Cindy King - Cross-cultural marketer and international sales strategist » International Business Development

21 Definitions Of International Business

Cindy King — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 23:00:18 +0000

One things that has surprised me over the last few years since I started this blog, is the number of different definitions people use for “international business”. You can read about how I use the term “international business” here. I’m not saying that it is right and others are wrong. This is simply how I understand the term. It is important to know what your definition is and how this compares to the definition other people are using.

Why are there different definitions? I think there are differences in the definition of “international business” because some people have different understandings of “business”. For some people throwing a bottle in the ocean equates to “international business”. People don’t always seem to appreciate the two way side of business.

This is why I like to ask this question during my Cross-Cultural Twitter Interviews. It’s always interesting to widen your understanding of how others see the world.

Here are some of the definitions of “international business” I received on Twitter with the 140 character limitation.

What Is International Business?

International business ismuch more complex than people realize. Trouble is, people ‘do’ it the way they do it at home! - @deborahswallow
International business is Global trade – @ohh_la_la
International business is important for growth & needs to be done in a manner that’s inclusive of all cultures represented by Ur business partners – @HoeferleConsult
International business is basic principles of business blending with the various organizational and national cultural perspectives – @dkiernan
International business is the exchange of goods, services & knowledge by dealing with & understanding differences in cultures – @transdomo
International business is challenging but enlightening (if you listen and learn from your mistakes)- @culturematters
International business is our day to day environment. Every business might be seen with an international bias: conversing and trading values with someone who has a different culture, even if from a different company. – @tdebaillon
International business is challenging and fun….also transactions between two or more countries. – @DR4Ward
International business isengaging with emerging markets. These days that’s where capital & real purchasing power are – @XCulture
International business is thinking beyond your borders. – @jackyan
International business is the future. I think international business will more greatly affect all business in the future, even at the local level. – @CotterHUE
International business is building relationships online – @wisequeenWhat Is Your Definition of International Business?Which definition do you like most?
- Do you have a favorite?
- Does one stand out and resonate with you?
- Do you have another one to add?
Please share your definitions below.
International business is the next “new” local; we are all more connected than ever before, through media, through culture – @DoreenatDMS
International business is about learning to play by a new set of rules. Each country has its own way of doing things – @pocketcultures
International business is a key vehicle to global harmony; more job opportunities, collaboration, way to freedom – @psitutor
International business is trade interactions with the aim to bring profit and prosperity to nations, companies and individuals. – @culturalrealms
International networking is bringing the world together closer into one community – @mintblogger
International business is trading over the borders. I have imported tea and computer stuff, e.g. 3.5″ floppy disks – @lyceum
International business is always #crosscultural… and coming to an economy near you. – @SeanJamesOliver
International business is changing the dynamics of int’l relations & how people view the world & all those who live in it – @DavidComp
International business is simply the way business is nowadays! So many people work cross-culturally without realizing it – @CateBrubaker

What Is Your Definition of International Business?

Which definition do you like most?

Do you have a favorite?
Does one stand out and resonate with you?
Do you have another one to add?

Please share your definitions below.

International Business: 3 Tips On Product Marketing

Cindy King — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:00:06 +0000

International Business Development Strategy

In today’s economy, it seems that everyone is scrambling to keep existing clients and find new ones. And the question of getting international clients pops up.

The trouble is that some people seem to look at developing their international business with a little too much haste. The businesses that contact me for guidance on developing their international business almost always need to be reminded of the following three important points.

Find The Right Product

It’s easy to embrace international business when you already have something to sell. If you are currently selling something to local clients, it’s easy to assume you can sell it abroad.

The problem is that your assumptions may be wrong. And the problem gets bigger if you develop a marketing and sales plan based on these wrong assumptions. The sad thing is that wrong assumptions can keep you from identifying great market opportunities.

Key Point: Spend time to make sure your product is appropriate for your international market. The amount of time you need to spend on market research here depends on your business, your product and many other factors.

Tip: There’s a balancing act to do in knowing when you have too little information or whether you’re expecting too much information at this stage. You may need a little bit of international marketing flair to know when you have enough information to proceed.

Position Your Product

Even when you’ve identified what you want to sell in a new foreign market, you still need to spend time to find the best way to position your product within this new market. Your sales success depends on how well you can position your product in your international market.

