previous entry where I talk all about this).
Receive preliminary quotes (these are a very rough estimate, usually only meant to compare magnitude).
Send suppliers you are interested in a hello message in messenger along with required documents (sign an NDA if you are worried about IP protection).
Answer some general questions they might have for you.
Send suppliers a thank-you message and wait for their formal quotation.
Compare the quotes you receive between suppliers as well as looking at their metrics to decide which ones to move forward with.
There are several metrics that are provided by Alibaba for buyers to evaluate suppliers, including a star rating, years on the platform, a “Verified” stamp (do not work with a supplier who does not have this!), etc. But I evaluated my suppliers on a few more subjective aspects:
Year established
Factory scale and legitimacy based on photos, videos, and sometimes VR
Certifications and qualifications such as ISO9001, RoHS, CE, etc.
Service equipment, setups, and machines
Past projects
Reviews
General responsiveness and attitude from the sales representatives that you are messaging
Having narrowed my list of suppliers down, it is now just a matter of time while I wait for their formal quotations…