Why Should You Want International Clients?

Quick answers to…

Today’s question is:

Why should you want international clients?

This was an interesting question that came up several times recently.

There are those who are totally driven by the idea of creating a worldwide company. And then there are others who need reasons.

I’ll only give you one observation here.

It often appears to me that companies only really appreciate the value of international clients when the going gets very tough in their domestic markets.

This is something I have experienced first hand on several occasions, within different companies.  The classic scenario I have noted is:

International sales were needed to make a product range profitable. Until then international sales were considered icing on the cake.

A product unexpectedly lost money on domestic sales and it was the international sales profits that saved the day.

This gave everyone time to respond and make better decisions.

But there is one big hitch…

• International sales can only really save you from a bad domestic economy if you have the international sales structure and international business intelligence already in place.

Most people think of the prestigious aspect to be able to identify themselves with an international company.

But the real value is in learning how your products are used and appreciated in other cultures. This knowledge and skill also helps you to get better at what you do best back home.

Different cultures will always have a different take on your products and services. If you fully understand this for all of the different countries you sell to, you can actually improve your own sales pitch, your sales processes and strategies in all of the countries you sell to.

It’s not only the extra clients and money you can get for your business. It’s also about what the extra markets out there can teach you about your business.

And yes, once you have acquired these stronger business skills, you are more capable of identifying additional international business opportunities you would not see otherwise.

International business spreads your risk out across a broader base and it helps you improve your business skills for your domestic market.

Need More Inspiration?

Guide 1 - Discover Your International Business • Do you still have questions about what product to sell? • Do you need to review the different international marketing steps and the different steps to becoming a global business? Have another look at the brainstorming questions before continuing.

	Guide 6 - Analyze Your International Viability • Do you want to know your chances of success?• Do you want to know how to improve your chances of international success? Read about how to create a viability analysis to keep your international business on track for success.

Guide 7 - Run With Your International Sales Strategy • Do you need help setting up your international sales strategy? • Do you want to know what to say to your foreign prospects to get the sale? Read about how to create your international sales strategy.

Pre-qualification - Not Prejudgment

One of the barriers to your international business success will be something on a personal level.

It is about the people, your team, that help you work towards your business expansion.

Cross-cultural communication and international blunders, big and small, often happen through human “mistakes”.

And you might not perceive these “mistakes” as real mistakes.  In other words, some of these “mistakes” would not be considered mistakes in your own business environment.

But cross-cultural differences make certain things come out wrong.

Prejudgment

It is very easy to let automatic assumptions pop into international business decisions and practices.

These automatic assumptions, or prejudgments, can:

• Slow your expansion process - it takes you longer to get it right
• Cost your business more money than necessary - through business mistakes and wasted time and effort.
• Interfere with your international success - what happens if you never correct your false assumptions?

The thing is, you may not even be aware of the prejudgments you have.  Your prejudgments and assumptions directly interfere with how you listen to your international markets.

And if you are not listening properly you will not always hear everything you need to hear to create the best international business development strategy for your business.

On a side note:

Have you ever taken the time to think about the association between prejudice and prejudgment?

We often think of prejudice when looking at differences between two cultural groups living in the same environment.

And… what about prejudice between two different cultures in two different countries?

And… going one step further, how does one country’s over exaggeration of its own national pride effect that culture’s prejudgment of other cultures?

There is something you need to recognize…

Everyone has prejudgments.

…Sure some of them may not be nice.

And some prejudgments have nothing to do with being nice or not.  They are just natural assumptions.

Prejudgment is part of our human nature.  It is also part of the culture we live in.  And no matter how hard we try, we cannot get rid of all of them.

So prejudgment is something employers cannot control in their employees.

The best international companies cultivate their staff to work together in a way that limits prejudgment.  These companies also stimulate  pre-qualification.

Let’s now have a look at…

Pre-qualification

But there is something you can do…

Something that will help you eliminate “mistakes” through prejudgment.

• Pre-qualification

Pre-qualification is absolutely essential in international business.  This is what you need to do, consistently, to get beyond your own assumptions and prejudgments.

…So what is pre-qualification?

It is rather simple…

Pre-qualification is simply how you:

• Check and cross-check your information
• Ask questions - lots of questions, from all sorts of angles
• Get feedback - as much as you can, and take note of even the smallest elements of feedback
• Look at what you do not have - absence often speaks louder than words
• Dig for truth, meaning - until you see the full picture

When going through all of the steps in your international business plan, you need to include pre-qualification throughout all of the different processes and before any decision you take.