Key Point: Find the right way to position your product for international sales and use this in your international sales and marketing tactics.

Tip: Different cultures respond to different emotional buttons, so always listen to learn more about these emotional buttons and improve your empathy with these clients.

Adapting Your Product

When you sell to different cultures, you may need to adapt your product to increase your sales appeal to different clients. It’s not always an easy task and there are many little things that can be overlooked.

In addition to this, adapting your product to an international market can also impact many different areas of your own business. The process can take some time to get it right.

Key Point: Give yourself time and resources to learn how to adapt your product to sell well to different cultures.

Tip: Pay close attention to your assumptions about your international market and spend time cultivating and listening to feedback from you new clients.

Successful International Business Expansion

Many businesses spend time preparing to enter a new market only to realize they need to re-work their sales and marketing once they reach the entry point.

This is a direct result of cultural differences and the challenges faced when trying to sell to people who respond to different emotional buttons and live in a different environment.

What About You?

Do you have any international business tips to share?
How are you developing your international business?
What are you doing to identify the emotional buttons that bring in international sales?

Two Great Business Networking Habits To Grow Your International Network

Cindy King — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 23:00:12 +0000

International Business Networking

Business networking habits play an important role in international business. It’s how we discover international opportunities and avoid cultural blunders. Our business networking habits help us to learn how to do business in other cultures.

One of the important things about international business networking is that it needs to be done consistently. It needs to become a long term habit. You cannot jump in, network for a month or two, and then stop because you think you have all the answers you need to take action. The risk of making a cultural blunder is too great. Consistent networking ensures that we stay current and it’s how we verify our understanding of our international markets.

This explains why networking has become second nature. And why I’ve used this networking habit to build my international business network after first connecting online.

Daily Skype Calls To Connect With New People On Twitter

At the beginning of last year I decided to implement a new business networking habit by regularly speaking to interesting people I meet on Twitter. It was simple: I tried to Skype one person every day as often as I could.

This may seem a lot, especially when you consider calls almost always last more than 30 minutes and often a full hour. But I’m lucky, the time difference plays in my favor. You see, I try to schedule these calls late in the afternoon just before wrapping up and this happens to be mornings on the other side of the Atlantic. And I although I’m fairly flexible on the time, I always keep the calls limited to an hour. So I aimed to spend an hour every day whenever possible to connect to someone I had never spoken to before.

The first 6 months of last year I probably averaged about 3-4 calls to new people I met on Twitter each week. After a while this lead to regular Cross-Cultural Twitter Interviews. And again I called first and got to know each person before the Twitter interview.

In the second half of the year I paid less attention to how many new people I connected with. This was partly because I started speaking to several people on a regular basis and did not keep track of how many new people I spoke to during the week. And after 6 months of consciously choosing to spend an hour to reach out and connecting with people on Skype it simply became a habit at the end of my day.

The results? To put it simply: this works. While networking on Skype I meet valuable people to add to my international business network. I don’t add everyone I speak to. But I now have a great list of valuable business contacts.

Weekly Guest Posts To Connect With A Broad Audience

As last year’s business networking tactic has now become a habit, I’d like to start using another business networking tactic on a regular basis. The habit I’d like to install this year is weekly guest posting. As you may know, I already write content on a regular basis for several different blogs:

But I’d like to add a bit more variety to this mix to fit some of my other online activities. Two things happened recently to make me take this decision.

Guest Posting. I read Chris Garrett’s ebook which explains how to guest post and why you should do it. It costs about $10 and yes, this is an affiliate link. After reading this ebook I was convinced of the value in adding more variety to my guest posting.

My Blog Guest. I discovered Ann Smarty’s online community where you can both ask for guest posts and also find blogs open to publishing your guest posts. It’s also a great place to share guest posting tips and experiences. Ann has set up a grading system for the blogs open to accepting guest posts. I have to say I’m impressed with how this is set up and the quality of members there. My Blog Guest makes it easy to find guest posting opportunities.

My Guest Posting Plan

So this year my business networking plan is to write at least 1 guest post a week in addition to my current activities. Why?

