Going Abroad 2014. Waldemar A. Pfoertsch

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СКАЧАТЬ organizations overseas, and once it has established itself and found businesses and partners to work with, it is much easier to exchange ideas and expertise on a global level. There is a good chance to gain industrial expertise and experience from strategic alliances, partnerships, or memberships.

      1.1.1 Wrong reasons

      Some reasons appear very reasonable and promising at first, but they could be the wrong reasons to go abroad. Do not go international and choose a country because it has a large population. This does not necessarily mean a big market for your company. First of all, there may not be enough skilled workers to hire to do the work your company needs. Infrastructure needs to be checked carefully to see if the system of education and the academic and technical knowledge that is offered are sufficient. It would not be wise to have to invest a huge sum just to get the right infrastructure for your manufacturing and marketing. Not even cheap labor can make up for these huge investments.

      Secondly, marketing studies must show that consumers are willing and able to buy the services and products offered. It is much easier to meet a need that already exists than to create the need. Thirdly, do not blindly follow another company going into a foreign market, with the attitude that if they can do it, you could also. Each company should follow its own business strategy.

      1.2 Obstacles

      Once established abroad, the biggest obstacle to success presents itself – dealing with cultural differences. Despite what seems to be adequate cross-cultural training, the surprises and challenges that emerge can be quite morally discouraging and financially costly. Potential consumers may not have been evaluated correctly; competition may prove to be stiffer, local staffing may prove to be difficult. Some surprises can be quite out of one’s control: natural disasters, government changes – a company must be prepared for all of the above.

      2 Finding partners and customers abroad

      When the decision has been made to go international, new business partners and customers need to be found. The following resources should be explored:

      Start by searching the Internet. This is a very inexpensive and easy way to find potential business partners, as today nearly every company has its own website where you can find principal information about the company and the products they offer.

      It is just as important to have a website of your company on which you present your products. The website should be available in English so that an international audience can be reached. To facilitate communication, provide a contact form on the site where potential customers can leave their phone number, mailing address, etc.

      Participate in trade events such as trade shows, fairs, and exhibitions. Trade fairs are “shop windows” where thousands of companies from many countries display their goods and services. They serve as a marketplace where buyers and sellers can meet and thus provide a good opportunity to talk to potential business partners directly and to get information about various companies and their products. European companies frequently conduct business at trade shows. Expose own products in a trade show to present them to an overseas market. This requires preparation and commitment, but it is a very cost-effective way to find new customers. This is also a chance to learn about competitors in the marketplace.

      Analyze the characteristics of your existing partners in your home country: What types of companies are they in terms of company size, structure, branch of business? Do these companies have branches in other countries? Do similar types of companies exist internationally? Examining the structure of your existing partners can also mean finding out more about their competitors.

      Contacting business colleagues and other expats is a very good way to get informed. A person with first-hand experience in an international market may give a personal recommendation for a potential buyer or a distributor. The recommendation against a certain customer for credit or reliability reasons may save the company a number of problems. An excellent method of networking and establishing contacts with business people, who have international experience, is attending trade shows or export seminars.

      A large number of publications such as magazines or directories, which list and qualify international companies, are available. You can either find other companies there or promote your own products or services, which might generate responses. Magazines range from specialized international magazines relating to individual industries such as construction or textiles to worldwide industrial magazines covering many industries. Trade associations, business libraries and major universities may provide these publications.

      Radio, television, or various forms of outdoor advertising (posters, electric signs, and billboards) may also be used for promoting products or services, as they bring an advertising message to a great number of people.

      Another good tip is to join some of the international business chambers, for instance the British-American Chamber of Commerce in the UK. These chambers function much like a local chamber and offer similar networking opportunities. You can also contact foreign embassies in your home country. They have directories of firms located in their countries and can provide written information. Their commercial officers can also counsel you. Furthermore, the diplomatic service of your country abroad can help you with their commercial officers.

      If your company is located in the United States, for instance, you can make use of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service that delivers a very valuable service. It is part of the International Trade Administration of the Department of Commerce and promotes U.S. export trade. You can meet with a trade specialist who gives you information about the best markets for your business. This is an easy, cheap, and productive way of making contact.

       3 Contacting international counterparts

      After identifying potential counterparts, the next step will be to contact them. The initial contact should be in writing followed by an appointment to meet in person. Although communication in writing might be hard and frustrating work, it is the best and necessary way for getting in touch with new contacts, especially those that are in foreign countries. Following some general guidelines concerning the format, language, and content will produce the right letter/mail – and hopefully get a response.

      3.1 The letter format

      Several significant points should be known about letter formats. Since the goal of this letter is future cooperation, it counts as the first impression. Using proper stationary with the company letterhead will make a good impression on the receiver. It is important to spell names correctly, check and double check to make sure, as people can be easily offended by mistakes with their names. The same applies to making sure the correct title of the person is written.

      Also keep in mind that countries use letterheads and addresses in very different ways. First and last names can be reversed, street addresses, zip codes, provinces, cities, may all be presented in a different order than in your own country. Make sure it is written correctly so that mishaps in delivery will not take place. To avoid confusion on the other side, your own name and address should be written in the format used in your own country.

      3.1.1 Language

      Since English is the universal language of commerce, correspondence should be in English. However, consideration might be given to including a translation into the recipient’s language. This would make the letter more “readable” should the recipient’s English not be up to par, and it might be seen as a gesture on your part to accommodate your potential partner. Furthermore, a good translation will avoid any possible misunderstanding СКАЧАТЬ