March 25, 2024 • 19 mins
Sourcing in your freelance fashion career is a lot like matchmaking! You want to make good connections that align well with your client's brand. You can build a great career by thinking strategically and approaching sourcing with care.
Once you identify that sourcing isn't just about finding products or services; it's about creating valuable connections and delivering exceptional results, you can strategically start setting your clients up for success.
Get ready for insights and practical tips on navigating the sourcing process, set transparent expectations with clients, and conduct thorough due diligence to ensure the best possible outcomes. You'll gain a deep understanding of the strategic and relational elements involved in successful sourcing, making this episode a must-listen for anyone in the fashion world.
Resources:
SFF156: Jay Arbetman How to Source Fabrics for Your Freelance Clients
Sick of being tied to a desk and want more freedom in your day, snag my free training: How to Freelance in Fashion (even if you're terrified you don't have all the answers) by clicking here.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Courtney (00:58):
Sourcing. What does that mean to you? Like
Heidi (01:03):
That means finding manufacturers, finding fabrics,
finding trims, findingsuppliers, any type of thing,
like, any type of supplierthat's either gonna deliver a
heart that's gonna help you,like, source a physical hard
good, like, something from yourBOM, or who's going to provide
(01:27):
the service that you need to getthis thing done. Meaning, like,
make trim. Right? The actual,like, factory component. And
that means it doesn'tnecessarily mean, like, finding
them from scratch, but it meansit could mean finding them from
(01:48):
scratch based off of theclient's needs, or it could mean
I have spent a lot of time, andbecause of all the work that
I've done in the industry, Ihave this whole network and like
Rolodex of these people, and Ican connect you with the exact
right people you need to beconnected with.
(02:10):
So it's like matchmaking. Right?Okay. And whether you have the
resource or not, doesn't reallymatter to me. So it's the value
that it is for that person, yourclient, to be connected with the
exact right person.
Courtney (02:28):
And so, like, if I don't have a relationship with
them, but I know of them, so,like, person who's asking for
help, I have information, but Idon't have a relationship. But I
can give this person thisperson's information.
Heidi (02:44):
Mhmm.
Courtney (02:44):
Is that sufficient? Like, just making that
introduction? It can
Heidi (02:49):
be with first. I think it's like how you wanna go about
it. So and it all comes down tolike being really transparent
and communicative and settingexpectations. Like, hey, I just
connected with this factory andI think they would be perfect
(03:11):
for you. Full transparency.
I haven't worked with thembefore. I met them at Revision,
what have you, DG Expo. And Iwas able to chat with so and so,
who's the owner or whatevertheir role is. And we had a nice
talk about, you know, theircapabilities and their ethics
(03:35):
and their certification. Like,da da da da da.
Like, these are you talkedabout. These are their MOQs.
This is sort of, like, whattheir pricing looks like within
reason. And so they very muchline up with what you're looking
for. So here's the introduction.
(03:56):
Again, like, I haven't workedwith them, so I can't speak from
personal experience based onwhat I already know. Like, I
would move forward with this ifit were me, and I would continue
to do some additional vetting.So that can be option number 1.
Option number 2 could be, like,just doing some more vetting,
(04:20):
Which is really hard when you'renot like actually pushing a
product through. Mhmm.
You know? But could just be likesome deeper due diligence. Could
be asking them for, you know, doyou have any testimonials or
case studies or any brands thathave had great success with you?
(04:41):
Anybody I can, you know, chatwith and sort of getting to know
if, if you can get in touch withsomeone that's done development
with them or something likethat. Right?
If it's like a a supplier likefabrics or trims or something,
you know, maybe it's youyourself taking the initiative
(05:02):
to, like, order some sampleswatches and, like, see how that
experience feels. Like, are theyon it? Are they easy to work
with? Like, did they ship itquickly? Do they, like, make it,
like, a seamless experience?
Or is it, like, pulling teethout to just get a few samples?
And then at that point, youmight be, like, maybe this isn't
(05:22):
the greatest supplier. So youjust kinda have to get a little
bit creative with and then andthen at that point, you can
share that with your client andsay, this is what I've done and
this is how I've done my duediligence. I haven't pushed a
product through here. Right?
