Case Studies - Best Small Business Tool For Building Trust In International Clients
February 4, 2008 by 
cindy
Last updated 20 August 2008
What international business development tool is so powerful it calls your prospects and clients to action… and can demolish the biggest stumbling block of all in international business?
A Case Study
You see, telling a story is a very powerful communication tool. It speaks across cultures, across language levels. A case study is a story. The story of how one of your clients had a problem, how he chose your product as the solution, and the results he has had.
A case study often has more selling power to international prospects than any other promotional document because the case study tells the story of someone else resolving the same issue your client has.
If you have a success story with any foreign client it is a fantastic tool throughout all of your international markets and you should make a case study do describe that success. If the success story is with a client located in the country you are targeting it is even better. If you don’t have an international client case study but you do have local client case studies, don’t let that stop you. Your story will still have great pull because it still shows a problem and a solution. Read more
Case Studies - Easy Small Business Strategy Strengthens International Client Relationships
February 3, 2008 by cindy
Last updated 20 August 2008
Why a systematic case study plan at time of sale is important to your international business development.
If you implement a systematic case study plan at the time of sale, you will get several case study elements. Some of your clients may not be willing to commit to a full case study. Not to worry.
There are three variations of the case study. Read more
How To Learn From Intercultural Communication Difficulties
January 25, 2008 by cindy
Small businesses not used to intercultural communication, can easily find dealing with international prospects challenging. It is sometimes hard to figure out exactly how your sales message has been received. You may have difficulty understanding what your international prospect needs to hear from you.
Just like with your own local leads, some of international prospects can appear to be ready to make the sale, some are hesitant and some just do not appear to be interested. With international clients, it is often not easy to interpret their reactions.
How do you know if you should step up your sales pitch, slow down or if it would be better to pass the ball to one of your colleagues who is a different gender than you are?
Often you naturally realize that you need to do a little more adjusting in your communication style to fit your international prospect.
This is especially true when your client is not following you, or appears to want to be someplace else in your sales process. The result is that you may appear less professional than you would want. Destabilizing situations can arise.
Things can even become comical. Or worse, you can have a frustrated prospect losing patience with you and moving on. Your international clients like to feel understood. How do you avoid this type of scenario? There is only one thing to do. Read more
