6 Weeks – The First Contract: Optimizing Distribution for a Chinese Fabric Supplier

Case Study: Chinese Fabric Supplier Securing First Trial Contract in Vietnam

Context
A Chinese fabric supplier with a broad catalog faced low response rates in Vietnam.
Goal: Secure one trial contract within 6–8 weeks.

Challenges

• Overly large catalog, not localized (technical terminology difficult for local buyers).

• Unclear distributor policies: discounts, returns, sample support.

Interventions

• Built a streamlined sample set (10–15 core SKUs), each with 2–3 popular tones for Vietnam.

• Created a one-page bilingual datasheet covering grammage, colorfastness, stretch, MOQ, and lead time.

• Defined clear distributor policies: tiered discounts, sample/replacement support, and sales targets.

Execution

• Targeted large garment factories and regional distributors (C1 & C2).

• Outreach: email → phone call → in-factory demo.

• Provided technical responses within 24 hours and substitute samples when original items were unavailable.

Results

• Week 2: 6 demo meetings scheduled.

• Week 4: 2 factories shortlisted products for trials.

• Week 6: First trial contract signed with a garment factory in Ho Chi Minh City, including terms for expansion.

Lessons Learned

• Localization is more than language—it means optimizing product range and sales policies to match Vietnam’s buying habits.

• Fast technical response shapes over 50% of how professional a supplier is perceived by factories.