Five habits that make working with Chinese suppliers easier

When working with a Chinese supplier, most time is lost not in price negotiation but in day-to-day communication. The habits below speed up the process and reduce the disputes that surface later.

1. Leave price until last

When price is asked in the first message, the other side quotes a figure assuming the most favourable conditions. Every later request — a smaller batch, better packaging, a shorter lead time — then becomes grounds to raise it. Settle the product and conditions first, and ask for price after that.

2. Close every round with a short summary

At the end of a discussion, summarise the agreed points in a numbered message and ask for confirmation. This clarifies matters for the other side and builds the skeleton of what will later become the contract.

3. Keep critical points in writing

Voice messages are quick but cannot be searched or quoted later. Discussing price, dates and technical detail in writing proves decisive when the record is needed months afterwards.

4. Clarify what “yes” means

A positive answer sometimes means “we accept” and sometimes only “it is technically possible”. For requests that affect price or lead time, ask which one it is, together with the cost.

5. Designate a single contact

Different people writing about different matters creates confusion on the other side. A single point of contact improves both speed and consistency.

These habits can be applied in-house. Where correspondence volume is high, communication management can be brought into the consultancy scope in full.