To reach a wider audience
To also write articles on 2 new web marketing activities: WishList membership sites on WordPress and product launch management

My core expertise is international marketing and sales strategy for international business development through social media. This involves several different domains of competence and I need to stay current to apply these skills online.

This is why I’ve decided to use guest posting to expand my international network within the areas of my different skills.

What about you?

What tactics do you use to grow your international business network?
Do you think guest posting would help your online business networking?
Would you like me to write a guest post for you on membership site marketing or business networking for product launches?

Weekly Business Article Review On Bloggertone

Cindy King — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 23:00:22 +0000

Business Article Reviews

I‘ve started a new weekly article post over on Bloggertone. Each week I’ll share the business articles from the previous week that inspired me the most as a cross-cultural marketer and international sales specialist.

And there is also one other particularity. I’ve decided to only share articles I find on bizSugar. This may seem a bit odd – there are many great business articles out there. But the truth is, bizSugar has become my daily business “news reader”.

Bloggertone and bizSugar are simply 2 business networks I enjoy. There is no other connection whatsoever between us.

Have a look at the first weekly business article review:

Cindy King’s Weekly Business Article Review

Articles To Inspire International Action

Remember, this weekly article review is based on articles I find inspiring as a cross-cultural marketer and from an international business development perspective. BizSugar runs their own top articles of the week… and there are other great business articles submitted each week on bizSugar.

As a person interested in cross-cultural marketing and international business some business articles inspire me more than others. And I hope these also ignite little sparks to give you ideas in how to approach different aspects of international business development.

Connecting 2 Business Communities

I decided to write this weekly review to network between 2 different online business communities.

These are both business communities, but they are different activities.
Both of these business communities are fairly small. And I like this. It is easier to feel at home in small communities.

BizSugar Business Community

BizSugar is a social bookmarking platform. This is the place to

Find interesting news related to business
Submit either your own business content or content from other sources
Vote on business articles
Network with other business professionals

BizSugar is tiny compared to Digg and Reddit. But there is also a huge difference in the quality of interaction you get on BizSugar. It is easy to network with the other bizSugar members and the interactions are meaningful. Most bizSugar members come with similar expectations. This is why I like the bizSugar business community.

Bloggertone Business Community

Bloggertone is a new platform for business professionals to use as a blog and to post their articles. It started barely 2 months ago.

What I like most about Bloggertone is their International Business section and the energy behind it.

The Bloggertone team is located in Ireland and all Irish companies need to be international to survive. The size of the Irish market is not big enough to sustain their business otherwise. So there is also a fair bit of knowledge and experience within the community about international business development.

This explains why this community has so much energy. And this energy and direction in seeking international business opportunities and solutions is refreshing. It stands out amidst the usual barriers I encounter:

Overwhelm of everything foreign
Apprehension of risk
Action without any understanding of what business means in other countries

Bloggertone is also very lucky to have a very strong community in Ireland and I’m looking forward to networking within their international business community.

Bloggertone is actively looking for more bloggers to publish content on the Bloggertone website and is keen to get people from all over the world. And although my interests are in their International Business section, they also have all of the other categories related to business. So if you would like to start business blogging, have click through and have a look.

What do you think?

Do you have any suggestions on how to improve this networking exercise?
What kind of business articles inspire you to take action to develop your international business?
Did I miss any other business article last week on bizSugar relevant to international business?

7 Ways To Find Your International Markets

Cindy King — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:00:06 +0000

International Business Networking

Most of the business owners I speak with say they want to develop their international business and then end their sentence with a “but”… and something usually related to “risk“. In digging a little further I find that part of the reason behind this “but” is because they do not know where to start.

Although you may have clients from all over the world this does not mean you are in control of an international business. An international business means you know how to adapt what you sell and how you sell it to different cultures. This is how you begin to develop a truly international business. And this always starts by learning how to:

Sell to one country
Start with one product first
Target your marketing and sales practices to sell this one product to people in this one country

But many people get stuck on the very first step above.

Where do you start?
Which country should you target?
Which country would be easiest to sell to?

International market research is easier to carry out now than ever before. Most businesses can do parts of their market research in-house. And they probably should do this in-house simply to come to terms with the “risk” involved.

