Protected: Fact Sheet - 7 Traditional Paths To International Business

This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

Password:

Rate this:

2.9

Internationalize Your Website

Last updated 25 October 2008

In This Business Guide:

7 Easy Tips to Internationalize Your Website
1 - Convey Your Message To Everyone
2 - Make Yourself Reachable To Everyone
3 - Position Yourself
4 - Words For Consistency
5 - Avoid Losing Sales
6 - Explanations For Clarity
7 - Welcome International Visitors
More From Cindy
Read The Whole Story
Need Help?

Easy Ways To Improve Your International Communication

7 Easy Tips to Internationalize Your Website • What can you do to increase the international sales appeal on your website? • Do you want some simple tweaks to improve your communication across all of your audience?

More On These 7 Tips

Make Your Website Easy To Read For All Of Your Readers • What reaction do your international readers have when landing on your website? • Is your message getting across cultures? Learn how you can improve the experience for your international audience.

Be Reachable By PhoneTo Everyone • Can your international readers reach you easily? • Can they reach you how they want to reach you? Read more about how your phone can bring you more international clients.

Show The World Your Location • Would you buy from someone did not know? • What is a simple way to bring your business closer to your international clients? Learn why you need to position your business to your international clients.

Create Clarity - With A Consistent Vocabulary • How can the vocabulary you use help future international business development? • What is the first step in creating trust? • And what is the easiest way to avoid most cultural blunders? Find out why a consistent vocabulary is vital for international success.

Use The Right Order FormsFor International Sales • Are you losing sales mindlessly? • Are you sure your sales order form actually works for all of your international clients? Keep these things in mind when setting up your order forms.

Create Clarity And Consistency - Publish A Glossary • How can a simple glossary strengthen international communication? • What is the hidden value behind a glossary? • Why is a glossary essential before creating multilingual websites? Find out why you should use this little communication tool.

Welcome Your International Visitors • Do your international visitors feel welcome? • Are you losing international connections? Don’t forget to this basic first step in communication.

More From Cindy

Interested in reading more on my personal opinions and experiences with culture customized content?

CindyKing.biz International Business Development

Read The Whole Story

This is part of the Get International Clients Business Guide 2 - Plan Your International Sales Road Map This is where you can read more on how to connect with your international markets.

Need Help?

Need instructions?

• Instructions on how to use Your International Sales Road Map

Need to see where this fits in?

• A complete list of current Core Business Guides & Sub Guides for Your International Sales Road Map.

Still confused? Review your answers in the first Core Business Guide

• Core Business Guide 1 - Discover Your International Business

Simply click on one of the 8 different color coded boxes immediately below to access other core business guides.

Rate this:

2.9

Job Titles For Different Cultures

Most businesses understand that job titles can be perceived differently in foreign countries.

Different perceptions in job titles influences:

• Credibility
• Speed of sale

It might be a stretch to say that your job title can affect your international sales.  But it can create a few stumbling blocks.  Now this does not happen very often.

False perception of job titles works both ways. There is the question of different cultural perception of your own job title, and there is also the question of how you perceive other cultures based on their job title.

Some people get stuck on what job title to use when selling to international clients.  So here are a few guidelines.

Discover The True Picture

The problem is that your own cultural background may influence your perceptions on:

• Whether you need to adjust your job titles for different cultures or not.
• What changes you need to make.

Basically the problem is that it can be hard to recognize how different cultures can use a different logic to job titles.

Convey Your Job Responsibilities

A simple translation of a job title might or might not work. There may be different job descriptions for the same job title in two different countries.

Don’t get stuck on trying to find the right job title.  As in all cross-cultural communication, you need to focus on conveying the right message.

So…

You simply need to equate the job title with the right job responsibilities.

Market Research

If you feel a lack of credibility and think it may stem from your job title, this calls for a little research.

To discover how your foreign market perceives your job title, you need to ask the right questions.  Luckily, the questions are simple:

• How does your foreign market wants to be sold to
• How does your foreign market need to be sold to
• How does your foreign market perceive your job title
• Who would be your best spokesperson

This will give you a little background information.

