Can you produce [packaging type]? – Email them an image if you don’t know what to call it.
What is your minimum order and/or start-up cost? – Every packaging company has their “sweet spot” where their price is best within a certain range of volume. Anything above or below that range usually yields a less than ideal price per unit of packaging. Typically, large packaging companies prefer to deal with other large companies who require large volumes of packaging. Likewise, there are small packaging companies that specialize in small volumes. So don’t worry if your volume is small, it’s just a question of finding the right size company for you. You’ll usually be able to tell how large the packaging company is from the size of their minimum volume requirements and start-up costs. For example, if “Company A” has large minimums and hefty start-up costs, they are probably a large company. Likewise if “Company B” has small minimums and low start-up costs, they will be a small company. If the company you call on has volume requirements that don’t fit yours, ask them to refer you to a company that better suits your needs, if they can.
What is your lead time? – This lead time only refers to the time it takes to produce your packaging after you sign a purchase order and make a deposit. Here is an article for further reading showing the bigger picture of lead time.
Where is this packaging being produced? – Freight cost will be a big consideration.
What material do you recommend for this type of packaging? Make sure to mention the weight and fragility of your product.
Can you please quote me on this type of packaging at [approximate size] [some volume]? – Remember, 10,000 units of one SKU is not necessarily the same as 2,000 units of 5 SKUs, so be specific about this. Here is a more detailed explanation of this right here.
When can I expect a quote? – Quotes can take anywhere from a few days to over a week. Don’t let slow quotes be an indication of interest in your business, some companies are just very busy or simply have slow quoting departments. It’s not necessarily a reflection on their customer service or quality output (but it might be)
Ask the next few companies these same questions, BUT, dictate to them the materials, style, size and volume as the first company you contacted so that you can compare apples to apples when the quotes come in. If they suggest other sizes or materials to you that better suits their shop, this simply means they do care about you as a customer and they want to put their best foot forward. So I would request that you get two quotes from them, one with the consistent materials that the previous companies will be quoting you (for proper comparison purposes) and one with the specs that they suggest.