How to Contact Chinese Manufacturers?

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

So here is the question – how to contact Chinese manufacturers? In case you are looking for Chinese manufacturers either on Alibaba or any other site of your choice, you are free to negotiate with them via these websites.

However, if you are not signing up for these platforms, you might consider implementing the following recommended methods as discussed in this article.

Sourcing Methods for Finding Manufacturers in China

1. Online Platforms:

• B2B Marketplaces: Some of the websites that bring together the buyers and manufacturers are Alibaba, Global Sources as well as Made-in-China. Such sites enable you to search for goods, reach their manufacturers and sellers, and evaluate costs. Other relatively new sites-including 1688.com, which is exclusively targeted to domestic Chinese buyers-are also used to source small volumes cheaply.
• Trade Associations: The Chamber of Commerce and industry-specific associations will maintain manufacturers’ directories with some degree of increased specialization or niche focus. A few of these associations also have certification programs that help to confirm the authenticity of manufacturers so that they can be more trustworthy.
• Supplier Directories & Reviews: Platforms such as Trustpilot or Supplier Blacklist provide feedback and reviews of the manufacturers allowing them to discard unreliable suppliers before contacting them.

2. Offline Methods:

• Trade Shows: Trade fairs such as the Canton Fair or the Global Sources Expo enable one to visit manufacturers with the firms’ products, establish direct contact with the Chinese manufacturers, and negotiate business propositions. These are also good platforms to interact with other international students as well as identify up-and-coming trends in the market.
• Sourcing Agents: China sourcing agents are professionals who are capable of searching for suppliers, conducting negotiations signing contracts, and performing other logistics services. Secondly, actual agents have a thorough and thorough understanding of the region they are working in and may have access to suppliers that are not posted on the Internet.
• Factory Visits: Arranging factory audits or athleisure in person may help you get an accurate idea of the manufacturer’s potential and its ability to provide high quality. This step however may prove crucial in large or long-term projects where such breakdown can be crucial.
• Recommendations: It is always reliable to seek recommendations from friends and other contacts in your network who can recommend manufacturers that they know are professional. To get recommendations like these, one can use business networks or forums that focus on the specific industry.

How to Contact Chinese Manufacturers Effectively?

Contacting Chinese manufacturers can be intimidating for some beginners, but there are effective ways to do it. Here are some tips:

1. Email: The Traditional Way

This is the most popular means of reaching Chinese manufacturers and it involves the use of email. This is a conventional style of business writing as it grants the business a proper structure through which it communicates its needs.

When composing an email to a potential supplier, keep the following tips in mind:

• Clear and Concise Language: Use simple, clear language. Do not use many connected unrelated phrases or sentence structures that may not easily be understood by persons with poor English.
• Detailed Information: Give as much information as possible about the requirements you wish your work partners to meet, the standards, the quantities, and the time frame. This makes the manufacturers to be in a position to understand your needs in a better way.
• Cultural Sensitivity: It is important to respect cultural diversity. For example, it is unheard of in China business etiquette to write a business email without a courteous salutation and some casual conversation before getting to the main topic of discussion.
• Follow-Up: In case you haven’t received a reply within a reasonable period, then you should follow up on the email. Once in a while, an email can be ignored or fall into the spam folder of the recipient’s inbox.
• Professional Tone: The ideal nature of your conversation with any of the members of your intended audience should therefore remain professional at all times. This in turn assists in developing a polite and professional business relationship.
• Contact Information: It is ok to include your contact information in the email signature. This should consist of your first and last name, your designation, your company’s name, telephone number, and any other means of contacting you amongst other things.
• Spam and Email Filters: Remember, your email may well go straight into the manufacturer’s spam box. To reduce this risk, it is strongly advised to limit the use of hyperlinks and avoid spammy-sounding subject lines.

2. WeChat: What Is WeChat?

WeChat also referred to as Weixin is a social media and instant messaging app from Tencent in China. As it has over one billion unique active users monthly it has become almost a necessity in the people’s lives in China.

Here’s an overview of its key features and functions:

• Messaging: Simply put, WeChat is an instant messaging app similar to WhatsApp, through which users can text messages, record voice messages, and send videos, and images. It allows for both instant messaging between the two individuals and group chat.
• Mobile Payment:  Perhaps the most valuable addition to WeChat is WeChat Pay, which is associated with the functionality of a payment system. It can be used for making a mobile payment, as well as sending money to friends; it is used in China for executing transactions between individuals and companies of various sizes both in offline and online modes.
• Video Calls and Conferencing: WeChat also offers voice and video calls, and group video calls for even several individuals are possible to be connected this serves the purpose of social and business communications.
• Privacy and Security: WeChat has end-to-end encrypted messaging; however, like any other online platform based in China, its messages can be obtained and monitored under certain legal procedures.

