A useful sourcing-agent brief tells the recipient what the product is, how many you may need, where it is going, what information or samples you already have and what help you are asking for. It should also say which details are still undecided. Send the same clear request to every agent whose response you want to compare.
Last reviewed: 2026-09-28
“I need this product at the best price” is not enough for a useful reply. One person may think you only want supplier names. Another may assume you also want help with samples, packaging, order follow-up or shipping. Their quotations would describe different work.
Your first message does not need to make the project look finished. It needs to help the recipient understand where you are now, what you already have and what you want to happen next.
What to Tell a China Sourcing Agent in Your First Message
Start with six things:
- The product and its use. Describe the item in ordinary language and explain what it is meant to do.
- What you already have. Say whether you have only an idea, a product link, written requirements, a drawing, a reference sample, supplier replies or quotations.
- The quantity. Give the first quantity you want discussed. If it is not decided, give an honest range and explain what may change it.
- The destination. Name the destination country and, if it matters to the request, the city or China handoff point.
- Where the project stands. Explain whether you are looking for suppliers, comparing quotations, reviewing a sample, preparing an order or solving a problem with an existing supplier.
- The help you want now. Ask for a specific next task rather than using a broad phrase such as “full service.”
For example, “I have three supplier quotations and want help identifying differences in material, packaging and included costs” is clearer than “Please handle sourcing.”
If an important detail is not decided, say so in a sentence. “I have not chosen the packaging yet; please explain which packaging questions must be answered before suppliers can quote it” is more useful than a guessed answer or the single word “Unknown.”
Copy-and-Paste China Sourcing Agent Brief
Copy the message below and complete each sentence that applies to your project. Delete lines that do not apply. Do not send passwords, payment-card details or unrelated personal information.
Subject: Sourcing request for my product
Hello,
I am looking for help with the following product:
The product will be used for:
I currently have the following information or files:
My project is currently at this stage:
The first quantity I want to discuss is:
The product is intended for this country or market:
My current material, size, function and appearance requirements are:
My current packaging or label requirements are:
I have already contacted these suppliers or received these quotations:
The next result I need is:
The date that matters to me is this, and it refers to this step:
I have not yet decided the following details:
Please tell me which parts of this request you can cover, which parts are not included, what information you still need and what I would receive from the work.
Please also explain how your fee would be calculated, what would trigger payment, which outside costs would be separate and whether you receive compensation from a supplier or another provider.
I want to make the final decisions about the supplier, sample, price, payment and shipment. Please identify any other decision that would need my approval.
Please confirm which supplier records, comparison files and project documents I would be able to keep.
My questions are:
My preferred contact method is:
This wording keeps undecided information visible without turning it into an internal status code. It also separates the work you are requesting from choices you want to make yourself.
Explain What You Already Have
The recipient should not have to guess whether your project starts with an idea or with work already completed.
| Your current situation | What to say |
|---|---|
| You have only a product idea or link | Describe the intended use and say which material, size, performance or packaging details still need to be defined. |
| You have written product requirements | Give the filename and date, and explain whether suppliers have already received it. |
| You have a sample | Say who supplied it, what you reviewed and whether it is a reference or something you have approved for the next step. |
| You already have supplier quotations | State how many you have and whether they use the same product, quantity, packaging and delivery assumptions. |
| You already selected a supplier | Name the immediate problem or task instead of asking for a new supplier search. |
If you need help turning a product idea into clear requirements, use the first China order product specification guide.
Ask for a Reply You Can Compare
Send the same questions to each agent you are considering:
- Which parts of my request would you handle?
- Which parts are not included?
- What written result or file would I receive for each task?
- What information do you need from me before you can describe the work or quote it?
- How would your fee be calculated, and what event would trigger each payment?
- Which costs would be paid to someone else, such as a supplier, testing provider or freight provider?
- Do you receive any payment or compensation from a supplier or other provider involved in the project?
- Who would receive money for the goods, the agent’s work and any outside work?
- What happens if a supplier, sample or other result does not match the written requirement?
- Which supplier records, comparison files and project documents can I keep?
These are questions for a candidate to answer. They do not state this website’s fees, services, payment terms or capabilities.
For a broader provider review, use the 15 proof checks for choosing a China sourcing agent.
