White Papers For International Sales

This past week several people have asked me questions about how to get business through your online presence. And it still amazes me that some people do not realize the value of online content.

You need to have content online simply to be present.  Look at what is in front of you.  Content.  Of course there are different forms of content, but it is all content.  Content creation should be big on your agenda if you want to develop your business online.

Content Brings In Business

Businesses also need to be strategic about the content they produce if they want to be better than their competitors.   And this is why I’m writing today. Like everyone else I’ve been thinking about my own content plan for 2010.  Yes, I know it’s hard to believe 2010 is just around the corner. Like me, you’re likely putting plans in place for next year. Better customers, more of them and so on.

I’m planning on using a proven content marketing technique next year. And it just so happens that there are some amazing marketing superstars I know putting on this really great event that will help us grow our businesses thanks to this proven marketing technique.

Before I tell you about it, I want to share a story to inspire you.

Back during the last market crash (the dot.com implosion), there was this guy—a small business owner—who really was hit hard. He lost his biggest clients, had young kids to feed and really wasn’t sure what to do.

He was thinking of spending a lot of money on advertisements. Fortunately someone told him it was a waste of time.

So here’s what he did and what happened.

He wrote a 10-page piece, sharing his tips and secrets to his craft. His friends said he was nuts and shouldn’t “give away” such great knowledge.

He ignored them.

Once his “masterpiece” went up on his website, he immediately started getting leads. The first week was 43 prospects. After 4 weeks it jumped to more than 400.

After only 8 months he had thousands of quality leads coming in, was landing huge projects and frankly had more work then he could handle.

Fast-forward to today. That document he wrote back in 2003 still brings him more than 30 leads each day (84,261 leads so far) and has helped him land millions in new business (from big names like Microsoft, FedEx and Dow Jones). And it led to a best-selling book.

His name is Michael Stelzner. And his super weapon was an educational white paper. MarketingSherpa calls him “The Grandfather of White Papers.”

And funny enough, times are tough again and the white paper is the top marketing tool used by businesses today (according to an Eccolo Media study).

Are you using educational white papers to grow your business? Would you like to know how?

About The Event

If you’re looking to attract more high-quality leads in 2010 and position your business as a leader, you’ll want to check out White Paper Success Summit 2010.

It’s a live online event that will empower you to attract quality leads and grow your business during this economic slump—all with educational white papers.

Not only can you gain amazing leads for your business with white papers, you’ll also grow your lists and establish your business as a leader.

The world’s leading white paper experts will show you how.

Here’s a sample of the presenters:

Michael Stelzner (author, Writing White Papers), Bob Bly (author, White Paper Marketing Handboo k), John Jantsch (author, Duct Tape Marketing), Brian J. Carroll (author, Lead Generation for the Complex Sale), Roger C. Parker (author, White Paper Design that Sells), Joe Pulizzi (author, Get Content Get Customers), Jonathan Kantor (author, Crafting White Paper 2.0) and many others! Together this team of “who’s who” in white paper marketing will help you succeed using practical tactics.

This is the world’s only event designed to empower marketers and small business owners to master the art of white paper marketing. And the great news is it’s a live online summit you can attend from your home or office.

Check it out here.

What’s In It For You?

First, you don’t need to be a techno-geek to create good white papers. White papers are really articles on steroids with a slant. The right person with the right direction can create a white paper that goes viral (yes, that could be you!).

Second, it’s not just technology companies that use white papers. Any business (big or small) that sells to other businesses should use white papers. For example, FedEx, Dow Jones, Monster.com, LinkedIn and thousands of smaller businesses all use white papers as marketing material. Even if you sell to consumers, white papers can be very effective.

White Paper Success Summit 2010 will help you discover the best ways to market your business with white papers. You’ll also learn how major white paper campaigns were executed and how you can achieve similar results (play-by-play steps provided).

It’s fully dedicated to empowering you. You’ll discover how to grow your business without the uncertainty of trial and error.

Yes, attending this online event (and applying the techniques) will grow your business. But there’s much more. You’ll also join a community of like-minded peers who’ll share their experiences and wisdom.

Go here now to learn more.

You can get 50% off if you act now. There are 12+ original sessions on using white papers to market your business. Be sure to check them out. I know that each of the presenters has created NEW content for this event.

Remember, the experts teach the sessions live (and it’s all online). These are big names, including Michael Stelzner, Bob Bly, John Jantsch, Brian J. Carroll, Roger C. Parker, and Joe Pulizzi. And here’s the cool part: you don’t need to leave your home or office!

