Get International Clients Newsletter

Your International Business Development Idea Publisher

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” – George Bernard Shaw

In This Issue:

Regular Weekly Columns:

• Recent Get International Clients Blog Topics
• Foreign Trivia
• Example Of Websites With Global Business
• Q & A
• Are You Missing International Business Opportunities?

This Weeks Feature Article:

• International Business Development Through Triple Marketing Power – 2nd of a 5 part series
• Where Do You Start Your International Business Expansion

Recent Get International Clients Blog Topics

• 7 Brainstorming Questions To Determine What To Sell Abroad
• Initial Research Can Feel Like A Cliff Hanger
• 7 Initial Market Research Ideas To Define Your First International Expansion
• Don’t Get Stumped When Digital Age Communication Fails

Read more on www.getinternationalclients.com

Foreign Trivia

What do North American Indian Totem poles represent?

Answer This Trivia Questions And

Win A Poster Of European Cultural Differences

The first person to send me an email with the correct answer will get a popular poster showing European character traits for each country.
Send your answers to cindy@cindyking.biz with “Foreign Trivia” in the subject line and don’t forget to give me your mailing address so I can send you the poster.
Answer to last week’s trivia question:

Feature Article

International Business Development Through Triple Marketing Power
- Part 2 of 5

Where Do You Start Your International Business Expansion?

Internet Marketing + Traditional Marketing + Integrated Marketing = International Business Expansion
Where Should You Start Your International Development?


What is it in this question that is really stopping you? There are three aspects to this question:

• Country
• Which of your products
• Best choice of marketing mix with regards to your budget, or other criteria

One Country At A Time


It is essential to target one country only the first time round. This has been the standard practice in the vast majority of successful business expansions. And it is also advised to go into new foreign markets one at a time for further expansion.


There are a few learning curves involved in learning to adapt your company, your product, your sales message, your marketing into different markets. It will give your company the time to grow into a truly international business with.


What Criteria Should You Use To Decide Where To Start Your International Expansion?


Deciding on which country to target is really easy. If your choice is not obvious, if a short list does not leap out at you, then it really does not matter that much.


Yes, you do have to make an intelligent choice. Selling weapons to foreign countries is normally strewn with red tape.


But if you have a standard business, not governed by too much red tape within your own country, then the choice is fairly easy.


Remember, if you are committed to expanding your business abroad, this will probably not be the last country your target. If you are serious about establishing a presence for your business in a foreign country, you will probably have to adapt what you are currently doing to get more international clients.


You can base your decision of where to start on any criteria you see fit. But do a little bit of research as you go about taking your decision. And be sure to include research outside of online research.


This article is on how internet marketing and traditional marketing used in an integrated marketing strategy can expand your business internationally. Internet research is great. But you should also cross check information and carry out different research over the phone.


By using the phone, with a little effort and cultural adjustment, you will probably have some insightful conversations. Phone research can often give you more information than you could possibly find in the same time spent online. Speaking to people in your target country by phone will also give you valuable feedback to help you feel confident in your choice of country.


Don’t spend too much time on researching the country. Your aim at this stage is to decide which country you want to target first. That’s all.


If you currently have clients or prospects from one country, get on the phone to them and talk to them. Get a feel as to whether it would be easy to market your product there or not. If you are in an industry where different rules and regulations are in effect in different countries, get on the phone to your countries commercial attaché in that country. Get first hand feedback.


If you have no clue as to which country you want to target, go to your local industry association. Are there any particular links to a country that appeal to you? Is there a country you personally feel very motivated about? Is there a country you feel would be particularly easy to target for whatever reason?


Choice Of Product


Once you have decided on which country you want to target, your next goal is to have a rough idea of how to position the product or service you normally sell in your foreign market.

Positioning your product or service to your new foreign market will be an ongoing process.


Right now your goal is to focus on identifying one product or service or small group of products or services you already have to market in your target market.


Continue using telephone surveys and questioning local experts in your foreign markets. Do not get caught up with feeling language is a barrier. If you are reading this, you speak English. Many people all over the world speak English. Network over the phone.