The problem is that you need a clear plan to help you find where your best international market opportunities lie. Here are 7 things you can do to help you make that first choice: the first country where you want to expand your business.

1 – Research Your Own Client And Prospect Data Base Thoroughly

It is worth the effort to go back as far as you can in your international sales records and try to identify any trends in the sales you made.

Are there any similarities in previous sales?
Did sales come from a specific country or area?
Were sales made following an event or particular circumstance?

If you can identify any trigger events influencing your international sales, you have valuable international market knowledge to use to generate future sales.

This is the most useful resource you have because it is the most relevant one to your own business. If you have any international clients this is always a good place to start to identify the first country to develop. But don’t forget to do the following research.

2 – Identify Where Your Competitors Are Overseas

Have a close look at what your competitors are doing abroad.

Is there a particular country where your competitors seem to be doing well?
Can you identify a country where you competitors want to get into?
What trends do you notice and are there any obvious trigger events?

In addition to identifying your competitor’s international penetration, what can you find out about the answers to the questions above with regards to your competitors? You can pick up a wealth of information just by observing others.

3 – Research Industry Data

Be sure to research the differences in industry standards and regulations on the foreign country.

Are there any reasons why an international business would be difficult to establish in these countries?
What are the hurdles?
What trends do you see in current international business in this industry?

This will help you evaluate how to proceed in developing your international business.

4 – Research The Press

When you research the press, don’t forget to look for what is published both in your own country and in the foreign country as well as in the world region you are looking at. Use the free online instant translation tools to give you an idea of what is in the news.

Can you identify current key players?
Can you identify any current topics of interest to you and your business?
What local topics could impact your business opportunities?

Try to get an up-to-date analysis for your industry in the foreign country you are interested in. Use your knowledge of recent events to connect with people when networking for further research.

5 – Do Some Local SEO Research

Once you have a short list of countries, check out the most popular local search engines and do some keyword research in those countries. Start by using the advanced search options on the free keyword research tools.

Does this information give you ideas on how to position your products in these markets?
Can you see any trends in keyword results?
What differences and similarities do you notice?

This will give you a better idea of who your real competitors are in these countries.

6 – Go Beyond Online Research

Once you have the names of the players and have identified possible trends be sure to move to direct local contact. The best option is to move from online research to the telephone. Although networking for international market research on the phone can yield great results:

Don’t start off with your most valuable contact. You might need to practice your international phone networking skills first.
Be sure to aim to speak to people with real insider knowledge of your industry in your foreign country.
Look for various sources from different angles to get a broad view.

Telephone conversation can provide you with more background information faster than you can get over the internet. And telephone networking has another great advantage; it helps you to adapt your mindset.

7 – Talk To Your International Clients

Do not underestimate the value of speaking to your current international clients.

Ask them why they bought from you to uncover possible trigger events.
Try to uncover the emotional hot buttons that triggered the purchase and try to get beyond your own cross-cultural filters to understand this fully.
Find the reason why they chose your company and your product.

If you are not happy with the amount of information you get from speaking with your international clients, spend some time improving your cross-cultural communication skills. It is well worth the investment as speaking to the international clients you already have provides you with so much valuable feedback for your business.

Allow Time For Market Research

International market research takes time. The best thing to do is to allocate time to do the online research and then allocate a fixed amount of time each to do the networking tasks.

Consistency in doing these networking tasks will bring you the answers you need. So although you can do your online research in large chunks at a time, you will probably get more from an hour or two of international networking each day over a period of several weeks to a few months.

International Networking Is A Fundamental International Skill

Many of the businesses I meet say they want to develop their international markets but they are afraid of the risk. The one main advantage to carrying out this type of market research in-house is that you will have a better understanding of the risk involved.

The other advantage to starting with this type of research is that the skills you acquire in doing this type of international research through networking will help you to choose which product to sell and learn how to adapt it to your new foreign market.
What about you?

How do you carry out your international market research?
What do you like most international business networking technique to improve your market research?
What are you biggest challenges in international market research?

Please leave your comments below.