As a way of saying “thanks” for checking out the summit, there’s a gift just for marketers (valued at $42) waiting for you here.

My Second White Paper Success Summit

This is the second White Paper Success Summit I’ll be attending. And I’m really looking forward to it. I enjoyed the lively community and interaction with other peers. I learned a lot last year. And I want to keep my skills current. There are different types of content, different forms of viral ebooks and reports. And I want to know what is working today so that I can craft a great content plan for 2010.

I’ll hang out in the member forum quite a bit. I learned lots there last year and made several good business acquaintances. Please reach out and say hello if you do join.

More on White Papers For International Sales:

• European Versus American White Paper Marketing
• Get International Clients With The Right Content
• The Best Sales Tool In A Slow Economy
• White Papers For International Lead Generation

More on International Lead Generation

• How To Avoid Wasting Your International Potential
• Create Front End Acquistion Information Products For International Sales
• International Lead Generation With An Information Product Strategy
• Up-Sell Expectations Across Cultures

Copyright © Cindy King 2006-2010 - Cindy King

A Proven Marketing Technique

Membership Sites

The first WishList Member Training & Certification sessions took place earlier this week and it really sank in how you can use this membership plugin in many different ways.

If you have followed me for the last couple of weeks, you’ll know just how jazzed I am about the WishList Membership Plugin. I’m always on the look out for ways to use content marketing and thus web marketing to reach international audiences.

This new membership site software does provide some very interesting options for international marketers. Of course international marketing is complex and takes a fair amount of skill and effort. But I’m up to the task and just can’t wait to set up a few membership sites to start playing around with the free membership options for some international market research activities.

Different Memberships Models

But after listening to the first Wishlist training calls I came away with a very clear vision of how I wanted to set up all of my websites and the sales funnel I want to make in 2010.

By using a variety of different membership sites and by repurposing content I already have I can create a strong product series that makes sense for my business. All of my niche sites will soon be on WishList.

Here are the different membership site options I’m looking very closely at for my business:

• A “Modular Membership Site” where you pay everything up front (maybe with payment options) and where content is delivered over a few months. This means once you create the content and set it up, you leave it.
• A “Combo Membership Site” with “Private Access” + “Micro Continuity Membership” + “Protected Forum Membership“. Sounds familar? Well, I’m dropping my Ning group project and setting it up on WishList.
• A “Coaching Site” with both common access areas and specific membership levels for each individual clients. Using a membership site plateform makes it easy to work with international clients.
• A “Project Management Site” for launch management.  This is similar to the Coaching Site except the content delivery will be set up differently. And again, it will be a big help in international launch management.
• A “Protected Download Site” for some niche specific marketing activities.  My ideas are still bubbling on this one, but this will be for targeted marketing tactics.
• And I’m also extremely interested in the “Free Membership” options for international marketing research tactics. This should play a huge role in my international market research, or should I say international community research.

Choose The Right Membership Model For Your Content Creation Commitment

Now you may not have noticed that I am not yet including the more popular membership site models just yet.

• The traditional “Publisher Membership” site and sister “Monthly Content” model. These require a long term commitment to creating content every month over a long term.
• The “Micro Continuity Membership” programs. These are short fixed-term membership programs with a monthly payment and they are getting a lot of buzz right now.

The reason for this is because I already have lots of content I want to use for at least one Modular Membership Site.  All of the membership options I’m looking at do not require heavy content creation.

After blogging for two years and on two different blogs, I have enough material to put a few different packages.  Of course, I do need to edit and repurpose existing content and I will have to create some new content.  And this will take some time. The launches of these membership websites will be staggered out throughout 2010. And right now I am busy drafting:

• Editorial Calendars
• Communication Schedules
• Promotion Plans

Once these membership sites are up and running I’ll go back and look at the membership site models that require a bigger commitment to content creation.

Fun With Membership Site Marketing

But quite frankly, I’m expecting to spend time tweaking my membership site marketing.  I don’t anticipate launching any of the bigger content heavy models next year.

You see, technically these membership site options exist because you can control many different things on the different levels of your membership site. You can drip feed content, change sidebars & dashboards for different membership levels.

There are New Marketing Opportunities With Membership Sites and these are worth spending the time exploring. Besides once the developers have access to the Wishlist API, there will be more fun plugins to play around with.  Next year there will be more creative options to beyond the traditional membership sites models to check out.

What about you?

