7 Ways to Improve Your Business Acumen for Sales

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S. Anthony Iannarino raises the important need for business knowledge in sales today.  Having a sound knowledge of business has always been important in international sales. The risk of losing control in the sales process is too great when you don’t understand how business works in other cultures. And in practice this is something international sales professionals continue to learn in the field.

Anthony gets us a few ways to improve our business acumen.  I particularly like letting clients teach you about their business.  Although you need to establish the right environment first to do this, it is an effective way to improve your sales skills.

How do you think your general business knowledge impacts your company’s sales?

3 Ways to Improve Your Ability to Diagnose for Salespeople

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Here’s another great read by S. Anthony Iannarino. This time Anthony writes about diagnosis during the sales process.  It’s useful to think about your own process of diagnosis because in international sales you spend a fair amount of time and effort making sure you get it right.

I can easily equate a couple of the points he makes with international sales: building a diagnostic tool and suspending judgment.  But in a cross-cultural environment the ability to understand how your actions impact the different aspects of your client’s company is crucial… and it’s not always easy to do. This is why thinking about the tactics you use is a great exercise.

How well do you understand how to sell to your international clients?

What Consumers Expect When Visiting Your Website

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David Siteman Garland gives us some insights into the changing expectations for North American websites. Given how these trends in online marketing impact many other countries I find the title interesting.

Different cultures have different expectations. Although it’s easy to assume the North American trends will also work well across an international audience, this may not be the case.  Identifying the cultural differences in expectations for your product or services is crucial for international web marketing.

What do your international clients expect on your website? What does not work as well as you would expect?

Online Business And Revenue Models

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Caelen King says the web is democratizing business and the lack of high cost investment means that many online businesses are also forgetting to do their homework.  This is a common problem I encounter with regards to international business. People seem to forget basic business research before setting out on the assumption that a website opens a door to a global market.

Caelen gives a breakdown of the different online business models and possible revenue generation models.  It’s a good reminder to carefully think about your business model and how this will impact your online success.

What type of business model interests you for your international business?

Stop Being the Idea Guy and Just Do It!

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I love ideas and hearing different perspectives on a variety of topics.  In this article Bill Rice raises the question of getting beyond ideas and taking action. This reminded me of a few incidences recently where someone wanted to get more business, but was not willing to roll up his sleeves and start taking action.

Early in my international marketing career I was confronted with a very ungrateful task of crunching numbers. It was a week long chore which no one wanted to do even if it was essential to the company’s marketing.  I bit the bullet and never regretted it.  Jumping in and doing the work that needs to be done to move your business forward can give you insights you just can’t get elsewhere.

Do you make the right choices in how you spend your time?

Creating Resonation Points in Your Customer: Six Sales Tips to Sell More

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Here is another great article by Skip Anderson on improving your sales skills. This time it’s about creating resonance with your clients. This is one of the first things international sales professionals are confronted with.  You almost always need to adapt your communication with international clients.

Skip shares how to find the resonating points when selling and his last point is the most critical one for international sales: understand your customer. This takes the most amount of work in cross-cultural sales.

How well do you know the resonation points in your international customers?

Why Size Matters & Smaller Is Better

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Lisa Barone’s article got my thoughts going in a few different directions with regards to international business. First of all, just like Lisa points out here, a small targeted audience can be worth much more than a bigger, less targeted audience.

Next, the idea of size brings up the importance of adjusting your actions to the context involved. In some countries you need to communicate more with the group as a whole and in others it’s more important to find the right person to talk to.  Awareness of size and it’s relevance to your business is important.

Are you happy with the size of your international audience?

What articles have you read recently? Have any of them inspired you with regards to international business?  Please share them in the comments below.

If you are aiming to win market share from your local market competitors then communicating in local market languages makes sense. If we care to interact and communicate with the customers in these regions – we can do business.
By interacting in their language – we are INCREASING our chances of being successful.
It’s Glocal: Think Global, Market Local.  Multi-lingual websites enable organisations to reach more customers online.

