The Importance of "Tea Test"

I call this the "tea test". It's the simplest way to get the best possible deal with a Chinese factory.

You don't need giant orders. You don't need to be a famous brand.
You just need to pass the tea test — and if you do, you'll get treatment that other clients never see.

Here's how it works.

When you're sourcing a new supplier in China (and most of APAC), you must visit the factory before your first order. Not for a technical inspection, the inspection itself costs just $200 and inspection agencies do it better than you ever will.

The real purpose is the ritual.

A sales associate picks you up, shows you the facility, and then brings you to the owner or GM. And in every single factory boss's office, there is a tea table. Sometimes it's a massive carved slab of wood. Sometimes it's a tiny tray on top of a coffee table. But it's always there.

That tea table is where the factory evaluates you.

It's the "fit check".

Pass it, and you become a VIP client: faster responses, better prices, better payment terms, priority on the line. Fail it, and nothing breaks. But everything becomes slow, rigid, and painful. You'll never know explicitly whether you passed, but you'll feel it in the operational friction.

The good news: passing the test is easy.

How to pass the tea test:

• Be respectful. Treat the owner as a peer, not someone who "needs your order"
• Show expertise. Mention a machine you noticed, a process detail, or how well their lab is organized. They respect people who understand their business
• Use basic Chinese etiquette. Give and receive items with both hands. It signals respect instantly
• Learn and use a couple of words in Chinese: "hello" (ni hao) and "thank you" (xie xie, sounds like "shieh shieh")
• Show growth potential. Explain how small orders become big orders. It's normal to be a bit too optimistic, it's even expected

After tea, you'll likely be invited to lunch or dinner. Don't skip it. It's the continuation of the same evaluation.

If you (or someone you trust) shows up, respects the ritual, and passes the tea test, you unlock benefits normally reserved for their best clients.

That's the hidden power of the tea test.