• What other membership site models do you want to try out?
• How do you think a membership site can help you research your online community more?
• What would you like to get out of a membership site and what model would be best for you?

More on Membership Sites:

• New Marketing Opportunities With Membership Sites
• WishList – A Great Marketing Tool To Get To Know Your Market Better

More in these Get International Clients Business Guides

• Design Your International Visibility
• International Market Research

Copyright © Cindy King 2006-2010 - Cindy King

Different Membership Models For Your Business Needs

Every December for the last 3 years I look forward to hooking up with an excellent web marketer I now consider a friend. December is when Alex Mandossian begins his TeleSeminar Secrets. I’m looking forward to participating actively this year and hope you join me on this first step.

Full disclosure: All of the links here are affiliate links.

“December 1st marks the first day of Global Teleseminar Week which also begins ‘Teleseminar Marketing Season’ in winter and spring,” says my friend, Alex Mandossian.

On the first Thursday of December (for the past five years), Alex hosts “The BIG Call” which I have decided to co-sponsor this year, so I hope your participate

This year, the first Thursday of December falls on the 3rd, so clear your calendar for that evening. If you do register for The BIG Call make sure you use this VIP Discount Code: AM3964. (That VIP Code shaves-off $79 from the $99 tuition everybody will pay without it).

WHY Participate? Because you’ll get private access to over 2 1/2 hours of densely-rich content that will significantly do two things for you:

1) More Money: You’ll dramatically increase the possibility of transforming your annual income into a monthly income within 3 years

2) More Time: You’ll dramatically increase the possibility of maintaining your current income (if happy with it) and triple your time-off

WHAT Is The BIG Call? It is a LIVE and unique Teleseminar training on how to grow (or start) a business by adding the power Teleseminars to your marketing mix. You will get a 21-page Action Guide that you’ll fill-in during the call as you listen and follow along with Alex guiding you along the way.

HOW Do I Participate? Just grab your mouse and click here. If you’re reading this in time to become one of the first 200 who register, you’ll even get an important bonus gift for taking immediate action. Click here and take a look!

WHAT IF I Do Participate? You’ll get access to the same Teleseminar training that many thought leaders such as Jack Canfield, Ivan Misner, Les Brown, Harv Eker, Dan Sullivan, Bob Proctor and Brian Tracy now utilize in their business. Take a look at “Page 15″ of the Action Guide you’ll get after you register.

Alex has an unprecedented 365-day money back guarantee, if you have a sliver of doubt that this Teleseminar Training will exceed your expectations.

So you really have no excuse not to grab your mouse right now, click here and get registered. And because you’ve read this far, I know you’re more than just curious about how The BIG Call may change your personal and professional life.

Copyright © Cindy King 2006-2010 - Cindy King

Will You Participate In The “BIG Call” With Me?

Membership Sites

I’m tired of hearing the word “risk”. This is one of the top excuses most of the business owners I speak with use for not developing their international markets.

Of course, I fully understand and appreciate the “risk” involved in developing international markets. Honestly I do. I’ve been in international businesses of various sizes for over 25 years.

But risk should not keep you paralyzed. Not taking action means losing business opportunities in today’s world.

Read more to find out how I believe the WishList Member Training can help you get a handle on the risk elements involved in international business development.

Learn More About Your Markets

Instead of complaining about risks, you need good market evaluation tools. You need to find out more about your international markets and within a good international web marketing strategy.

Today’s social media and web marketing environment enables us to get more relevant feedback from international markets than ever before.

I know this first hand from how I am developing my own international business.

WishList Membership Plugin

There is one tool I want to talk to you specifically.

• WishList Membership Plugin

Full disclosure: I own WishList Membership Plugin and all the links on this blog are my affiliate links.

It’s a solution built for “everyday people” – that means you don’t need to be a technical genius to figure it out.

Marketing Possibilities Using Membership Site Software

I have a particularly interest in using WishList Membership Plugin within an international web marketing campaign as a tool to learn more about my own international niche markets, but you could easily use it to market to your own audience.

I’m writing this blog post because I’m excited about the marketing possibilities it offers. Of course it is a tool to create membership sites. Using the popular blogging platform: WordPress. And this has three great advantages:

• It’s super easy.
• You can create different membership environments using different mixes of other WordPress plugins.
• It’s just started, there’s going to be many more marketing possibilities this time next year.

WordPress Can Do This?

There are some fabulous plugins out there but you had to “tweak this” and “tweak that” and if you aren’t technical, it becomes very frustrating. That’s why I was very excited when I saw WishList Member. It’s a membership solution that was specifically built for WordPress.

