Strategy & Execution

We can plan and implement your international strategy for you

The Export Coach is here to help you address the challenges of international trade. We’ve been doing this for almost 30 years in around 45 countries, and we know what to do.

Exporting Barriers

What's stopping you from doing more global trade?

Some companies are thinking about or serious about expanding their global markets … but they face limitations that are holding them back, so it just stays on their wish list. Some of these barriers include:

Not enough time to give it the attention it requires
Lack of knowledge on how to plan and execute an Export Market Entry plan
Not enough money available
Don’t have staff trained and ready to work on it
Not sure if there’s really a market opportunity
Don’t know which market(s) to approach

Unaware of the resources that are available to help
Don’t know who to call for help
Afraid of having IP stolen
Concerned about not getting paid

Have you ever experienced these barriers?

So exactly how would we work for you?

Here’s the process:

1

Get to Know You
  • Products and/or services
  • Ideal customer profile
  • Value proposition / USP
  • Objectives
  • Resources – human and technical
  • Experience
  • Team
  • Personal and professional values

2

Undertake Market Research
  • Identify the most appropriate market(s) for you
  • Understand different regulations that may apply
  • Analyze the existing competition
  • Determine prevailing market pricing and compare it to yours

3

Identify Target Customers / Distributors / Reps
  • Find potential customers, as well as distributors, partners, or representatives that may be interested in handling and promoting your products or services
  • Use our methods to gain referrals and warm introductions

4

Reach Out and Engage With Them
  • Call them on the phone – in their native language
  • Email them with information about your company and why you’re a good choice
  • Utilize appropriate social media methods
  • Follow prevailing practices in that market
  • *Quote opportunities often arise at this point

5

Analyze If There Is Truly An Opportunity
  • No travel required up to this point
  • Based on feedback from initial reach-outs
  • Determine the level of interest
  • Review and decide whether to visit personally, select a different market, or stop there

6

Travel To The Market
  • This is the only way to REALLY know if there is a market opportunity
  • Visit prospects that have shown interest
  • Meet with the local office of your home government, when appropriate
  • Perhaps walk (or better, exhibit) at an appropriate trade show
  • Often opportunities will arise that would not have without travelling
  • Allows us to sense the nuances of a market, not just analyze hard data (this is where our experience really pays off for our clients)
  • Clients often travel with us to lend their industry experience, and to see it with their own eyes
  • *More quote opportunities often arise here

7

Follow Up With Promising Customers / Distributors and Contacts Made During The Visit
  • Follow through on commitments made to prospects during meetings
  • Notice if others live up to commitments they made during our meetings (an important indicator!)
  • Find ways to deliver more than we promise, and stand out from competitors
  • Continue to build those all-important relationships
  • *Even more quote opportunities usually result from the followup stage

8

Confirm That An Opportunity Exists
  • Once we have visited the market, we will have a very accurate sense of whether or not there is an opportunity for you
  • Worst case scenario: Failure! We discover that in fact the market is not as accessible as we had hoped and likely not worth pursuing, or there is an insurmountable obstacle in the way, nullifying the business model. It happens sometimes, although we try to catch it before we travel. However, the good news is that you will still come away a stronger competitor based on what you have learned, and as a result, you’ll become a tougher competitor in all of your markets.
  • Best case scenario: We can do this! We have customers interested in buying, distributors or reps who see an opportunity and are interested in working with us, the competition is beatable, the market is open and the way forward is clear.
  • This brings a Go / No Go / Go Elsewhere decision

9

Move Forward With Market Expansion (you can choose to do this on your own if you wish)
  • If decided by you, move forward with market expansion to establish a stronger presence. 
  • Create an Action Plan containing, depending on the results so far
  • Market entry strategy
  • Customer onboarding and support
  • Distributor support, management and motivation
  • Product / service modifications, if necessary
  • Regulatory compliance
  • Tax, legal, financial aspects and tools, and getting paid
  • Supply chain considerations
  • Future travel and trade shows
  • Building those key relationships that will underpin your success

10

Review and Plan For Continuing Expansion, Or Expand to Another New Market
  • This is far down the road from where we are now, and will be addressed when we’ve done some miles / kilometers together and we have some results with which to base forward planning.
What our clients are saying

Dave made us feel safe and in good hands. We feel way more confident now, and know the way forward.

Frequently Asked Questions

If we decide to work with The Export Coach, are we stuck with you?

No. We work with you if, when, and how you decide. You can stop whenever you want. And if in our initial discussions we don’t think we can deliver more value than you pay for, we'll tell you.

What if I just need someone to oversee what my team is doing in house, to make sure my people know what they’re doing?

We call this the Friendly Uncle model. Yes, we are happy to supervise your team, provide some insights and ideas, and help them to succeed cost-effectively with only occasional involvement. We work with you in whatever way works best and is most profitable for you.

Let's Roll

We love helping companies export more, or bring your sources closer to home (especially Mexico).

Reach out and let’s talk about your situation, goals, opportunities, and challenges. Your consultation is free and there is no commitment to move forward. If I can help you, we can discuss how and provide some options. If I can’t, I'll tell you that too. Either way, your knowledge and strength will have begun to increase by the end of our conversation.

International Trade Services

We can do it for you. Or we can train you to do it for yourself.

Training & Coaching

We train you how to do it for yourself.

Network of Experts

Don't see what you're looking for? We've got you covered!

The Export Coach has an extensive network of experts that are ready to help companies like yours do successful business internationally, and we can refer you to specialists with deep knowledge and experience in their respective areas of expertise.

If you have a requirement for one of those experts to share their knowledge and/or deliver a specific service for you, reach out and we will be happy to refer you so that you can make an informed decision on engaging them.

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