Get International Clients – Business Guides

The Biggest Mistake In International Networking

Cindy King — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:00:49 +0000

International Business Networking

Like most bloggers I often get link exchange requests. I usually just delete the ones that look like standard form emails. After all anyone who reads my blog knows how to easily get a link from me. But yesterday I had a request come in through Twitter and the person said something that surprised me. This person said “I always reciprocate”. And this struck me as somehow being negative and I had to think about this for a while before I discovered why.

Free Links To Share Value

You see, I don’t do link exchanges. I give my links freely to people I find have something valuable to add to my blog. Now, although I give links freely, I do have my quirks:

I decide where the link goes and what it looks like. When people ask me to change their links once too often I usually simply delete the link. The drawback of giving lots of links freely is there is not much time for maintenance.
I notice others who network “freely” too. People who give simply because they like what you do. This is natural isn’t it? And it’s natural that I like networking more with these people too.

This lead me to dig deeper to find out what bothered me so much about this statement: “I always reciprocate”. Well, I noticed there was no giving freely, and no giving first. It is surprising the number of people who wait for you to give first before they give anything to you… and these are almost always the people who give less than you do. But this does not bother me. I’ll still put a link through to content I find of value for my own blog readers. So that wasn’t what bothered me with “I always reciprocate”. Then I realized something else.

Networking For International Business Development

I’m totally focused on networking for international business development. And this is where this “you give first before I give you anything” attitude just does not work. Now, I network heavily for my business. I have to. I’m based in France and I like working with English speaking clients. I network to develop my international business. Luckily the time difference works in my favor. The only time I can work with North Americans is from mid-afternoons my time onwards. So before my day comes to I end, I usually spend a good hour or two networking on the phone and by Skype. Of course, I also network through email too. That’s for the direct networking. But I also network extensively on social media, by providing useful information to my followers. This is how I identify the people I want to connect with. I share non-stop because at the same time I actively work on developing my international business networks. Does this work? You bet it does. I’ve met some great professionals all over the world.

Some of them are great sources of referrals for my business
Some will become joint venture partners
Some are just becoming good business peers right now

Give First And Give Freely

These are people I would never have been able to meet without giving first. These are also people I would never have thought of seeking out. My sharing information first an giving links first created the beginning of some very useful dialogues for my business. And you know what, it all starts with the attitude of giving and sharing first. This is what bothered me with the remark “I always reciprocate”. I was interested in connecting with this person much more than a link exchange, but she does not have the right attitude for international business development. You simply need to be someone who shares first, without any expectations of anything in return.

Nurturing Trust In International Networking

This is one of the secrets to successful international networking. You have to be comfortable making the first step. In fact, you have to be very comfortable going down half of the path separating you from your international contacts. Occasionally it feels like I go three quarters of the distance alone. This does not happen often, but it is this willingness to turn and go as far as necessary to greet people in their own comfort zones that creates international business opportunities. The biggest mistake you can make is not giving first. This is a sign you are not really open to doing business with people outside of your own comfort zone. You do not have what it takes to develop an international business. If you have issues about giving your time and effort first then you need to do some personal work and carefully examine the personal baggage you have with regards to this. This is the only path to successful international networking. It is linked to several important factors in building strong international relationships, the most important one being trust. Trust across cultures is difficult to establish. Cross-cultural differences create a minefield of potential trust breakers. And when you do not give first, but sit back and wait, or expect others to give first, this does not create a good environment for reciprocal trust in cross-cultural relationships. Besides, you don’t build a business by sitting back and waiting for someone to give you something to which you can reciprocate. Do you? Start sharing and building your international business networks now. What about you?

How do you go about international business networking?
What do you like most about international business networking?
What are you biggest challenges in international business networking?

Please leave your comments below.

Get International Clients – Business Guides

Follow Up With Your First International Clients

Cindy King — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 23:00:36 +0000

International Business Networking

How would you like to start your international marketing with one simple tactic? One you can start using with your very first international clients. Do this one tactic and you will also:

Improve your international market intelligence
Get the information you need to get more international sales.

Many small businesses put off doing this good international marketing tactic when they first begin to get international clients. There are several reasons for this. They may:

Imagine international marketing costs more money than they may have
Simply not know how to go about marketing to foreign markets
Feel awkward around different cultures
Be afraid of making mistakes
Think it requires a lot of time
Feel inadequate with people that do not speak the same language

All of these reasons are normal the first time selling to a different country. But your first international sales can be a source of useful information to use to close more international sales.

