Replying to IndiaMART enquiries: what the first reply should do
A buyer who sends an enquiry is usually asking more than one supplier. The first clear reply often decides who gets the next message.
Sellyx team · 3 Nov 2026 · 4 min read
An enquiry on IndiaMART, TradeIndia or Alibaba is rarely sent to you alone. The buyer compares the replies that come back. A fast reply helps, but a clear one helps more: the buyer should be able to see, in one read, that you make what they need and what you need from them to quote.
Read the enquiry before you reply
- Is it a real buyer or a seller, a job seeker or spam? Not every enquiry is a lead.
- What do they want: the product, the quantity, the place of delivery, the timeline?
- What is missing? Most enquiries leave out something you need to quote.
What a good first reply contains
- A one-line confirmation that you make or supply what they asked for, in their words.
- Only the facts you are sure of: product range, minimum order quantity, dispatch time, certificates. If it is not decided, do not promise it.
- The two or three questions you need answered to quote: size, quantity, printing, delivery terms.
- Your catalogue or certificate, if they asked for it and you have it ready.
- Who will call, and when, if a call is the next step.
What to leave out
- A price you have not worked out. A wrong first price is hard to take back.
- Long company introductions. The buyer wants to know if you can do the job.
- Requests for sensitive details. Never ask a buyer for OTPs, passwords or bank details.
Reply in the buyer’s language
If the enquiry is in Hindi, reply in Hindi. If it comes from the Gulf in English, reply in clear, simple English. Match the currency and delivery terms to the buyer’s country.
Then follow up
Many buyers do not answer the first reply. A short, polite reminder a few days later, and another after that, brings back more of them than you might expect. Stop when they say no or ask you to stop.
How Asha does this in Sellyx
Asha reads each enquiry from your lead sites, mailbox, WhatsApp and website form, decides whether it is a lead, and drafts the first reply from your approved knowledge, asking the questions that are still open. A person on your team approves and sends it. She follows up when the buyer goes quiet, up to three times, on the days you set.