How to Contact Australian Drop Shipping Suppliers
Today I'm going to be covering how to contact drop shipping suppliers. I'm going to tell you exactly how I do it, which isn't the way everyone else probably does, so let's get started.
I have a tried and true method for contacting dropshipping suppliers. I lock in most of my suppliers by doing it this way.
First of all, I make a supplier list. I'll list all the main manufacturers within my niche. Not suppliers, the manufacturers themselves. I'll reach out to them via email to find out who the best person is to talk to about opening up a new online account or a reseller's account. I keep this email really simple, along the lines of “Hey guys, could you please let me know who I need to contact to set up a new reseller's account? If you could get back to me ASAP, that'd be great.” I do that three days before I'm going to ring.
Next, I do always ring, always. If you want to make really good contacts, if you really want to build relationships, you need to call. Don't rely on the email. The reason I send that little feeler email out is so that hopefully they get back to me and I can whittle down my list and ring the person I need to talk to directly.
The next step is actually contacting the suppliers. You'll always get a gatekeeper that doesn't necessarily want to forward you to the person you really need to talk to, so you'll have to get past them. Whenever I speak to them, I say “Hi, I just need to be forwarded through to a new accounts manager please.” Usually they'll send you through.
Don't talk to them too much about what you're trying to achieve. You don't tell them you’re dropshipping, you don't dig in too deep about what you're trying to do. You want to talk to somebody who can make a decision for you.
Once you get through to an accounts manager, you'll say something like “Good day, I'm from X Y or Z. I'm looking to resell your gear. We're an online only store.” And then I explain dropshipping, without using the term “dropshipping” itself right away. Hopefully they'll understand: “Oh, you mean dropshipping.” Then you can say “Yes, exactly. You understand dropshipping, and that's what we're trying to do.
And that's about it. I say “We're an online-only retailer. What we're looking for is wholesale pricing. What we do is we sell it on our store, we buy it from you and you ship it directly out to our customers. That's dropshipping in a nutshell obviously”. They say “Oh, dropshipping?” and then you try and do the business.
They may say “Send me a proposal through our email,” or hopefully send you the forms you'll need to fill out to open an account. The important thing is that you’ve touched base with a person that can make the decision via the phone. This is more effort than most people will put in. 80 or 90% of people won't call. They just send an email and if they never get a reply, they don't follow up with that supplier and lose out on an opportunity. You've got to call.
The next step is following up and filling in the paperwork. If they say they're not ready to take on any new resellers, follow up a week or two later. You can say “Look at our site. We're always adding new suppliers, and some of your competitors are working with me now. You want to get on board or we're going to really move and shake this thing.”
Come up with a bit of spin. It's different for every niche, so it's important to really learn your niche. The follow-up is super important, so just make sure after the call, you also send an email to them directly if you've got their email address. Thank them for talking with you, remind them who you are and what your next steps will be. Even if they just said “no” outright, thank them for their time and say “maybe we can work again in the future.” Keep it open. Always keep it open.
So that's a very quick overview of how we contact suppliers. If you want to find out more or if you have any questions about contacting suppliers or any other aspects of drop shipping in Australia, head over to www.dropshipdownunder.com.au and shoot us a message.
THINKING OF DROP SHIPPING IN AUSTRALIA?
6 Things You MUST Know Before You Do Revealed In This Free Drop Shipping Course! CLICK HERE - http://bit.ly/dsdstartercourse
