International Sales Best Practices
How can you use last month’s cross-cultural communication tips to get more international clients?
Remember to download the free calender for an easy reference to all of the 31 Cross-Cultural Communication Challenge Tips on mindset.
First, we are going to use Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Red Book Of Selling to look at some standard sales best practices. These best practices work well in most international sales environments. Sometimes they need a little tweaking to fit into most international environments. Next, we are going to look at a cross-cultural communication tip from last month’s challenge. We will choose one that “matches” Jeffrey Gitomer’s sales tip. Finally, we are going to link the sales best practices with the cross-cultural communication tips together… again one each day this month.
International Sales Success
Let us start with the first questions people ask about international sales. Most of us are usually concerned about our international sales success. Over the next few days we are going to look at the differences between failure and success and what this means to salespeople.
Quote From Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Red Book Of Selling
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What’s the difference between successful salespeople and salespeople that fail?
Successful salespeople believe they can. |
Last Month’s Cross-Cultural Communication Tip 28
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Be confident! Your own confidence, or lack of confidence, can influence effective cross-cultural communication. |
Believe In Yourself – It Counts!
Most salespeople recognize the need for confidence even if they do not always make the effort to cultivate this confidence. The problem is that in international sales our confidence is easily undermined:
- We often get so focused on our own difficulties that this chips away at our confidence in ourselves.
- International sales usually have different sales cycles compared to what we are used to. This can be destabilizing.
In addition to this, cultural differences can also impact how our confidence is perceived. Here are some key areas to look at.
Confidence In Your Product
In international sales you must know how your products can help your clients. Cultural differences can make this a bit more complicated to find out.
- What will your foreign client get out of your product or service?
- Why will your international client buy from you and not from someone else?
Different cultures have different emotional responses and different needs. It is important to think about these questions before the sales process. The answers to these questions will give you confidence. Unfortunately, if this is your first sales encounter with a different cultures, you will probably not be able to answer these questions accurately. And that is OK. You will need confidence during the sales process to get these answers. If you do not have the exact answers, it is easier to fill in the gaps when if you have thought about this beforehand.
Confidence In Your Company
You also need to feel confidence in representing your company. This is more important in some cultures than in others. Any perceived lack of confidence in your company can be critical in some cultures. In other words, your confidence in your company gives you credibility to be part of this sales process.
Confidence In Yourself
In all sales it is important to believe in yourself and to feel confident. In international sales, you have to pay attention to how this confidence is perceived. It is important to find the right expression of confidence. If others perceive you as having too much confidence this can appear boastful. In some cultural environments it can be difficult to maintain the professional aspect of this confidence. Some cultures like to do business on a more personal level and if you are not used to this, you might not know how to keep this balance.
The Right Balance
Your international clients will notice your confidence despite any language or cultural barriers. The problem is that this confidence may be perceived differently in different cultures. This is why it is important to keep your antennas up during the sales process to make sure your confidence comes through… and also that it comes through with the right perception. So…
How much do you believe in you? – Jeffrey Gitomer
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