According to Mark Rodgers,  CEO of Cipherion Translations,  “During the 1990s, American organisations pioneered globalization. A successful product in the US could be sold throughout the world – as long as the people in that country could find out about the product, could read about it and know how to use it. Consequently, these US multi-nationals rapidly built“Translation / Localization” into their market strategies. Their offices around the world sold and marketed the same US product / service to local populations. As an Irish organisation, if you have a product that can be sold internationally, then your key focus is to MARKET this product internationally – ie to local populations.  It’s about letting your customers know that your product exists and
why they should choose to purchase your product”.

A localized website will:

• Shorten the time to market
• Increase global revenue share
• Increase brand awareness
• Ultimately, decrease the cost of doing business

Irish Case Studies

Ryanair
Ryanair is probably the most well know Irish enterprise that uses translations to maximize revenues. Ryanair’s website is available in over 7 languages.

Hostelworld
Hostelworld is its website available in 22 languages.

From a marketing perspective, both Ryanair & Hostelworld have focused on making it easy for customers across Europe to make a booking.

Amberbay B&B
West of Ireland B&B with website in 4 languages. Bookings increased and
re-couped translation investment within 6 months.

Steps to Website Translation
Mark recommends following these steps for website translation:

1.    Develop and  plan translation of your website and SEO optimisation in each language. Translations are a process; not an event.

Google ryanair search

2.    Extract the text for translation, including any text hard-coded into menus, images or flash animations.

RyanAir menu schematic

3.    Don’t forget about keywords and meta-tags, it’s important that these are translated also.

4.    Get your website translated professionally: it’s Marketing.

5.    Insert the translated text back into the html coding

6.    Add the flags or drop down menus

7.    Carry out a final online proof read, and bug-check

8.    Start SEO and Google Marketing and watch the hits increase

Develop and plan translation of your website and SEO optimisation in each language.

Are you translating your website?  What difference has it made to your sales?  How are you measuring?  We’d love to hear your comments.

50% Of Messages On Twitter Are Non-English

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This article on the Online Media Gazette gives some statistics from recent research on the number of languages used on Twitter and only half of the tweets are in English.

This is a great reminder to keep a tab on various social media profiles if you are interested in being an early adopter in using social media to reach international markets. Of course you also need to answer other questions before setting up a tweet plan in a foreign language.

Do you use Twitter to develop your international business networks?

The Little Fish Guide to Niche Dominance

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This is a good article on dominating a niche through business blogging.  But it is also appropriate for an international niche.  In this case, I would recommend modifying step 2, to adapt your content to your international audience.

Does your business blog target an international niche?  If so, what are you doing to dominate your niche?

5 Ways to Improve Your Empathy and EQ in Sales

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Anthony Iannarino has written an excellent article on how empathy helps in sales. All of the points here are important in international sales too.

I particularly like: “pause between stimulus and response and consider your outcome”. It’s so easy to assume we know what others are thinking. Pausing a short time before responding can be very useful in cross-cultural communication.

What do you do to improve your empathy in sales?

Tell Personal Stories – Sell More and Gain New Clients

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Chris Hamilton reminds us of the value of telling personal stories in sales.  This reminded me of how useful this is in international sales.  It’s often much easier to convey a message across cultures with a story.

And this also reminded me of the importance of not being too focused on telling your story.  You still need to pay very close attention to the people listening to you. Some people may find you too ego-centric. Some might find your stories too long or not relevant. There’s an art to story telling.

Do you tell personal stories when selling?

Blogging for Businesses Results in 55% More Traffic, 97% More Inbound Links!!

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SysComm provides some interesting graphs and statistics on the reasons why businesses blog. Search engine optimization and online visibility are obvious reasons.  And this is also an important reason to consider a business blog within an international marketing plan.

What goals do you have for your business blogging?

Sealed With a Kiss (The Art of Closing)

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Alen Mejor says the art of closing a sale is “the art of making decisions with which people agree”.  And of course when selling across cultures this is not always easy.  You often need strong cross-cultural communication skills to get people from different cultures to agree.

Alen’s article brings up quite a few of the roadblocks to closing a sale and it’s interesting reading this with international sales in mind.

Are you comfortable closing international sales?

