How Reverse Sourcing Method Helps Indian Exporters Get Orders | Real Success Stories
The Reverse Sourcing Method (RSM) has helped Indian exporters secure their first export orders, enter new international markets, improve sales conversions and develop repeat business. Customer-reported results include four orders within 45 days, orders from Poland, Kenya and Bahrain with advance payment, and a second export order to Mauritius within two months of the first.
Behind these results is Consult Kriba, an Indian export-sales consultancy established in 2017. Its Reverse Sourcing Method was developed from practical export experience and years of working closely with manufacturers, traders and business owners.
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But the story behind the Reverse Sourcing Method began six years before Consult Kriba was established.
The Story Behind Consult Kriba: From One Export Order in 2011 to Helping Other Exporters
2011: The First Export Order
In 2011, Mahalakshmi ARK, one of Consult Kriba's co-founders, returned to India after studying International Marketing in the UK.
Coming from a business family, she wanted to enter international trade. Her father encouraged her to prove her ability by securing export orders independently.
She joined an export training programme with 74 participants.
The training covered registrations, documentation, procedures and other important aspects of export business. But Mahalakshmi noticed something interesting.
The actual process of finding overseas customers, understanding their buying decisions and converting their interest into orders received relatively little attention.
With her marketing background, she approached international buyers differently.
Rather than relying entirely on trade fairs or paid B2B platforms, she worked on understanding buyer requirements, market conditions and business relationships.
Within three months, she secured her first export order.
Her achievement was featured in magazines. Soon, fellow exporters and business owners began approaching her for help.
They wanted to understand how she had secured the order.
2011–2017: A Problem That Kept Coming Back
For several years, Mahalakshmi continued receiving requests from exporters.
Some wanted buyer contacts. Others wanted help with marketing, sales discussions or converting enquiries into business.
Consultancy was not initially the plan.
However, conversations with different exporters gradually revealed a larger problem.
A manufacturer with excellent production facilities might struggle to explain the product's commercial value to overseas buyers.
A trader might receive enquiries but find it difficult to negotiate profitable orders.
An exporter might spend money on B2B memberships and marketing services without understanding why buyer enquiries were failing to convert.
And an experienced business owner might need practical guidance in an unfamiliar overseas market.
Every exporter wanted more business, but their challenges, strengths and ability to execute were different.
In 2017, Mahalakshmi and fellow exporters came together to establish Consult Kriba, with a specific purpose: helping Indian businesses convert overseas opportunities into export sales.
What Years of Working With Exporters Revealed
One pattern appeared repeatedly.
An exporter would prepare a product catalogue, create a company profile, obtain buyer contacts and start approaching overseas companies.
But important commercial questions remained unanswered.
Product readiness: Can the business confidently meet the buyer's specifications and quantity?
Market understanding: Why does this particular country buy the product, and from whom?
Buyer suitability: Is the company an importer, distributor, manufacturer or another type of buyer?
Commercial strength: Can the exporter manage pricing, payment risk and delivery commitments?
Personal readiness: Does the business owner have the time, resources, confidence and experience to handle international sales?
These answers differ from one exporter to another.
A manufacturer with certifications and production capacity has different strengths from a trader managing multiple suppliers.
Their financial position, business experience and willingness to take risks may also be different.
This is why Consult Kriba developed the Reverse Sourcing Method around doing the important preparation before connecting with buyers, so that the actual buyer conversation can focus on selling.
The method makes the work more systematic through practical exercises, relevant tools and personalised guidance.
Real Exporter Experiences: How RSM Has Helped Businesses at Different Stages
1. Wela Jewels: Four Orders Within 45 Days
Exporter: Deepa, Wela Jewels
Sector: Jewellery
Reported result: Four orders within 45 days
Deepa reported securing four orders within 45 days after changing her export-sales approach with Consult Kriba.
For jewellery businesses, buyer expectations can vary considerably across designs, materials, product presentation, quality and price.
The experience illustrates how a clearer sales approach can help an exporter move towards commercial results.
The important result is the four reported orders, not simply the number of buyers contacted.
The 45-day period is this customer's experience, rather than a standard timeline promised for every exporter.
Source: Consult Kriba customer testimonials
2. Mauritius: The Second Order Came Within Two Months
Sector: Dental and medical products
Market: Mauritius
Reported result: Second export order within two months
One exporter had been trying to establish export business for nearly three years.
He explored different products, responded to enquiries and prepared quotations whenever opportunities appeared.
There was activity, but no consistent process connecting those activities to sales.
While working with Consult Kriba, he began concentrating on suitable opportunities, developing relevant business connections and understanding buyers before preparing quotations.
Eventually, he received his first export order.
Within two months, he secured a second order for dental and medical products to Mauritius.
Mahalakshmi shared this experience on LinkedIn, highlighting why the second order was especially meaningful.
The exporter had become better at recognising opportunities and moving buyer discussions through the sales process.
The result was progress towards a business that could develop beyond one transaction.
Source: Mahalakshmi ARK's LinkedIn
3. Goodlife Globex: Orders From Three Countries With Advance Payment
Exporter: Ratnadeep Kasture, Goodlife Globex
Markets: Poland, Kenya and Bahrain
Reported result: Orders with advance payment
Ratnadeep Kasture reported closing orders from Poland, Kenya and Bahrain with advance payment.
The advance-payment outcome is significant.
Exporters must consider much more than the value shown on a purchase order. Pricing, payment conditions, profit margin and delivery responsibilities can determine whether an opportunity makes commercial sense.