If you own a hotel or sell some sort of large equipment for example, you may only want to get future foreign clients to come to you. Your goal would then be to determine what subject you could inform your target market that would interest them.


You may only want to start a targeted foreign communication plan. You may want to create information products to sell online to your foreign target market.


The aim of your research is to give you a good direction on which product or service you want to sell to your foreign market.


Again you don’t need to spend a long time on this. You will be using internet marketing methods which you will be able to adjust as you learn more about your foreign market.


Marketing Mix According To Your Budget


Combining both internet and traditional marketing methods can be used on a small scale for companies just starting out in their business expansion. The key is to find the right marketing mix to get your foreign prospects interested in your products.


Over the next few weeks we will cover:

- Change your mindset slowly to start looking for your international business opportunities

- Create an integrated marketing strategy to generate international leads

- Adapt your strategy to find your full international business potential

I will be covering these aspects in the next 4 parts of this 5 part series of the Get International Clients Newsletter and hopefully stimulate ideas for your international business development strategies.

Example Of Websites With Global Business

It can be daunting when starting out. How do you go about creating a good global website and then culturally customized websites?


There are many steps a company takes to become totally international.


To give you an idea of what is recognized as a global website, have a look at another company website:

www.cisco.com


Cisco Systems is rated by John Yunker as the 3rd best global website in 2008. Cisco is behind Google and Wikipedia. It’s website supports 38 languages


Have a look at how Cisco Systems’ main corporate website leads foreign visitors to the right location for them. The set up is a little different than the Lenovo website we looked at last week.


There is a “Worldwide” link on the top right of the home page. This opens into a second web page with a list of countries and languages. By choosing a language you change the original home page.
If you click through a few of the languages you should notice something. The template stays exactly the same throughout. You can imagine how Cisco uses its templates to easily help them communicate in the 38 languages.


John Yunker researches and publishes a list of the best globalized websites. Cisco Systems is 3rd on the list for 2008.

Q And A

Question: I am American Specialist in Educational Kinesiology. I want to give seminars in Europe, but I only speak English. What should I do?

Answer: It is important to choose one country first. If this is your first real experience in cross cultural communication, working with one culture at a time will enable you to adjust.

You first need to do a little market research in Europe. You can begin part of this research across a short list of countries and then narrow it down to one country depending on the information you get back.


There are several points of contact you should make.

Traditional Marketing


This will probably give you the best results. You need to identify the various points of contact for your target clients. The first step would be to identify them. Here are a few suggestions.

• All English language publications for the local English language communities.
• The American or British universities and other schools in Europe will often have networking points for their communities.
• Most points of contact for English speaking communities in the foreign countries will have at least a notice board, if not a website or regular newsletter. Identify as many as possible.
• Set up a simple survey system and have these points of contact distribute it.

And remember to contact any professionals in your field in Europe.


Online Marketing


You could have a specific web page for European clients. You could also drive foreign residents from the local notice boards to your website.


Do A Beta-Seminar


As soon as you have a fair bit of feedback to determine which town to do your seminar in, start organizing a first trip over.


As you want to give seminars in English in Europe you will need to network extensively during your first beta-seminar to learn how best to set things up in the future.

If you have a question on how to get more international clients, leave your question at cindy@cindyking.biz .

Are You Missing International Business Opportunities?

King Business Tools makes International Communication Affordable even for Small Businesses

Stop missing opportunities!
King Business Tools’ Monthly International Content Creation Packages integrates Internet and Traditional Marketing Strategies for international lead generation. We provide companies like yours with an affordable way to create a business presence in foreign markets fast.

Or are you unsure of the opportunities you are missing?

Do you need ideas?


If you need help in defining how to focus your international business expansion, sign up for a 39 point international analysis of your current internet presence and get an hours live phone session with the King Business Tools Idea Factory.


The International Business Idea Factory run by King Business Tools covers expertise in North American and European business expansion.

Get started today — contact me by email or give me a call at

cindy@cindyking.biz or +33 6 98 91 86 11


Contact me now to learn more about how I can help you Generate More International Leads For You Today.


Cindy King is based just south of Paris, she runs King Business Tools, a French Company, to provide European and North American companies.

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