The best part is, it has all the features you would want in a membership solution AND it is compatible with all of your other favorite plugins! So you get the best of both worlds

Plus, they’ve added some very cool features to make running and managing a membership site a whole lot easier.

Free Membership Sites For More Effective Market Research

I’m much more interested in the free membership sites right now. I’m starting to change all of my niche websites into free membership sites. I’ll use the membership site capabilities to learn more about my audience and market to them in a much more effective way, than simply with a blog or website.

And after I learn more about what my audience wants?

Then there is always the possibility of easily adding in paid membership levels.

Building Your Community

With the WishList plugin you create a membership site. This membership site is about creating community. And if one thing can be said about the web today, it is that it is quickly moving towards a greater sense of “community”.

That’s why membership sites have quickly begun to experience a tremendous resurgence. It gives people with a shared interest a place to connect, discuss and share their thoughts and ideas on a topic of interest.

Ideas On How Your Business Can Use WishList

They key as a business owner is to identify how you can create a community around your product or service.  Here are links to 3 different videos.

• 10 of the most popular kinds of membership sites (and some of them don’t even have content inside!).
• Micro-continuity membership sites
• Get a deeper idea of how you can incorporate WishList into your business.

After watching these videos you’re bound to have lots of “membership site” ideas – I know I did.

WishList Membership Training

To be honest with you, although I appreciated the benefits of having a membership site, the marketing lightbulbs did not really go off until after I listened to the recordings of the WishList Live Training Event.  This is when I realized WishList was opening great possibilities for me to use in international market research.  The kind of market research that would help get rid of the paralyzing effect of the fear of “risk” in international business development.

To set up a membership site, all you need is the WishList Membership Plugin.  It is very easy to set up and use, especially if you are used to WordPress already.

To really get the fully marketing potential quickly out of the plugin, I think it’s worth investing in some extra training. And I know you like a good deal so I wanted to quickly share this link with you in case you want to jump onboard full throttle this year and learn how to use this great membership tool.

The WishList Member Training & Certification is starting very soon and there is a $500 Early Bird discount which ends on Tuesday December 1st 2009.  From what I’ve been told, they won’t be doing the Training or the Certification for at least another 6-8 months so now is the best time to get in.

The WishList Membership Plugin is easy enough to use without this training.  But if you are a marketer you might be eager to get all of the little bits of inside information that can give your own marketing a leading edge.

You can see how excited I am about this. What about you?

• Are there any examples of WishList membership sites you would like to share?
• How do you use free membership websites for market research?
• What experience would you like to create with a membership site?

Please leave your comments below.

Copyright © Cindy King 2006-2010 - Cindy King

WishList – A Great Marketing Tool To Get To Know Your Market Better

Culturally Customized Content

I‘m collaborating with an American writer to write an ebook. The book will be marketed to an American audience and I have spent all of my life marketing to international audiences. So this represents a fair bit of cultural adaptation on my part. But with my cross-cultural marketing background I find this fascinating. So I thought I’d share one of the first changes I made to adapt my writing to an American audience.

2 Different Perceptions of “Let’s”

My American mentor pointed out that I use the words “Let’s…” often and to an American audience this comes with a certain perception. With these 2 little words, American readers perceive me as putting myself above them.

With my cross-cultural background I find this interesting. I’ve worked so long within different cultures and the words “Let’s…” are not perceived in the same way at all… in fact the effect is the opposite. I use them to be perceived as part of their team, on their level, with the exact same words.

Opposite cultural perceptions with the exact same words.

Cultural Behavior Scales

If you are not aware of the cultural scales of Individualism and Collectivism, I’ve written about them here.

Although these cultural scales have limitations they can often be helpful when looking for explanations in different cultural perceptions.  Together with some basic cross-cultural skills you can also use them to look for ideas in improving your cross-cultural communication.

If this intrigues you, be sure to also take the time to look at this long list of countries with their scores on 5 different culture scales.

It’s not surprising how different cultures have different perceptions from the exact same words.

A word of caution: do not go overboard into stereotypes and broad generalizations.  These scales can only provide a certain degree of insights into cultural differences.  You need strong cross-cultural skills to interpret them wisely and learn how to apply them to your communication.

The Answer Is In The Culture Code

Another way to understand these cultural differences in perception is to look at the different culture codes.  This example reminds me of The Culture Code which I re-read recently.