This customer experience illustrates the importance of handling sales negotiations alongside buyer development.
A commercially sound order is more valuable than an attractive enquiry with unsuitable terms.
Source: Consult Kriba customer testimonials
4. PT Traders: Securing the First Order From Mexico
Exporter: Suhail, PT Traders
Market: Mexico
Reported result: First export order
Suhail of PT Traders credited Consult Kriba's step-by-step guidance with helping the company secure its first export order from Mexico.
A first export order requires several decisions to come together: product suitability, the right overseas buyer, commercial discussions, quotation and agreement on terms.
The experience represents the situation of a business moving from export preparation into its first international transaction.
Source: Consult Kriba customer testimonials
5. Cadenza Hair India: Doubling Revenue
Exporter: Hem Lata, Cadenza Hair India
Product: Human hair extensions
Reported result: Revenue doubled
Hem Lata's experience represents a different objective: increasing an existing business rather than securing its first order.
Consult Kriba's RSM session describes how her business benefited from improved sales communication and understanding of buyer behaviour.
The customer testimonial reports that business revenue doubled without expensive marketing expenditure.
Her experience shows why established exporters may benefit from improving their existing sales process rather than depending entirely on additional marketing expenditure.
The published testimonial does not specify the measurement period or separately report export revenue.
Source: Consult Kriba customer testimonials
6. Sri Lanka: Six Months of Preparation Changed a Buyer Meeting
Sector: Textiles
Market: Sri Lanka
Reported progress: Successful buyer discussion
An exporter who previously worked in IT entered the textile business.
Within approximately six months, she developed practical product knowledge, connected with overseas companies and gained experience handling enquiries.
When she attended a Reverse Buyer Seller Meet, she met a buyer from Sri Lanka.
According to Mahalakshmi's LinkedIn account, both the organisers and the buyer recognised her understanding of the textile business.
The discussion progressed beyond one product, with the buyer expressing interest in exploring wider opportunities.
This was a buyer-development milestone, not a confirmed export order.
It demonstrates how product preparation and actual buyer conversations can build the confidence needed to handle serious international business discussions.
Source: Mahalakshmi ARK's LinkedIn
7. SRI SOWJAN EXPORT: Practical Support After Years of Difficulty
Exporter: Kasthuri Jana
Business: SRI SOWJAN EXPORT
Product: Herbal bath powder
A LinkedIn recommendation written by Kasthuri Jana describes how the business struggled for four years to execute export orders.
The recommendation credits Consult Kriba with providing practical support and helping the exporter move forward.
Kasthuri also mentioned that two friends joined Consult Kriba following the positive experience.
This example is valuable because it highlights something beyond sales training: individual attention when a business owner is finding it difficult to execute actual export work.
Source: Mahalakshmi ARK's LinkedIn recommendations
Can Indian Exporters Secure Orders Within 45 Days Using RSM?
Yes. Wela Jewels reported receiving four orders within 45 days. However, actual results depend on the exporter's product, readiness, market, buyer requirements and consistency in sales execution.
An experienced manufacturer with existing buyer enquiries may progress differently from a business entering a new international market.
Some opportunities move quickly. Others require months of discussions, samples, technical approvals or negotiations.
RSM helps exporters understand these differences and prepare for the work required at each stage.
Why Does RSM Include Personalised Mentoring?
Consult Kriba's experience has shown that export-sales difficulties cannot always be solved through one standard solution.
An experienced manufacturer may need support with entering new markets.
A trader may need help with supplier reliability, pricing and payment decisions.
A business owner entering exports may need guidance in understanding buyers, preparing for negotiations and making commercial decisions confidently.
The Reverse Sourcing Method gives these exporters a common sales framework while allowing the actual exercises and mentoring to reflect their individual business situation.
It connects six areas: Product Mastery, Market Genius, Legal Know-How, Marketing Proficiency, Sales Conversion Strategy, and Shipment & After Sales.
The objective is to develop the exporter's own ability to make better sales decisions and execute business more confidently.
For a deeper explanation, read How to Find Buyers for Export Using the Reverse Sourcing Method.
How Can You Experience the Reverse Sourcing Method?
Consult Kriba's Three-Stage Export Sales Process Workshop introduces exporters to the practical work involved in developing overseas buyers and moving towards export sales.
The workshop follows three stages:
Stage 1 — Prepare Your Export Business
Understand business credibility, product readiness and the preparation required before approaching international buyers.
Stage 2 — Find Suitable Overseas Buyers
Learn how to identify relevant buyer companies, understand buyer categories and connect with suitable people.
Stage 3 — Start the Export Sales Process
Understand how to begin business conversations, build trust, handle buyer interest and move discussions towards the next commercial step.
The workshop is interactive, with practical demonstrations, useful tools and opportunities to ask questions directly to the mentor.
Participants can examine their current approach, understand where improvements are needed and decide how to take their export-sales work forward.
Explore the Three-Stage Export Sales Process Workshop
Conclusion: Exporters Deserve Practical Support That Fits Their Business
When Consult Kriba's founders began helping other exporters, they discovered that the challenge was rarely the same from one business to another.
Some businesses needed their first international customer. Others needed to increase sales, improve negotiations, handle difficult commercial decisions or execute orders successfully.
Behind every export business is an owner or team with different experience, financial responsibilities, strengths and ambitions.
Consult Kriba's approach has developed around understanding those differences and making the necessary work easier to manage.
The value of export consultancy is ultimately reflected in what exporters become capable of doing in their own businesses.
That remains the purpose behind the Reverse Sourcing Method.
