Go on with our adventure in the export world pointing out the 3 most frequent errors generally are committed by inexperienced businessmen in creating a strategy of internationalization.
Export is becoming more and more one of the most valid anti-crisis strategies however, it’s very important for companies to be skilled and prepared in setting up an Export Project to face new foreign markets in particular because as per any undertaken project, pros and cons must be considered.
Let’s start analyzing the pros in order to evaluate the positive aspects of doing business abroad:
- Sales Volume increasing
- Reduction of the internal local crisis
- New investments
- Company growth and of its human resources as well
On the other hand, it is also true that if a company export without specific skills and in an approximate way, the cons will come soon and it will be impossible to face them without the right tools.
Basically we are talking about 2 important factors:
- Geographical, cultural, linguistic and juridical differences
- Bureauracy
After this close examination, let’s analyze, in detail, which are the 3 most common export errors and how to avoid them to succesfully export:
1. I can speak English so I can export!
Export activity must be planned. The facts that companies are leader in their local market doesn’t necessarily mean they can be the same in any other foreign country.
The support of some close relative just graduated in foreign languages that will help you in translating into English the whole company material is not enough, even a mailing made at random towards some email addresses of foreign companies searched in internet is not enough too.
Ok, your realtives’ support could be useful, but only if inserted in a higher and well structured project. Approximation is never good for business.
2. My cousin has 10 restaurants in Canada, I gain the 
market!
If the key to success is just to have a planned export project, the mere having another relative abroad with 10 restaurants will not necessarily mean to have the possibility to rise the sales volume.
The entrepreneurial self-analysis and the export check-up are two essential connected concepts that must be considered as starting points before facing an new foreign market.
Have you ever thought, for example, that your product can’t be suitable for a Canadian family needs?…and that it could probably need to be personalized and adapted to that different reality having different necessities? Everything could change.
Or, before saying your cousing “I’m seding you a container of goods I produce”, have you ever thought that you could probably and necessarily need the support of a specialist (export manager, advisor or international law lawyer) able to help you in the management of the necessary documentation to export?
3. An Export Manager has been working for me for 9 months but till now no sales: I’m not able to export!
It’s quite normal and human to be discouraged about numbers that are not coming yet, but it’s not normal to give up without having tried and having made all the possible to find new solutions. You will lose for sure a great opportunity.
It’s as if a football coach resigned at the first lost matches without trying to change something in its team. It’s not a positive and winning attitude and it will keep soon the right solution so far from you. You will never discover, in this way, what’s wrong in your adopted strategy.
The sale is the second to last, if not the last step of a longer planned project aimed at creating, step by step, a well structured export department in terms of tools, human resources and potential clients.
Probably till now, in your local market, all your activity has been arranged around the structural concept: Advertising Marketing Campaign = Sales.
If you are going on promoting this model abroad, you are committing a terrible error that will cost you so much. In order to successfully export, your adivisor / export manager / lawyer, will necessarily need time to:
- Analyze the product
- Find the suitabale market to promote it
- Create a a first strategical marketing campaign
- Choose the suitable Clients Target to whom promote it
- Sell
- Create Customer Loyalty with other and further marketing stretegies
Of course, any of the listed steps are worth to be deeply analized. We’ll come back to this issue very soon in order to provide you with useful tools to create a winning and successful export department!
***
What about your presonal experience abroad? Use the space, here below, to comment and share with us your positive or negative experience.
A digital course about How to Successfully Sell Abroad will be soon at your disposal for free thanks to which you could analyzed in depth all the peculiar aspects of this fascinating world of foreign business.
If, on the cotnrary, you have specific requests, the Contact section is waiting for you in particular because you could come among the first ones that will enjoy a business Consultung for free!
Ultimi post di Vera Narducci (vedi tutti)
- How to avoid the 3 most common Export errors - 29 July 2014
- I Speak English! How important is a correct English language usage abroad - 29 July 2014
- How to get a Smarter Company and improve the productivity - 29 July 2014