Sunday Blog Carnival #63

by cindy on 26 July, 2009

Get International Clients Sunday blog carnival

Welcome to the July 26, 2009 edition of Get International Clients.

Internet Marketing

Silicon Valley Blogger presents 10 Web Marketing Strategies For Online Business Owners posted at The Digerati Life, saying, “When it comes to trying to earn money online, we’ve got two goals: it really boils down to figuring out ways to monetize your site as well as building traffic for it. Well, the latter goal — figuring out how to get visitors to your site and how to attract customers — is where this article comes in.”

Managed Services presents Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Needs Increase for Small Businesses posted at Managed Services Blog saying “The need for Managed Services is growing every day. The majority of Managed Services are still being sold to small and medium-sized businesses which continue to rely on these cost-saving, proactive IT services.”

Silicon Valley Blogger presents Make Money Blogging: Top Bloggers And How Much They Earn posted at The Digerati Life, saying, “Blogging is a tool to reach people all over the world.”

Sam Carrara presents The Birth of a Product posted at Sam Carrara’s Marketing Education.

Margaret Garcia presents 50 Tips & Tricks for Researching with Bing posted at Becoming a Computer Technician.

Robert Alan presents Tips for Effective Cross-Selling and Up-Selling posted at Sell It on the Web, saying, “Some tips and advice on how to effectively cross sell and upsell your products and services effectively to increase revenue and profits.”

Barbara Williams presents 50 Best Search Engines for Your Symptoms posted at Nursing Schools.net.

Patricia Turner presents Top 20 Free Tools to ‘Hacker Proof’ Your Inbox posted at Forensic Science Technician.

Robert R Aho presents Unstoppable List Building – A Valuable Free Report For Marketers posted at Robert’s Atomic Blog.

Isaac Yassar presents Content-is-King Approach and How It Helps You Monetize your Blog posted at Go Blogger (dot) net, saying, “If you are to market your content successfully, you will need the right approach.”

Robert Alan presents Designing Websites to Convert Visitors into Sales: Beginners Guide posted at Bill Hazelton, saying, “Tips on how you can build your website or blog more effectively to convert more visitors into sales or leads.”

International Business

Susan White presents 100 Non-Business Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read posted at Online Universities.com saying “Although there are plenty of business books that can help you in your education, some of the most useful ones aren’t obviously meant for business at all. You can build your communications, relationship, and presentation skills, and even set yourself up for success by reading books your professor wouldn’t think of assigning you. In this collection, you’ll find a variety of books that can support your education and growth in business and beyond.”

Allison Johanson presents The ETF Hall of Fame: 25 People Who Revolutionized the ETF Industry posted at ETFdb.

Alvina Lopez presents 100 Entrepreneurs You Should Follow and Learn From on Twitter posted at Associate Degree Blog saying “As you go to school to become a business professional or learn how to run your own company, you’ll take classes in finance, management, leadership, and more. But if you’re serious about starting your own business one day, you’ll need first-hand advice from successful entrepreneurs. Twitter is a great resource for making contact and learning from CEOs, branding professionals and small business owners, so check out our list of 100 entrepreneurs you should follow and learn from on Twitter.”

Anne Simone presents 100 Awesome Blogs for Your Business Education posted at Learn-gasm saying “Whether you are in business school or are a self-learner trying to gather the most information you can about business, blogs are an excellent way to stay on top of the latest news, information, and trends. These blogs come from such influential voices as business school professors, successful entrepreneurs, and other authorities on a wide range of topics relevant to your business education. Whether you want to learn about marketing, business in a global community, finance, economics, management, leadership, or sustainable business practices, you will find information among these blogs.”


That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of Get International Clients using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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Sunday Blog Carnival #61

by cindy on 5 July, 2009

Get International Clients Sunday blog carnival

Welcome to the July 5, 2009 edition of Get International Clients.

International Lead Generation


Brian Carroll @brianjcarroll presents 7 Tips on how B2B marketers can leverage social media posted at B2B Lead Generation Blog saying “In B2B sometimes we need to remind ourselves that people don’t buy from companies, they buy from people. That’s why why I think social media has a lot of potential for B2B marketers and sellers. Why? Social media tactics are wonderful for building and supporting business relationships and making yourself more available to connect with your current and future customers.”

