4 tips for new purchasers to find suppliers
New purchasers will have many worries and confusion when they just enter the procurement industry, such as being unfamiliar with the company’s processes, how to find suitable suppliers, how to seek suitable products, and how to work more efficiently.
In fact, the key to these problems is that newcomers should position themselves well and add knowledge in time. As a new purchaser, you can pay attention to the following aspects in the process of finding a suitable supplier:
4 tips for new purchasers to find suppliers
1. Learn more
For newcomers who have just stepped into this industry, because there is no fixed supplier chain in their hands, all the jobs are difficult to develop. It is often impossible to know the base price of the other party during the first cooperation, so you can only shop around based on my understanding.
When we encounter things we don’t understand, we should communicate with suppliers, and learn more about the specific process and industry knowledge of the product. What’s more, we should also summarize more and formulate a reasonable and feasible plan. Especially when there are a lot of purchases, we must have a plan and prioritize.
In addition to direct communication with suppliers, we also need to understand the actual situation from indirect sources, learn as much as possible about our target suppliers, and look at problems from multiple angles. At work, we inevitably must communicate with sales. It is recommended that you do things while making friends, so that you can have a long-term and stable supply of resources.
4 tips for new purchasers to find suppliers
2. Communicate more
When a newcomer first enters the industry, it is unlikely to find a suitable supplier quickly. The process of finding new suppliers is extremely laborious, time-consuming, and laborious. Please note that the cost of communication is also included in the total cost and should not be underestimated.
Some sales staff are not positive, and they are lazy in solving problems, which may become hidden dangers in supply and after-sales. Therefore, while looking for suitable products, we must also pay attention to reviewing and evaluating supporting business personnel.
Finding suitable new suppliers is laborious work and process. After the initial selection, we have to spend our time developing feelings and leave the professional impression on the other side. We must also avoid the other party’s doubts about our professionalism, which may cause miscommunication.
4 tips for new purchasers to find suppliers
3. Do not seek the best, but seek the right
There is no best supplier in the world, only the best supplier for your company!
New purchasers must not only be very familiar with the specific conditions of their own factories but also work hard to spend time in learning the quality and prices of the required manufacturers. For example, look at the year they entered the industry and their main customers, or if possible, you can go to their company for an actual inspection and see their production capacity.
We must learn to identify knockoff suppliers. Although their prices may be low, they cannot guarantee quality and stable supply. Once ignored, there will be big hidden dangers. Therefore, shop around, actively contact, communicate frequently, and run in more frequently, so that you can find the “best supplier”!
4 tips for new purchasers to find suppliers
4. Use the power of the network
For purchasers, it is essential to understand the performance and market price of the products. As the saying goes, a worker must first sharpen his tools if he wants to do well. The Internet is the best way to learn product performance and price.
Before starting to search online, it is recommended that you first understand the performance and approximate market price of the products you need to purchase. When you have a certain understanding of the producst, the supplier will not dare to make random quotations.
The specific steps are as follows:
- Use online search engines, industry portals, B2B, etc. to search for suppliers and retrieve factories or trading companies that roughly match the purchasing conditions.
- Check the supplier’s website introduction, business license and other information through government websites such as the Administration for Industry and Commerce, conduct preliminary communication and inquiry.
- Through further communication with the sales of the target suppliers, testing the sales’ attitude and reduce the list of suppliers according to it.
- Through professional portal websites, such as Verifyfull, query various company information, evaluate the strength and scale of suppliers and select suitable suppliers.
- If the amount is large, you can also go to the factory to investigate the required samples on the spot, assess the qualification of the supplier, and finally determine the supplier.
V. Summary
Whether it is a new purchaser or a veteran purchaser, the first problem we encounter is how to build our own supplier base. As a purchaser, in addition to waiting for the salesman, we should also take the initiative to find and establish our own supplier group to maintain a long-term stable procurement supply business chain.
In fact, it does not matter whether the supplier is a manufacturer, distributor, trader or agent. The most important thing is whether the supplier can provide the company with suitable products and after-sales service. Therefore, the goal should be positioned as to find a trustworthy supplier to achieve the goal of purchasing high quality and low prices.