I haven't pushed a designthrough production or through
sampling, but this is the duediligence that due diligence
(05:45):
that I did. And this is how itwent. I didn't have any red
flags come up. So as far as I'mconcerned, I would feel
comfortable moving forward withsampling or production with, you
know, well, starting withsampling, of course. So that's
how I would pitch it.
(06:06):
Okay. Super honest and doingsome further research and due
diligence on your side, if you'dlike to go if you feel more
comfortable going in with thatangle. Not always required or
necessary. Right? And then sameif, like, the client comes to
you and is like, hey, I need amanufacturer for swim or
(06:32):
lingerie.
I know you're doing sleepwear.Right? But, like, some some
maybe, like, some more specialtyconstruction or something. Or
even, like, we need the factoryneeds to be I don't know all the
all the certifications andstuff. But, like, they need to,
like, make these certifications,and they need to have low MOQ.
(06:55):
Like, they're, like, the clientkinda gives you their criteria.
They're, like, oh, and then weneed it to be, like, $15 or less
and MOQ is, like, 100. Then youcan go out and, like, do your
own research on that, and thenyou come back and you're like,
here's what I found. Obviously,I haven't worked with any of
these factories, but here's whatI found. Here's some of the
here's what I have done to findthese.
(07:16):
I've I had a Zoom call, and thisis what they said. And this
factory felt good. And justpresenting the options and
presenting like how thatexperience felt to you. Like
good or bad versus, well, Italked to this one and, I don't
know, they said this thing andit didn't really sit well with
me, or, you know, whatever redflag might have come up. And at
(07:38):
that point, you're just sort ofparlaying the information and
doing the research for them andand you're going in, like, kind
of knowing what are the rightquestions to ask, and how can I
dig a little bit deeper intothis to vet them without
actually pushing a productthrough?
(07:59):
And then at that point, as longas you've been super honest and
transparent, which obviously youwill, is ultimately up to your
client to take that and run withit, and maybe do a little bit
more of their own due diligence,whether they're doing that on
(08:20):
their own or they're doing thatwith you. And then if any if
they're doing it with you, like,if any more red flags or
something come up, like, youkind of maybe they didn't see
the red flag because they won'tknow what to look out for, but
then you could get off the Zoomand you're like, I didn't really
love what they said about this.So, like, we can go forward, but
I just wanna point this out.Like, it's at that point, it's
just your responsibility topoint things out that they
should maybe be noticing thatthey might not be and asking the
(08:43):
right questions. Right?
And then, you know, ultimatelylike it's their decision to
proceed or not. And you know,you can have this in your
contract and stuff, but like youcan't be liable if something
goes wrong. Like, it's theirdecision to ultimately proceed
with that factory, with thatsupplier. And arguably, that's
true for even factories andsuppliers that you have worked
(09:06):
with before. This has been myexperience in the past, but like
things change, right?
So this has been my experiencein the past, and I worked with
them with this brand and we didthis and everything went smooth
and all sorts of stuff. So I'dlove to make an introduction to
you. It has been like 2 yearssince I've worked with them. So,
you know, we should still gothrough the the vetting process
and ask the right questions,etcetera. So it's really comes
(09:31):
down to, like, being supertransparent, setting
expectation, expectations, beingcommunicative, asking the right
questions, doing your duediligence, presenting that
accordingly, and then, like,helping the client spot red
flags or green flags that theymight not see otherwise.
(09:51):
Oh. How'd that feel? I just feellike I was like, gave a whole
lecture on sourcing.
Courtney (09:55):
It was it was incredible. It was I was sitting
here thinking, like, god. Howdoes she just, like, roll this
off her tongue? Like, you just,like Oh,
Heidi (10:02):
it's just practiced over the years of, like yeah. I mean,
doing the podcast has helped me,like, talk better. Yeah. And
answer question questions and,like, really think about the
nuances, like, on my toes. Thatmuscle?
Yeah. Yeah. It's a muscle.Totally. It's a muscle for sure.
(10:23):
Right? And, like, showing up tothe fast coaching calls. Like, I
don't look at the questions inadvance. I don't. And I'm
totally comfortable, like,answering any question on the
fly.
Yeah. It wasn't always that way.Yeah. I didn't always feel that
good. But now I've I've had somuch practice.
I I know all the questions thatI'm gonna get. And and if I
(10:44):
don't, I know how to answer thattoo.
