[ULTIMATE GUIDE] Winning Tactics For Finding Manufacturing Companies 3/3 [HOW TO REACH OUT]

In this article, we will guide you on how to effectively reach out to suppliers and ask the right questions to secure the best deals. By following this guide, you'll gain the confidence to successfully connect with potential suppliers on your list. We understand that reaching out to suppliers can be intimidating for many people, but fear not! Based on our experience working with numerous owners and individuals, we know that the prospect of discussing potential products can be overwhelming.

However, it's important to remember that when you reach out to suppliers, they are simply salespeople. Their role is to sell and assist you. If they are skilled at their job, they will go above and beyond to provide you with the information you need and even offer valuable tips to help you sell your products. So, please don't feel unworthy or intimidated when communicating with suppliers. They are there to support you.

The perception of talking to suppliers as if they were authoritative figures is common, but it's crucial to recognize that they are eager to help you succeed. Instead of being fearful or nervous, take a deep breath, pick up the phone, and start making those calls. You'll soon discover that suppliers are more than willing to engage in fruitful conversations, provide the information you seek, and assist you throughout the process. So, let go of any apprehensions and embrace the opportunity to connect with suppliers who can help your business thrive.

What to do if you have to leave a voicemail?

You know what, in a lot of cases you have to leave a voicemail you and here is what you want to say, literally word by word:

“Hi, my name is [your name], and I am interested in private labeling your [the name of the product that you want to manufacture]. I have looked at your website and I have a few questions which I would like to discuss with you over the phone. I am interested in moving forward quickly, so I would appreciate a call back at your earliest convenience. You can reach me at [your phone]. That number again is, [your phone]. Thank you and I look forward to speaking with you soon.”

By leaving a pleasant and concise message clearly expressing your desire to speak with them over the phone, the suppliers will be more likely to return your call. It's important to keep your message simple and straightforward. Take a moment to jot down the key points you want to convey in order to ensure your message accurately reflects your intentions.

If/When they pick up the phone:

Here is what you want to say when someone just picks up the phone:

“Hi, my name is [your name], how are you today? [WAIT FOR ANSWER]. Excellent, I am interested in private labeling your mineral makeup [or any other product]. I found some information on your website, but I have some additional questions.”

If a receptionists pick up the phone:

Sometimes a receptionist will pick up, and if they do, then you will have to ask for to the person who actually can help you.

You can say something like:

“Hey! I would like to discuss private labeling your product. Could you please let me know who the right person to speak to would be?”

Once you actually do get on the phone with the right person, this is when we bring on the questions! The questions that you are about to see listed below are gathered from the top e-commerce specialists in the world. If they already have answered some of the questions on the website you might ask them just to check out if they are correct. Moreover, if you want to make great deals with the suppliers then you inevitably should ask all of them.

Let's run through what are the best main questions.

#1: “Do you handle the labeling and packaging as part of your service? If so, are there additional costs for these services or are they included in the unit prices?”

You want to know is the product going to be sold to you in 5-gallon bucket so you have to bottle it up and package it yourself or if they offer that. Because frankly, you do not want to add a complexity of having to do the bottling and labeling and stuff like that by yourself to start. You want to make sure that you can find the best provider for the first batch of products. And by the way, many of them will actually do the graphic work for labels and the boxes (if you want boxes).

#2: “We have our own graphics design team, so I will just need the tube and label specifications and sample artwork. Are you able to provide this?”

The reason for this is that you really want to your own unique artwork and hire a team or a freelancer to do the artwork for you. Just make sure that you do the branding side for this, so you do not want them to do your artwork. Make sure that you can get those labels specifications for your initial product so that you can just send it to a designer to do the design for you.

#3: "What kind of labels can you print on, do you do printing in house? If so what are the added costs?"

If the supplier informs you that your labels need to be printed by a label supplier, there are a few steps you'll need to follow. First, you'll take the artwork provided by the supplier and determine the type of labels required. Once you have this information, you can begin searching for a suitable label supplier.