Small Business Advice: How to Spot Difficult Customers

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I enjoyed reading Cynthia Myers’ article. I do think you spend a bit more time to work through some of the traits outlined here.  A customer from a different culture may first come across as a micro-manager, but this relationship might change once trust is established.

The one thing I would add for international customers is to always hone in the customers capacity to actually pay for your products or services.  It’s not only a question of whether they have money in their bank account, but also whether they can get the money into yours.

What do you look for in a good international customer?

Businesses Adopting Social Media At Greater Rate (Video)

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In this video Abby Johnson explains that small businesses are now using social media to find new ways to attract new business as businesses are recognizing the importance of being social.

There are parallels in how small businesses need to get creative to survive and how businesses sometimes need to get creative in the methods they use to enter new foreign markets. This is why I like to closely watch the creativity businesses use on social media.

Have you noticed any businesses creatively using of social media?

Find Alternatives And See If You Can Gain Business

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Chris Hamilton gives some examples of how a creative approach helped him to find alternative solutions and bring in more business.

A creative mindset and the ability to find alternatives are two survival tools in international sales.  These are skills you’ll always need.  So I always like hearing about other stories of different ways people brought in the business. You never know what ideas this may spark in the future.

What do you do to stimulate your creativity in finding business solutions?

Salesperson And Prospect: Differing Perspectives

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Skip Andersen shows different perspectives of both the salesperson and the prospect.  And he summarizes “The law of incongruity of expectations can work for you or against you, because it is neither good nor bad, it just is.”

Different expectations always present a challenge in international business.  And you need to understand all parts of the business process well in order to adapt to the different perspectives.  This was a good reminder to look at the whole story of what’s happening.

How do you navigate the differences in perspectives in international business?

Success In Sales Is Managing Outcomes: The Ability To Achieve Results

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S. Anthony Iannarino has reviewed 10 skills needed in sales and this is the last one in the series. It’s also my favorite when applying these skills to international business.

There are many pitfalls linked to not understanding the outcome your international prospect is buying and aligning this with the outcome your business wants.  When you begin an international sales process you may not have a good understanding of the outcome your prospect expects. So managing outcomes becomes an important part of the sales process in cross-cultural sales.

What skill do you find important in international sales?

Business And The Media With Rupert Murdoch (Video)

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In this video Peter Robinson of the Hoover Institution interviews Rupert Murdoch about the Wall Street Journal.

I find it interesting that one point made is that content is the emperor.  New technological devices rely on content. When you take a step back and look at content for international audiences, it’s easy to see the importance of cross-cultural communication.

What are you doing to adapt your communication to different cultures?

3 Little Things Potential Customers Will Check About You

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Douglas Idugboe brings up some good points here about adding a personal touch, making sure you highlight current skills and providing the right website links.

When your international customers visit check about you online, they will probably look for information you would not expect.  Different cultures have different approaches to doing business. When selling to international customers you have to deal the cultural differences in your own communication as well as establishing credibility differently.

Do you know what your international customers check about you?

Ten Web Strategies To Implement In 2010

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Matt Gibson gives 10 great web strategies for small businesses. I particularly like #6: Stay on the ball. And it’s easy to understand the importance of this with the examples Matt gives here.  Small businesses have the advantage of being more flexible when implementing new strategies than big businesses.

Flexibility is also very important in international business. Cultural differences can create issues where you need to be flexible and adapt to different environments.

Do you think your business is flexible enough to take advantages of opportunities?

The Ultimate List: 40 Social Networking Sites Specifically For Small Business, Entrepreneurs, And Startups

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This is a great resource list by Matthew Ringer of the SmallBizBee.

The main reason why I like this list is that it reminds us there are more social networking sites out there than the few we use out of habit.  It’s particularly important to open up your horizons and look at different social networking sites when you are targeting international markets.  Different cultures like different environments.  They may be on LinkedIn but have more meaningful discussions elsewhere.

What new social networking sites have you looked at recently?

Diagnose: The Desire To Understand

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Mr. S. Anthony Iannarino raises the interesting point of providing good diagnosis in the sales process.  In international business most professionals rely on a variety of methods to hone their diagnosis skills.