Courtney (10:47):
Yeah. That's something that, like, I am pushing myself
to get more practice in forsure. Like, kind of apply.
Heidi (10:54):
Yeah. So how does that feel in sourcing? Do you have
any other questions?
Courtney (11:00):
Pricing for that, is that in some of your content?
Because I'm sure I could findit.
Heidi (11:06):
It's a really tricky one. Like, it's a really tricky one.
So I think that if you're goingout and sourcing from scratch,
it's, I mean, arguably, it's thevalue that you're providing.
Right? And whether or not you'resourcing from scratch, it's a
whole different thing.
But I do think that, like, ifsomeone explicitly is like
(11:28):
asking you for this veryspecific thing and you're having
to go like hunt that, I do thinkthere is a higher price tag
attached to that because,arguably, the value is even
higher than someone you alreadyhave in your back pocket because
now you're, like, finding thisneedle on a haystack for
somebody. Right? So, like,sourcing a fact sourcing and
vetting a factory for low MOQand all the sustainability
(11:53):
qualifications and stuff. Imean, and specialty with certain
types of fabrication orconstruction, and maybe located
in a specific region, like, ifthey wanna stay stateside
versus, you know, I mean, thatshould be, in my opinion, like,
well over $1,000. Like, justbased off of, like, the research
(12:16):
and the time that you're gonnahave to do.
And that could be somethingthat, like, maybe it's, like,
$1500, and I'm gonna present youwith 3 of the best options I can
find. And maybe they don't allmeet they all may maybe each of
them doesn't meet all of thecriteria perfectly, but you
(12:37):
present it to the client andmaybe you've got, like, a little
chart. And you're like, okay.Well, here's here's the 5
criteria you wanted. Here's the3 factories I found.
And, like, here's how they allmatch up. And so at that point,
and you might just be like, it'sgonna be really hard to, like,
check all these boxes across theboard. Until we just get out
into the network a little bitmore, and, like, you get deeper
(12:58):
into your brand, but, like,maybe for whatever. So so then
at that point, it might be up tothe client to say, like, okay,
well, great. Look at they meetall these expectations, but
their price point's a littlehigh.
And they might say, you knowwhat? I'm willing to pay a
little bit more because theseother things are that valuable
(13:19):
to me. Or maybe they're willingto, like, budge on like, then at
that point, they just have todecide where they do or don't
wanna budge. Right? So youcould, I mean, arguably, I think
that could even be, like, a$2,000 package, Versus like just
connecting them with someone youhave in your back pocket.
(13:40):
It's always tricky.
Courtney (13:44):
Yeah. I know that sourcing was gonna be, like,
something that I took pardon,but it just kind of keeps
organically happening.Happening.
Heidi (13:52):
Yeah. And
Courtney (13:52):
then I was just like, I'm just because I don't it
wasn't something that I thoughtof. It's just like, I've just
been giving it away,essentially.
Heidi (14:01):
Yeah. I don't wanna see you do that. Especially when
you're, like, proactively goingto trade shows where you're
connecting with people and,like, you're you're taking the
initiative to invest your timeand your money and your career
into finding these sources,they're not things you can just
give away. It's just not. Right?
(14:21):
So, you know, you can also,like, oh, you know what? Let me
put together a proposal for you.And I do think I've got some
sources that would match upreally well for what you're
wanting, and you could puttogether a proposal. And then I
would, you know, I think it's alittle bit about the delivery
(14:44):
too. It's not like, well, here'stheir email.
You know? So, like, maybe you'relike, oh, you know what? Yeah.
I, I don't know. Like, 495.
My my sourcing package my MLEfor sourcing, did you read my
post on MLE, minimum levelengagement? Yeah.
Courtney (15:04):
I think it was all the time.
Heidi (15:05):
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, like, my MLE for sourcing is 495
and goes upwards to, you know,over a couple $1,000 depending
on what exactly you need. Andthen you can kind of fill out,
like, what they need and I mean,and you maybe don't even have to
(15:26):
say, like, oh, I have thisperson in my back pocket.
I think you can say, like, yeah,you know, I need to do some
research on that. I don't havethose sources. And if you do
have them, you can just say,yep, I can pull that together
for you. And it's 495 for thisbase. Like, I can connect you
with this, I can connect youwith a great factory.
