New Navigation For The International Sales Road Map
August 22, 2008 by 
cindy
As you can see, there have been a few changes here on Get International Clients.
There are now several new icons.
An important part of these improvements is the 8 different color scheme for the 8 different steps of the International Sales Road Map.
This new color scheme should make navigation between the different steps much easier. It will also help you to follow this process designed as a key tool for your international business development.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
These colors will be used for all of the Business Guides within the International Sales Road Map.
All of the action steps in the International Sales Road Map have been assigned to one of the 8 steps, and therefore one color.
Having each action clearly identified with one step is ideal for businesses just beginning their international development. But in practice some actions may cross over into a different step. This is all part of the process.
These 8 steps are designed to be continued in one long, on-going process until it becomes second nature. This is how you will:
- Develop the right international mind-set.
- Take consistent action to develop your international business
As soon as you finish going through all of the 8 steps the first time, you need to go back to Step 1 and repeat the process over and over again. And this is where some businesses find themselves doing an action from step 2 as they are in step 3.
This is normal. Don’t stop your actions.
It is important to keep the dynamics of the process going.
I will soon add a time line to show how some actions may overlap as you progress several times through the 8 step process.
Don’t forget to check out these other useful resources:
 |
 |
 |
| 3.2 |
Foreign Search Engine Submissions
August 13, 2008 by cindy
Last updated 23 August 2008
If you submit your website to foreign search engines you will get better search engine results in foreign markets.
Read more on why you should submit your website to foreign search engines for more international visibility. There are also articles here to show you how to do it.
 |
Easy International Leads
|
 |
Knowing How Your Foreign Prospects
|
 |
How To Submit Your Website To
|
 |
Get Your Website
|
 |
How To Submit Your Website
|
 |
Remember to also have a look at the articles in the:
Website Internationalization Guide |
Don’t Miss The Whole Story
 |
This is part of the Get International Clients Business Guide 2
Plan Your International Sales Road MapBe sure to check out the other elements you need to plan your international sales strategy |
| 2.5 |
Your International Business Intelligence Management
Do you want fast profits from your actions in developing your international business?
Would you like open all of the international business opportunities available to your business?
Would you like your international viability analysis to be accurate?
I have written this article for beginners. I have had a few questions lately from small internet business owners who need to rationalize the risk in their international business development strategies.
Most experienced international businesses will have an international business intelligence management system that works. Some small businesses rely on one central person to juggle all of the information. Others have international teams that function well together.
Start With International Business Intelligence Management
International business development always involves risk. It is inherent to doing business in unfamiliar cultures. Businesses often have to adapt their current methods to fit in with foreign markets.
Starting a process for international business intelligence management will help you to rationalize these risks and make the best decisions.
You will never be able to get rid of the risk factor in international business. The beginning is always a challenge, and requires an intellectual balancing act to estimate the risk. Experience makes this process easier. You still need the information to make your decision. An international business intelligence management system or process gives you the information you need.
Your international business intelligence starts with your initial international market research.
This means that if you are using the web for international marketing and international market research, you should include a business intelligence management system right from the start.
It is easy to set up and use a simple monitoring and tracking system right from the start.
Small Companies Too
For small companies, or if you are starting out slowly, this could be a very simple system.
You simply need to gather information in such a way to be able to use all of the information you have later.
You will need to review all of your information to improve your international business development.
It is important to use a process to take advantage of your international business intelligence.
What Information Do You Need
You need to pay attention to your processes in international marketing, market research, communication and feedback from international contacts.
You need to bring all of the information you get during your market research,
- Specific country
- Specific industry
- Foreign competitors
- Domestic competitors in foreign country
- Domestic companies with similar target market already selling to your foreign market
- Online
- Telephone
- Association
- Government agency
- Foreign embassy
together with all of the information you receive from your foreign prospects and clients,
- Phone calls
- Information inquiries
- Emails
- Client orders
- Customer service contact
- Responses to each of your communications by email, website, article or other source
- Foreign event networking
into a process. This process will develop into your International Business Intelligence Management.
No matter how small, or limited your actions are, you will get more out of them if you bring all of your information together and use it in your international business development process.
In fact, you need to have a look at all of the information you can in order to make appropriate decisions.
How Your International Business Intelligence Helps You
It is your international business intelligence that will help you expand your business successfully into other countries.
You need to look at all of the information you have for several tasks key to your international success:
- Define your sales offer for a specific country
- Define how you adapt your product to your foreign market
- Create the right marketing plan for a specific market
- Analyze your business viability in a specific country
- Improve your international sales offer
- Identify new business opportunities
An Opportunity For Growth
Your international business intelligence will help your business grow no matter how small your business is when you start. It will continue to grow over time and you may need to look into different management processes or software more appropriate for your business.
As you get to know your international markets better you will also gain another more intimate type of market knowledge. If you compare business intelligence to being left brained, then your experience will give you a right brained intelligence about your international markets.
Combine your new right brain intelligence with solid business intelligence and your business will be in a strong playing position in your foreign markets.
• International Market Research - just updated
• Build Your International Marketing Strategy - just updated
| 3.2 |
The Two Key Objectives For International Market Research
August 12, 2008 by cindy
Your international business development relies on thorough market research. International market research has two key objectives.
You need to address both of these objectives when you develop and implement your market research strategy.
Rationalize Risk
You need to have good knowledge of each specific country you reach. Good international market research will provide you with enough accurate statistics to help you rationalize your business risks.
You will also use this information in your international viability assessment. Before investing time and money into your international business expansion you should have some idea as to the viability of your efforts.