First in this book Clotaire Rapaille explains how when an American construction worker whistles at a American woman passing by on a big city street the woman will scowl and her response would be one of anger. And if you put the same woman on a big city street in Italy with an Italian construction worker, the woman would blush and be flattered.

The reason is because of different culture codes. The American code for sex is violence and the Italian code for sex is having fun. And this is communicated in the way men whistle in both of these countries and what women have to deal with. Clotaire Rapaille even goes so far to say in his book that he would never want to be an American woman today because of the challenges with the culture codes in being an American woman.

Changes In Culture Codes

This brings me back to the second reason why I thought of the Culture Code. In Clotaire Rapaille’s recent Archetype Discoveries Newsletter he alludes to the rise of the Latina, the South American woman in the United States. And I cannot help wondering how this will impact American culture codes. You see, in general all South American countries have higher scores on the Collectivism scales and the United States has a notorious high score at the opposite end of this scale – “Individualism”.

It is going to be fascinating to watch the rise of the Latina and how this impacts the American culture code as the older American generation dies off.

And this change in culture code will impact perceptions in how we write.  With the Latina influencing American communication, I wonder if the perception of the words “Let’s” will change in the future.

Writing For Different Cultures

Writing in English for different cultures is not easy today.

We have gone through changes:

• The global economy and the web have given rise to a certain understanding and tolerance for cultural differences.
• There is also a certain International English used in “standard” international business today.

We are going to continue going through changes with as the populations in many of the world’s leading nations change and the once minority ethnic groups become the new majorities.

It’s easy to think everyone has the same understanding of the English.  But this is not the case.  Different cultural perceptions pop up in the smallest of places. It safe to expect these different cultural perceptions to change over time too.

I’m definitely looking forward to this exercise in learning how to adapt my own writing for a predominant American audience and hope to come back to you with more clear examples of cultural differences.

What about you?

• What does “Let’s” say to you? Do you feel included or excluded in any way?
• What expressions do you find have different meanings in different cultures?
• How do you think the cultural evolution in our societies will influence communication in years to come?

Please share your thoughts and comments below.

More on Culturally Customized Content:

• A Different English For Your International Audience
• Customize Your Content For Different Cultures
• Customizing Content For Your Clients
• Do You Use English Or American Spelling?
• Multicultural Marketing And Colors
• The 2 Main Reasons Why Companies Do Not Have Good Foreign Language Content
• The Phases Of Cultural Communication You Go Through To Increase International Sales
• Translations, Foreign Language Content and Culturally Customized Content
• What Is Your Culture On The Social Web?
• Who Should You Get To Write Your Foreign Language Web Content
• Writing Info-Products For International Readers

More in the Get International Clients Business Guides

• Connect With Your International Markets
• International English
• Culture Customized Content
• Cultural Web Tools

Copyright © Cindy King 2006-2010 - Cindy King

Opposite Cultural Perceptions

International Copywriting

Communication skills are vital at many different levels to be successful in business. And they are always essential in good sales and marketing.

Although communication may appear to be natural and easy, it is not as simple as it may seem.  There are in fact many different facets to good communication skills.

One of these is cross-cultural communication which is one of the main topics of this blog.

When we think of different forms of communication we often break it down into verbal communication and written communication. It is easy to notice people who excell in verbal communication, because when business is done face-to-face verbal communication skills come into play.  But on the web written communication skills are just as important.

The truth is business professionals need to be skilled in many different forms of communication.

Copywriting For Business Communication

If you were to ask passers by in the street, many people would not know what copywriting is, or what copywriters do. And yet, when you seek to improve your communication skills for business, you quickly hear the word “copywriting”. And if you look up how to improve your web content, you will also quickly run into the word “copywriting”.

Although copywriting is a sales skill at its core, it is a fundamental business communication skill.

Copywriting developed with direct response advertising in the US, it expanded into many different specialties.  Good copywriting skills became even more important with websites, web marketing and online businesses.

You see, copywriting improves your written communication skills for business.  And although good copywriting skills can make you a better communicator in most areas of business, it is in sales and marketing where it makes the biggest difference.

As you can imagine copywriting takes practice.  It takes a little time to be able to recognize good copy from bad copy… and to understand why something is good or bad.  And it is a skill that is best practiced with continuity. Is it worth this time and effort?

Improve Marketing & Sales Results

Copywriters were able to hone their craft in the US because of the size of their direct response market.  American companies could mail out huge campaigns, they could do split tests to compare results using 2 different texts and monitor feedback.  Sales determined the best copywriting.  It was easy to see what worked and what did not work.