(15:48):
And then as far as, like, thepresentation, it's not just,
like, right here is their email.You can, like, maybe put
together, like, a one sheeterwith, like, here's a factory,
and, like, here's how they meetall your qualifications. And,
like, here's this person, andthey're in charge of this, and
this person's in charge of that.And then, like, maybe some
pictures of, like, some workthey've done for other brands,
even if it's just, like, stuffyou're kind of pulling off their
(16:09):
website. Like, I would I wouldput it together and deliver it
as, like, a little bit of apackage.
And so you can sort of deliverthat, And so they've got it all
right there. They're like, oh,great. Everything's here. I can
see what they've done. I can seeall their certifications.
I know their MOQs and, like,their price points, etcetera.
And then, so you can kind ofsend that over in one email. And
(16:32):
then you can say, I wanted togive you everything on the
factory. And and then and maybein there too, you kind of, like,
include a little bit about,like, your relationship with
them and you're reallytransparent on, like, you know,
this is what I've run throughthem and this is where they've
done really well. Maybe theseare some of the challenges I've
had, so things to look out for.
Or, like, you maybe are gonnahave to you're gonna have to bug
them a little bit to, you know,stay on time. We always know
(16:54):
that's with factories. Right?You always have to bug them. But
just setting them up for successand, like, setting the
expectation of, like, here'swhat to expect working with this
factory or this supplier orwhatever.
Right? So you can kind of setthat up in one email, and then
another email can be, or at theend of that, I would say, like,
you know, here's the onesheeter, and maybe it's a couple
(17:15):
pages. Right? But like, here'severything for the factory, And
next I'm gonna send an emailmaking an introduction so that
you're looped in. And then yousend a really nice email and you
sort of present the client tothem.
Maybe not, like, you don't thinkyou need to do this to, like,
one sheet thing. But I I wouldsay, like, meet so and so, and
(17:37):
they're looking to do this andthis and that. Like, outline it
in a way that you know thefactory wants to see it. Like,
here's all the details. Right?
And sort of like and I'm gonnalet you guys take it from here.
Right? And then you're like, Iam stepping out. That was the
end of the sourcing. Like, Imade the connection.
I made the introduction. Youhave, you know, all the
information about them. So Ithink that that's really how you
(18:00):
can position it as it's not justlike you sending an email or
sharing the email address.Right?
Courtney (18:09):
Mhmm.
Heidi (18:10):
Like, really presenting it in a valuable way that feels
good to both sides.
Courtney (18:15):
Mhmm. That all feels very, very good. Good.
Sourcing. What does that mean to you? Like
Heidi (01:03):
That means finding manufacturers, finding fabrics,
finding trims, findingsuppliers, any type of thing,
like, any type of supplierthat's either gonna deliver a
heart that's gonna help you,like, source a physical hard
good, like, something from yourBOM, or who's going to provide
(01:27):
the service that you need to getthis thing done. Meaning, like,
make trim. Right? The actual,like, factory component. And
that means it doesn'tnecessarily mean, like, finding
them from scratch, but it meansit could mean finding them from
(01:48):
scratch based off of theclient's needs, or it could mean
I have spent a lot of time, andbecause of all the work that
I've done in the industry, Ihave this whole network and like
Rolodex of these people, and Ican connect you with the exact
right people you need to beconnected with.
(02:10):
So it's like matchmaking. Right?Okay. And whether you have the
resource or not, doesn't reallymatter to me. So it's the value
that it is for that person, yourclient, to be connected with the
exact right person.
Courtney (02:28):
And so, like, if I don't have a relationship with
them, but I know of them, so,like, person who's asking for
help, I have information, but Idon't have a relationship. But I
can give this person thisperson's information.
Heidi (02:44):
Mhmm.
Courtney (02:44):
Is that sufficient? Like, just making that
introduction? It can
Heidi (02:49):
be with first. I think it's like how you wanna go about
it. So and it all comes down tolike being really transparent
and communicative and settingexpectations. Like, hey, I just
connected with this factory andI think they would be perfect
(03:11):
for you. Full transparency.
I haven't worked with thembefore. I met them at Revision,
what have you, DG Expo. And Iwas able to chat with so and so,
who's the owner or whatevertheir role is. And we had a nice
talk about, you know, theircapabilities and their ethics
(03:35):
and their certification. Like,da da da da da.
