The best reason for exporting a product or service is to globalize your company and prosper in the millennium. It can happen for you, but you will probably need to evolve a whole new set of business attitudes and assumptions. If you want to achieve success with your export sales efforts, then check yourself on whether you are currently committing the following ten mistakes to global sales failure:
1. "I have all kind of products to offer."
All I need to hear is what my customer wants." A businessman interested in exporting autoparts to the Orient told me that he had the resources to furnish literally any automobile product that a customer wanted. I said, "That type of thinking won 't work." He was taken aback, but persisted, "You don 't get it. My company works with hundreds of suppliers. If your customer wants bearings, we can get it for you." I responded, "You don 't get it. The customers aren 't supposed to lead us. We 're supposed to lead the customers!" This clearly came as a big surprise to him, and maybe to you, too -- but this is the kind of thinking that succeeds.
Focus and lead your customer like they have never been led before. Have them beg for your bundle of clear-cut product or service ideas. Take them to where they didn 't even know they could go in terms of satisfaction, increased sales and profitability.
2. "My product price is really a very competitive."
Customers in Middleeast and other South African countries pay attention to packaging first, quality next and price last. Set your priorities accordingly. Create a package design or service concept that speaks for itself, and quality that leaves no room for competitive comparison. From there it 's only a matter of details to wrap up a sale.
3. "That looks like a good foreign lead. Let 's respond to it!"
I knew of a small company who occasionally received international inquiries. They determined the importance of the inquiries by the styling of