Next…

Guidelines From The Different Cultural Behaviors

Ask yourself if there are any obvious cultural differences.

In North America for example there is a much wider scope for job titles.  Some Job titles appear to be pimped up, or over hyped.  Especially when compared to the responsibilities that go with the same job titles in other cultures.

Have a look at the different cultural behaviors.  There are some very obvious cultural differences to guide you.  Here are the different cultural behavior scales you can contemplate:

• High Individualism versus High Collectivism
• High Uncertainty Avoidance versus Low Uncertainty Avoidance
• High Power Distance versus Low Power Distance
• High Masculinity versus High Femininity
• High Context versus Low Context

As I have written previously, these are the cultural behavior scales established by Geert Hofstede with an addition by Edward Hall. I personally think there is little value in studying the original results of this study.  The study was carried out over 30 years ago and in within a very narrow context.  And this context is out-of-date.

But, there is value in looking at these different behavioral traits when carrying out your own research.  You can evaluate your own perceptions and results using these 5 scales.  These behavioral traits can help you understand cultural differences better.  And you can then adjust your communication to improve results.

When selling to countries with different cultures, the key is to identify the differences in cultural values to yours.

Different Job Functions

When selling to different cultures you must constantly cultivate trust.  Both parties must appreciate who they are dealing with.

Very simply…

It is more about the perceived relevance of your job function than your job title.

Remember, company hierarchy works differently in different cultures too.  And this can complicate things if you go in with a job title that is not perceived as relevant.

When you are negotiating abroad, it is also a good idea to establish how the different job functions work together.  And then to connect at the appropriate level, with an appropriate job title.

Rate this:

2.9

Cultural Differences In Standard Work Schedules

When conducting international business you need to be aware of cultural differences in how business is carried out in other countries. One of the first things you should not overlook is that some cultures have a different definition for their standard work week. Unfortunately, it is not that simple.  The differences in standard work weeks are varied. There are two advantages to reading further:

• You can easily annoy prospective clients by not respecting their standard work schedules.
• You can get more value out of adjusting the time, or day, or even the week you choose to communicate with your foreign clients.

Different Days Of The Week

Some countries do not have the same work week.  Monday through Friday is common in English speaking countries. In Muslim-majority countries the legal work week in the Middle East is not the same as many other countries.

• It is Saturday through Wednesday in Algeria and Saudi Arabia, so their weekend is Thursday and Friday.
• It is Saturday through Thursday in Iran so their weekend is Friday (however, many government offices and private companies are closed on Thursdays)
• It is Sunday through Thursday in Egypt, Syria, United Arab Emirates so their weekend is Friday Saturday

Shorter Work Week

Fridays are not always a good time to schedule international telephone conferences.  In some countries employees traditionally work an hour or a half day less on Fridays.  The time difference between participants can create bad feelings, or low attendance. The American state of Utah , state employees started following a “TGIT” experiment earlier this year. As in: “Thank God It’s Thursday.” In a yearlong experiment aimed at reducing the state’s energy costs and commuters’ gasoline expenses, Utah is about to become the first state to switch to a four-day workweek for thousands of government employees. They will put in 10-hour days, Monday through Thursday, and have Fridays off, freeing them to golf, shop, spend time with the kids or do anything else that strikes their fancy. They will get paid the same as before.

Government Employees And Local Customs

The example above is about state employees. In many countries government employees work slightly different work weeks compared to people in the business sectors.  And the professional categories of “government employees” is not the same in every country. Some countries have very strict laws about working on the weekend, where everything is closed.

Lighter Work Months

And don’t forget cultural differences on when people traditionally take their annual vacations.  In France many people take their annual vacation in August. In a not so distant past, business in Paris was considered as coming to a total standstill in August every year.  Although this is not 100% true across all industries today, you still need to factor this in. And driving in Paris in August is still different than the rest of the year. And there are also countries where the work schedule is influenced by religious events over several weeks in a year.