Copywriting has always been used to create results-oriented sales and marketing materials.  Online you can also test and compare the results from 2 different pieces of copy to find out:

• What gets a reader to read your web page, your blog or your online report?
• What gets your reader to click through and read another page?
• Is there anything on your website that stops your reader from buying?

Online content marketing has given copywriting a whole new sphere of action.  Everyone online should understand copywriting basics because an online presence is based on content.  Why take the time to write content and publish it online unless you know how it impacts your readers? This is where good copywriting skills come into play, to:

• Improve the click throughs and results you get from your website, blog, landing pages, emails, videos.

Copywriting Success Summit 2009

Could you get away with not studying copywriting basics?  Of course you can. Some people are natural communicators, born marketers and gifted salespeople. They do exist.

Should you try to get away without studying copywriting basics?  Not in today’s economy.

• Good copywriting skills help you to get better results out of low-cost marketing methods.
• Good copywriting skills also make it easier to approach multicultural marketing, because you learn to understand your readers and stay focused on what you need say to them for effective communication.
• Good copywriting skills improve your sales and marketing. Period.

To be successful in sales and marketing today, you cannot afford not to keep up-to-date with current copywriting best practices.

To find out what the world’s leading copywriters have to say today, I recommend you attend the Copywriting Success Summit 2009 below.

I attended last year’s Success Summit, and I have to say that I love this training format.  It was almost like attending a live training event, except I was seated comfortably in my own living room. The presentations were spread out over several weeks, which was easy to schedule, and gave me time to digest the information at my own pace.  I asked questions and had great conversations in the private forum. And the experts were always there and very helpful.

It is an event well worth attending if you are serious about improving your copywriting skills.

How to Improve Your Marketing And Sales: The best writers are actively marketing their businesses using the latest low-cost methods. The big question is this: What do successful writers know and do differently that makes them so successful? How do they generate quality leads and win better clients? Now you can learn their tactics. Discover how to grow your writing business during this economic slump at Copywriting Success Summit 2009 — an online professional development conference for freelance writers.

Presenters include bestselling authors and copywriting experts such as Peter Bowerman (Well-Fed Writer author), Steve Slaunwhite (Start & Run a Copywriting Business author), Michael Stelzner (Writing White Papers author), Marcia Yudkin (Persuading on Paper author), Nick Usborne (Net Words author), Chris Garrett (Problogger author), Casey Hibbard (Stories That Sell author), Chris Marlow (the original copywriter’s coach), Pete Savage and Ed Gandia.

No travel required. This online summit allows you to attend sessions, meet the experts and network with peers, all from the comfort of your home or office. This event is sure to sell out quickly.

Learn how to qualify for a $200 savings (expires September 24) and lock in your key to success. Visit and get an immediate gift valued at $42 entitled “How to Be a Highly Paid Copywriter as a One-Person Business.”

Brush up your international skills…
Read more on International Copywriting:

• Marketing Is An Integral Part Of Copywriting
• What Is Copywriting?

Use these skills in your international strategies on the…
Get International Clients International Sales Road Map:

Step 5 – Connect With Your International Markets Connect… • With culture customized content • With trust and empathy • With strong cross-cultural communication

Copyright © Cindy King 2006-2010 - Cindy King

Learn How To Improve Your Marketing And Sales

Internationalize Your English

Yesterday I mentioned the current trend towards International English in white papers. Susan Oakes asked whether International English was American or British language. And I thought this merited a longer reply here.

First, let’s have a look at this video:

• Allyson Stewart-Allen On Working The Differences Between British & Americans: Business Etiquette

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British & American English Have More Differences Than Just Spelling

As you can see from this video, when you live and work in both of these countries, you usually notice the cultural differences between British English and American English. These cultural differences go beyond different spelling.  In many cases you need explanations, or interpretations and even a British-American dictionary to explain both:

• Country specific vocabulary
• Different meanings for the same word

In addition, there are a series of cultural differences in how British people use their language and how the Americans use theirs.  Even if both languages are called English there is a learning curve to go through to become fluent in the communication used on both sides of the Atlantic.

For native English speakers this learning curve is not usually a big deal.  There are few areas where mistakes in interpretations can have serious consequences.

But for non-native English speakers who learn English one way, these cultural specificities add on another layer of difficulty and are not easy to translate into other languages.  In some cases, these extra difficulties can have serious consequences.  For example, when complicated machinery or health issues are involved any possible misinterpretation can have serious consequences.

