You think you are qualifying a supplier. In reality, the supplier qualifies you.

Your title is costing you money in China. Quietly. Every week.
Here is the truth: factories do not sell to companies. They sell to decision makers.

If your email signature says "Operations Manager," you will mostly talk to sales.

And that means:

• slower replies
• higher prices in general
• less flexibility (e.g., use components you sourced vs. they sourced)
• fewer exceptions (such as partial shipments to catch up with the schedule)
• no priority on the line
• and much harder to reach the guanxi tier with the factory boss

Because the boss (老闆 - laoban in China) will not spend time on someone who is not making a buying decision.

If you only meet sales, you are vetting sales.

You think you are qualifying a supplier. In reality, the supplier is qualifying you.

How this plays out in real life:

• You ask for a concession, they say "policy"
• You ask for faster lead time, they say "fully booked"
• You ask for a better payment term, they say "not possible"
• You ask for a direct channel to engineering, they schedule another call with sales

Meanwhile, a VP sends one email, and suddenly the policy becomes "let me check with the boss."

What to do if you are the ops person in a startup:

1. Upgrade your external title. At least Director, or better VP/SVP/COO. This is not ego, this is a tool.
2. If you cannot upgrade the title, drop it. For the first few threads, CC the CEO so the supplier understands you are the CEO delegate for this program. If you are taking over an existing supplier, have the CEO send one 2-line intro once, then you run everything.
3. Make your authority explicit. Say it in the first meeting:
   • "I own supplier selection"
   • "I sign POs"
   • "I approve NRE/tooling"
4. Alternatively, get the decision maker (VP/CEO/founder) on the first boss touchpoint:
   • the first factory visit
   • the first dinner
   • the first negotiation
     After that, you can run day-to-day.

Do not confuse access with progress. Talking to sales feels like motion. But if the boss is not in the loop, you are not building a real relationship. You are just waiting in line.

If you are sourcing in China or SEA, act like the decision maker, or the factory will route you to someone who sells, not someone who solves.

More context: about "guanxi" and how to pass the supplier's screening:

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