New Age Lead Generation @newageleadgen presents 24/7 International Salesperson posted at New Age Lead Generation saying “Your website needs to be about selling your services even if it is just information or content.  There is a reason you spent so much time and money on developing the site in the first place.  Websites need to be created and managed to sell.  When looking at designs for your website do not get wow’d by pictures or design since those are short term.  Do not let the graphics overwhelm the information or your own brand and demographic.  Have a management plan in place to keep the content fresh and focused.  Provide value to your prospect.”

Marketing Profs @MarketingProfs presents Five Tips for Building a Better B2B Website posted at Marketing Profs saying “What’s the definition of a great website? What’s the secret to better business lead generation? And what’s the first step to building a site that delivers the kind of results you need—when you want them? At the MarketingProfs B2B Forum earlier this month in Boston, ClearGauge’s Karen Breen Vogel offered five easy tips to make your B2B website deliver the kind of results your company needs to thrive in a competitive market. Here, she talks with Kyla Cullinane about the components of a site as well as an approach to leveraging analytics tools.”

Mike Vannoy presents Building a Sales Staff of “A” Players posted at Sales Engine International saying “In conversations with our prospects and clients, we often are asked our advice on finding, developing and retaining “A Players”. The days of “darkening the skies” with feet on the street is simply not an option in this economy. Therefore the high producing Sales Rep – the A Player – is a precious commodity.”

Wayne Davies @seo2leads presents In lead generation ask only what you need to know posted at  Tips, advice and information from the lead generation expert saying “Back in the old days (before the Internet), your typical company would decide to experiment with lead generation. They’d create a reply coupon, and everybody in the marketing department would chip in with some ‘useful’ question they wanted to ask. Then they’d look surprised when nobody filled out the form and sent it back. These days it’s even worse, because an online form offers the marketing team unlimited space.”


That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of Get International Clients using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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Sunday Blog Carnival #62

by cindy on 5 July, 2009

Get International Clients Sunday blog carnival

Welcome to the July 12, 2009 edition of Get International Clients.

International Business

Silicon Valley Blogger presents Good Business In A Bad Economy? Grow Your Business In A Recession posted at The Digerati Life, saying, “Are there businesses that thrive during an economic recession? Definitely. I believe you can run a small business even in time of crisis. With the right amount of luck, planning and hard work, you can find business success and see your venture do well even in the worst economic conditions. It won’t be a walk in the park, but it becomes a bit easier though, if you are in the right business niche, sector or industry. Being well positioned with the type of business that naturally grows in a struggling economy will no doubt help you a lot.”

International Marketing

Emma Taylor presents 100 Business Execs You Can Learn from on Twitter posted at MasterDegreeOnline saying “Twitter is not often thought of as an educational tool, but the fact is that there are many people on the service that offer a wealth of information. There are CEOs, executives, and more users that have plenty of knowledge to offer you. Read on, and you’ll learn about 100 business executives that you can learn from on Twitter.”

Anya Portnik presents How important is my title when selling? posted at Gavin Ingham.

Internet Marketing

Helene Zemel presents Internet Marketing Basics for Work at Home Moms & Dads posted at Work at Home Mom and Dad, saying, “Whether you own a brick and mortar store or work out of your home, advertising on the internet will allow you to reach thousands of people with your ads. This article provides you with some of the basics for getting started with internet marketing”

Barbra Sundquist presents How to Set Up an Aweber Autoresponder posted at HomeBusinessWiz.

Managed Services presents Reduce Your Marketing Costs And Increase Results With Non-Traditional Techniques posted at Managed Services Blog saying “As a business owner, there are several activities that you need to execute and manage successfully in order to grow your business effectively and profitably.”

Silicon Valley Blogger presents A Blog Optimization Report To Increase Your Web Traffic posted at The Digerati Life, saying, “Thanks!”

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of get international clients using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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Sunday Blog Carnival #60

by cindy on 28 June, 2009

Get International Clients Sunday blog carnival

Welcome to the June 28, 2009 edition of Get International Clients.

Internet Marketing

Emma Taylor presents 50 Useful Social Networks for Business Travelers posted at Management Degree saying “In business, you may find yourself traveling often. As a business traveler, you can benefit from connections that help you learn about deals, places to visit, and more. In this list, we’ll explore 50 networks that offer useful information to business travelers.”