The problem with not doing anything is that it wastes time. How many sales slip by when you waste time without taking action?

So what is this one simple thing you can do to start your international marketing?

Follow Up All International Sales By Phone

This simple action often gives you more valuable market information than any other marketing tool for new international markets.

Systematically follow up with all of your international customers.

And, the best way to follow-up for international clients is by phone. When you speak to your international clients in person, you will get much more than just feedback.

Systematically following up your international clients by phone rapidly increases your market intelligence for specific countries.
You will pick up buying patterns on different levels.
You will identify how each specific foreign market responds to your communication, your product, your offer and your positioning.
In addition, you never know what gems you may discover.

What To Say When You Follow Up

Do not approach this as a typical after-sales call. Widen your scope. Try to understand your international client’s entire sales process:

Their initial problem and the reasons behind this problem
Their motivations in looking for your particular product or service
What they need to consider
Why they were interested in your offer
Why they bought from you when they did
What are they happy about
What they would change

Instead of treating this like a survey, strike up a real conversation. Get curious and try to learn more about your international clients. Here are a few guidelines on how to call:

Call them before they forget you. Do not wait or make excuses.
Tell them how you value them as a client.
Keep track of everything. Note the details. Do not summarize or make assumptions.
Ask them to give you specifics, to explain why they say something.
Dig a little to understand what got them to buy, what motivated them, what their problem was, what they like about your product and what they did not like, and what you can do to make it better.
Keep your ears open for other marketing opportunities. Testimonials or referrals. Can you start a selection of international case studies?
Share other ways clients use your products, give different perspectives on how your product is used.
Afterward, try to find the little touch that says thank you and shows you listened to your client.

Before you start calling…

International Calls Can Go Wrong

Following up by phone sounds simple enough, right? It is. If do not forget some basic international business skills. Are you just beginning to sell to different countries? Then make sure you:

Check your time zones before dialing.
Check days considered as “weekend” days – in Middle Eastern countries.
Avoid calling on Sunday’s for Saturday/Sunday weekend countries.
Verify if the number you have is a home number, or an office number and which one is best for your client.
Do not think that you need to speak their language. If they bought from you, they must speak your language at least a little. Be attentive to how they understand you, and adjust your communication to make it easy for them.

More Out Of Your Follow Up Calls

To get the most out of your follow up calls:

First, remember to note details of the information you get back. You may not be able to identify triggers for sales until you can see a pattern. Review this information regularly.
Second, try to have the same person call to follow up. If this is not possible, try to get one person per country. And, if this is not possible, arrange for everyone involved to share their information and review it regularly.

Follow-up phone calls are a fast way to get to know new foreign markets. They are simple to do, do not take up much time, and inexpensive with today’s international phone services. This is how systematic telephone follow-up becomes a key tactic for any international market entry strategy. Now, over to you…

What is your favorite tip to follow up with international clients?
How do you follow up with your first international clients in new markets?
What stops you from following up with new international clients?

Get International Clients – Business Guides

Sean D’Souza – International Success Through Total Commitment To Do What It Takes

Cindy King — Sun, 24 May 2009 23:00:30 +0000

International Entrepreneurs

Here is another story of an international entrepreneur. Sean D’Souza is a marketer and runs PsychoTactics from his home in New Zealand. He runs both a very successful and very efficient international business with clients from all over the world.

There are three main reasons why I like checking out what Sean is up to:

Sean has a unique approach to marketing and, as a former cartoonist, he has a rare ability of explaining concepts that turns on light bulbs.
His business model is fascinating and inspiring for anyone in business.
He helps small businesses throughout the world

Follow Sean on Twitter @seandsouza

An easy first step for small businesses to learn more from Sean is to meet up with him in his cave on 5000bc. But this is not what I would like to talk to you about today. Instead, today I would like to go back to the very beginning and look at one of the first major turning points in Sean’s story.

[display_podcast]

I posted this video on Facebook first before editing it for YouTube and here are Cherida Fernandez’s comments:

Maybe sometimes people don’t need a business plan they just need an inspiring story like this to get them to take a new step.

Cherida is right. Sean’s story is inspiring. Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think.

