In this article, we share our experience of sourcing a high-quality SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) therapy light for one of our long-term customers. Having collaborated successfully for three years, there is a strong foundation of trust and mutual respect between us. This story highlights how we met their needs through careful planning and market research. Whether you are considering sad light therapy lamps or simply interested in our process, we invite you to read on and discover the value we bring to our clients.
Initial Inquiry of SAD Therapy Light
The customer asked me to help him find some SAD THERAPY LIGHT products in June 2023, and she was interested in purchasing them.
I quickly looked for such products and learned that with the accelerated pace of modern life and the increase in work pressure, more and more people are suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder. SAD Therapy Light, also known as phototherapy light, has become an effective tool to alleviate this emotional disorder. Phototherapy light simulates natural daylight to help regulate the body’s biological clock, improve mood, increase energy and concentration. In recent years, as people pay more attention to mental health, the market demand for phototherapy light has grown rapidly, becoming a common health aid in homes and offices.
Then I learn about the best-selling products on some retail platforms and also find some factories in the market, about 3~4 of them, one of which is large in scale, and several others are smaller but have their own production lines. I contacted the sales staff of these factories and learned the recommended their best-selling products. I found that most SAD THERAPY LIGHT had basically the same functions.
- POWER SUPPLY: Most products require a converter, some products can be connected to a USB cable (the manufacturer does not provide a converter), and some products are rechargeable. This obviously causes different costs.
- Color temperature: Products on the market usually have three color temperatures (about 3000K~6500K): warm yellow, warm white and cold white, which is also the color temperature range of natural light.
- Brightness: Most products have two adjustment methods, one is to adjust several levels through buttons, and the other is stepless adjustment, which can be achieved by long pressing the button.
- Timing: The timing function is a standard configuration, with 10 minutes, 15 minutes, or 20 minutes as a level, usually 3~6 levels, and the longest time is one hour.
Later, I sent the customer a quotation sheet, with a total of 4~5 models, the products are as follows:
2023 Popular SAD Light--R30
2023 Popular SAD Light—R22
2023 Popular SAD Light—Round
2023 Popular SAD Light—Low Cost
Second Inquiry
Time flies. In May 2024, the customer told me that he planned to continue this project this year and gave me a picture like this:
I searched the picture and found that this is one of the best-selling products of Happy Light, covered by patent pending. So I immediately told the customer that we can’t provide this product, and it’s better not to purchase it, because it may cause unnecessary trouble. After receiving the email, the customer replied soon:
“We are very open to seeing other designs, we don’t want to be the same as the mainstream design, and we don’t want to conflict with other companies because of patent issues inadvertently. Can you recommend some other products? New products with good functions or advantages? Products that can make us stand out in the market?”
I realized that the customer gave me GREAT TRUST! How can I recommend a suitable sad therapy light?
Adquisición de luces SAD con nuevas funciones
Revisé las cotizaciones del año pasado, verifiqué productos relacionados y plataformas minoristas, y aclaré además que las diferencias en este tipo de producto se reflejan principalmente en la forma de la lámpara y el estilo del soporte. La mayoría de las fábricas desarrollan lámparas en formas rectangulares o redondas, y los soportes se incluyen con el producto o se incluyen por separado.
Estas funciones no son muy diferentes en los productos luminosos de terapia para la tristeza, por lo que no son el motivo fundamental para elegir. ¿Cómo te destacas en el mercado? Además de la apariencia, ¿existen otros factores? Por ejemplo, ¿nuevas funciones?
Pregunté a todos los proveedores anteriores uno por uno para ver si había algún producto nuevo este año. Pronto, aprendí la siguiente información.
- Ruido blanco: se agrega algo de música al producto, como arroyos, tormentas, olas, pájaros, etc. Hay un total de 10 piezas musicales y los clientes también pueden personalizar la música que quieran. Esta es una innovación y parece ser buena.
- Carga inalámbrica del teléfono móvil: en la parte inferior de la lámpara, se puede colocar el teléfono móvil para cargarlo de forma inalámbrica. Esto es muy adecuado para los hábitos de vida de la gente moderna y parece estar bien.