Consider using WeChat to contact Chinese suppliers

1. China’s most popular messaging app is WeChat
2. Ease of Use
3. Multimedia Communication
4. Building Relationships
5. Payment Convenience

WeChat had one billion monthly active users by 2016 and in 2019 the number had risen to over one billion. According to the data obtained to the beginning of the year 2022, WeChat has over 1.2 billion users. WeChat payment started operating in 2013, the following year WeChat claimed to have registered 400 million users out of which 90% were Chinese. WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger had approximately one billion MAU in 2016 and, while they are often compared to WeChat, they could not provide most of the other services. For instance, while social media advertising realization in the quarter ending June 2017 in WeChat was about 0.9 Billion US Dollar (RMB 6 Billion), Facebook overall figures were about 9.3 Billion US Dollar that was driven by about 98% of social media advertising only. Value-added service was the chief source of WeChat’s revenues, realizing 5.5 billion US dollars.

From：Wikipedia

You can choose the WeChat download method here: Download WeChat

3. VooV Meeting: Taking Communication Further

Sometimes face-to-face interaction is necessary to contact Chinese manufacturers. This is where VooV Meeting (Tencent Meetings) steps in – an enterprise-level video conferencing software that comes from Tencent. Here are reasons it can facilitate effective communication:

• Widespread Use in China: China is home to Tencent Meetings which makes it entrepreneurially established and most Chinese manufacturers have experience with it.
• Cost-Effective: The technology provides an efficient means of real-time physical meetings without having to traverse international borders.
• Real-Time Communication: It can include voice and video chat, which may be much more efficient than regular e-mail or still Instant Messaging when it comes to product and service details, for instance.
• Visual Demonstrations: Screen and video calls can be convenient in presenting the product, designs, manufacturing process, etc., which can be very useful if quality control and checks are needed.
• Document Sharing: Tencent Meetings has the option of sharing documents within the meeting so that attendees can review and discuss during the meeting as it is much faster than email exchanges.
• Meeting Recording: It is possible to record meetings with a view of providing easy referencing to ensure that details, as presented in the meetings, are not lost and can be relayed to other members of the team who did not attend the meeting.
• Security and Privacy: This is crucial in a business setting when business information to be discussed is sensitive in Tencent Meetings.

4. Another way: China sourcing agent

Owlsourcing has a deep understanding of the Chinese market and maintains long-term contacts with manufacturers there.

Owlsourcing focuses on product quality inspection, negotiation strategies, and identifying potential risks in the procurement process.

From finding a manufacturer in China to connecting with them, from quality checks to shipping your product directly from China, Owlsourcing also offers after-sales support, providing comprehensive services for your international sourcing business.

How can I use WeChat to communicate with Chinese suppliers?

In the following section, I would like to introduce how WeChat can help improve your communications with Chinese suppliers in many ways. Here’s how you can leverage this platform effectively:

1. Create a WeChat Account: The first thing would be to go to the WeChat application store and download the app, followed by registration. First, make sure you do not have any fake name on your profile while having a clear picture of yourself.
2. Connect with Suppliers:  On WeChat, there are three ways to Contact – invite the supplier by QR code, search the WeChat ID, or get the contact through Friends. Many of the exhibitions and business cards have a QR code for WeChat.
3. Initial Contact:  When starting a new conversation with a supplier make sure to state your name, company name, and reasons for communicating with him/ her professionally. One should be polite and to the point.
4. Share and Receive Information: Take screenshots or record videos of your requirements or use a WeChat camera to record voice messages to simplify and make your demands clear, or to learn more about the supplier’s offering. This can be more efficient than emails which can take hours and hours to write and to respond to.
5. Building Relationships: Chinese business culture values personal relationships. Engage in small talk and show interest in their culture to build rapport.
6. WeChat Groups: Another way of using WeChat for B2B marketing is by being a member or starting a WeChat group that deals with the industry in question, where people can market and share important information regarding new suppliers.
7. Document Sharing: When sharing contracts, more official documents, or specifics of a product to be developed, attach a file using the WeChat feature but also send an email for documentation purposes.
8. Maintain Professionalism: Although WeChat is less business-like than email, you should be very formal and proper when talking to your clients.

What are the common communication challenges when contacting Chinese manufacturers?

While effective communication is crucial for successful business relationships, there are some common challenges you may encounter when dealing with Chinese manufacturers:

1. Language Barriers

Language differences can pose significant hurdles during communication. Many Chinese suppliers have varying levels of proficiency in English, so it’s essential to keep language barriers in mind and efforts to be clear are required.

2. Cultural Differences

Cultural nuances play a role in business interactions as well. Understanding and respecting cultural differences can help avoid misunderstandings and foster stronger relationships.

3. Negotiation Styles

Different suppliers have different characters. In our sourcing work, we have encountered some Chinese manufacturers who are unwilling to accept others’ opinions about their products. They always think they are right, but in fact, their ideas are not what we want. Yet, they still refuse to communicate.

4. Indirect Communication

In China, a large proportion of Chinese manufacturers are more accustomed to using ambiguous statements in communication, making it difficult for you to guess their thoughts during interactions, and they do not express their opinions and views directly.

Read More:

• What is a Sourcing Agent?
• How to Source Products From China?
• Benefits of Working with China Sourcing Agents
• How to Find a Reliable Manufacturer in China?

Final Thoughts

Contacting Chinese manufacturers may not be an easy task. I hope you can get some help after reading this article. Please remember, that it’s important to be well-prepared before contacting Chinese suppliers and to choose the most appropriate method of communication.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us.