The problem is that these misinterpretations increase with the use of culture specific English:

• Whether it is American English for people who studied British English,
• Or British English for people who studied American English as a foreign language.

Why Are Businesses Moving Towards International English?

Website globalization does seem to be a big factor behind the trend.  Here are three reasons why:

Global Website Templates. Businesses are having their website translated into more and more languages.  The number of languages available on websites is steadily increasing.  This brings the need for website templates to make multiple translations easy.  And multiple translations mean that you need to start off with text that is easy to translate into multiple languages.  If you do not “clean up” your English before sending it for multiple translations you will have:

• Translations which say different things in the different languages
• Increased translation costs

To avoid this the original text in English is made very easy to understand for non-native English speakers.  The grammar is amended to get rid of any possible misinterpretation during translation. Some people use the term “Global English”.  This process usually also improves the original text in clarity and consistency.

Wider Audiences. Globalization also brings English speakers with different cultural backgrounds, and different ways of speaking English.  Companies also feel the obligation to improve their English for these wider audiences. This is what is happening with white papers. And even if British English is the official version for the EEC, many large companies are choosing American spelling and an internationalized English. This is simply because that is the best way to communicate with their global markets.

Politically Correct. One translator who works for a large Swiss multinational company, told me that the company directives to implement International English was initiated to avoid favoring one way of speaking over another within an international environment.  This  might be a sign in global awareness for being polite to all English speakers.

Should You Use British Or American Spelling?

The spelling really does not matter as internationalization your English is about improving the understanding of your content across a wide number of different cultures.

You can choose either British or American spelling. Most businesses choose to use the spelling that is easiest for their biggest, or most important, client base. But any decision process that makes sense works well.

I think that the choice of spelling used to have more of a political reason before.  Companies in Europe or in former British colonies used to always opt for British English.  But now with website globalization and widespread American English software it is often easier to consider American English.

International English is more about taking out the cultural quirks that make it difficult for other cultures to understand. I always think of it as aseptically treating the content. When you navigate between cultures non-stop and actively seek to connect with people (some people don’t try), your language changes naturally over time. You learn what to avoid and what to say and how to say things to make it easier for a wide audience to understand.

Where Can You Find International English Guidelines?

This is a problem.  I have not found a good set of guidelines.  And I believe this is because we are in the middle of this movement and there are different players.  There are:

• British English evangelists and American English evangelists.
• People who only see the need for Global English with translations in mind and others who only want to communicate with as many people as possible.

You can find guidelines written by a few people in these different groups, written from their particular viewpoint.  All of these groups of people would benefit from taking a more global understanding of the issues at hand.

This is why I like to look at the non-native English professionals who do not have any guidelines to follow.  They need to be understood in today’s world, so they simply jump in, and learn what works and what does not work.

The main reason why people adopt International English is to improve communication across a wider international audience. There are no definitive rules and guidelines for International English currently available.  This is an area where you need to apply a good dose of common sense and flexibility.  An international background does help too. You can find a link to the guidelines I use below.  Keep in mind that you will need to adapt these guidelines to your business.

• Are your marketing materials for one specific culture, or an international audience?
• How do you decide whether you need British or American spelling to reach an international audience?
• When would you think of using International English for your website and marketing materials?

More on Internationalizing Your English:

• A Multicultural Writer Gets More International Readers?
• Adjust Your Own English Communication To Meet Other Language Levels
• Americans Need International English Too
• Culture-Free Communication
• Customize Your Content For Different Cultures
• English For International Appeal
• Focus On Your Cultural Communication
• Global English To Avoid Miscommunication
• Internationalize Your Own Communication
• Is International English In Your Future?
• Translation Friendly International English
• What Flavor Is Your English?
• What Is International English?
• Where To Learn How To Write International Or Global English

What you need to know about International English:

• International English Guidelines
  

More in these Get International Clients Business Guides

• International English
• Culture Customized Content

Copyright © Cindy King 2006-2010 - Cindy King

International English For Better Communication With Global Audiences

White Papers For International Sales

As a content marketer I appreciate the important role white papers play in business-to-business lead generation.  But I have worked in two different cultural markets, North America and Europe.  What is interesting is there seems to be two different white paper marketing environments.

Are white papers used in the same way on both sides of the Atlantic?  Well, let’s have a look at some of the differences I have noticed.

First let me clarify:

This is about white papers for business and is not about white papers written by the European Union and other government bodies.