• Pre-qualify all of the information you get
• Pre-qualify any decisions
• Pre-qualify your actions
• …All aspects of your international business

Some people go overboard and use pre-qualification as a form of procrastination.  Pre-qualification does require action.

In fact, you often need action before you can finish your pre-qualification process.

Now…

There are many times:

• When you will need to take action first
• Where you will need feedback first
• …Before you can do anything

This is fine.  This is actually to be expected.

When you have nothing to go on, you need to create something to go on.  You need to get feedback on something concrete.

…Yes, you might well get it wrong the first time.  This does not matter.  You now have feedback, information.  And you can start again.

Just make sure you verify your results and the feedback you get. Then use a process of pre-qualification to get where you want to go.

Pre-qualification is about asking questions, getting feedback, uncovering the real situation, needs, or facts.

Get The Right Mind-Set

Where prejudgment is based on personal outlooks, thoughts and beliefs…

…Pre-qualification is based on the truth outside of personal assessments.

This process of recognizing your own prejudgments and opening yourself up to taking pre-qualification actions systematically…

…It is all part of the right international mind-set you need for international success.

Read The Whole Story

This is part of the Get International Clients Business Guide 3 - Design Your International Visibility This is where you can read more on how to connect with your international markets.

More On International Market Research

International Market Research • Pre-qualification is actually part of your international market research Find out more here.

First New Products For International Markets

If this is your first foray into international business development, you might wonder whether you should develop a new product.

Do you feel there is no international market potential for your current products?

Remember, your first priority is to get to know your specific foreign markets.

When you understand your foreign markets you will be in a better position to know how to sell to them. You will know what they want.

Only then should you think about heavy investments in creating a new product.

It is easier to start with one product, and learn how to adapt it to different cultures.

Instead of starting with a product you should do something else first. In fact you need to answer two questions.

First sit back and review your current expertise.

• What is your current expertise? What do you know how to do well?

This expertise is probably also valuable outside of your current marketplace.

The next appropriate question to ask is:

• How does your foreign market what to receive your expertise?

Answer this question and you will have a good idea what sort of product to sell to that market. You will also know how to craft the best offer you can to develop each of your international markets.

But it is not always easy to figure out how your foreign markets want to receive your expertise. It requires in the field market research.

This is why you should look at first selling:

• What you already have
• Or an easy to create information product to leverage the advantages of the web

With the direct sales experience in different specific foreign markets you will be able to make better decisions before incurring any real expenses.

It is best to leave creating brand new products specifically targeted to international markets for when you have gained enough market knowledge.

Please have another look at the 5 basic steps in international marketing.

And, if I have not dissuaded you, and you are still tempted to develop a new product, here are a few guidelines to start with:

• Don’t reinvent the wheel.
• Don’t try to make products that others are already making very well.
• Focus on what you do best.
• Outsource everything else.

Read the whole story

This is part of the Get International Clients Business Guide 1 Discover Your International Business Be sure to check out the other useful tips to discover your international business.

Read This Before You Choose Your First Product To Sell Abroad

Are you still wondering what product to sell abroad?  Does it seem like a critical choice to make?

Businesses just starting to develop international markets often spend considerable time wondering what they should sell abroad.

There is more than one way to get stuck while choosing which product to sell.

I regularly meet business owners who do not think they have an international business potential.  Simply because they cannot see which of their products they could sell abroad.

And yet after a few minutes discussion I can identify an expertise others in different countries would like to have access to.  After that, it is just a question of packaging that expertise in a way a foreign market wants to receive it.

Don’t get stuck in choosing the perfect product the first time you sell abroad.

An excessive focus on trying to find the right product to sell in a foreign country is often a waste of time.  Well, this is often the case if you do not have any specific, first hand, foreign market knowledge.

Rather than focusing too much on how to choose the right product to sell first, there is a better strategy.

Trends In Change

First there are two important observations to make:

1. International business development almost always implies adapting some part of your business process.  It can also involve changes in several areas: product, packaging, delivery, sales pitch.
2. International product development for products sold on the web, no longer follow traditional product development processes.  The process is more fast paced and usually involves several business functions all at once: marketing, manufacturing, finance, engineering, distribution.

Ready For Change

There is one important thread to notice here:

• You must be prepared for change.

Changing and adapting to new markets is the key element for your success, especially in the beginning or your international business development.  This is where you should spend a little time.

Businesses just starting out into new foreign markets should not spend too long agonizing about what to sell.

At this stage, the question of what to sell is often not as critical as how you are going to learn how to sell to different cultures.

The real challenge is to:

• Be ready for change
• Be flexible
• Learn how to see differences in market needs
• Learn how to understand your foreign market
• Adapt your business processes where necessary

Your Foreign Customer Gives You The Key

The reason why you need to be ready for change is because your foreign customer is different from the customers you are used to in your home country.