Anne Siomne presents 100 Essential Web Tools for Any Side Business posted at Management Degree saying “Whether you’re a victim of cutbacks, outsourcing or your own personal ambitions, your side business is probably more than just a hobby. And since you’re intent on growing your company into something respectable and profitable, you’ll need the tools and connections to help you project a professional image. Check out our list of 100 essential web tools for anyone who’s starting up a side business.”

TonyT presents Essential International Marketing Advice – Why is International Internet Marketing so Important? posted at  Article Bulk saying “The most important part of modern business strategy is to think on a global scale, however this doesn’t mean that businesses can afford to ignore their local market. The world is continually changing. The most noticeable change is perhaps in the way businesses operate; over the past few decades this has changed considerably. Businesses are able to operate on an international scale fairly easily, but that doesn’t mean that they can lose touch with their local customers. Consumers and businesses can buy any product from anywhere in the world thanks to the internet. Top business strategies include multilingual website marketing and International internet marketing.”

International Marketing

Thursday Bram presents Customizable Content: Keep Your Readers Interested posted at Hyper Modern Writing saying “I recently wrote an article for one of my clients about how newspapers are working to keep advertisers interested. Publications are focused on tools to make sure that advertisers can access certain demographics (and therefore keep paying those publications). I’m of the opinion that there’s an equal need to focus on keeping readers interested — and many of the same tools that enable advertisers to target specific groups could be ideal for a publication that wanted to make sure that certain readers saw specific content.”

Isaac Yassar presents Most Popular Ways to Get Desired Traffic posted at Isaac Yassar’s Overture, saying, “Website traffic is one thing that every website owner and webmaster desires for. They spend considerable amount of time, money and energy to obtain desired traffic to their websites. In fact, all the aspects of web designing, contents, SEO, revolve round the buzz word traffic. Unless you promote your website with various strategies to rank for keywords your website will get lost among the millions of competitors”

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of get international clients using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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Sunday Blog Carnival #59

by cindy on 21 June, 2009

Get International Clients Sunday blog carnival


Welcome to the June 21, 2009 edition of Get International Clients.

International Business


Jim presents Treat your reputation as the most important thing in your career. It is. posted at B2B Rainmaker, saying, “A reputation is what you’re known for, what others believe you to be, and a reflection of the experience of having been in your presence.”

Kathryn presents The Importance of an Online Backup System posted at Cyclope-Series Team Blog, saying, “This article is about the importance of using an online backup system. This is especially important for businesses that are dealing with international clients. You want to make sure that all of your information and data are safely stored!”

Billeater presents Incorporate as an LLC, S-Corp or C-Corp posted at Billeater saying “Planning on starting a business soon? One of the first decisions you’ll need to make is what type of entity your business is going to be. The most common choices are to form the company as an LLC, S-Corporation, C-Corporation, or as a Sole Proprietor.”

International Marketing


Patricia Turner presents Top 100 Blogs to Boost Your Sales Skills posted at Construction Management saying “Salesmen are the dreaded enemy of dinner time and door bells, but making a career in sales doesn’t have to condemn you to being the dreaded enemy. Learn top tips from expert salespeople across the world with these blogs. Train yourself in the latest sales techniques and see what works for the experts. It’s all here in this top 100 list of awesome sales blogs.”

Anya Portnik presents Finding new client information, video 3 of 3 posted at Gavin Ingham saying “If you want to win new business you need to be able to find new client information. In this video, the third in the series, we look at 10 top tips for improving your prospecting and new business generation.”

Chris McClelland presents Marketing Minute with Jennifer: The Marketing Mix and Q posted at Lucrative Investing.

International Sales


Peter cantelo presents How To Lose a Customer *Guaranteed* posted at vivavi.co.uk saying “I should be calling this article How Not To Lose a Customer. But Let’s try a bit of reverse psychology.”

Internet Marketing


Michelle MacPhearson presents Best in Social Media – June 6, 2009 posted at Social Marketing by Michelle MacPhearson, saying, “Cool blog on the update of Best in Social Media for June 6, 2009 issue”

Isaac Yassar presents 10 Steps to Finding Your Target Market in Facebook posted at Isaac Yassar’s Overture, saying, “Everyone is talking about social networking, and many claim social networking to be the panacea for all of your marketing ills. Marketing on social networking sites like Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter can help you boost the size of your email list and help you grow your business. The key to success with this strategy is making sure that members of your target market are in your network.”