Of course you will not be able to cut out all risk completely. There is always the risk of surprise factors in international business.
Good market research will give you enough information to feel comfortable with the level of risk.
I personally have always aimed for at least being 80% sure of success. The satisfactory level for the level of risk will depend on many different factors. The more experience you have in international business development the easier it is to evaluate and appreciate.
The important point here is you need to give yourself enough information to evaluate your risk.
Get To Know Your Future International Clients
Most people think market research is learning about the market. In international market research you need to become familiar with the people. Not the market.
Why is this critical?
Simply because you will get to know your foreign market much better. Your international marketing is aimed at people. People in different countries are different. There is a good chance they will respond to your product or service in a different way to your regular domestic clients.
How can you expect your international marketing to effectively bring in clients if you are not marketing to them in the right way for them?
The important point here is to always concentrate on understanding the people, the person, your international client.
The Challenge For International Success
When you first start to develop your business in a new country, you can get bogged down in getting used to different procedures. There is a danger of abandoning your international market research.
This is the challenge. Your international market research gets you started. It also keeps your international expansion going.
You need to set up a simple process for your international market research and keep at it, without stopping.
- This is how you will develop your business through the different stages of international business.
- This is also how you will be able to spot new business opportunities, or know when to revise your business strategy.
The International Sales Road Map in the Get International Business Guides is an easy process. It is great for businesses with limited manpower and budgets to spend on their first international business development plan.
The International Sales Road Map incorporates all of the key actions for international business success, including international market research. The important key is to keep in action. International business success depends on small steps taken consistently and repeatedly until you gain the market knowledge and market presence to move onto the next phase.
• International Market Research - just updated
| 3.2 |
How To Organize Country Specific Content On Your Website
June 23, 2008 by cindy
When you first start marketing to different countries you need to organize your information on your website. How do you go about doing that? If you have a website you will naturally have questions buzzing around your head about search engine results. You don’t want to lose any of your Search Engine Optimization efforts.
In the very beginning you have two choices to prepare for international business development. You can decide to start with
- A separate English language International website
- Internationalizing your current website
This is just preparation. Internationalizing your website can even be compared to doing a little housekeeping. It simply cleans up your website.
The next step after this is to create country specific content for your international audience. Once you create country specific content, what do you do with it? Read more
Small Business Action Strategy For First Time International Business Development
May 13, 2008 by cindy
Are you a small business and want to develop your international business?
Do you have a limited budget to develop your international sales?
Do you already have domestic clients but are just starting to reach out to international clients?
Are you at a loss as to what to sell abroad… or where to start?
Numerous ways and strategies exist to get international clients.
A lot depends on your business, your personal commitment and your budget.
Just about any small businesses can reach out and get more international clients using internet marketing strategies.
Here is a shoe string action plan.
- This action plan will help you make take on the international mindset.
- It also helps you to identify where you should market to first, and what to sell.
- And more importantly, it will keep in a constant flow of action.
How does this small business action plan do this?
- By getting you to know your international markets better
- By learning from your international markets
- By stimulating feedback from your international prospects to tell you what they want from you
- And by continually asking questions and moving forward
Small Business Action Plan For International Business Development
Your first international business development strategy: Read more
How To Submit Your Website To German Search Engines For More International Business
April 14, 2008 by cindy
Last updated 17 August 2008
If you are familiar with doing business in Germany you know that English is widely used as a second language. And you easily come across Germans who speak English well.
If you speak English and want to get more international clients, you should seriously consider targeting Germany.
Business In Germany
Germany is the world’s third largest economy and is the largest national economy in Europe. Germany is the world’s largest exporter of goods, and is home to the third-highest number of international migrants.
Germany’s population is over 82 million. It has the largest population in the European Union.
E-Business Is Also Dynamic In Germany
Germany also has the largest amount of internet users in all of Europe and one of the highest rates of internet penetration.
Need Visibility In German?
The German market is an interesting candidate for international business.
Get Your Website Into China Through Baidu
April 7, 2008 by cindy
Last updated 17 August 2008
Of course you can understand the economic value of opening your business up to the Chinese market. But did you know it could be so easy?
Getting your website is literally a few minutes online. Although Baidu does not guarantee inclusion after your submission, it is such an easy process and has worked easily in the past.
First You Need One Chinese Language Web Page
Submitting a website in the Chinese search engine Baidu requires at least one Chinese page.
The best bet is to create a new page or blog post that is a translation of your product descriptions or of the services that you offer.
How do you do this?
Go to the Google English to Chinese Read more
Knowing How Your Foreign Prospects Use Their Search Engines Can Get You More International Clients
April 3, 2008 by cindy
Last updated 17 August 2008
You can get more international clients through internet marketing if your internet marketing is good.
Having your website registered in foreign search engines in one step.
You also need to understand how your foreign prospect uses his search engines.
How Do Your Foreign Prospects Use Their Search Engines?
Knowing the answer to this question will define how you set up the rest of your international internet marketing strategy. Internet marketing keeps your international business expansion costs down.
If you are not in direct communication with your foreign prospects Read more
How To Submit Your Website To The Leading Russian Search Engines - Yandex And Rambler
March 31, 2008 by cindy
Photo:
Last updated 17 August 2008
In Russia, Google holds a distant third place in the search engine domain.
Yandex is the country’s leading search engine and Rambler is second. Google only has 17% of the market share in Russia. Google is behind the two Russian Language sites that control nearly 75% of that market.
All told there are about 290 million Russian speakers worldwide in Russia and the former soviet satellite nations. Read more
