# Canton Fair Follow-Up Email Templates
You spent 5 days walking the Canton Fair. You collected 200 business cards and 50 catalogs. You fly back to the United States, sit at your desk, and send 50 emails to the sales reps you met, asking for price quotes.
Two weeks pass. You receive exactly 3 replies. The other 47 emails disappeared into a black hole.
> **💡 Withyou Trip Expert Verdict:**
> "The absolute deadliest mistake in post-Canton Fair follow-up is **The 'Generic Catalog' Request**. A good Chinese sales rep meets 500 buyers at the fair. When they return to the office, they have an inbox with 1,000 unread emails. If your email says, 'Hi, it was nice meeting you, please send me your catalog and price list,' they will instantly delete it. They assume you are a time-wasting amateur. You MUST include a **Photo of yourselves at the booth** and demand a quote for a **Highly Specific SKU**."
## 1. The Post-Fair Follow-Up Matrix
| Email Element | The Amateur Mistake | The Professional Sourcing Standard |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **The Subject Line** | "Canton Fair Inquiry" (Gets lost in the spam folder). | 🟢 **"Met at Canton Fair Phase 2 - Quote Request for SKU #X892"** |
| **The Introduction** | "My name is John from Texas." | 🟢 **Attach a selfie of you and the rep holding the product.** |
| **The Request** | "Please send your full catalog." | 🟢 **"I require the FOB Shenzhen price for 2,000 units of SKU #X892."** |
| **The Platform** | Only sending an email. | 🟢 **Sending the exact same message on WeChat 5 minutes later.** |
## 2. The Golden Follow-Up Template
Do not write a novel. Chinese sales reps do not have time to read 4 paragraphs of your company's history. They read English as a second language. Use bullet points and bold text for numbers.
**Subject:** Action Required: Quote for SKU [Insert Number] - Met at Canton Fair (Booth [Insert Booth Number])
**Body:**
*Hi [Rep Name],*
*It was great meeting you at the Canton Fair on Tuesday. I have attached a photo of us at your booth with the product we discussed.*
*My company, [Your Company], is preparing our Q3 purchasing plan. Please provide a formal Proforma Invoice (PI) quote for the following:*
* **Target Product:** [Exact Model Number or Description]
* **Target Order Volume:** 2,000 Units
* **Target Delivery:** Ex-Works (EXW) or FOB [Nearest Port]
* **Customization:** We require our logo laser-engraved on the base.
*Please confirm if you can provide a sample by [Date]. I look forward to building a long-term partnership with your factory.*
*Best regards,*
*[Your Name]*
## 3. The 48-Hour Rule
Timing is the ultimate filter of professionalism.
* **The Trap:** Many buyers take a week off when they get home to recover from jet lag before sending emails. By the time you email the factory, they have already allocated their sample-making capacity to the aggressive European buyers who emailed them from the hotel lobby.
* **The Execution:** You must send the follow-up email **within 48 hours of meeting them**, preferably while you are still in Guangzhou.
* **The WeChat Ping:** The second you hit "Send" on the email, open WeChat. Send the rep a message: *"Hi [Name], I just sent the formal RFQ to your email regarding the 2,000 units. Please let me know when you receive it."* This double-tap strategy guarantees a 95% response rate.
## ❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
**Q: If a factory doesn't reply after 3 emails, should I keep trying?**
A: **No. Move on immediately.** A lack of response is actually a very loud response. It means one of two things: either their factory is currently at maximum capacity and they don't need your business, or they researched your company and decided your volume is too low for them to care. Either way, if communication is this difficult *before* you give them money, imagine the nightmare of trying to communicate with them when a container is delayed. Cross them off your list.