Alvina Lopez presents 100 Useful Twitter Tips & Tools for Web Designers posted at Web Design Schools Guide saying “Twitter is a great networking tool for many people, and web designers are no exception. Whether you’re looking for networking, clients, inspiration, or just a distraction from work, you’ll find that Twitter is an excellent resource. Here, we’ll look at 100 tips and tools that are great for web designers on Twitter.”

Alvina Lopez presents 100 Tips, Tools, and Resources for Locking Down Your PC posted at e-Justice Blog saying “The web can be a tricky and dangerous place to navigate, especially if you’re unprepared. However, you can better protect yourself by taking necessary steps to make your computer more secure. Here, we’ll discuss 100 tips, tools, and resources that can help you build a more secure PC.”

Sarah Scrafford presents 100 Firefox Add-Ons to Create a Truly Brilliant Browser posted at Select Courses saying “The Internet is full of smart tools these days, but only if you have the patience to go out and find them. So what if you could turn your browser into a little black book of awesome shortcuts, organizers, alerts and blogging assistants? Well, you can. Read on to learn about the 100 Firefox add-ons you need to create a truly brilliant browser that will make your life oodles easier.”

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of get international clients using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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Sunday Blog Carnival #58

by cindy on 15 June, 2009

Get International Clients Sunday blog carnival

Welcome to the 14 June, 2009 edition of the Get International Clients Sunday Blog Carnival. Daniel Sitter presents Sales Performance & Compensation Relationship in a Recession posted at Idea Sellers saying “There are two types of business owners:

  1. Those who view their sales team as an asset.
  2. Those who view their sales team as an expense.

Type 2’s do not understand the value and contribution of their salespeople. They do not realize that every other function in their company, from accounting to maintenance, is pre-determined by the sales function. If there are no sales, and related profit contribution, there also is little or no operating capital to operate the business. It is a simple model.”

Dr. Jim Anderson @drjimanderson presents 3 Things Every Sales Negotiator Needs To Know posted at The Accidental Negotiator saying “Successful sales negotiators are good at what they do because they know what they are doing. That being said, they also have developed patterns for conducting sales negotiations that serve them well. If you want to improve how your sales negotiations turn out, then taking the time to study these patterns will help move you towards your goal.”

Jill Konrath @jillkonrath presents Which B2B Database is Best for Prospecting Purposes? posted at Selling To Big Companies saying “That’s a question I get asked all the time. Which is better: Jigsaw, ZoomInfo, Zapdata or …?  To find out the answer, check out Online Sources of B-to-B Data: A Comparative Analysis.”

Mark Trinkle @marktrinkle presents Best of the Best posted at  Sales Force One saying “Given the opportunities I have to work with some incredibly talented sales professionals across the country, I am always updating the list I created in 2008 that summarizes what makes those sales professionals so successful.  Here is my mid year update for 2009:”

Steve Martin presents Why Does My Sales Manager Dislike Me? posted at Heavy Hitter Sales Wisdom saying “Have you ever worked for a sales manager who made you feel uncomfortable? Even though you consistently made your number it seemed you never earned his or her respect? Although you made many attempts to improve your relationship, they were all met with indifference? Your sales manager can make your life enjoyable, tolerable, or miserable, and your mental condition is profoundly influenced by this critical relationship. Understanding your sales manager’s management style is the key to winning over this key person.”

Cindy King @CindyKing presents Top Sales Experts Share Their Secrets To Improve Your Sales Skills posted at Cindy King saying “I am so excited. The Top Sales Experts Ebook Summer Edition 2009 literally just came off the press. Before saying anything else, I have to urge you to download this ebook. Now. Although it sells for $19.95, you can get it free simply because you are one of my blog readers. As a Top Sales Expert I am lucky to be authorized to give it away to you. You see the Top Sales Experts team is dedicated to changing the world in sales by providing the best resource on the planet for sales people.”

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of get international clients using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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Sunday Blog Carnival #57

by cindy on 7 June, 2009

Get International Clients Sunday blog carnival
Welcome to the 7 June, 2009 edition of the Get International Clients Sunday Blog Carnival.

