A useful request for quotation gives a supplier enough information to price the product you need and explain any assumptions. It also gives you a consistent basis for comparing the replies.
Sending a product photograph with “What is your best price?” can be useful for an initial conversation. It is rarely enough for an order decision. The next step is a short, organized sourcing brief.
Explain the product and its intended use
Start with a plain description of the item, the customer or use case, and the features that matter. Add drawings, reference images or dimensions where they help.
Distinguish between requirements and preferences. For example, the external dimensions may be fixed because the item must fit an existing package, while the surface finish may still be open to supplier suggestions.
If you refer to an existing product, specify what the reference is meant to illustrate. A picture might communicate a general shape without establishing the material, construction or performance you require.
Give the quotation a quantity basis
State the initial order quantity you want priced and ask for the minimum order. If alternatives would help your planning, request a small number of clearly defined quantity breaks.
Do not present an uncertain future volume as a committed purchase. You can explain that additional orders depend on the initial result while still asking how pricing changes at higher quantities.
Where several colors or sizes are involved, ask whether the minimum applies to the total order or to each variation. That distinction can materially change the order you are considering.
Describe the packaging
Identify what should be included: individual packaging, inserts, labels, outer cartons or other known requirements. If the design is not ready, explain what is undecided and ask the supplier to state the allowance used in the quotation.
A supplier might otherwise quote the product alone, while you assume it is ready for a warehouse or marketplace delivery. Resolve that difference in the written response rather than discovering it after approving the price.
Ask suppliers to expose assumptions
A concise response format is easier to compare than a free-form sales message. Ask the supplier to provide:
- Specification or model quoted, with exceptions listed.
- Unit price, currency and quantity basis.
- Minimum order and variation requirements.
- Sample cost, sample timing and delivery arrangements.
- Tooling or setup costs, if applicable.
- Packaging included and separately charged items.
- Production lead time and when that clock starts.
- Proposed payment and delivery terms.
- Quotation validity and unresolved questions.
The Australian Government’s guidance on preparing quotes is written from the supplier’s perspective, but its emphasis on clear scope and written details is useful when designing the response you request.
Keep the first request readable
Use a brief introduction, a specification section and a quotation response section. Number attachments and give the brief a version or date. Put commercially important questions in the message, rather than hiding them inside a long attachment.
An illustrative opening could be:
Please quote the attached product specification, revision 1, for an initial order of 1,000 units. Identify any differences between your proposed product and the specification. Show sample, packaging and tooling charges separately, and state your production lead time and delivery terms.
This is example wording, not a finished purchase specification. The product requirements still need to be completed for the actual item.
Review the reply before negotiating
First check whether the supplier answered the request. Ask about omissions and substitutions before pushing for a lower price. A cheaper quote for a different specification does not solve the original requirement.
The International Trade Administration’s quotation guidance describes a quotation as including the product, price, shipment timing, sale terms and payment terms. Use that as a basic completeness check, then add the requirements specific to your product.
Next, compare the quotations on a common basis. If the brief or responses need work, supplier sourcing and quotation evaluation can help organize the next step.