Diagnosis is one of the various elements of the international sales process. In a cross-cultural environment the process of diagnosis is a longer one than when selling within one culture.  International sales people often spend more time seeking the information needed for an accurate understanding.

What differences do you see in process of diagnosis in international sales?

Ten Reasons Why Going Global Is Advantageous To Your Company

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A great short list of the reasons why businesses should go global.

As Laurel Delaney says “The knowledge you gain from learning the ropes of international business will make you open to new ideas, new approaches, new marketing techniques, new customers and new confidence to take on the world!”

What’s stopping you from going global?

Voice Mails, Gatekeepers, And Unresponsive Prospects

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Doyle Slayton reminds us to look at the techniques we use to connect with people by phone.

I often hear complaints about it being difficult to reach the right people by phone.  It’s always the fault of the system in place in the other country.  International networking by phone works.  But you need to apply cross-cultural and international skills to get results.  And this begins by taking a close look at the techniques you are using and adapting them to other cultures.

What tips can you share about international networking by phone?

Growing Your Business As A Team: 10 Ten Team Building Tips From The Real World Of Small Business

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Most of the tips Caron Beesley shares in this article are about team building within a company. And I have to say that the international companies I’ve worked in always had a superior team environment than the non-international companies.

But this got me thinking on a broader scale.  When trying to expand internationally, good teamwork with people outside of your company can also impact your success.  Good teamwork means information flows well and this is a good thing. You can spot potential cultural blunders and opportunities with what seems to be an insignificant piece of information.

Where do you see team building as being important in international business?

Digital Or Direct Mail? Weighing The Benefits Of Marketing Campaigns

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When you market to international audiences you need to always look for what works best.  As this article points out digital mail is an easy way to reach people across the globe.

But is it always the best one?  Should you look at other forms of communication?  For example in countries where “collective” communication is more important, when should you rely solely on one-on-one email? How should you integrate your email marketing into your overall international marketing tactics?

Are you happy with the time you spend researching the best communication methods for you to reach international audiences?

Is Your Customer Service A Thinly Veiled Sales Job?

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Sarah Mitchell in Australia shares a story of different expectations and how the wrong customer service tactics can destroy customer relationships.

If businesses get this wrong when marketing in their own cultures, how can they expect to develop their international sales?  And yet, I do encounter situations like this.

What do you do to make sure you understand your client’s expectations?

Image: Michelle Meiklejohn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The natural reaction of many businesses experiencing a downturn in their revenues is to cut costs in advertising and promotion, yet literature on the subject suggests that small firms should do the very opposite if they wish to ride out the recession. Evidence gathered from the PIMS (Profit Impact of Market Strategy) database of almost 4,000 businesses throughout the USA and Europe shows firms who increased marketing spending were not significantly less profitable in a recession. Moreover, firms which spent more on marketing during a recession saw their profits increase dramatically once a recovery had started. In fact, SMEs that increased marketing spend gained market shares three times more rapidly during a recovery than those that had previously cut their budgets. The consensus is that companies should plan their marketing budgets for the long term and continue to spend on marketing in the short term, in order to survive during hard times and to be more profitable in the future.’
How do you believe the current recession affects consumers?
‘Economic crises hit consumers psychologically as well as economically and consumers tend to adapt their shopping behaviours and habits. As a result changes need to be made to the general marketing strategy and particularly to the four main elements of the marketing mix: product, price, place and promotion. As part of a general strategy, firms operating in International Markets should concentrate on the markets in which they are strong and withdraw from markets where they are not the main players. Entering previously untouched but potentially lucrative foreign markets is also an important strategic option to consider by SMEs who are adversely affected by the recession back in Ireland.’
So how should Irish SMEs change their marketing strategy?
‘Savvy marketers can increase sales and market share during hard times by concentrating on price promotions and by tailoring advertising to suit the uncertain climate. Companies should emphasize durability and reliability in their advertising as consumers tend to shop more rationally when their purchasing power has taken a dent due to a recession. More proactive personal selling can also be beneficial and can help build stronger customer relationships.’
Pricing can be a very sensitive issue during times of recession and it is a topic I have written about recently: from your research how should SMEs price their products in a recession?
‘The rationale of many small firms is to reduce prices in the short term in order to increase sales but this can greatly impact profitability in the long run. This can also effect the brand image long term and customers may be reluctant to buy at previous price levels once the downturn is over.

