Step 2 of 5 The Supplier Sourcing Playbook
You are about to wire thousands of dollars to someone you have never met
Suppliers price you within the first two messages. Sound like a beginner and you are quoted 20–40% higher before you have negotiated anything — and that is the cheapest thing that can go wrong at this stage.
What getting this wrong costs
20–40%
The premium suppliers quote when your first message tells them you are new
$8k–$15k
Commonly wired overseas before you have seen a finished unit
$300
What a pre-shipment inspection costs, against a full order you cannot sell
Figures are planning estimates for a typical first launch, not predictions for yours.
What this is
The sourcing process written out end to end: what to prepare before you contact anyone, what never to reveal, where to source a first product, the exact outreach and negotiation message scripts, a supplier scoring sheet, the quote maths that works backwards from your retail price, sample evaluation, payment terms, and how to book and read a pre-shipment inspection. These are the steps our own team follows on client launches.
What's inside
- Before you contact anyone The five things to have written down first — product spec, target unit price, real order quantity, packaging requirement and a company email address
- What not to reveal The three sentences that move you from buyer to beginner, and what to say instead
- The scripts Outreach, follow-up, price negotiation and terms — written to be sent as they are
- The supplier scoring sheet How to compare quotes on more than price, and which answers are disqualifying
- The quote maths Working backwards from retail to a landed-cost ceiling and an FOB target you can name in a message
- Samples and the sanity check What to ask for, what to measure, and what to do when samples arrive wrong
- Inspection and QC When to book it, what the brief should say, and what the report has to clear before you pay the balance
- Payment terms and timeline Deposit and balance structure, what is normal, and how long each stage really takes
This is for you if
- Anyone about to place a first overseas order
- Sellers who have had a supplier go quiet, pad a quote, or ship the wrong thing
- People who would rather negotiate from a script than improvise over email
It isn't for you if
- Anyone who has not chosen a product yet — start with the Product Research Vault
- Sellers with established supplier relationships and signed terms
- People looking for a list of pre-vetted suppliers to buy from blind
The Supplier Sourcing Playbook
How to find, vet and negotiate with overseas suppliers without getting burned on your first order: scripts, scoring sheet, quote maths, inspection and payment terms.
- Before you contact anyone
- What not to reveal
- The scripts
- The supplier scoring sheet
- The quote maths
- Samples and the sanity check
- Inspection and QC
- Payment terms and timeline
$79
One payment. Instant access in your portal.
Get the playbook for $79If it is not what this page describes, email us within 14 days for a full refund. One message, no forms.
Questions
Knowing the process and running it at 11pm in a different time zone are different jobs. Sourcing, negotiation and inspection are the stages clients hand to us most often — and they are included when we set the launch up for you.
How the done-for-you service worksIs this enough on its own?
Yes, if you are willing to do the outreach and hold your nerve in negotiation. The scripts, the scoring sheet and the inspection brief are all here. It cannot make the calls for you.
Do I need to speak Mandarin?
No. The scripts are in plain English, which is how export sales teams work.
Which sourcing platform does it use?
Alibaba for a first product, with a note on when 1688 and the alternatives become the better option.
What if my samples arrive wrong?
There is a decision tree for exactly that: what to ask for, when to re-sample and when to walk away.
Can you just set the whole thing up for me?
Yes. Our done-for-you service runs the entire launch — research, sourcing, inspection, freight, listing and the first thirty days of ads — inside your own Amazon account. It is application only and scoped after a call.
What format is it?
A designed PDF you can read on any device, print, or keep open beside your research.
How do I get it after paying?
You go straight into your portal and the PDF is there to download. Four short questions personalise the portal first.
What's the refund policy?
If it isn't what this page describes, email us within 14 days for a full refund.
You are about to wire thousands of dollars to someone you have never met
The Supplier Sourcing Playbook, $79, one payment.