Like, these are you talkedabout. These are their MOQs.
This is sort of, like, whattheir pricing looks like within
reason. And so they very muchline up with what you're looking
for. So here's the introduction.
(03:56):
Again, like, I haven't workedwith them, so I can't speak from
personal experience based onwhat I already know. Like, I
would move forward with this ifit were me, and I would continue
to do some additional vetting.So that can be option number 1.
Option number 2 could be, like,just doing some more vetting,
(04:20):
Which is really hard when you'renot like actually pushing a
product through. Mhmm.
You know? But could just be likesome deeper due diligence. Could
be asking them for, you know, doyou have any testimonials or
case studies or any brands thathave had great success with you?
(04:41):
Anybody I can, you know, chatwith and sort of getting to know
if, if you can get in touch withsomeone that's done development
with them or something likethat. Right?
If it's like a a supplier likefabrics or trims or something,
you know, maybe it's youyourself taking the initiative
(05:02):
to, like, order some sampleswatches and, like, see how that
experience feels. Like, are theyon it? Are they easy to work
with? Like, did they ship itquickly? Do they, like, make it,
like, a seamless experience?
Or is it, like, pulling teethout to just get a few samples?
And then at that point, youmight be, like, maybe this isn't
(05:22):
the greatest supplier. So youjust kinda have to get a little
bit creative with and then andthen at that point, you can
share that with your client andsay, this is what I've done and
this is how I've done my duediligence. I haven't pushed a
product through here. Right?
I haven't pushed a designthrough production or through
sampling, but this is the duediligence that due diligence
(05:45):
that I did. And this is how itwent. I didn't have any red
flags come up. So as far as I'mconcerned, I would feel
comfortable moving forward withsampling or production with, you
know, well, starting withsampling, of course. So that's
how I would pitch it.
(06:06):
Okay. Super honest and doingsome further research and due
diligence on your side, if you'dlike to go if you feel more
comfortable going in with thatangle. Not always required or
necessary. Right? And then sameif, like, the client comes to
you and is like, hey, I need amanufacturer for swim or
(06:32):
lingerie.
I know you're doing sleepwear.Right? But, like, some some
maybe, like, some more specialtyconstruction or something. Or
even, like, we need the factoryneeds to be I don't know all the
all the certifications andstuff. But, like, they need to,
like, make these certifications,and they need to have low MOQ.
(06:55):
Like, they're, like, the clientkinda gives you their criteria.
They're, like, oh, and then weneed it to be, like, $15 or less
and MOQ is, like, 100. Then youcan go out and, like, do your
own research on that, and thenyou come back and you're like,
here's what I found. Obviously,I haven't worked with any of
these factories, but here's whatI found. Here's some of the
here's what I have done to findthese.
(07:16):
I've I had a Zoom call, and thisis what they said. And this
factory felt good. And justpresenting the options and
presenting like how thatexperience felt to you. Like
good or bad versus, well, Italked to this one and, I don't
know, they said this thing andit didn't really sit well with
me, or, you know, whatever redflag might have come up. And at
(07:38):
that point, you're just sort ofparlaying the information and
doing the research for them andand you're going in, like, kind
of knowing what are the rightquestions to ask, and how can I
dig a little bit deeper intothis to vet them without
actually pushing a productthrough?
(07:59):
And then at that point, as longas you've been super honest and
transparent, which obviously youwill, is ultimately up to your
client to take that and run withit, and maybe do a little bit
more of their own due diligence,whether they're doing that on
(08:20):
their own or they're doing thatwith you. And then if any if
they're doing it with you, like,if any more red flags or
something come up, like, youkind of maybe they didn't see
the red flag because they won'tknow what to look out for, but
then you could get off the Zoomand you're like, I didn't really
love what they said about this.So, like, we can go forward, but
I just wanna point this out.Like, it's at that point, it's
just your responsibility topoint things out that they
should maybe be noticing thatthey might not be and asking the
(08:43):
right questions. Right?