Image: Francesco Marino / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Firms need to be careful with pricing strategy and it should be integrated with other marketing mix initiatives during a recession.’
Improving perceived quality of your offering relative to competitors pays off in better profits and growth. Although it may seem natural to decrease marketing spending due to the current economic climate, having discussed this topic openly with Mícheál it is plain to see that Irish SMEs should continue to spend on marketing if they wish to ride out the recession and continue to be successful once the recovery begins.
Many thanks to Mícheál for his contribution to this post.  Read more from Mícheál on his blog

Generating More Leads with Video White Papers

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White Papers are a great content marketing and lead generation tool for B2B businesses to reach audiences abroad. The trouble is that although they are very popular in North America, they are not as popular in other countries.

As Jonathan Kantor points out here, White Papers have changed in the last 10 years.  And I’m particularly interested in this new trend of making video white papers. This may be a more effective way to use White Papers to reach some international markets.  Of course good cross-cultural communication on video will also need to be applied.  But I can see some great possibilities here.

Have you seen a White Paper video?  If so, what did you think of it?

Get Testimonials – Proof is in the pudding

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Chris Hamilton makes a great case for using testimonials… North American style.  And I just have to caution readers, different cultures respond to North American style testimonials in very different ways.  In North America testimonials are used to build credibility. But in other cultures the techniques that work well in North America can actually destroy trust and credibility.

American best practices dominate the English language web. When you want to reach international markets you must never assume these “best practices” in other countries. This is also why you need more than translators to sell abroad.  You need local marketers or localization experts.

Do you ever think of adapting your testimonials for different cultures?

Five Ways to Effectively Follow Up (Without Being Annoying or Breaking the Bank)

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Trent Hamm gives us some great suggestions on different ways to follow up with your customers and leads.  This got me thinking about the cultural differences in following up.

One of the suggestions here is to send greeting cards.  And again, although greeting cards work very well in North America, they do not always work as well in other cultures. They just might not be your best choice.  This article got me interested in paying more attention to the differences in following up with different cultures.

What are your favorite ways to follow up with international clients?

Why Business Articles are Like Money in The Bank with Compound Interest

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One of the difficulties when marketing to international audiences on the web is the different levels of market maturity.  Different countries are at different stages in how they use the web.

When I first started blogging I also wrote for the French audience for several months. But I was too far ahead of the market here at that time and decided to stop and wait to see if they would catch up.  And 2 years later, the feedback from the articles I wrote at that time is now telling me the market here might be ready. The time I spent writing those articles 2 years ago may be worth the investment after all, particularly if it allows me to be one of the first people on the market.

Do you have content online targeting a different international market?

Does Feedback in Your Organization Flow Both Ways?

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As John Hersey says “Feedback is vital for learning and improving, as much in business as in life”. And it becomes critical to your success in international business.  When you have a good culture of giving, cultivating and listening to feedback you can avoid most of the cultural blunders on your path.

This article really got me thinking about the value of good “feedback” skills and the ability to navigate the interpersonal challenges on the subject of feedback.

What do you do to cultivate feedback?

Finding New Customers in New Markets

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Charlie Alter gives easy to follow guidelines for identifying new markets. This is a great read for businesses stuck in knowing what to do.

For international markets I would also include steps to get direct feedback from the international markets concerned.

What advice would you give to find new customers in new markets?

3 Questions to Ask Before You Offer a Bonus, Sample or Free Content

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Susan Oakes gives some great questions to ask before you offer a bonus, sample or free content.  And I think these questions also work for international markets because they get you to stop and think.

I’ve noticed different reactions to free offers in different cultures.  It’s a mistake to assume you know how people will react to receiving something for free.  Some cultures expect more and some will look at your free gift with suspicion.

Do you know what works best in your international markets?