Develop Your Basic International Skills

Of course the list above can be useful. But do not rely solely on this list, or any other list you may find, when planning your calendars. It is always best to ask the people concerned yourself. In fact, the key to this article is something else. It is important to develop your international awareness to different lifestyles and different business environments.

Imagine if you want to develop your client relationships with someone whose weekend is different than yours.

• How would he feel if you called him on his weekend?
• How would he feel if you called him during his work week, but it was your weekend?

You can symbolically meet your client on his ground, by going out of your way to call him on his day at work and your day off.

Many delays happen in international business development simply because business are unaware of the local work week schedule. Imagine if you need something important from someone minutes before the end of his work week or the beginning of his month long vacation?

• Is it a good idea to schedule an important cold call on September 1st to someone who has probably been out of the office most of August or who is trying to catch up with colleagues for the first time in a month?

As you become familiar with different work habits you will begin to acquire basic international business skills. Respect for differences in standard work schedules is one of the first steps. This respect also leads to maintaining an open mind and the flexibility to deal with different business environments.

More From Cindy

Interested in reading more on my personal opinions and experiences with cultural communication and international sales?

CindyKing.biz on cross-cultural communication

Read the whole story

This is part of the Get International Clients Business Guide 5 Connect With Your International Markets Be sure to check out the other useful tips to connect with your international markets.

Need Help?

Need instructions?

• Instructions on how to use Your International Sales Road Map

Need to see where this fits in?

• A complete list of current Core Business Guides & Sub Guides for Your International Sales Road Map.

Still confused? Review your answers in the first Core Business Guide

• Core Business Guide 1 - Discover Your International Business

Simply click on one of the 8 different color coded boxes immediately below to access other core business guides.

Rate this:

2.9

How To Get Your Computer To Read Foreign Characters

Quick answers to…

Today’s question is:

How can you get your computer to read non-Latin foreign language characters?

Sometimes it is the smallest of things that get us stumped in international business development.

This is understandable.  It is often the first time you have to do so many unfamiliar things.

Are Foreign Languages Stumping Your International Business Expansion?

If this is your first time targeting a foreign country, expect small hurdles to pop up unexpectedly.

Internet lets us do a lot of online research.  And as you dig further into your international research, you will want to research in foreign languages.

Some people are surprised when they first try to read certain foreign languages on their computer screens.

If this is the first time looking at non-Latin characters on your computer you will probably not be able to read anything.

Latin characters are the abc alphabet.

People refer to different “character sets” and this is sometimes abbreviated to “char sets”.

Don’t worry…

This is just a small technical hurdle.  It is easy enough to fix.

Different Character Sets In Foreign Languages

When you research a country with a different alphabet or “character set”, or a non-Latin based language, you might not be able to get anywhere.

The problem is often closer to home than you realize.

• Your own computer settings.

You simply need to set the parameters on your own computer to “read” these different languages.

Using Your Keyboard To Type Different Characters

But before you jump in to correct your computer settings to read different character sets, let’s think this through a little.

• What happens when you get beyond this initial stage of reading non-Latin languages on your computer?

You might want to “write” a page or two for your own website.

• How can you write in a a different character set on your computer, with your current keyboard?

Your first attempts might give your readers a series of “?”, “/” and “-”s.

• Do you need to write something in this language and want everyone else to see it clearly?

Set Your Computer For Foreign Communication

When you go in to change your computer settings to read different character sets…

why don’t you also take a couple of minutes to make the changes to write in different character sets as well.

You simply need to make a few easy adjustments to your computer settings.

Before making the changes, ask yourself if you need to enable your computer to:

• Read and view different character sets?
• Put up pages on your own website that will look good to all of your readers?

You can follow easy how-to instructions here:

• How To Set Your Computer To Read Foreign Languages

More Useful Resources To Get International Clients

Key International Resources Find more information here to help you expand your business into foreign markets

Free Translation Tools Are you facing language barriers? Dive into international market research using free translation tools

Rate this:

2.5

Finding Foreign Search Engines

Quick answers to…

Today’s question is:

Where can I find a list of the top foreign search engines for each country I am targeting?

As usual, Google is a good place to start.