- Color de la luz: Existe un producto que puede mostrar luz azul. La longitud de onda de esta luz azul es de 475~480 nm. Revisé la información y algunos estudios han demostrado que este tipo de luz azul tiene un efecto inhibidor sobre la secreción de melatonina. La exposición moderada durante el día puede mejorar el estado de ánimo y mejorar la eficiencia en el trabajo. Pero todavía existe cierta controversia sobre los beneficios de la terapia con luz azul triste.
- Pantalla de visualización: algunos fabricantes configuran una pantalla en el producto para saber cuánto tiempo queda. Pensé para mis adentros que esta función no es una innovación, sólo puede ser un complemento, ¿verdad?
Así que recomendé al cliente los productos principales con las tres funciones anteriores y describí cada producto en detalle, incluida su función, parámetros, embalaje, etc. Por supuesto, también mencioné que algunos productos nuevos tenían funciones de visualización, pero no las expliqué en detalle. Me tomó dos días completar un formulario de cotización.
Sourcing SAD Lights with Unique Designs
The customer did not reply. Two days later, I checked the recommended products again, as well as some best-selling products on various retail platforms (Amazon, eBay,…). Ah, there are many new product appearances! In the previous email, I gave the customer only new functions products but did not provide those with unique appearances. So, I started new sourcing and then gave the customer the following pictures of new products:
Oval SAD Therapy Light
Rotatable SAD Therapy Light
Circle SAD Therapy Light
These products have very distinctive appearances and look good. They have won the favor of many consumers on the retail platforms. I told the customer that it would take some time to complete the quotation sheet, these pictures are just for your reference.
Sourcing SAD Therapy Lights with Digital
At this time, I received a reply from the customer “Do you have any recommendations for products with display screens?”
It seems that the customer is not satisfied with the current styles. I need to learn the market more deeply. This time I only look for products with display screens. I found two other models as shown below.
- The first one is just an ordinary display screen, there are not many highlights:
- The second one is really a good design, with sunrise and sunset functions! We know that the SAD LIGHT product imitates sunlight to obtain energy. If I wake up at 7 a.m., then the sunrise model will turned on at 6:30 a.m., the light will imitate the light change of the rising sun, from dark to bright in half an hour, and there will be a dripping time signal at 7 o’clock, so I will definitely get up at this time. Similarly, if I go to bed at 11 p.m., then the sunset mode will be turned on at 10:30 p.m., and I will fall asleep when the light goes out at 11 o’clock. Well, this function is perfect! In addition, this light can be also taken as a clock. Dear readers, you can view the below video to know the product well.
The customer sent us a quick reply and was very interested in the sample with the sunrise / sunset function! I knew this recommendation was successful! This product may not be the best sad light therapy lamp, but this customer is satisfied with it! Then one sample was sent out soon.
Summary
In this case, I think the following aspects are very important：
Trust & Cooperation: The customer is usually very busy and she gave us great trust, so we can recommend new products and develop new cooperation. I appreciate! Our primary goal was to meet our customer’s needs and find a product that exceeded their expectations. This commitment to customer satisfaction drives our ongoing sourcing efforts and is what keeps us going.
Industry Awareness: Last year we had a general understanding of the products and factories on the market and had a certain knowledge of this industry, which is the foundation but not enough, the market changes endlessly, and many factories have product innovations every year. We must understand these changes promptly. For newcomers, this may be a little difficult, but continuous attention to the market will pay off.
Professionals: When recommending a certain type of product, we need to have a full understanding of the products on the market in a short period. This requires a lot of time and energy, but only in this way can we make valuable recommendations or suggestions. Therefore, only salespeople/companies with many years of experience in a certain industry can be called professionals. This article does not cover the sales status of existing products in the customer’s local market and competitor surveys, so it is relatively easy.
Anyway, if you are also looking for SAD therapy lights or other home beauty tools/machines, and hope to get recommendations or quotes, welcome to contact us!