This is only about white papers and not sales brochures.

White papers are informative documents that do not include sales pitches.

They vary in length, generally about 10 pages long, and there is a strong trend towards shorter white papers.  Companies produce them to inform and educate their potential buyers.

White papers can be written for different audiences, not only engineers, but also for people with different roles in the buying decision.  And they can be written to be used at different times during the sales cycle, to address the different questions clients have. They are often used in web marketing campaigns.

Cultural Differences In European White Papers

No recognized structure. The first thing you notice about the white papers written by European businesses is there is not a clearly defined format for a white paper across Europe. 

• There are all sorts of lengths and some can be very long compared to North American white papers
• There are often “half-breeds”, or white papers with a soft sales pitch, or ones that are half technical guides

They are called all sorts of different things in the different European languages that vaguely translate back into “report”.

More formal. The white papers you come across in Europe are usually more formal than American white papers. But this is changing – see the current trends below.

Less marketing. As a marketer, what I notice most about European white papers is that they are usually written for a very technical audience and are limited to targeting one specific part of the sales cycle. There is simply less marketing done with European white papers.

Possible Reasons Behind These Differences

Of course, there might be a few cultural reasons behind these differences in white paper marketing:

• A stronger need to be sold to in person
• More in person meetings and presentations to fulfill the role of white papers

But these differences might also be due to a delay in “catching up” with marketing tactics used within the stronger consumer-oriented American society.

Current Trends In European White Papers

Moving towards the American model. European companies are adopting the American format of white papers more and more often.  I hear this from European marketing managers.  This is one of the reasons why I think the Europeans may still be “catching up”.  In addition, the large international companies probably influence the white paper practices used in the smaller companies.

Less formality. Although this depends on the industry, there is a clear trend towards less formality.  European white papers used to be very stiff and formal.  But they are imitating North American white papers more now, and talk to the readers much more than before.

Many companies asking for International English. In-house writers contact me regularly to ask how to write in “International English“.  Many large European companies have already taken steps to address the challenge of writing in English for broad international audiences.  And many more are realizing the need to make their content easy to understand and free of as much misinterpretation as possible across cultures.  Wondering what this is all about?  Then have a look at:  What is International English?

For example, one of the biggest challenges in British English is their use of the word “should”.  Most non-Brits translate this simply as a conditional sentence. The trouble is that Brits often use “should” as a polite recommendation or an order… where there is absolutelyno “condition” intended at all.

What Is Lacking In European White Papers?

The one area where I think European white papers could learn something from the American white papers is in the way they are used within a marketing strategy.

Less strategy. In Europe, white papers are not always planned as strategically as in the US.  Although there may be cultural reasons for this, European companies could probably improve their white paper marketing strategies.  One way would be in targeting their content to answer more specific questions at the different stages of the buying process.

Less web marketing. European companies do not seem to think of including white papers as often as American companies in their web marketing campaigns.  Now, this is a broad generalization and probably linked to stronger web marketing practices in the US.  But there is also the question of smaller local markets in the European countries and the cost in creating white papers.

Cultural Differences Will Always Remain

Even if many European white papers become similar to American white papers in format, the cultural differences will always remain.  These cultural differences effect both the written communication and the style.

Have a look at Jonathan Kantor’s very interesting article Comparing U.K. & U.S. Government White Papers.  Jonathan Kantor is the founder of The Appum Group, “The White Paper Company“, and he is also the author of the White Paper Pundit blog. His recent article compares white papers written by the governments of these two countries.  You can see the cultural differences in communication styles between these two English speaking countries.  In this article, Jonathan shows us how cultural differences can influence the style of white papers.

• Do you have any examples of white papers where the style is unexpected?
• Do you think white papers should have a standard format or more variety?
• What cultural differences have you noticed in white paper practices?

More on White Papers For International Sales:

• European Versus American White Paper Marketing
• Get International Clients With The Right Content
• The Best Sales Tool In A Slow Economy
• White Papers For International Lead Generation

More on International Lead Generation

• How To Avoid Wasting Your International Potential
• Create Front End Acquistion Information Products For International Sales
• International Lead Generation With An Information Product Strategy
• Up-Sell Expectations Across Cultures

More in these Get International Clients Business Guides

• Run Your International Sales Strategy
• Guide To International Lead Generation
• Guide To Multicultural Marketing
• Connect With Your International Markets

Copyright © Cindy King 2006-2010 - Cindy King

European Versus American White Paper Marketing