ADAPT YOUR METHODS TO SUIT THE CULTURE

Don’t pick the country or agent for reason of ease and hence overlook the value of investigation. Make sure your product is right for the market, know if the market size is large enough to warrant your effort, speak the language, be sure you can service the marketplace, learn about cultural differences and be sure your people can adapt. Secondary issues could be faith in delivery, quality control, management trust, long term relationship building, etc. Make sure you remember you’re selling to emotional needs as well as factual-they need to trust you, like dealing with you, see long term benefits developing. Don’t expect the market to run without attention any more than you would expect an employee to run without back-up support, motivation and so on. Make sure you contact the market place one time each week from the beginning of the relationship. Use telex, telephone, letters, visits or whatever it takes to get results. Send everything you promise, when you promise. Deliver on time, pay on time, provide training and promotional support. Treat it as your only market.