Gavin Ingham @gaviningham presents a video series on Finding new client information posted on GavinIngham.com saying “The ability to find out more about potential clients and prospects is essential if you want to succeed in business. There’s no rocket science in this the first of three videos but there is lots of practical and usable advice… video 2 of 3 & video 3 of 3“

Sue Barrett @SueBarrett presents Count your chickens posted on Barrett Sales Blog saying “Everyone I am speaking to, at least, are aware they are working in a softening market.  Some businesses of course are counter cyclical, meaning they can make money in these tougher times i.e. outplacement firms for all the obvious reasons, but they are more the exception.  If you market is softer or heading or a down turn it doesn’t have to be all gloom and doom.  It’s true now you have to earn your real money through proactive sales practices. So with on the agenda, one of my clients in regional Australia kindly sent me a great article on “The three basic sales strategies in a softening market”.  It was presented at the client function of a regional accountant firm he had attended.”

Bernadette Doyle presents How to Avoid Feast or Famine posted on Client Magnets Official Blog saying “The importance of constantly prospecting for new business was drilled into me by my managers. Most of the sales team HATED this aspect of the role, but in all honesty, I didn’t find it too difficult. I understood the link between having a full pipeline of prospects and achieving my sales targets, so I spent at least one full day each week just focused on prospecting for new business.”

Mike Vincent presents URI International Introduces Three New Prospecting Sample Kits posted on The Feast of Wealth Uri Blog saying “URI International has made it easier to sample prospects with there three new prospecting kits. The first one comes with 10 sampling packages that you can pass out to people you meet for free or charge $6.50 each for them. The other two packages are designed to mail to your prospects or to be offered as a low cost sampling kit.”

Richard Hilliard presents Gathering Client Information with b2c Sales posted on Sales Gravy saying “There are many ways to gather information from a client. Many have a belief that clients do not want to be sold. What I have found with the clients I am in contact with I must use all the resources available. Not all information gathered is by questions and answers.”

Mike Vannoy presents Lead Generation vs. Lead Nurturing Webinar posted on Business to Business Sales Lead and Marketing Blog saying “According to a recent study by the Aberdeen Group, 84 % of all sales leads identified as “qualified” never close. The statistic is startling when you consider the amount of effort and resource required to build your sales pipeline.”

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of get international clients using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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Sunday Blog Carnival #56

by cindy on 31 May, 2009

Get International Clients Sunday blog carnival

Welcome to the 31 May, 2009 edition of the Get International Clients Sunday Blog Carnival.

Countries Surviving The Recession:

Australia tops international poll of countries surviving the crisis the best

Below are the full results from the Servcorp International Business Confidence Survey which was conducted in April 2009 over a period of two weeks. The survey was commissioned to understand the current mood, business morale and impact the economic downturn has had on businesses around the world. As part of the survey, Servcorp asked 7,500 international businesspeople from more than 24 nations to identify which countries they believe are surviving the crisis the best. According to the people surveyed, these are the countries perceived to be surviving the economic crisis the best:

Rank Country
1st Australia
2nd China
3rd equal India, Singapore
5th Hong Kong
6th Canada
7th equal Japan, Qatar
9th New Zealand
10th equal Malaysia, Sweden, Vietnam
13th equal Netherlands, United States of America
15th Indonesia
16th South America
17th France
18th equal Belgium, England, Korea, South Africa
22nd equal Austria, Taiwan
24th equal Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland, Lebanon, Russia, United Arab Emirates
30th equal Brazil, Morocco, Philippines, Scotland, Sri Lanka, Syria, Thailand


Richard Annotico presents Italy Surviving Global Recession better than Euro Partners; Britain, Germany, France, and Ireland posted at Annotico Report saying ” It wasn’t supposed to be like this. As Britain and America suffered the inevitable consequences of falling house prices, frozen credit and massive consumer debt, the former plodders in the eurozone, with their preference for safe banking and greater reliance on manufacturing rather than services, would emerge relatively unscathed, said policymakers in France and Germany – at least until recently. Referring to the “meltdown” of Iceland, London is being called “Reykjavik-on-Thames”. Germany is being called Reykjavik-on-the-Rhine and Ireland Reykjavik-on-Liffey. The joke goes that Ireland, whose property bubble has spectacularly burst, differs from Iceland only by one letter and six months. The Mediterranean countries – Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain -… are also dealing with their slumping economies and high public debt. ”

Amit Agarwal @labnol presents Countries that are Least Affected by Recession posted at Digital Inspiration saying “Australia takes the top spot followed by China with India and Singapore in equal third place. Qatar is the only gulf nation that figures in this “relatively” recession-proof list.”