Your products need to appeal to your foreign customers.

Different cultures have different buying triggers.  There are also several other different factors that come into play: language, cultural environment, habits, religion.

How can you know what appeals to your foreign customers before you get to know them?

This is why you will probably need to learn how to adapt some aspects of your products or how you do business.

If you become successful, the first product you sell abroad will not be your last one.

To become successful at international business you need to learn how to adapt to doing business in different cultures.  Concentrate on this.

Spend some time getting your team ready to participate quickly if and when needed.  Your first steps into international markets requires action, and reaction.

Final Thoughts On Choosing Your First Product

And, how should you decide which product to sell abroad first?

I hope this article has taken the edge off of your actual choice in product.

Of course, you should give some consideration into what product to sell abroad first.  There may be a few obvious misfits you should avoid.

But you develop your international talents by adapting what needs to be adapted to different cultures.

Read the whole story

This is part of the Get International Clients Business Guide 1 Discover Your International Business Be sure to check out the other useful tips to discover your international business.

Start With One Product

One of the first stumbling block many businesses face once they decide to develop their business internationally is thinking they need to sell all of their current products abroad.

You can, of course, sell your full range of products abroad through your current location. This is more an Export Marketing approach.

To fully develop each of your international markets you need to start an International Marketing approach.

If you still have questions here, please have a look at the 5 different stages of international marketing.

International business development requires change and adaptation. Adapting several products to one foreign market at the same time can be difficult. It may even be misleading.

It is best to prioritize which products you want to market to foreign clients.

There are several ways to choose which product to start with:

• The product that brings you the biggest return on investment.
• The easiest product to develop
• The cheapest product to develop
• The product with the best foreign market potential

For most businesses the way how you choose your first product is not of vital importance.

What is important is choosing one product and taking this one product to individual countries one at a time.

This is how you will learn the skills you need to become an international company.

Read the whole story

This is part of the Get International Clients Business Guide 1 Discover Your International Business Be sure to check out the other useful tips to discover your international business.

Why You Need To Know Your Clients Expectations Before You Outsource Your Customer Support Overseas

Clients from different cultures have different expectations on the type of service you provide them. And when you outsource your customer support to another country you may open your company’s communication up to a whole new set of cultural blunders.

An Example Of Cross-Cultural Miscommunication

My own cultural expectations, living in one country, buying something from a company based in a second country I’m very familiar with, were frustrated because this company had a call center in a third country with different cultural habits and a totally different outlook on my own client expectations.

And I was not expecting to have to adapt to this third country’s cultural values. Here’s what happened: Read more

Adapt Your Own Communication For International Business Success Like The Professionals

Fear of cultural communication blunders often waves its head at some stage in international business. Especially for businesses just starting out in their own international business expansion.

Lack of international business skills can make this fear take all sorts of proportions.

Learn From Others

Looking at the communication styles of seasoned international business professionals can be a big help.

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How To Prevent Most Cross Cultural Miscommunication By Examining Your Own English Communication

Miscommunication between people happens all the time, especially when one of the parties is using a second language.

We often end up hearing miscommunication stories in the form of a joke: “You wouldn’t believe what happened to me…” But we don’t always hear all of the stories. Especially if we cause the miscommunication with international clients.

Native English speakers have the so called advantage of speaking the so-called world business language. If this is your case, it is likely your clients put up with the visible problems of miscommunication.

You may not even be aware there is any miscommunication, and your business can suffer from it.

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Why You Need To Internationalize Your Own Communication First To Avoid Cultural Blunders

Last updated 20 August 2008

If you are just beginning your international business development you are probably concerned about avoiding cultural communication blunders.

There are stories out there of major companies making major business mistakes.
Enough to damper any business’ international fervor.

Most peoples reflex is to look at the other cultures first. After all, they are the ones that are different.

You might be tempted to start by researching all the possible types of cultural communication blunders with all of the different cultures out there.

Read more

How To Avoid Bad Communication Mistakes In Foreign Languages And Get More International Clients Quickly

Last updated 20 August 2008

Your international business development can easily be jeopardized with bad sales and marketing copy.

In international business development using your domestic sales and marketing materials will jeopardize your international results.

For all of your foreign clients you will need to have your sales and marketing materials written for your foreign country.

But how can you avoid translation blunders? Well let’s side-step the question of translation.

There is one important rule for getting high power sales and marketing communication:

• You need the right person to do the job.

And the same rule applies for copy that gets results in a foreign language.

• Not just any “right” person.

If your business is worth anything, you need to have all of your Read more

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