When you search for “leading international search engines” you find:

• The Search Engine Colossus

This website gives you all you need to get started.

I think this question actually highlights the barriers we can put up all by ourselves.

The internet is a everyone’s communication tool.  It is easy to find factual information for all cultures online.  And this question is about facts.

International business is different from what we are used to in our domestic markets. The good business skills you already have to operate in your domestic market will help you in your international markets.

Don’t remain stuck…

Both Google and the telephone will get you over just about any hurdle you come across.

Getting back to your question…

Use the Search Engine Colossus to look up the leading search engines for each of the countries you are targeting. Select as many of search engines as you need to cover a large percentage of your market.

Many international search engines actually use Google’s search algorithms. But not all of them. In some countries, the leading search engines have nothing to do with Google.

Now…

Even if the foreign search engines use Google’s search algorithms you will probably still get better results if you actually register your website with the local country search engines.

At least… this definitely used to be the case.

But Google is improving its international searches.  There may be a time in the future when you will not necessarily find any extra benefit from taking the time for foreign submissions.

Even if it is useful to do so today.

If you are actively targeting a specific country, take the time to look up the leading search engines.

Here is what you need to:

• Register your website with the foreign search engine
• Get your website spidered by the foreign search engine
• Get your website associated with your foreign keywords

For each country you are targeting. The submission process may be different.

You need to put in the appropriate information in the forms. Don’t worry, it is not complicated…

But, do not simply have anyone in your company fill out the forms. Be sure to have your web marketing person involved.

It is a good idea to do a preliminary research to note the details required and then think about how you want to fill them in.  For example, to decide who your key contact person should be.

Some countries require you to have at least one page on your website in their foreign language. You will need to do this before filling in the submission form.  So take a few minutes to review the process.

A little time spent registering your website with foreign search engines increases your international visibility.

Read More On Search Engine Submissions

Foreign Search Engine Guide • How easy is it to set up an international website? Read about your international communication platform options.

More To Plan Your International Business Development

Guide 2 - Plan Your International Sales Road Map

Rate this:

3.2

Plan Your Foreign Language Content

Culture customized content builds stronger connections in your international markets.

But, what do you do when you want to use culture customized content for stronger international presence, and…

…your international development budget is small?
…your company wants to be cautious?

How do you reconcile this with everything you think you need:

• A full foreign language website
• Complete selection of foreign language marketing materials
• An international sales force

Well, instead of looking at how your current business communicates with your domestic market…

How about starting at the other end?

Let’s look at what happens when you start with your culture customized content.

Plan The Content You Need To Translate

When you plan the content you need to translate, you usually realize that you will need to update your content within a relatively short period of time.

Why is this?

Simply because…

When you first start to communicate with a foreign market, you do not know it well enough to write your most effective communication.

Even if you hire outside companies to tell you what your message should be, you will only really find out what your market needs once you start direct communication yourself.

Now, if you know you will need to change your communication in a short period of time, how do you start?

One Product In One Language

It is standard practice in international business development to start off with one product to one country. This is the easiest way for companies to learn how to adapt to new markets specifically and international business in general.

This also makes it a lot easier for you to plan:

• The content you need to translate
• Time lines and guidelines for future strategy
• Future actions to extend your reach
• Other key parameters you need

Plan For Your Future Content

Your first foreign language content will probably be based on some of your existing content.

You will want to use this to develop culture customized content. This culture customized content creates stronger connections in your new foreign markets. And…

Because you need to have your own market feedback from your new target country, you will need to modify your first translations.

Many companies do not plan for this change in content. After all the translations were an investment, and they want a return on it before sinking more money into translations.

Some companies will change their international message later on. If they realize their message is not effective.

Many larger companies simply let their international sales team pick up the extra responsibility of correcting the “wrong” messages in their written communication.

This mistake is very common in large American companies, eager to keep control on their brand while selling abroad.

There is a very simple solution to getting your message right for your international markets:

• Start small.
• Plan for change.
• Stimulate feedback to learn more about YOUR foreign markets
• Adapt your message to the culture you are communicating with

Planning for your future content right from the start will both save you extra translation costs and give you a foreign sales message with a bang.