What to Share, What to Add Only When Relevant, and What to Remove
| Information | How to handle it |
|---|---|
| Product description and intended use | Include it in every request. |
| First quantity or honest quantity range | Include it so the recipient can understand the likely task. |
| Destination country | Include it in every request. Add the city or handoff point only when it affects the work being discussed. |
| Drawing, product specification or reference sample | Name the exact file or sample and its date when it exists. |
| Existing supplier links or quotations | Include them when you want help reviewing work already done or avoiding a repeated search. |
| Target date | Explain what must happen by that date: sample review, production completion, shipping handoff or arrival. Do not write only “urgent.” |
| Artwork, tooling or product-specific requirements | Include only what the recipient needs to understand the current request. |
| Confidential commercial information | Share only what is necessary for the discussion and state the confidentiality concern before sending sensitive files. |
| Passwords or payment-card details | Remove them. They are not needed to understand a sourcing request. |
| Personal information unrelated to the order | Remove it. |
Sourcing-Agent Brief vs Supplier Inquiry
The two documents go to different recipients.
| Document | Who receives it | What it asks |
|---|---|---|
| Sourcing-agent brief | An agent or sourcing coordinator you are considering | “What help can you provide for this project, what is included, what would I receive and what would it cost?” |
| Supplier inquiry | A supplier or manufacturer candidate | “Can you quote this specific product, quantity, packaging and delivery request?” |
If you are contacting manufacturers directly, use the China supplier inquiry template. If you have not yet identified candidates, read the manufacturer discovery workflow.
How to Describe Three Common Starting Points
These are wording patterns, not customer cases, quotations or descriptions of work performed by this website.
You do not have a supplier yet
Write: “I have a dated product drawing and finish reference but have not contacted suppliers. I want a proposal for identifying possible suppliers and comparing their replies. Please explain what information you would record for each candidate and what I would receive.”
You already have quotations
Write: “I have three quotations, but they use different materials, packaging and delivery terms. I want help listing the differences and preparing questions for the suppliers. I am not requesting a new supplier search at this stage.”
A sample cannot be matched to the latest drawing
Write: “I received a sample, but I cannot connect it to the latest drawing. I want help identifying which drawing the sample represents, listing the differences and explaining what should be confirmed before another sample decision.”
Use your actual project facts. Do not copy a sample sentence if it is not true for your request.
Pre-Send Checklist
Before sending the brief, check that:
- ☐ the product and its intended use are described in normal language;
- ☐ the quantity is stated as a number or an honest range;
- ☐ the destination is named;
- ☐ your current stage is clear;
- ☐ the help you want is written as a specific task;
- ☐ existing suppliers, quotations, files or samples are mentioned when relevant;
- ☐ every attachment has a clear filename and date;
- ☐ undecided details are explained as questions rather than labelled “Unknown”;
- ☐ the date you mention is tied to a specific step;
- ☐ you have asked what is included, excluded and delivered;
- ☐ you have asked how fees, outside costs and payments would work;
- ☐ passwords, payment-card details and unrelated personal information are removed.
Send a Decision-Ready Sourcing Brief
If you have a product, specification status, quantity, destination and current sourcing stage, you can send the completed brief for a scope-fit discussion. The purpose of the first message is to identify the work and missing decisions; it does not promise project acceptance, price or timing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What information should I send a China sourcing agent?
Send a plain description of the product and its use, the first quantity, destination, current project stage, files or samples you already have and the exact help you want now. Explain undecided details as questions. Attach only the files needed to understand the request.
Can I ask for a quotation before my product specification is final?
You can ask for a discussion, but say what is already decided and what still needs work. Ask the recipient to separate any work that can be described now from work that depends on missing product details. Do not present an early estimate as a final, comparable quotation.
Should I send the same brief to every sourcing agent?
Yes, when you want to compare their replies. Keep the product, quantity, destination and requested task the same. If someone suggests another approach, record it as a separate suggestion rather than silently changing the request sent to everyone else.
How should I describe a deadline?
Name the event, not only the date. For example, say whether the date is for reviewing a sample, completing production, handing goods to a shipping provider or receiving goods at the destination. Ask the recipient to confirm whether the date is realistic for the work being discussed.
Should a sourcing brief include a target price?
Include a target only when you can explain what it covers. A number without the product requirements, quantity, packaging and delivery basis can mislead the discussion. If you do not have a defensible target, ask how the quotation would be broken down instead of inventing one.
Is a sourcing-agent brief the same as a supplier RFQ?
No. An agent brief asks what project help the recipient could provide, what is included and what you would receive. A supplier RFQ asks a manufacturer or supplier to quote a defined product, quantity, packaging and delivery request.
What sensitive information should I remove?
Remove passwords, payment-card details and unrelated personal information. Share drawings, supplier records and commercial information only when they are necessary for the discussion, and explain any confidentiality concern before sending sensitive files.