Follow Up With Your First International Clients

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?

More on International Business Networking:

• The Biggest Mistake In International Networking
• Online Business Networking When Cultural Communication Styles Clash

Get International Clients – Business Guides

• Discover Your International Business
• Plan Your International Sales Road Map
• International Market Research
• Connect With Your International Markets

Tagged as: cross-cultural networking, follow up, internatinal clients, International Business, International Business Development, international business networking, international clients, international leads, international markets, international networking, International Sales, lead generation, multicultural networking, networking

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