How Will You Reinvent Yourself in Q2-2010?

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S. Anthony Iannarino reminds us to take stock now to prepare for a successful second quarter of the year.  He asks us to review our results for the first quarter and to question our beliefs to see what has changed.

There is a good analogy here with good international business practices. When you are developing new international markets you need to continuously question your beliefs and keep a tab on your performances.

What are you going to change in the next three months?

The Changing Marketing World With Scott Scully

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This Rise To The Top video discusses the value of focusing on what you are good at. It’s not always easy to find people who combine traditional and new media marketing expertise to lead your business in today’s markets.

I’ve found that applying my traditional international business skills online has helped me tremendously to get results from new media marketing.

What other traditional skills bring results for your business when combined with web marketing?

Witnessing Adaptability!

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Of course adaptability is crucial to international business success.  But I had to smile as I read Elaine Roger’s story of a Little Brown Bird adapting to life in a hostile environment located in Amsterdam.  There must be other Little Brown Birds living in very similar situations in other countries.

So, when we have to adapt our business to different cultures and practices to grow abroad, we might not be the first businesses going through similar processes of adaptation.

What can we learn by from watching others?

10 Reasons Your Competitor Has Double Your Blog Subscribers

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This is a great read by Lisa Barone if you want to improve the RSS subscriptions on your blog.  But I also liked the in-depth review of trying to figure out why things are working better for others.

Sometimes a good in-depth review of the differences between what you are doing and what another successful international company is doing can reveal valuable bits of information. The key is to look long enough to uncover the whole picture.

Do you try to find the differences in what your competitors are doing differently?

How to Optimize Google Buzz for Social Network Benefits

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I read this article by Wong Ching Ya to learn more about Google Buzz. This is just one new networking tool to use online. But it seems like there is a never ending stream of tools to keep up with which can easily become a bit overwhelming.

Fortunately I’ve always had to focus on finding the right networking tools for international audiences.  When you do a lot of international networking it’s easier to find the tool that works best. There are so many other cross-cultural communication factors to take into account that you don’t won’t to be bogged down with platforms and technology.

When do you think the choice in online networking will get simpler?

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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.

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 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?

Deals Stalled? How to Advance a Sale

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S. Anthony Iannarino looks at one of the points made in the book Spin Selling: the difference between an advance and a continuation. In other words, how to recognize the difference in advancing on to the next step in the sales process, or simply having the sales process continue at the same stage. It’s about learning how to make sales.

International salespeople often need to spend time acquiring the skill of identifying this difference.  It is very easy to make the mistake of thinking there is an advance when there isn’t one, or thinking you are still in the continuation phase when the other party is ready to move forward. Many sales are lost because both parties are out of sync in the sales process.

Have you seen cross-cultural mistakes due to wrong interpretations of the international sales process?

10 Predictions, Forecasts and Trends That Will Shape Our Global Small Business World In 2010

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This is a very interesting read by Laurel Delaney.  All of the 10 points she makes are worth considering.  I particularly like number 7: the “come-out-of-nowhere theory”.  One of the first things you learn in international business is to expect the unexpected.  And the unexpected can really be something you could never possibly imagine.

I find it interesting to note how people prepare for the unexpected. Of course you learn adaptability and flexibility.  But you also learn how to deal with risk and to be ready with back-up plans when things are important.

How do you prepare for the unexpected in international business?

The Story Of The Small Business Marketing Plan

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Bill Glazer writes a great article on the need for small businesses to put their marketing plans into action.  This reminds me a lot about what I notice with many of the companies around me.  They don’t actually put enough effort into taking their business international.

I also liked this: “The successful plan is part science, part instinct, and all passion for selling.” I think many people want international business to be all science and they aren’t willing to put enough faith in their instinct and passion.

What are the main challenges for businesses going international where you live?

Social Media Monitoring, Using Twitter as a PR Early Warning System

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Bill Rice writes about using Twitter to listen to what others are saying.  We have had many examples of how international news spreads in real time through Twitter.  And we have also heard many people confirm they have made sales thanks to Twitter.  But most of these sales were with North Americans.

Twitter monitoring will tell us if and how companies are overcoming cross-cultural barriers to use Twitter effectively in some way for international business.

Are you connecting with your international markets on Twitter?

A Social Media Fable

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Jerry Kennedy shares a story that highlights the different demographics using social media. This one is simply about someone who is new to Facebook. Community managers often say that the toughest part of their job is dealing with different people from different cultures.

People skills are crucial to everyone online.  They are also crucial to international business. Anyone interested in developing international business look into taking advantage of social media to strengthen their people skills.

Have you encountered any situations online where you needed strong people skills?

How The Internet Can Help Entrepreneurs Grow

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The title of this article grabbed me.  Although the story is not really surprising, it does show someone with a problem shared by others, who gets up and does something about it.

I would love to hear about similar stories with people who live in small countries.

Do you think this is something we will see a lot of from developing countries?

Russian Blog

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This submission of this Russian blog on bizSugar reminded me that other countries are trying to find their way in web marketing, and yet they do not have their own culture specific platforms in their own countries.  Many cultures may take a while to develop their own web marketing structures simply because of their small size.  Blog or website owners in these countries will continue to use the main North American platforms and best practices.

