Do You Have an International Market ?

Readers often ask me for my opinion on whether they have an international market or not. The short answer is that no matter what anyone thinks, you are the only one that can find the answer that question. Here are a few guidelines to help you:
Elimination
First eliminate the obvious restrictions on international trade.

• Lethal products have restrictions

But do not automatically exclude international sales.

• It is usually not viable to sell fresh baked bread to foreign country, but a bakery would easily sell information products to international clients.

This step requires a minimum level of common sense and some basic research.

Research Possibilities
Next, research some possibilities.This is a wide sweeping exercise.

• What do you have to sell?

International sales implies international clients. And this means that you have something to sell to them.

• What would other people in other countries be willing to buy from you?
• This is a tricky question, because you may not know what expertise or products you have that interest people in other countries.

When in doubt:

• Get on the phone and ask questions
• Research
• Test your idea

Test Your Idea
The best way for you to know whether you have an international market is to carry out a small test. Rub elbows with your foreign clients.

The type of test you run depends on your business.

Ideally you need to get direct feedback from your international clients on your products.

If this is not possible you may decide to approach professionals that import similar products and get feedback at this level.

The Actions You Take Will Give You The Answer
There are many examples where people succeed in selling products into foreign markets, and there are also examples where people fail. This is understandably why people are cautious.

The truth is that only your actions will tell you whether you nave an international market. As you take action there are a few variables:

• Your product
• The country you are selling to
• Your timing

And there are also many other variables within each of these.

Test your idea on a small scale, and you will learn how to maneuver these variables in selling to international markets, whether you start off with an excellent product match or not.

Are you committed to speeding up your international sales cycles?

Learn how to combine cross-cultural marketing tools and international sales strategies for faster sales.

Join us on the International Sales Road Map.

Would you like to develop your international business?Are you a beginner at international sales and marketing?Read the Beginners Guide Discover Your International Business.

Cindy King is a Cross-Cultural eMarketer & International Sales Specialist, aligning businesses with different cultures. She has over 25 years field experience in international business development and helps mid-sized business owners create international business development strategies that shorten time to profitability. (by: Cindy King)