Keep in mind that your supplier may not handle label printing in-house. If this is the case, they will provide you with the necessary specifications, and you will need to arrange for your own labels to be printed. However, if your supplier does offer in-house label printing, it's important to inquire about the associated cost. This is why it's crucial to ask these specific questions to ensure a smooth label printing process.

#4: “Once we provide the design, can you review our label design to confirm it meets FDA and other regulatory guidelines?”

It is essential to inquire about label compliance with your supplier or manufacturer, especially for topical or ingestible goods and other regulated products. They should be knowledgeable about the specific requirements and certifications necessary to ensure the legality of the label. By asking them to verify the label content, you shift the responsibility of validating its legality and compliance onto them as the manufacturer. Reputable manufacturers will undertake this verification process to ensure the label aligns with the necessary regulations for the product type they are manufacturing.

#5: "Do you offer multiple packaging options and sizes?"

The reason you ask this is because maybe you want to sell different sizes and options of your products and most suppliers will have both options. However, some suppliers might only have one size or one package option for the products that you are trying to sell. If you come down to two suppliers and one of them has more options you probably want to go to with the one who has more options because it gives you more freedom and flexibility for you to grow. Now if they do not and you can only find one supplier, and they only have one size for whatever the thing you are selling is, you definitely want to know that upfront.

#6: "What is your usual lead time for a first order assuming everything goes without a hitch?"

The reason you want to know this is because if one guy says that is going to take them a three months to produce your product and the next guy say that it is going to take them 3 weeks then you should probably want to go with the supplier who is going to take three weeks to produce your products. You want your product to be produced quicker in all possible ways.

#7: "What is your usual lead time for subsequent shipping orders?"

So after you have produced the product once and you have got all of the work and all the labels and everything, then how long does it take them to produce the new batch of products for every consecutive time?

The producing time will definitely be shorter that the second time around. The first order will be the hardest, and then it should be somewhat shorter for the second one.

#8 "What is your monthly fulfillment capacity?"

This is an excellent question because it positions you in their minds as a big buyer. A buyer with a high number of units per month. That question let them know that you are serious and prepares them for the next question.

#9: "We are currently not selling products in this category, so we are looking to run a quick market test. What is your minimum order quantity to help us proceed with our market tests?"

Do you see how you are going to position your desire for a small order quantity in a way that doesn't make it seem like you are inexperienced and you can not afford more? You make it look like a tactical business decision rather than a cash flow issue. Also, you may have realized that we have not mentioned anything about cash yet and you have not asked the supplier about it. This is on purpose. You do not want to make the conversation about prices at this time. First, you want to know what is their max, what they can handle and what is their minimum order quantity (MOQ).

#10 "What is the price per unit at the [minimum order quantity they give you] and what are the subsequent volume prices?"

You should try to get prices for 100 units, 250 units, 500 units, 1000 units, 2500 units and 5000 units. Moreover, sometimes they will not have this information handy, so they might have to get back to you later, and that is fine. However, asking about these quantities also helps them realize that you are a serious buyer. That's why you want to know what that price brake down is. For example, you can buy your first 1000 units for your launch. However, if the thing are going well, then you would probably want to buy 5,000 or 10,000 units. You never know.

#11: Do you have a product sheet or other marketing materials that I can get detailed products information from?

This is an excellent question as it provides valuable insights into the product and its selling points. These insights can be utilized in your copy when describing the product on your online store, allowing you to become more familiar with it. It's beneficial to inquire whether they have marketing materials available, even though it's possible that they may not. By asking, you leave room for the possibility of accessing additional resources that can enhance your understanding and promotion of the product.

#12: "Do you sell this product under your own brand? If so where can I see it?"