The West Australian @thewest_com_au presents Australia best to beat recession posted at The West Australian saying “Australia stands out as an island of calm amid the global economic storm despite pessimistic government and media responses, an international business confidence survey shows. One in five international businesspeople cited Australia as the country best surviving the recession in a survey of 7500 people in more than 24 nations.  Australia placed first in the survey, ahead of China, with India and Singapore in equal third place. New Zealand also fared well, ranked ninth.”

Hiroaki Hara presents Asian interdependence key to surviving recession posted at World Eye Reports saying “Japan is the world’s second largest economy and is looking to assume a leadership role during the current global financial crisis. Aside from keeping its own economy in order, Japan has urged its Asian neighbors to boost financial cooperation and maintain existing regional development initiatives. Japan is among the many countries that view Asia as a vital contributor to growth for its companies during this current global economic downturn.”

The Age presents South Africa slips into recession posted at The Age saying “South Africa’s economy, the largest on the continent, slipped into recession as official data showed that gross domestic product contracted by 6.4 per cent in the first quarter. “The seasonally adjusted estimate of real GDP at market prices for the first quarter of 2009 decreased by an annualised rate of 6.4 per cent compared with the fourth quarter of 2008,” Statistics SA said.”

The Associated Press presents Geithner wields little leverage in China talks posted at WGSO saying “Timothy Geithner’s first trip to China as treasury secretary comes at an especially vulnerable time for the Obama administration. Mired in a brutal recession, the United States needs Beijing to boost its purchases of U.S. goods, let China’s currency rise and take other steps to narrow an enormous trade gap. And it needs China’s help to combat any military threat from North Korea. The problem is Washington’s leverage has waned just as China’s power over the U.S. has grown. China is now America’s biggest creditor. As of March, it held $768 billion of Treasury securities – about 10 percent of publicly traded debt.”

Phil presents China will have a Short-Term Recession posted at Phil for Humanity saying “China is pulling itself out of the worldwide recession by investing in itself. For instance, their economic stimulus plan mostly involves infrastructure improvements, such as newer and bigger highways, railroads, ports, buildings, etc. just to name a few of their enhancements. The basic idea is that China already needs these improvements to their antiquated and insufficient infrastructure. These improvements will mean millions of new jobs throughout China for Chinese workers. This is especially useful because of the millions of jobs that have already been lost because of the worldwide recession. This will have the added benefit of also suppressing some of the civil unrest because of the downturn in the Chinese economy.”

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of get international clients using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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Sunday Blog Carnival #55

by cindy on 31 May, 2009

Get International Clients Sunday blog carnival

Welcome to the 24 May, 2009 edition of the Get International Clients Sunday Blog Carnival.

Chances are, if you’re reading this right now, you don’t live in Cuba, China, Myanmar, North Korea or Yemen.

Those countries have some of the most strict Internet censorship policies, from the totally restriction of private internet access (Cuba) to blocking searches for certain keywords (China). Some American States are blocking gambling sites, many countries are restricting certain adult sites, and some countries are putting laws in place to stop online piracy.

Come Countries block certain telephone services, like Skype, to protect the countries telecom monopoly (full list here: Most common ISPs and countries that block or censor internet access).

Here is a very informative video on Internet Censorship, well worth watching for 2 minutes.

Internet Censorship

Pete Cashmore @mashable presents Iran Blocks Facebook To Silence Presidential Rival posted at Mashable saying “With the Iranian Presidential election being held next month, a news outlet in Iran is reporting that the country has blocked access to Facebook to prevent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s rival from spreading his message. US reporters in the country’s capital, Tehran, back the claims that the site is inaccessible. Ahmadinejad’s opponent, Mir Hossein Mousavi, currently has over 4,500 Facebook fans on one fan page, and multiple fan pages are said to exist.”

Soren Billing (writing for @itp_ab) presents Dubai Police confirm plan to block internet ’smut’ posted at Arabian Business saying “Dubai Police confirmed on Tuesday that it has asked the UAE telecoms regulator to censor 500 search terms it deems offensive in a bid to block access to certain internet sites. The Chief of Police spoke out about the force’s plans to block access to certain internet sites after it was reported that he had met with a Google official in Dubai last month to discuss barring the 500 terms. ”

Phil Mercer presents Australia to filter internet content posted at The National saying “Australia is pushing ahead with plans to introduce one of the democratic world’s strictest internet-filtering regimes to protect the community from websites that promote child pornography, the politics of hate and terrorism.  The proposed system, nicknamed “the Great Firewall of Australia”, ran into technical problems during trials and has provoked howls of protest from civil libertarians, who say it is a brazen attack on free speech.”