Stuck In Dreams

Many readers contact me to share their dreams of international business… Well, to be honest, they do not usually talk to me about their business. Their conversation is usually restricted to the romantic notion of foreign places or of being known outside of their own boundaries. There is rarely a clearly identified product involved and never a real business plan.

Very few of the people who share these stories with me actually get beyond their dreams.

An Example Of How To Get Beyond The Dream

Sean is an example of doing what it takes to succeed. Have a look at this video. I was lucky to have the chance of meeting up with Sean and his wife while they were in Paris during their 3-month annual vacation. This video was taken while we were having a drink in a Parisian café on a cold spring day. Sean and I had just met, so I was asking him about his life. In this video Sean tells the story of:

Why he wanted to move to New Zealand
Why it was not an easy decision
What it cost him to leave his native country
How he did it
What he did when he got there
The good breaks and the setbacks he experienced when he got there

Claim Responsibility For Your Dreams

When you listen to this 10 minute video you will hear Sean relaxed and happy with a successful company behind him. Sean’s life is a dream to many people. When I met him he had just:

Finished giving a presentation at the System 2009 Seminar
Come from vacation in Italy, invited by a client
Traveled to Spain
Spent almost all of his annual 3 months vacation traveling

Do not listen to this video and skim over the essential parts. Don’t assume there was luck involved. Or some talent you could never attain.

It was not all easy. But Sean did have something up his sleeve that made his move successful.

Sean took full responsibility for his dream and he was willing to do everything it took to achieve his goal.

And that is the difference. He got up and did it. He left his home willing to anything he needed to do… even work in McDonalds if he had to.

One of Sean’s dreams is obviously to have long vacations. He set up his life and his business to take 3 months off every year.

Your dreams are in your head. And so is what it takes to achieve them. You have to be willing to do what it takes to attain your dreams and then get up and just do it. I am sure this will be a common trait in all of the people in this series on International Entrepreneurs. It was with Fabrice Grinda.

Sean started his professional career at a Leo Burnett agency.

Interestingly enough Leo Burnett started his company during the Great Recession. His peers laughed at him and jested that his company would not make it and that he would end up selling apples in the street to survive.

His company became one of the greatest ad agencies of all times where you could pick up an apple to eat. He gave away the apples instead of selling them, proving the naysayers wrong.

What are you willing to do to attain your international business dream?

Cindy King - Cross-cultural marketer and international sales strategist » International Business Development

21 Definitions Of International Business

What Is International Business?

What Is Your Definition of International Business?

International Business: 3 Tips On Product Marketing

Find The Right Product

Position Your Product

Adapting Your Product

Successful International Business Expansion

What About You?

More On International Business Development Strategy:

Two Great Business Networking Habits To Grow Your International Network

Daily Skype Calls To Connect With New People On Twitter

Weekly Guest Posts To Connect With A Broad Audience

My Guest Posting Plan

More on International Business Networking:

Weekly Business Article Review On Bloggertone

Articles To Inspire International Action

Connecting 2 Business Communities

BizSugar Business Community

Bloggertone Business Community

7 Ways To Find Your International Markets

1 – Research Your Own Client And Prospect Data Base Thoroughly

2 – Identify Where Your Competitors Are Overseas

3 – Research Industry Data

4 – Research The Press

5 – Do Some Local SEO Research

6 – Go Beyond Online Research

7 – Talk To Your International Clients

Allow Time For Market Research

International Networking Is A Fundamental International Skill

More on International Business Networking:

Get International Clients – Business Guides

The Biggest Mistake In International Networking

Free Links To Share Value

Networking For International Business Development

Give First And Give Freely

Nurturing Trust In International Networking

More on International Business Networking:

Get International Clients – Business Guides

Follow Up With Your First International Clients

Follow Up All International Sales By Phone

What To Say When You Follow Up

International Calls Can Go Wrong

More Out Of Your Follow Up Calls

More on International Business Networking:

Get International Clients – Business Guides

Sean D’Souza – International Success Through Total Commitment To Do What It Takes

Stuck In Dreams

An Example Of How To Get Beyond The Dream

Claim Responsibility For Your Dreams

More On International Entrepreneurs:

More In These Get International Clients International Sales Road Map: