How to contact suppliers - advice needed

I'm a new subscriber and have a few questions on the process of finding a distributor for dropshipping.

- once i've chosen a distributor from the directory... do I simply contact them by email requesting to do business?
what is the usual procedure to do this?
what are the typical requirements one needs to have in order to start up a relationship with a distributor?
as a newbie, i do not want to seem green when aquiring a distributor upon first contact. any tips or suggestions?

Thanks!

-M

Hi M and welcome to the forum,

Yes, once you find approved suppliers in our directory all you need to do is contact them direct. You can of course ask them any questions you would like, perhaps prices on products, how to open an account with them and so on.

The type of requirements required by them to open an account largely depends on the type of distributor they are. For example, a wholesaler will always require a tax id to prove you are a business identity, some dropshippers will also require this, but not all. So if in doubt, just ask them and they will be happy to inform you of their account requirements.

Liquidators, no tax id required at all.

So it's really just about asking any specific questions you have. There are no right or wrong questions in my opinion, just ask anything that you want clarification on and they will be more than happy to assist with your inquiry.

Thanks Mark. I would assume a formal email would be an ok way to request info for most suppliers? What is the position of the people who I would directly communicate with? A supplier's sales manager? Sales rep? Are the suppliers aware of newbies to the industry from SaleHoo?

-M

Nothing formal required,

Just introduce yourself, let them know you found them in the SaleHoo directory and you will like to ask the following questions.

Great. Thanks! Now to find a supplier for my specific needs ;)

-M

Hi M.
I am a supplier and saw your post. You'll find the suppliers are all eager to talk with you and to help you. I started my business just like you a few years ago. Please check us out and let me know if you'd like to sell our products. We drop ship anywhere in the US included in the price to you. We also have an affiliate program if you're interested in doing that too.

I've been in your shoes as a beginning seller. If I can give you any help or advice, please let me know. I'll be happy to share my experiences with you!
Ruth
1st American Pleasures

Im an ambitious 26 yr old and would like to start my own online store, i signed up for SaleHoo excited. However i live in The Bahamas,,,now im seeing requirements something i didnt see through advertisements. we dont have tax i.d's and other requirements asked, are suppliers willing to work with me still? Im just new AND afraid at this point but yet eager..can someone pleaseee help me ?

Most suppliers will work with you as an individual. What you need to do is identify multiple suppliers that you want to work with and send them a message. Will you be selling to mostly US customers or international?

Okay and i would like for it to be international

Hi Cruze and welcome to the forum,

As Ruth has mentioned above, plenty of suppliers will work with you. Yes, some will require a tax id, mostly wholesalers, but only some dropshippers. It's just a matter of finding the suppliers that work to your requirements and contacting them, as Ruth has also mentioned in the above post

Btw, that also goes for international sales as well..

Cheers

Hello,

We are a Wholesale Distribution company based out of Chicago, IL US. To contact us you can simply go on to our website at Link hidden: Login to view - and one of our sales representative will be glad to assist you in your inquiry.

Note, we are not a drop shipping company - we sell our products Wholesale Only. Ideal for 3rd party Amazon sellers as well as eBay sellers.

Best Regards,

All Season Trading Group.