The Value in “Raising The Bar”

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There is a time when businesses are thinking about what they can do to go international when mindset plays a big role in success.  This article from the Five Forces Group shows how to rise to the task.

“It’s about standing out in a very crowded space.  It’s about paying attention to what is happening around your business not just within your business.  And most of all it’s about proving to others that you are able to be flexible and inspiring.  These create experiences and these experiences will immediately set you apart from your competition or it may even allow you to create your own market.”  This part particularly resonated with me.

What is your company doing to stand out?

The 5 Most Innovative New Online Business Models in 2010

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Rohit Bharghava looks at some new business models online.  When working with different countries you notice differences in how companies do things.  It’s a great source of ideas to bring back home.

With online businesses often come up with interesting business ideas and different business models.  Remember to keep a tab on what’s happening online in different countries.  This can be a rich resource to help you with the challenges you face in your own market.

Where do you find interesting business ideas?

Avoiding humour in Business or Job Hunting. Then the joke’s on you ….

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Just to be clear, Paul Mullan actually believes humour is useful. Even in business and job hunting.  And I also agree with him in when communicating with international clients.  Now, most people will advise you not to use humour in cross-cultural communication.  And they are right.  Humour can backfire very easily.  This is why I never attempt being light hearted in writing.

But there are times when a gentle touch of humour in a person to person conversation goes a long way in strengthening cross-cultural relationships.  You have to choose your subject carefully, you must pay attention your humour goes across well and you should only use it sparingly.  But I’ve always been very happy I added a lighter touch to the conversation whenever I did.

What is your experience of humour in international business?

5 Ways to Share Content to Create Referrals

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This article by John Jantsch got me thinking about international web marketing.  The different ways of sharing content outlined here are good tactics.

But when targeting different international markets some methods work better than others.  And it might take some trial and error to find the best approach.

What international content marketing are you doing?

Niche Website Ideas

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John Crickett talks about the value of creating niche websites.  And of course you can also create international niche websites.  I wonder how many businesses are doing this.

Marketing to a highly targeted international niche through a website can help you learn a lot about your international business opportunities. With a little effort you can also create a solid business network in a foreign country.  Of course, this takes some effort, but it’s still a lot less expensive than doing this offline.

Do you know of anyone using niche websites to target international markets?

Building Products for Mass Adoption

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I enjoyed reading Mark Suster’s article on creating products for 2 different groups of buyers: Techies and Normals (or Muggles).  My first thought was that there are definitely countries where there are more Techie buyers than others.

This is a great read to get you to think of how to create products for different markets.

Why do your international clients buy your product?

Marketing Lessons From Changing The Look and Feel Of A Brand

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Susan Oakes gives an example of why you need to get feedback from your markets as you tweak your brand for a better fit with your audience.

This is also a great reminder for businesses adapting their brand to different cultures.  It’s easy to assume you are making the right decisions. You have to always listen to your market very early on before you make any wrong assumptions.

Do you know how your brand comes across in different countries?

Intelligence gathered at trade shows or through discussion with potential channel partners can help enormously here.  Pricing is regarded as a hugely sensitive issue, but you need to confirm whether you are pitched in the right ball park within your market segment(s).  It may be difficult to compare on a like-for-like basis, depending on how your competitors package services and products.  Worth noting:  lower priced products do not necessarily reflect inferior quality; expensive products do not necessarily guarantee premium quality and service.
The Customer is King….
Local culture can have a greater than desired impact on your pricing programme.  I have referred previously to the concept of quality versus premium.  Crucially, whilst quality may be a high priority amongst key decision makers, they may not be prepared to pay for it, or at least not at the level you may be anticipating.  Incumbent suppliers may be able to match your offering at a lower price, through economy of scale.