And then, you know, ultimatelylike it's their decision to
proceed or not. And you know,you can have this in your
contract and stuff, but like youcan't be liable if something
goes wrong. Like, it's theirdecision to ultimately proceed
with that factory, with thatsupplier. And arguably, that's
true for even factories andsuppliers that you have worked
(09:06):
with before. This has been myexperience in the past, but like
things change, right?
So this has been my experiencein the past, and I worked with
them with this brand and we didthis and everything went smooth
and all sorts of stuff. So I'dlove to make an introduction to
you. It has been like 2 yearssince I've worked with them. So,
you know, we should still gothrough the the vetting process
and ask the right questions,etcetera. So it's really comes
(09:31):
down to, like, being supertransparent, setting
expectation, expectations, beingcommunicative, asking the right
questions, doing your duediligence, presenting that
accordingly, and then, like,helping the client spot red
flags or green flags that theymight not see otherwise.
(09:51):
Oh. How'd that feel? I just feellike I was like, gave a whole
lecture on sourcing.
Courtney (09:55):
It was it was incredible. It was I was sitting
here thinking, like, god. Howdoes she just, like, roll this
off her tongue? Like, you just,like Oh,
Heidi (10:02):
it's just practiced over the years of, like yeah. I mean,
doing the podcast has helped me,like, talk better. Yeah. And
answer question questions and,like, really think about the
nuances, like, on my toes. Thatmuscle?
Yeah. Yeah. It's a muscle.Totally. It's a muscle for sure.
(10:23):
Right? And, like, showing up tothe fast coaching calls. Like, I
don't look at the questions inadvance. I don't. And I'm
totally comfortable, like,answering any question on the
fly.
Yeah. It wasn't always that way.Yeah. I didn't always feel that
good. But now I've I've had somuch practice.
I I know all the questions thatI'm gonna get. And and if I
(10:44):
don't, I know how to answer thattoo.
Courtney (10:47):
Yeah. That's something that, like, I am pushing myself
to get more practice in forsure. Like, kind of apply.
Heidi (10:54):
Yeah. So how does that feel in sourcing? Do you have
any other questions?
Courtney (11:00):
Pricing for that, is that in some of your content?
Because I'm sure I could findit.
Heidi (11:06):
It's a really tricky one. Like, it's a really tricky one.
So I think that if you're goingout and sourcing from scratch,
it's, I mean, arguably, it's thevalue that you're providing.
Right? And whether or not you'resourcing from scratch, it's a
whole different thing.
But I do think that, like, ifsomeone explicitly is like
(11:28):
asking you for this veryspecific thing and you're having
to go like hunt that, I do thinkthere is a higher price tag
attached to that because,arguably, the value is even
higher than someone you alreadyhave in your back pocket because
now you're, like, finding thisneedle on a haystack for
somebody. Right? So, like,sourcing a fact sourcing and
vetting a factory for low MOQand all the sustainability
(11:53):
qualifications and stuff. Imean, and specialty with certain
types of fabrication orconstruction, and maybe located
in a specific region, like, ifthey wanna stay stateside
versus, you know, I mean, thatshould be, in my opinion, like,
well over $1,000. Like, justbased off of, like, the research
(12:16):
and the time that you're gonnahave to do.
And that could be somethingthat, like, maybe it's, like,
$1500, and I'm gonna present youwith 3 of the best options I can
find. And maybe they don't allmeet they all may maybe each of
them doesn't meet all of thecriteria perfectly, but you
(12:37):
present it to the client andmaybe you've got, like, a little
chart. And you're like, okay.Well, here's here's the 5
criteria you wanted. Here's the3 factories I found.
And, like, here's how they allmatch up. And so at that point,
and you might just be like, it'sgonna be really hard to, like,
check all these boxes across theboard. Until we just get out
into the network a little bitmore, and, like, you get deeper
(12:58):
into your brand, but, like,maybe for whatever. So so then
at that point, it might be up tothe client to say, like, okay,
well, great. Look at they meetall these expectations, but
their price point's a littlehigh.
And they might say, you knowwhat? I'm willing to pay a
little bit more because theseother things are that valuable
(13:19):
to me. Or maybe they're willingto, like, budge on like, then at
that point, they just have todecide where they do or don't
wanna budge. Right? So youcould, I mean, arguably, I think
that could even be, like, a$2,000 package, Versus like just
connecting them with someone youhave in your back pocket.
(13:40):
It's always tricky.