But there are already many country-specific web marketing platforms and there will undoubtedly be more in the future as the web develops further.  This will be interesting to watch for international web marketing.

What international web marketing practices have you noticed?

How To Be A Good Product Manager

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Businesses always carefully choose the first product you sell in a new foreign market. Adapting the presentation of the product to different cultures is part of the international marketing process.

The points Jeff Lash make about holding some of the features back and learning more about how your clients like your product are interesting to apply in an international context too.

Do you have a good international product roadmap?

Defeating Procrastination: Become a Finisher

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The business owners I meet often tell me they “want to go international, but…” And the reasons they give me often show procrastination of some sort.

I liked Chris Garrett’s action list because it ends with the notion that you can fail.  With today’s opportunities for international web marketing it is possible to set up international market research and take the first steps to discovering market potentials.

What are you doing to take your business international?

Web Leads – Pounce or Nurture?

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Bill Rice’s question about how to approach web leads got me thinking about what works best for international leads.  I did not do enough research, but my personal style is a mixture.

For international leads, pounce is not the right word.  Action is taken swiftly, but it is not an aggressive sales action. This first step is exploratory. It’s one of getting to know people and adjusting to their preferred speed. And then it usually becomes nurturing.

How do you respond to international web leads?

2010 Rural Small Business Trends

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While reading Becky McCray’s article on American rural trends I also thought of the increased geo marketing opportunities we will have in 2010 as this develops further.  International marketers will also be able to use this for stronger market reach.

Of course there will probably be more opportunities for businesses targeting North American markets.  It will be interesting to watch this impact marketing to other parts of the world too.

Are you interested in international rural marketing?

Digital Marketing Strategy Development: 12 Common Problems

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This article is a good read and can be applied to international web marketing too.  Adam Singer makes some great points.  It’s hard to choose just one point.  But the one that resonated most with me was “living and dying by data”.

There is greater risk in international business because there are more potential mistakes.  And businesses need to do different types of research.  There is a balance to find in collecting data.  Different cultures do things differently.  This means that you may not be able to interpret your data accurately until you get to know the other culture.  And this is a real risk.

What digital marketing problem do you think relates most to international business?

Global VC Blog Directory – Ranked By # of Google Reader Subscribers

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It still amazes me how many requests for simple information needed to build a business.  It is easy to use Google to find whatever you are looking for.

Larry Cheng’s list of global venture capitalist blogs reminded me how easy it is to target international networking.  Blogs are social media platforms.  This means it’s possible to connect with people.  Even if this is only a first step in the process, international business networking has never been so easy.

Do you regularly spend time building an international network for your business?

4 Steps for Effective Online Networking

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Anyone interested in developing their business internationally should regularly spend time networking online to build their international networks.

Alexandra Levit makes 4 points that also apply to international networking.  Of course you need to know when to keep things private to not offend people from different cultures.  But I particularly like the reminder of knowing what you want and what you have to offer. When you add in cross-cultural communication challenges it’s easy to understand how connections can be lost.

How much international networking do you do online?

As always, I’d love to hear how these articles inspired you.

And again, just for the record, I am not part of the bizSugar team. BizSugar is simply one of the places I visit regularly to keep up with business articles online.

Iranian Cyber War Against Twitter

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When you are in international business you need to be aware of international news. This is because you often gain cross-cultural insights from incidents and blunders whenever there is an international component, even when they happen outside of your own industry.

As it happened, I only found out about this incident through bizSugar.  This incident raises concerns about being online and having international visibility.  And it also reminds us to have the right emergency plans in place for international online crisis management.

Do you know what you would do if your website was hacked?

Start an Affiliate Program to Increase Your Sales

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I’m always amazed by the lack of action taken by businesses who say they want international sales but never actually do anything about it.  In days gone by, the only real option for companies no international budget was to find local representatives or importers interested in their wares. This is comparable to online affiliate marketing today.

As more companies learn how to use social media and new web marketing tactics, I expect they will also use more affiliate marketing as a way to approach new international markets.  Many companies should be able to learn how to create an online affiliate program, widening their offer at the front end, just for international market research.

Can you see affiliate marketing as a means to open international markets for your business?

How To Explain To Clients That They Are Wrong

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This article resonated with me on two different levels: the challenges in understanding people from different cultures in a professional setting and also the need to adapt on a personal level and the frustrations this can involve when dealing with clients.

Although this is aimed at freelancers, most of the points here can also be applied to international business.  This is not a surprise as many freelancers today work with international clients.

I particularly like the first point made here: try to understand your client’s point of view.

The one thing I would add here is that good questioning skills can also come in very handy.  When you ask the right questions, you can often lead clients to meet you in an area of mutual understanding from where it is easy to move forward.

What’s your favorite tactic when dealing with clients who think differently than you do?

Customers Reduce Risk by Buying from Experts. Are YOU One?

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This article got me thinking very deeply about how complex it is to build trust with international clients and raised quite a few important questions for successful international business.