Now you should not care if they are selling it in on their own (of course do not tell them). The real reason why you want to found about it is because you want to see how they are actually marketing the product. You want to see how they are using the product information in their detail page when they are selling it. You just want to get marketing ideas from them. You do not need to care if they are selling on their online store or anywhere else. It does not matter in which platform they are selling it. It also doesn’t matter if they are selling it super cheap or super expensive. You should not compete for prices; you should be competing with better marketing and better promise. You should not even care if they are selling it all at all. You just need to get some information to look at, so that is why you ask them this question.

#13: “I would like to get a sample. Can you ship it right away for second-day delivery? I do not mind paying for the shipping costs if you would like. I would like the product labeled with your brand if you have one, or at least a sample label so I can get an idea of your label printing quality.”

You ask this question if they are doing the label printing by themselves. It is usually going to cost you around 20 bucks for the shipping alone if you want it fast but that is ok. You just want to keep things moving at fast pace. You want to get them to know that you are serious. So that is why tell them to ship you that stuff straight away so that you can get the sense of their product. Moreover, this also reveals if they are at the top of their game. If they cannot ship their products right away, maybe they're not the best supplier.

#14 "What is the next step to get going on our initial order if we decide to move forward with your company?"

They are probably going to send you some intake form, or they will probably have some questions for you or any formation you need to fill out. That's why you want to know what that step is. If you like the sample they have sent and you want to move forward, then you want to have all information handy and ready, so you just get it on your first phone call.

#15 "Is there anything else that I should know about the product of your company that I have not asked and that you think I should be aware?"

Most of the time, the suppliers will likely respond with a "No" to this question because you have already covered a lot of information. In fact, you may be the most thorough and inquisitive person they have encountered today. However, it's still important to ask this question to ensure you haven't overlooked any crucial details.

With that, we've gone through all the necessary questions you need to ask suppliers before making a decision.

Now here's a rule of thumb to remember: the rule of three. After asking these questions to a few suppliers, you will begin to see the pros and cons of each based on their responses and other factors. Even if you think the first supplier you spoke to is fantastic, it's important to speak with at least three different suppliers. This way, when you start out, you'll have a basis for comparison. As you gain more experience, talking to a single supplier might be sufficient. However, in the beginning, aim to speak with at least two to three suppliers to gather different perspectives and make informed comparisons.

When engaging with suppliers, remember to maintain a conversational tone. Avoid being robotic or aggressive. Building a relationship is key, and that's why you're reaching out to them over the phone – to establish a connection. While email communication is possible if necessary, it's highly recommended to speak with them directly over the phone to foster a stronger rapport.

Over the phone, you are going to get better deals and better insights, and you are going to know someone in the company, and that relationship is very important for you. So now you might think why you should go through all of these three phases. Why should you go to Google and then narrow it down and then why you should reach out?

Here's why: If you try to sequentially examine each potential supplier and thoroughly evaluate them one by one instead of compiling a comprehensive list, you may exhaust yourself. To avoid burnout, it's best to approach the process in phases.

Here's what you should do: (1) Create a broad list of potential suppliers, (2) Narrow down the list based on specific criteria, and (3) Reach out to the selected suppliers. This approach allows you to progress more efficiently compared to evaluating suppliers individually. By following these steps, you'll be able to quickly identify and connect with the best manufacturers and suppliers worldwide.

All steps again are:

‍1- Go to Google and research 30 to 50 potential suppliers. In this step just make a list of their websites. Moreover, you can do that real fast as I am showing you here: [ULTIMATE GUIDE] Winning Tactics For Finding Manufacturing Companies 1/3

2 - And then you can go back and spend a couple of hours to just kind of narrowing down your list of results to 5 or 10 people as I am showing you here: [ULTIMATE GUIDE] Winning Tactics For Finding Manufacturing Companies 2/3

3 - And then you can start reaching out as I am showing you in this article.

Apparently, it is much better to do it in phases because it is actually easier to get the whole project done in that way, rather than just spending all your time on one person. This is how you find your suppliers and then reaching out to them step-by-step. Hope it was valuable to you and now it is your turn to find your best suppliers.