…Therefore Segmentation is Vital
Typically, when targeting prospects, your segmentation may go no further than SMEs versus Corporates. This is no longer sufficient.  You need to start identifying sales by vertical sector, and within these target clusters of like-minded customers.  Examples are:
•    Banking: International banks with overseas branches may adopt a homogenous approach to technology, as they can reassure all their customers of the value they place on security of data. They may seek premium products.  Local banks may opt for a more value-for-money service.
•    Education: in emerging regions, more universities are adopting an American approach to attracting students, by offering “best-in-breed” technological facilities; similarly, their governments are investing heavily in technology within primary schools, although these budgets may be capped. In the UK, government is seeking to reduce expenditure, so software offering efficiency gains and cost savings will be favoured.
•    Real Estate: despite the pre-recession construction boom in the Middle East, not all countries have adopted legislation or regulation on Health & Safety. This may now be an emerging opportunity.
There are many more examples, but the principle guiding factor here is that your pricing programme may have to be reviewed if your portfolio is considered to be over-engineered for the local market.  You may not generate the margins you’d hoped.
Only by knowing your customer base can you appreciate their values, and adapt to offer products and services they actually need.  Identify when plain old vanilla will do versus when rich features are necessary.
Back to your competitors. Scrutinise their marketing literature. Decipher what they offer as part of their “solution”, “turn-key solution” or “diagnostics”.  Try to gather intelligence on their logistics and general reputation. All of these areas feed into the overall customer experience, and will colour  perceptions of your brand.  These factors all help sway the discussion away from pure discounting and more toward relationship building. Here you can control how you differentiate.

The Simplest Secret To Business Growth

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Many businesses want to get more international clients and it takes a lot of hard work, done consistently. John Jantsch makes a great case here of reminding us to do more of what’s already working.

If you are lucky enough to already have a few good international clients or even good international networking connections, it’s worth spending the time to understand what worked well here.  In international business this may not be obvious, but once you understand what worked well it is easy to repeat.

How much time to you spend repeating what’s already working well for your business?

The Best Salesman For Your Small Business is a Digital One

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I don’t think the best salesman is always a digital one for developing your international business.  It depends on the country and the market. But a web presence certainly is helping many businesses reach wider international audiences.

Justan Brandt does remind us of how people now do online research online before they buy anything.  When marketing to different countries it’s a good idea to find out how different cultures do their online research and how this impacts their buying decision.

What do you know about the online research habits of your different international markets?

Work More Efficiently: Follow Your Body Clock

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Many people think a career in international business is glamorous. You often get to travel to different countries and see different places.  And it can be great fun.  But remaining professional at all times while adjusting to different time zones can be challenging.

Athena Goodlight suggests different activities for different hours of the day to make the most out of your body clock. It’s not easy to follow this advice when negotiating with people in different time zones, or when you lack sleep due to international travel.  But by listening to your body, and with experience, you can try to adjust your schedule to fit in with your body clock to improve performance.

What challenges do you have when travelling for international business?

Recession: The Mother of Innovation?

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Reena Jana writes on a thought provoking topic.  In a recession businesses are forced into action to survive.  Talent is more readily available and so is cheaper labor.

But are there more international business opportunities in a recession? Some cultures naturally prefer to stay focused on an environment they know well: their own.  And some businesses may be more willing to face the “risk” of developing an international business and actively look for cost effective solutions.

What do you think?

Twitter Launches Location-Based Trending Topics

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Ben Parr writes about Twitter’s new feature, Local Trends. More location based information from social media platforms will improve marketing for everyone, including international marketing.

And it’s just beginning. We are going to see examples of how businesses use this information. Be sure to keep an eye out for international social media platforms and how businesses in different countries use this technology.  You may get some good ideas for your international marketing.

What do you hope to get out of location based information on social media?

Social Networking equals Fake Networking

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The title of this article hooked my interest.  Listen to Seth Godin’s video on this article and keep your international markets in mind.  I think it provides some good guidelines for networking in international markets too.

I ran into a few people recently who asked me about international networking on social media and they were stuck into the “fake networking” referred to here. Social networking works on social media if you do your marketing groundwork.  You can do some of this before you begin networking.  But you need to keep up your market research while you are networking.

Are you happy with your international networking on social media?

What are you afraid of: Uncertainty or Losing?

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Andy Hayes talks about the concept where “we hate losing so much that we avoid anything that has even a remote risk of failing”.

Where I live I meet many business owners who say they want to go international “but…” And the prospect theory outlined in this article might explain some of the reactions I notice.

What is keeping you from developing your business internationally?