Commercial offer for wholesale: structure and what it should be

A wholesale offer is a document with prices and conditions for a particular buyer. Its task is to give the buyer everything you need to compare with other suppliers: price, minimum batch, time and procedure for payment. The fewer questions remain after reading, the higher the chance of ordering.

Structure

1. Cap: your details and contacts, to whom addressed, number and date.
2. Subject: table with goods - name, article, unit, quantity, price, amount.
3. VAT: included in the price, charged from above or not applied.
4. Terms of payment: Prepayment, deferment, period in days.
5. Conditions of delivery: The time of shipment, warehouse, delivery and at whose expense it is.
6. Minimum batch and multiple: from what amount or amount the price is valid.
7. Term of the offer.
8. Contact: Who will answer the questions and take the order.

The document on the form with the calculation of the total and VAT will collect the form Commercial proposal.

What is important to the wholesale buyer

Price for volume. The buyer does not want to see a retail price, but a price for his party. If the price depends on the number, show the steps: from 10 pieces, from 100, from 1,000.

Full cost. With or without tax, with or without delivery, with or without packaging. The price of "from" and stars make you call back.

Availability and deadline. "In stock, next day shipment" and "order, 20 working days" are different offers at the same price.

Delay. For a wholesaler, payment terms are often more important than discounts.

Whether the proposal is an offer

Could be. If it names the essential terms of the contract - goods and quantity - and the text shows the intention to conclude a contract with the addressee, this is an offer (Article 435 of the Civil Code). The buyer has the right to accept it during the term of validity, and then the contract is considered concluded.

Hence practical conclusions.

• Specify the expiration date. At this time, it is usually impossible to withdraw the offer, and after it the prices do not bind you.
• If the goods may not be availableWrite about it: “the offer is valid if the goods are in stock” or “is not an offer”.
• Distribution to the database without addressee - not an offer, but an invitation to make offers, unless the text says otherwise.

Common mistakes

• No expiration date. The buyer returns after three months at the same price.
• One price for everyone. A large customer expects a price per volume, a small customer is afraid of a minimal batch.
• Text instead of table. The buyer needs lines that can be compared and transferred to the order.
• No man. The general address and telephone number of the reception room instead of the manager who leads the client.
• Outdated prices. The offer is collected from the price of a month ago.

When the offer is requested by the buyer

Often the initiative comes from the buyer: he sends several suppliers a request with a list of goods and quantities and compares the answers. The answer is in its structure, line to line. The request can be made in the form Request for a commercial proposal.

Frequent questions

How many pages should a commercial offer have?

As much as the table with goods and conditions takes. The story about the company for the current client is superfluous, for the new enough two or three lines.

Do I need to sign a commercial offer?

Signature and seal are necessary if the offer is conceived as an offer or it requires the order of purchase of the buyer. In other cases, the form and contact of the responsible person is sufficient.

For how long should I propose?

For a period during which you are sure of the price and availability: usually from three days to a month. At unstable purchasing prices - shorter.

How does a commercial offer differ from a price list?

The price list is the same for everyone and promises nothing to a particular buyer. The offer is targeted: it contains the price, quantity and conditions for one client.