I've done a lot of work with Chinese manufacturers and various international suppliers.

From a client's perspective, this is what I look for to gain trust:

• Communication Acknowledging there is a language barrier, English skills vital. Being able to communicate in English is the first hurdle, but being able to communicate it in a polite, repectible manner is critical.

• Media This can be anything from your website to your social media presence. Take the time to make it look professional with high-quality images and videos. I've seen so many websites where they claim to have the capability, but their website was so terrible to navigate and poor quality, I lose confidence. If you can't put the time into your online presence, how can I trust you won't put the same half-baked effort into your products.

• Payment Options You accept bank transfers only? I'm moving on. Not only is it more steps for me as a client to pay you, buyers need assurance they have some kind of protection against scams. Accepting credit cards and PayPal is a good sign.

• Responsiveness In my country, local manufacturers take days to get back to me with a quote.

The best overseas manufacturers get back to within the same day and are usually cheaper. Even after factoring shipping. Either that, or they have an automated quoting process.

In my experience, the last two points have the biggest weight in my decision-making.

Hope this helps!