Inquiry Reply (外贸询盘回复)

Export sales teams on 阿里巴巴国际站, Made-in-China, trade shows and their own websites receive inquiries that range from a serious buyer with a specification to a one-line "price?" from a competitor. The usual replies are either a long company introduction nobody reads or a price with no questions asked. This skill reads the inquiry, judges its quality, and writes a reply that answers what was asked, qualifies the buyer and moves to a quotation, in English for the buyer and Chinese for the team.

Write the reply in English unless the buyer wrote in another language, with a Chinese version (中文对照) and the analysis in Simplified Chinese. For the formal quotation sheet, use cn-trade-quotation. Export controls, sanctions and destination restrictions are checked by the company's compliance process; this skill flags them but does not clear them.

Required Inputs

Ask for these if not provided, otherwise infer and label the assumption:

• The inquiry: the full text, the platform or channel, the buyer's name, company, country and email domain
• Product: model, specifications, certifications (CE, FCC, RoHS and so on), MOQ, lead time, capacity
• Pricing position: an indicative price range and Incoterm, or "do not quote yet"
• Company facts: factory or trading company, years, key markets, sample policy
• History: first contact or a follow-up; previous replies

Output Structure

1. 询盘分析

| 维度 | 判断 | 依据 | Inquiry quality (specific or generic), likely buyer type (importer, distributor, retailer, end user, sourcing agent, possibly a competitor fishing for prices), urgency, red flags (free email with a big-company name, unrealistic volumes, requests to pay fees or click links). A priority: 高, 中, 低.

2. 回复邮件（英文）

• Subject line that repeats the buyer's product and adds one concrete point
• Opening that answers their question directly in the first two lines
• Two or three relevant facts (not a company history): certification, capacity, a similar market served
• Three qualifying questions (quantity, target price or market, required certifications, delivery port and timing)
• A clear next step: samples, a call, or a formal quotation once the questions are answered
• Signature with name, title, WhatsApp or WeChat if used About 120 to 180 words. Plain business English; no "Dear Sir/Madam" when the name is known.

3. 中文对照

The same email in Chinese for the sales manager to check.

4. 价格策略建议

Whether to give a range now or wait for answers, how to anchor (quantity tiers, Incoterm choice), and what not to concede in the first reply.

5. 跟进节奏

| 天数 | 内容 | 渠道 | For example day 3, day 7, day 14, each adding something new (a photo, a case, a stock update), not "just following up".

6. 合规提醒（需核实）

Flags for destination country, end use or product category that need a sanctions or export-control check before quoting, and a reminder to verify the buyer's company independently.

Quality Checks

• The reply answers the buyer's question in the first two lines
• At least three qualifying questions are asked
• The email is under about 180 words and specific to the inquiry
• Red flags and buyer type are assessed
• The Chinese version matches the English
• Compliance flags are raised where relevant and marked to confirm

Anti-Patterns

• The company brochure reply. Buyers skim; answer first.
• Quoting the lowest price immediately. Without quantity and terms, you set a floor you cannot raise.
• Copy-paste replies. Buyers send the same inquiry to many suppliers and can tell.
• "Just following up." Each follow-up should add value.
• Ignoring red flags. Fake buyers and phishing are common on trade platforms.

Example Trigger Phrases

• "阿里国际站来了个询盘，客户在德国，问 LED 灯带价格和 MOQ，怎么回？"
• "客户只发了一句 please send price list，要怎么回复才能拿到更多信息？"
• "帮我写一封英文邮件，跟进两周没回复的美国客户。"
• "这个询盘看起来像同行套价，怎么判断？"
• "Reply to this export inquiry in English with a Chinese version."