Request For Quote # 18480 Rfq # 18480 Cfc Quotation Due By: Bid Due Time: Vendor Inf: Fill & Download for Free

The answers vary widely depending on which company to trying to get into. However there is a pretty simple process to at least get on the radar for most companies.1. Sourcing Departments often don’t make the decision to look for RFQ/RFP opportunities. They are generally brought to them by the business person. This is what I would say is the #1 problem with most attempts to get into a company. You aren’t approaching the right people.Yes, you can make contact with a sourcing person, but unless you happen to get lucky and have the exact service and qualifications that they are looking for, for an upcoming RFI/RFP/RFQ, then you likely end up in a folder never to be seen again.It’s not that sourcing people are evil. It’s that unless what you have is revolutionary, and there’s a slight chance that the business hasn’t heard about it, the department that sourcing is reporting to doesn’t need us to be sending them info. That’s what their teams are for.Now there is something to be said here about shared thought leadership across departments, but that’s not really relevant for the topic at hand.If you have a marketing tool, go to a marketer, not a sourcing manager for marketing. If you have the best service in the world, gear your efforts towards courting those people. Then when it comes time for the RFP, the business brings us your name to investigate further.2. There may be one exception… Sourcing/Procurement departments are not all the same.It is important to understand that there are two types of Sourcing Departments:Generalist sourcing department, meaning all sourcing managers work on any project they get from any department/business unitSpecialist sourcing department, meaning each sourcing manager only works on projects that are associated with their speciality (i.e. marketing, supply chain, logistics, professional service, IT, etc.)If the company is a generalist sourcing department there is a higher chance that they own a larger stake in data collection/vendor discovery. However, even if they have more influence than the specialist sourcing department; they are still second to the respective department that needs/wants/must-have your business.3. Work on advertising yourself to consulting firms that aren’t directly in your space. There are a plethora of agencies out there that provide guidance in your respective industry, who aren’t selling your product/service. There are some that do, but not all. Get in front of the external influencers and impress them, and they will bring you to the clients.4. (And this one is going to sting) Give away your service for a decent period of time. In this case, get your clients to give away their service for a decent period of time. They may whine about it, but if they are truly hell-bent on getting in somewhere, nothing butters up anyone more than free.Two notes to this:“Decent Period of Time” does not mean 7 - 14 days. I means 3–6 months. If it hurts too much, don’t offer it. It’s just an option. However, offering very little time to get acclimated to your product/service, is only an irritant due to the work involved to get going for such little effect.“Free” does not mean with strings. If it takes time to sort through the “gray areas” people are likely to just throw it away.5. Last note I’d give, is check with your current clients to see if they have anyone that they could recommend you to because of a built trust. Inside access is always a plus.*I don’t speak for anyone but myself, through my own experience*Hope this helps.

IndiaMart is not an eCommerce portal by itself. It is only a business listing site. You will get contact details of sellers. You will have to contact them by phone or email and negotiate directly and purchase directly. Or you can use the request for quote functionality.P S: We are a seller on IndiaMart.

I found most of the answers above unsatisfying. Mainly b/c they don't rigorously take into account value and involvement. For any entrepreneur that is looking for real value and involvement from their advisors, the numbers above just don't cut it. Let's say an involved advisor spends 5 hours per week, and has a full time schedule with 8 companies that he works with. By the numbers above, this advisor would get between .2 and 1% in aggregate per year working full time, and all this with ZERO cash. Would you give an employee who works for you for free full-time only .2 to 1%?? Unlikely, if your company is early stage... you just wouldn't be able to get away with it. So, how do you expect to pay a much more valuable advisor at that rate?If your advisor is truly valuable, then you're gonna have to step up what you provide in equity in order to get real involvement, otherwise you'll be left with a potentially valuable advisor who gives you no time, or a useless advisor who gives you time you don't want or need. Any advisor that is valuable and involved will know his worth and will essentially shoot down the numbers stated above because the numbers simply don't make sense.First figure out what value this person would bring as a full-time, then multiply that figure by the fraction of full-time you expect him/her to be involved. Now full-time is typically a salary and equity situation, and if the advisory is all equity, then the salary component should be moved over to the equivalent amount of stock based on a reasonable valuation of the company.If you work an advisory situation in this way, you'll do a much better job extracting value out of an advisor or advisory board. For entrepreneurs that try to get advisors on the cheap, I would suggest you'll continue to be mostly disappointed and cynical with the value you get out of your advisor relationships.