UNDERSTAND THE CUSTOMER’S BUSINESS STYLE

If we step over the threshold into a new market place, the cultural differences are up to us to overcome. We have to play according to their rules. By their rules, I mean the buyers. But the story doesn’t end there. We have another set of rules to pay attention to as well-that of the competitors! So there are only two sets of cultural differences to pay attention to. That’s not so bad if we do our homework right, if we’re adaptable, flexible and talented. I remember one British client, who went to the Middle East without understanding the importance of building up a social rapport with customers and agents. He had a difficult product line, one that was very price conscious, and our job-to find him an agent-was not an easy one. It’s ‘people’ who make or break business, not necessarily the product or the price. Companies spend hours, days, weeks and months reducing their prices and talking about better product development. Then they send the wrong person or an untrained person over to the market place to represent them. The sale is lost the minute that person steps off the airplane.