‘Hands-On’ Or ‘Hands-Off’ Buyer? - Sourcing from China (Part 6)

In this episode...

Many importers are new to sourcing from China so we've been creating a mini-series of episodes that explores the sourcing process with advice and best practices from Sofeast's CEO Renaud Anjoran.

In this series of episodes, we’re exploring how to do your own sourcing from China, from finding suppliers for your products to getting them made.

We’ve moved onto soft skills, and last time in episode 92 we spoke about building rapport with your suppliers. Now, we’re going to look at how closely to follow production - either closely as a hands-on buyer, or with more distance as a hands-off buyer. Either approach might benefit you, but it depends on a number of factors, such as product type, the volume of SKUs being purchased, whether or not you're developing a new product from scratch, and more.

Listen and decide if you'd be better served by being more hands-on or hands-off.

Show Sections

00:00 - Greetings & quick mention of Covid in China

01:42 - Introducing the topic: How closely to follow production?

02:41 - What is a hands-off buyer?

08:33 - Buyers who should be more hands-on, but aren't, and the risks they face

11:29 - What is the typical sourcing process for hands-off buyers?

17:59 - What is a hands-on buyer?

23:32 - Benefits of being hands-on.

30:06 - Is there a risk of the supplier taking advantage of long-term customers who're reliant on them?

35:10 - Wrapping up. 

Related content...

• Part 1: Good Fit, Sourcing, Vetting, & Backups [Podcast]
• Part 2: Negotiations, Terms, Leverage, & Quality Standards [Podcast]
• Part 3: Project Management & Checking Quality Early [Podcast]
• Part 4: Final Inspections [Podcast]
• Part 5: Building Rapport [Podcast]
• New Importer from China? Beware the Credulous Foreigner Syndrome!

These resources will also help you understand how to build relationships with suppliers or improve (or end) those that you already have:

• Get help to find a good manufacturer in China with this free eBook
• When a relationship turns sour with a Chinese supplier

And, if all else fails and you need to ditch your current supplier and switch to a new one...

• How To Switch To A Newer, Better Chinese Manufacturer? [eBook]

 

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