What makes an expert? Do different cultures go about crafting expert status in other ways? How is this expertise perceived by different cultures? How is your expertise linked to the trust you build in your international clients?  And do international clients buy from the same experts?

How does this article inspire you? Do you think it is easy to transmit your expertise to international clients?

Business innovation: Developing an entrepreneurial mindset

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For me, this article highlighted the similarities between an entrepreneurial mindset and an international business mindset, especially when first entering a new foreign market.

I’ve used all three types of thinking outlined here, (abstract, business intellect and creative thinking), when looking for solutions to international business problems.

What similarities do you see when cultivating an international mindset?

What free or cost effective Business tools did you use this year?

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Many free and inexpensive business tools are also great for international marketers too.  I also particularly liked the selection Greg Fry shares here.  There are some good tools if you want to begin adding video to your content mix.

It is great to add video to your web marketing, but when marketing to international audiences you also need to adapt your video skills for effective cross-cultural communication.  This is why I liked these inexpensive tools.  They seem like a good way to test what works best in different markets.

I use Wisestamp on all of my email and this brings in a fair bit of traffic to my social media platforms.  And I have seen Animoto close up, it is very interesting.  Screenjelly and Eyejot are new to me and also look useful. I’ll definitely try them out in 2010. These small video touches can help to create a more meaningful connection with other people.

The best business tools I used in 2009 were Twitter and Skype. I used both of these as international networking tools.

What about you? What business tools did you get the most value from this year?

Social Media Strategy: 6 Areas of Focus for 2010

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Doyle Slayton shares his 2010 goals and strategy for his social media plan here. Many others are publishing theirs this month too.  But I particularly liked Doyle’s because the goals are Simple, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely.

Many businesses struggle to come up with SMART goals for their social media strategy and Doyle makes it look easy. In looking at Doyle’s goals it’s easy to see that he has been in social media for some time already.  And he also states his struggles for figuring out how to use Facebook.  I suspect that he will figure this out before setting his goals and strategies for 2011.

In 2009 I used social media to reach my international markets and develop my international business network successfully.  The first thing I notice when comparing my tactics with others, is that my SMART are much simpler than many others.  And I do think it is important to keep your goals simple when using social media for international business.  Very simple.  This is the only way you can then also adapt to different cultures.  If you start off with anything but the simplest of goals, you will come to a halt as soon as you encounter any cross-cultural hurdles. And on social media you can feel the cross-cultural differences very quickly.

How simple are your international social media goals and strategies?

Let’s look at 7 mistakes in international market research that are keeping many businesses from developing their international markets to their full potential.

#1: You Don’t Research Your Own Client And Prospect Data Base Thoroughly

If you already have a few international clients spread out over the world you are should take advantage of this.  Your own data base on international clients is the most useful resource you have because it is the most relevant one to your own business.

Remember to dig through this thoroughly.  Look for any trends or trigger events concerning the sales you have already made that could help you develop effective strategies today.

#2: You Don’t Identify Where Your Competitors Are Overseas

It is a big mistake not to spend some time researching your competitor’s international penetration history and current international targets.  This information can give you a wealth of information for your own international markets.

Remember to spend time observing what your competitors are doing abroad.

#3: You Don’t Research Industry Data Well Enough

Many unpleasant international blunders can be avoided with a little in-depth industry research.  Although this research is usually easy to find online, your particular industry might need some feedback from the relevant local advisers, the key is to know when to ask for help.

Remember to research the differences in industry standards and regulations on the foreign countries you are looking at and to get the right advice your business need.

#4: You Don’t Listen To What’s In The Press

Staying current on topics related to your international business development can help you avoid errors and it can also help you open doors. You need to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in your industry, the country and the area of the world you are interested in, in order to have the right conversations.

Remember to keep an eye on what is published in your own country and also in both the country and the region of the world you are focusing on.

#5: You Don’t Do Local SEO Research

Localized web research can provide you with some useful insights into local markets. This will give you a better idea of who your real competitors are in these countries.

Remember to check out the most popular local search engines and do keyword research in those countries.

#6: You Don’t Go Beyond Online Research

Online research is great, but it can only take you so far. You need to get information from good local sources too.

Remember to make contacts within your local foreign markets.  Instead of spending most of your time with online research, as soon as you have identified the names of the players and possible trends, reverse this trend and spend more time networking with the right players in your local target market.

#7: You Don’t Talk To People In Your International Markets

Business is carried out between people all over the world.  If there is one thing you should do, it is to pick up the phone and connect with people.  You might need to call and reach out to different people continually for several weeks or a few months.  You might need to improve your cross-cultural communication skills to get more out of these calls. But reaching out and connecting with local people will always help you to develop your business internationally.

Remember the value of speaking to the right people in your international markets.

Spend Time On International Market Research

When looking at the 7 mistakes above, it is obvious that the biggest mistake of all is not spending enough time on international market research.  This is why it is a good idea to allocate time every day to combine international networking with international market research activities.  All you need is to include this into your daily routines. It usually only takes a couple of months before most businesses get a very good idea of what they need to do next and how to go about doing it.

Do you want to get international clients?  What are you doing about it?
What other mistakes do you think people make in researching which markets to develop?