Dan Goodin presents Finland censors anti-censorship site posted at The Register saying “Finnish police are blocking more than 1,000 legal websites, including one belonging to a well-known internet activist, under a secretive system designed to prevent access to foreign sites that contain child pornography, according to a group that advocates for individual rights online. Among the estimated 1,700 destinations on the secret block list is lapsiporno.info, which has vocally criticized the Finnish censorship program, according to Matti Nikki, the site’s creator and a long-time activist.”

Jonathan Head presents Thais block ‘anti-royal’ websites posted at BBC News saying “The new Thai government has ordered ministries to act more decisively against those who violate laws protecting the image of the monarchy. The new minister for information and technology said the government was already blocking 2,300 websites deemed offensive to the monarchy. It was seeking permission to block 400 more.”

Deborah Seward presents New French law on Internet piracy meets skepticism posted at wtop saying “A thousand French Internet users a day could be taken off-line following approval of President Nicolas Sarkozy’s pet project _ an unprecedented law to cut the Internet connections of people who repeatedly pirate music and movies.”

Thomas Claburn @ThomasClaburn presents YouTube Blocked In China, Again posted at Information Week saying “”Last week, the Cuban government issued restrictions for Cuban nationals to access the Web in Hotels and other internet hubs in Havana. According to Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez, the communist state has reinforced the surveillance of internet users and blocked many email accounts in what constitutes a new wave of restrictions by President Raul Castro. A homemade video posted in her blog Generation Y, show Yoani, and her husband, independent journalist Reinaldo Escobar, trying to buy a pre-paid internet card at the Melia Cohiba hotel in Havana. The clerk denies the request and explains that the MINTUR (Ministry of Turism) had prohibited the use of internet for Cuban nationals in local hotels.”

Emil Protalinski presents Microsoft blocks Messenger in US-embargoed countries posted at ars technica saying “Microsoft this week decided to turn off its Windows Live Messenger service for five countries: Cuba, Syria, Iran, Sudan, and North Korea. All five of these countries have a few things in common, but the one that apparently concerns Microsoft is that the US has put embargoes on each of them. Users in these countries get the following error: “810003c1: We were unable to sign you in to the .NET Messenger Service.” The user is not informed as to the actual reason for the block. Currently, it’s not clear how broad the block is or how long it will last.”

Pro Pakistani presents PTA Starts Blocking Proxy Sites Too! posted at pro pakistani saying “Pakistan Telecommunication Authority is famous for blocking access to various web portals including YouTube in Pakistan. It seems only a matter of time when PTA blocked access to certain premium Pakistani and foreign web portals. PTA blocked many links and URLs, that disclosed the photos depicting the luxurious life of Governor Punjab Salman Taseer and his family, in the name of so called “best interest of the country”. The worst of all, PTA is now being smart enough and they have now started blocking proxy websites too.”

Dan presents Minnesota Orders ISPs to Block Online Gambling Sites posted at Poker Source saying “The poker community was appalled Wednesday when the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division (AGED) issued a notice to eleven internet service providers (ISPs) to block customers from accessing 200 different internet gambling websites. The Department incorrectly sited the Wire Act of 1961 as the law that makes “online gambling…illegal in all U.S. states.”

Nick presents Top 10 Countries Censoring the Web posted at Daily Bits saying “Almost 20 years later {after the World Wide Web was created}, that objective has been accomplished on most parts of the world, but not in all of them. Some countries are trying hard to keep an iron hand over the flow of information that takes place on the Web. Below you will find the most controversial ones.”

