Sending an RFQ takes time. You need to prepare product details, compare replies, follow up on gaps, and decide which suppliers deserve a sample order. Do not spend that effort on every company that sends you a catalogue.
A few useful questions before the quote stage can show whether a supplier is a realistic fit for your product, order size, and target market. The goal is not to interrogate a sales representative. It is to find out whether the supplier understands the product, can make it consistently, and can give you information you can verify.
Ask what the supplier actually does
Start with the basic question: are you speaking to a factory, a trading company, or a business that combines both roles?
There is nothing automatically wrong with a trading company. It may offer product breadth, better English-language support, shipment coordination, or access to several factories. A factory may have deeper control over a specialized process. What matters is knowing who will make the product and who will manage quality.
Ask these questions early:
- Which part of the product do you make in-house?
- Which components or processes are subcontracted?
- Where is the production site?
- What are your main product lines?
- What production process do you use for this item?
- Can you share recent photos or video of the relevant production area?
A supplier’s stated business type is less useful than a clear explanation of its role. Supplier-screening guidance recommends checking whether claims about staff, export capability, product focus, and production setup match the information found elsewhere. [1]
Ask whether your product fits the supplier’s normal work
A supplier may be legitimate and still be a poor fit for your order.
Ask whether it has made a comparable product before. If it has, ask what was similar: the material, manufacturing process, dimensions, packaging, or destination market. Do not ask the supplier to reveal another customer’s confidential designs. Ask for relevant experience and general capability.
You also need to know how important your product category is to the supplier. A factory might show you one item that resembles yours while most of its equipment and staff are dedicated to something else. That can affect attention, lead time, technical knowledge, and its ability to solve problems during production.
Useful questions include:
- Have you made a comparable item using this material or process?
- Which markets do you currently supply?
- What is the usual order quantity for this product type?
- Which details are likely to affect MOQ or price?
- What is the normal sample process for a product like this?
- What technical questions do you need answered before quoting?
A capable supplier often asks sensible questions back. If a supplier can quote a detailed custom product in minutes without asking about material, dimensions, packaging, or quantity, treat that price as an early estimate, not a final decision.
Ask about capacity and timing before you need it
Buyers often ask about price first and lead time later. Both matter, but a low price does not help if the supplier cannot make the order within your required window.
Ask how the supplier plans production, what its current capacity looks like, and how it handles busy periods. You are not looking for a perfect promise. You are looking for a clear explanation of how the supplier thinks about the work.
Ask:
- What is your sample lead time for this product?
- What is your normal production lead time after sample approval?
- What could cause that lead time to change?
- How do you handle a rush order or a production delay?
- Can you manage the requested quantity without outsourcing a key step?
- Who will be the main production contact after the order is placed?
Factory size alone does not answer these questions. A smaller specialist may be a good fit for a limited custom run. A larger factory may be more suitable for volume and repeat orders. The key is whether its capacity matches your requirement.
Ask for the commercial facts before comparing price
Before you request a formal quote, confirm that you and the supplier are working with the same basic commercial assumptions.
Ask about MOQ, sample fees, payment terms, factory location, shipping-ready port, and how the supplier handles packaging. Ask whether the supplier can quote under the terms you expect, such as EXW, FOB, or another agreed shipping term. Do not assume that a supplier’s displayed product price includes your requested packaging, labels, tooling, or export service.
Sourcing guidance commonly lists MOQ, lead time, payment terms, sample availability, factory location, and customer-market experience as practical supplier questions. [2]
You can also ask what the supplier needs from you before it can make a reliable quote. A good answer may include a product specification, drawings, quantity, packaging details, destination market, and target delivery date. That tells you the supplier is thinking beyond a catalogue listing.
Ask how the supplier manages quality
You do not need a full factory audit before every quote. You do need to understand how the supplier describes its own quality controls.
Ask what checks happen before shipment, who performs them, and how the supplier handles a defect found during production. If the supplier claims to hold a certificate, ask for the current document and check that the company name, scope, and dates make sense. A certificate is one piece of evidence, not a substitute for product-specific review.
Ask:
- What quality checks do you run on this product?
- Can you work from an approved sample and a written defect list?
- How do you record material or component changes?
- What happens if an inspection finds repeated defects?
- Can you provide relevant product or material documentation?
Do not make promises to your customers based on a supplier’s first answer. Product testing and compliance requirements vary by product and destination market. Use the supplier’s reply to identify what you need to verify next.
Ask for evidence, then cross-check it
A supplier’s answers are the start of due diligence, not the end.
Ask for the legal company name, business license, address, and the name that will appear on the invoice and bank account. Check whether they are consistent. If a supplier changes bank details later, verify the change through a separate trusted channel before sending a payment.
You can also compare the supplier’s product claims, location, product focus, and export experience against public listings, its own website, documents, and a phone or video call. The aim is not to catch every possible issue through one conversation. It is to spot contradictions before you invest in samples or deposits.
Use one screening sheet for every supplier
Keep the answers in a simple table. This prevents a polished message from outweighing an incomplete response.
| Area | Question | Supplier answer | Follow-up needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product fit | Have you made a comparable product? | ||
| Production | What is made in-house? | ||
| Capacity | What are the sample and production lead times? | ||
| Commercial terms | What are MOQ, payment terms, and quote assumptions? | ||
| Quality | How will the product be checked? | ||
| Evidence | Can company and document details be verified? |
Once you have screened the candidates, send your detailed RFQ only to the suppliers that still make sense. Sourcing All’s guide on RFQ versus RFP for product sourcing can help you decide what type of request to send next.
References
[1] QualityInspection.org, “What Questions to Ask Before Visiting a Chinese Supplier”
[2] Sino Shipping, “The Top 10 Questions You Should Ask Your Suppliers in China”