Evaluate The Best Marketing Channels

Imagine you know:

• Precisely what you want to communicate now,
• What information you want to get back from your foreign markets,
• And what you want to communicate later?

Well then…

Now you can determine the right international marketing channel to use to communicate this content.

Of course, you will also need to get feedback from your target markets to verify the marketing channels they want you to use to communicate with them.

This means adding a few more criteria for you to get feedback on.

When you get

• The right message,
• Sent to your foreign markets on the right marketing channel,

…you have the base of a good international marketing strategy.

Choose The Communication Platforms You Need

Now you know:

• What you want to communicate.
• How you want to communicate your message.

Your communication platform needs are usually very easy to identify now.

In addition, the content planning you did earlier will tell you what you need to plan for in the future.

Added Bonus

And one of the other questions most companies struggle with:

• Which communication platform should you use for your foreign language content?

• Your domestic website with country-specific sub categories or sub domains
• An international website
• Localized websites

Well, you now have something to go on to answer this question.  Of course, there are other criteria to look at, but this gives you the criteria covering your foreign content needs.

Read the whole story

More On Culture Customized Content

Once your initial translations bring in some feedback and you have enough country-specific business intelligence, you will want to create a message adapted to your specific foreign market.

Culture Customized Content Guide • What is the secret to effective international business development?Find out here.

Rate this:

3.2

How Fast Can You Internationalize A Website

Quick answers to…

Today’s question is:

How fast can you internationalize a website?

First, the short answer: It depends on two things:

• The extent to which you want to and can internationalize your website.
• How culturally specific your website is today.

Now, the long answer.

Let’s clarify a key point.

• What is an internationalized website?

On Get International Clients, I refer to two different types of websites:

• An International Website
• An Internationalized Website

Have a look at those links if you do not understand the difference.

Time To Go International

So, how fast can adapt your website for an international audience?

For an Internationalized Website, using your existing website, there are two options:

1 - A Few Days

It can take as little as a couple of days to have a small website “edited” to stop pushing away international visitors.

This involves:

• Smoothing over any strong culture-specific areas, and only when there are a few of them
• Reviewing content for clarity and consistency - simplifying the experience for everyone, domestic and international audiences alike

2 - A Few Weeks

It can take several weeks to do a comparative analysis between your domestic market and one primary foreign culture.

This involves:

• All of the steps above
• Identifying the appropriate cultural web tools and touches you can make
• Testing results on both your domestic website and your foreign markets
• Ongoing testing and tracking process as you develop your new markets

For an International Website -

Several Weeks To Several Months

It can take several weeks, and much longer, to create an International Website.

This involves:

• Creating a website, in some cases, from scratch

And, of course, the time you need depends on the:

• Complexity of the website you need
• Level of international business intelligence you have
• Scope of your project
• Place you start

However, given that most companies use their International Websites to develop the website templates they will use for planned Localized Websites, you also need to plan for additional strategy on how to create what will be your first international template.  This involves extra coordination between all of the team involved.

Read More On Website Internationalization

Website Internationalization Guide • How easy is it to set up an international website?Read about your international communication platform options.

More To Plan Your International Business Development

Guide 2 - Plan Your International Sales Road Map

Rate this:

3.2

What Is An International Website

Quick answers to…

Today’s question is:

What is an international website?

An International Website is slightly different to an Internationalized Website.

An International Website can be considered as a precursor to a Global Website.

Its communication is targeted to one unique international audience. One website for every country in the world.

An international website can also be a Regional Website, targeting a specific group of countries, if the regional message is more international than specific to that region.

Disadvantages

Targeting one broad range of countries limits your marketing effectiveness.

To get the best results you need to target your communication directly to each and every culture you sell to. This means several different websites. One localized website for each country you sell to.

Advantages

An international website is useful in the interim period before you know where to create your localized websites.

You can start international marketing efforts here, and plan for more localized websites as you get enough international business intelligence to do so.

And you can get international business intelligence using marketing tactics easily from your International Website.  In fa