Tracy McVeigh presents Burma worst for blogger bans posted at The Guardian saying “Burma has been judged the worst country in the world for online restrictions in a report looking at the repression faced by bloggers. The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, which has compiled a list of the 10 worst countries to be a blogger, says it wants to shame those governments which are most aggressively attempting to curtail and censor web activity. Bloggers inside Burma proved invaluable in passing out information during the September 2007 uprisings, leading to the ruling military junta blocking the internet completely for a period.”

nawaat.org @nawaat presents Tunisia’s Dubious Honor In Internet Censorship posted at nawaat.org saying “The Freedom on the Net Index has ranked Tunisia second only to Cuba and on par with China in censoring the Internet. The Tunisian government is notorious for blocking websites critical of the Ben Ali regime which is entering its 22nd year. The nation prohibits access not only to opposition websites and sites run by critical exiles, but also such popular sites as YouTube and Daily Motion as banned due to their hosting of videos documenting prison abuse in Tunisia. Further, the nation’s employs sophisticated blocking devices that allows Tunisians to access, say, the New York Times or the BBC, but bans pages critical of the regime.”

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of get international clients using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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How To Prepare For International Selling

by cindy on 18 May, 2009

Cross cultural sales

Cultural differences in business practices can pop up on all levels. These cultural differences can also pop up at any time during the international sales process. The bad news is that these cultural differences are often potential deal breakers. Wouldn’t it be nice to learn how to side-step these deal breakers and get more international sales?

One of the traits of successful international salespeople is their ability to process a wide variety of information while operating in an environment of change. They know how to keep both their own sales objectives and their international clients’ objectives in focus to close the sale.

Preparation is crucial in knowing how to deal with the diverse factors involved and can help you improve your international selling. Here are three important steps to prepare for international sales.

Open Your Cultural Mindset

Strive to maintain an open mindset during your international sales meetings.

If this is your first international sales meeting with a particular culture, it is a good idea to look up the cultural differences you might be confronted with. In some cultures these differences are very important to know. Just one word of advice: do not get too wrapped up in the cross-cultural differences.

Instead of learning a long series of cultural do’s and don’ts, it is often better to prepare your own mindset to adapt to different people. You need to be prepared to communicate and do business with people that think differently than you do. Culture shock can make you react in ways that are counterproductive to your international sales. Do not forget to question your own cultural baggage and how it effects your communication.

The right mindset of being open to different people will get you through most cultural challenges. Even if this takes time and effort to develop, you can simply try to keep the right frame of mind before an international sales meeting and you are on your way to improving your cross-cultural skills.

Get The Big Picture

Include a review of your basic business framework while preparing for your international sales meeting.

International sales require more preparation than selling within one culture. Not only do you have to prepare for your sales meeting, but you also have to look back and review your business at a more basic level.

This is because different cultures have different ways of doing things. When two different business practices come together there can be surprises: different needs, different limitations, and different opportunities. One of the particularities of cross-culture sales is that your international clients can challenge your business basics. There is no right way or wrong way. There is a path to find towards your international sale.

Sometimes you may even wonder if you live in the same world. This happens when you have not thought enough about the very basic elements of your business. It is not a question of having all of the answers. It is a question of grasping the big picture of how your business works, understanding the why, what this means and where things fit in… in simple terms.

You need the simple terms because you might need to equate your big picture with a foreign big picture which is totally different. If your picture is not basic enough you might not be able to communicate well enough to find the path to the international sale.

Prepare For Credibility

Keep your credibility in mind throughout any cross-cultural sales.

The international salesperson also has the role of representing his company abroad. There are some fundamental credibility issues here.

Although these credibility issues are emphasized more in some cultures than in others, it is always good to be an exemplary representative for your company when dealing with international clients. People always like doing business with other people.

You create your credibility in how you communicate and what you say. This means you need to be prepared to have a credible response for a variety questions and circumstances. The types of questions you need to prepare for depend both on your particular business and on the culture of your international client.

The main thing is to learn:

  • When and how you need to address the question immediately
  • When it is best to defer answering the question or state your need to refer to management

This is why cross-cultural selling requires more preparation. A sound and in-depth knowledge of your own business, what your product does and where this fits into your clients’ picture, is an important part of representing your company in foreign countries.

You also need to learn how to communicate this knowledge to build your credibility. The best way to learn this is to listen to your international clients and to ask questions.

Use This To Stay Focused

International experience and strong cross-cultural skills are key to successful international sales, but the right preparation is just as important.

Follow the advice above and, during your next international sales meeting you will find it much easier to:

  • Keep your objectives on target
  • Address unusual situations smoothly
  • Come across with credibility

Good preparation gives you the tools you need to stay focused as you take in all of the information around you… even when cultural differences pop up and you need to adjust your sales strategy.

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