TEN KEYS TO EXPORT SUCCESS

Ten important recommendations for successful exporting should be kept in mind:
1. Obtain qualified export counseling and develop a master international marketing plan before starting an
export business. The plan should clearly define goals, objectives, and problems encountered.
2. Secure a commitment from top management to overcome the initial difficulties and financial requirements
of exporting. Although the early delays and costs involved in exporting may seem difficult to justify in
comparison with established domestic sales, the exporter should take a long-range view of thi process and
carefully monitor international marketing efforts.
3. Take sufficient care in selecting overseas distributors. The complications involved in overseas communications
and transportation require international distributors to act more independently than their
domestic counterparts.
4. Establish a basis for profitable operations and orderly growth. Although no overseas inquiry should be
ignored, the firm that acts mainly in response to unsolicited trade leads is trusting success to the element of
chance.
5. Devote continuing attention to export business when the U.S. market booms. Too many companies turn
to exporting when business falls off in the United States. When domestic business starts to boom again,
they neglect their export trade or relegate it to a secondary position.
6. Treat international distributors on an equal basis with domestic counterparts. Companies often carry out
institutional advertising campaigns, special discount offers, sales incentive programs, special credit term
programs, warranty offers, and so on in the U.S. market but fail to make similar offers to their international
distributors.
7. Do not assume that a given market technique and product will automatically be successful in all countries.
What works in Japan may fall flat in Saudi Arabia. Each market has to be treated separately to ensure
maximum success.
8. Be willing to modify products to meet regulations or cultural preferences of other countries. Local safety
and security codes as well as import restrictions cannot be ignored by foreign distributors.
9. Print service, sale, and warranty messages in locally understood languages. Although a distributor’s top
management may speak English, it is unlikely that all sales and service personnel have this capability.
10. Provide readily available servicing for the product. A product without the necessary service support can
acquire a bad reputation quickly.