E126: Sourcing Tips with Meghla Bhardwaj of Global Sources

Going to trade shows is by far our favorite method of sourcing. I can tell you so many reasons right now why we prefer it over everything else, but I'd be getting ahead of myself.

Some of the trade shows I absolutely love going to are those hosted by Global Sources. Much like Alibaba, Global Sources is a frequented supplier directory on the internet. However, unlike Alibaba, Global Sources is usually thought of as having higher quality, vetted suppliers. Global Sources also runs a conference, the Global Sources Summit, which is one of the biggest events geared towards ecommerce sellers importing from China.

Our guest for today's episode is Meghla Bhardwaj, Head of Content Marketing of Global Sources and organizer of the summit. Meghla is no stranger to the podcast; she has been a guest on Episode 63 and Dave interviewed her last year, which you can read about here.

Our conversation revolves around two topics: results of a survey carried out by Global Sources on trade show attendees and tips and best practices on how to improve sourcing.

Conversation points:

• Results of the survey carried out on two groups: traditional non-ecommerce sellers and ecommerce sellers (the goal of the survey is to learn the top challenges importers are facing so that the Global Sources team can address their needs better)
• How some importers don't have a set agenda when roaming trade shows--they look for inspiration and new ideas instead
• The advantages of attending a trade show over simply sourcing online
• Supplier selection criteria of ecommerce importers
• 3 things importers should do to improve sourcing
• What to do to ensure quality
• Global Sources summit event details

Global Sources Summit

The summit will run from April 18th-20th in Hong Kong, overlapping with the trade show that runs from the 18th to the 21st. You can reserve your spot here, and use the special EcomCrew discount code ECC100 to get $100 off your ticket price.

The summit will also have the following events:

• Workshops - day before the summit, with topics such as Facebook marketing, Amazon PPC, and a beginners workshop
• Mastermind
• Break out sessions for beginners

Dave and I will both be speaking at the Global Sources Summit and we are definitely looking forward to it. We'd love to see you there and connect; don't forget to use ECC100 when you purchase your ticket to get a $100 discount.

We will also be hosting our very first EcomCrew mastermind in Hong Kong. If you'll be in Asia around this time, sign up for our mastermind here. We'd love to meet up and talk shop with you.

Resources mentioned:

MyEcomCrew Global Sources Summit Episode 63 Episode 86 Interview with Meghla

Thanks for listening to this episode! Until next week, happy selling.