Being knowledgeable about your product is a must when souring for factories in China.

Prepare and don’t negotiate empty-handed.

If you talk to the supplier and you don’t know anything, you might sound inexperience and supplier can take advantage of you, and give you a higher price.

So before going to a supplier, it is best do to do your research.

As they say, “knowledge is power”. Gather information and understand the details about your product which you can be used for negotiation with the supplier.

Some of the important details that you can check are the following:

• Materials

• Process

• Technology

• Testing Requirements

• Available Customizations for color, print, size, etc.

Knowing the listed details will help you understand the limitations and potential of how you can make your product more cost-efficient. Spend some time to do research on alternative materials or process as well, in case your main option is not available.

There are different techniques to make a product and it is important for you to at least learn the basics to be able to talk to the supplier in the same language.

Suppliers appreciate customers who are professional in their field. They would most likely want to share more information with you if you know what they are talking about.

Being knowledgeable about your product will also help you solve problems with suppliers later on during production. So take this tip as a good investment for long-term.