Courtney (13:44):
Yeah. I know that sourcing was gonna be, like,
something that I took pardon,but it just kind of keeps
organically happening.Happening.
Heidi (13:52):
Yeah. And
Courtney (13:52):
then I was just like, I'm just because I don't it
wasn't something that I thoughtof. It's just like, I've just
been giving it away,essentially.
Heidi (14:01):
Yeah. I don't wanna see you do that. Especially when
you're, like, proactively goingto trade shows where you're
connecting with people and,like, you're you're taking the
initiative to invest your timeand your money and your career
into finding these sources,they're not things you can just
give away. It's just not. Right?
(14:21):
So, you know, you can also,like, oh, you know what? Let me
put together a proposal for you.And I do think I've got some
sources that would match upreally well for what you're
wanting, and you could puttogether a proposal. And then I
would, you know, I think it's alittle bit about the delivery
(14:44):
too. It's not like, well, here'stheir email.
You know? So, like, maybe you'relike, oh, you know what? Yeah.
I, I don't know. Like, 495.
My my sourcing package my MLEfor sourcing, did you read my
post on MLE, minimum levelengagement? Yeah.
Courtney (15:04):
I think it was all the time.
Heidi (15:05):
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, like, my MLE for sourcing is 495
and goes upwards to, you know,over a couple $1,000 depending
on what exactly you need. Andthen you can kind of fill out,
like, what they need and I mean,and you maybe don't even have to
(15:26):
say, like, oh, I have thisperson in my back pocket.
I think you can say, like, yeah,you know, I need to do some
research on that. I don't havethose sources. And if you do
have them, you can just say,yep, I can pull that together
for you. And it's 495 for thisbase. Like, I can connect you
with this, I can connect youwith a great factory.
(15:48):
And then as far as, like, thepresentation, it's not just,
like, right here is their email.You can, like, maybe put
together, like, a one sheeterwith, like, here's a factory,
and, like, here's how they meetall your qualifications. And,
like, here's this person, andthey're in charge of this, and
this person's in charge of that.And then, like, maybe some
pictures of, like, some workthey've done for other brands,
even if it's just, like, stuffyou're kind of pulling off their
(16:09):
website. Like, I would I wouldput it together and deliver it
as, like, a little bit of apackage.
And so you can sort of deliverthat, And so they've got it all
right there. They're like, oh,great. Everything's here. I can
see what they've done. I can seeall their certifications.
I know their MOQs and, like,their price points, etcetera.
And then, so you can kind ofsend that over in one email. And
(16:32):
then you can say, I wanted togive you everything on the
factory. And and then and maybein there too, you kind of, like,
include a little bit about,like, your relationship with
them and you're reallytransparent on, like, you know,
this is what I've run throughthem and this is where they've
done really well. Maybe theseare some of the challenges I've
had, so things to look out for.
Or, like, you maybe are gonnahave to you're gonna have to bug
them a little bit to, you know,stay on time. We always know
(16:54):
that's with factories. Right?You always have to bug them. But
just setting them up for successand, like, setting the
expectation of, like, here'swhat to expect working with this
factory or this supplier orwhatever.
Right? So you can kind of setthat up in one email, and then
another email can be, or at theend of that, I would say, like,
you know, here's the onesheeter, and maybe it's a couple
(17:15):
pages. Right? But like, here'severything for the factory, And
next I'm gonna send an emailmaking an introduction so that
you're looped in. And then yousend a really nice email and you
sort of present the client tothem.
Maybe not, like, you don't thinkyou need to do this to, like,
one sheet thing. But I I wouldsay, like, meet so and so, and
(17:37):
they're looking to do this andthis and that. Like, outline it
in a way that you know thefactory wants to see it. Like,
here's all the details. Right?
And sort of like and I'm gonnalet you guys take it from here.
Right? And then you're like, Iam stepping out. That was the
end of the sourcing. Like, Imade the connection.
I made the introduction. Youhave, you know, all the
information about them. So Ithink that that's really how you
(18:00):
can position it as it's not justlike you sending an email or
sharing the email address.Right?
Courtney (18:09):
Mhmm.
Heidi (18:10):
Like, really presenting it in a valuable way that feels
good to both sides.
Courtney (18:15):
Mhmm. That all feels very, very good. Good.
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