First WhatsApp Trial Order — MTM from 1 for a Custom Shop
First WhatsApp Trial Order — MTM from 1 for a Custom Shop
Your first message to a China suit factory should not be a novel. It should be a trial RFQ clear enough that we can say yes, ask two questions, or decline. This template is for overseas custom shops opening MTM from 1 before they ever talk bulk from 50.
Goal of a trial order
Prove three things on one garment (or one small client job):
Fit language transfers (your measurements → our cut).
Construction matches what you sell in-store (fused / half / full).
Communication speed on WhatsApp +65 is usable across time zones.
Only after a written seal should you discuss graded bulk from 50.
Suggested image: phone showing a short WhatsApp RFQ next to a tape and cloth swatch. Alt: "Custom shop preparing first WhatsApp MTM from 1 trial order to China suit factory."
Trial RFQ template (copy into WhatsApp)
Hi Shi Yuan — first trial (MTM from 1)
Country:
City / timezone:
Approx monthly volume after trial:
Track: MTM from 1 (trial) — bulk from 50 later if seal OK
Cloth: mill+code / stock / we supply (CMT)
Construction: fused / half / full
Garment: jacket+trouser / 3-piece / jacket only
Measurements: attached PDF / house block note
Photos: front/side/back refs attached
Need-by (if any):
Question: confirm sample window after locks
Attach the measurement form and two clear reference photos. Do not send twenty Pinterest boards without a primary silhouette.
What happens after you hit send
Step Owner Notes We confirm locks Factory Measurements + cloth + construction Sample clock Factory 7–14 days after locks You review Shop Photos / fit on client or house model Written seal or remake note Shop Soft "looks ok" is not a seal Optional bulk talk Both Bulk from 50 only after seal
Production after approval sits in 14–21 days. Production ≠ delivery — book freight separately.
What to put in the trial (and what to leave out)
Put in: one cloth, one construction, one silhouette you actually sell.
Leave out: five colourways, unreleased branding, and a request to "match a luxury house exactly" without a tech pack.
Trial success is a clean seal — not a catalogue.
Pricing posture
We do not publish a consumer USD price list on the Blog. For a trial, ask for a written sample quote after you send the template. Sample fee handling for later bulk is a separate written confirm (see our sample-fee checklist post) — do not assume credit.
Links for the ops folder
Boutique / MTM path: private label & MTM
How work moves after brief: process
Entity
Tianjin Shiyuan Tongchuang Technology Co., Ltd. · Chengxingwang Zhigu, Baodi District, Tianjin · acumenwear.com · WhatsApp +65 8013 8838. Not 仕原 / Baokang / tjshiyuan.com. Overseas shops only.
Brief us on WhatsApp
Send country, monthly volume, and whether you need MTM from 1 or bulk from 50.
FAQ
Q: Can my first message ask for bulk from 50 immediately?
A: You can ask, but we will still push a sample/seal path unless you already have a sealed block with us.
Q: Is MTM from 1 only for one client forever?
A: No. It is the trial and client-order track. Many shops run MTM from 1 weekly and bulk from 50 for stock programmes.
Worked example (hypothetical)
A Cape Town tailor sent the template with half-canvas, one navy mill cloth, and a PDF form. Locks cleared in one day. Sample returned inside 7–14. They sealed on WhatsApp photo set, then booked bulk from 50 for a winter colourway. Total calendar looked long only because freight and their client fittings sat outside production days.
Common first-message mistakes
No country / volume (we cannot prioritise or quote context).
"MTM" selected but a full size run attached with no seal history.
Cloth described as "something like Loro Piana" with no code.
Asking us to start before measurements exist.
After the trial seal — opening bulk from 50
When the trial is sealed in writing, your next WhatsApp can be short:
Seal ref: [date / photo set]
Track change: open bulk from 50
Size chart: attached
Colourway qty: …
Labels: attached
Need-by: …
Do not reopen construction debates inside the bulk message unless you intentionally want a new sample.
Timezone courtesy
State your timezone in the trial RFQ. We reply on WhatsApp across Singapore / China working hours; naming your window reduces "who went silent" anxiety on both sides.
What “good trial” looks like on arrival
Shoulder and chest match the form within your alteration tolerance.
Construction matches the written choice (e.g. half canvas actually present).
Stitching and press quality acceptable for your retail standard.
You can photograph a seal set and say yes/no in one WhatsApp message.
If two of four fail, remake the sample before any bulk from 50 talk.
Next step
WhatsApp your first MTM from 1 trial · houzhenying226@gmail.com
One clear trial. Then scale on a seal.
