Cindy King's International Business Blog » cross-cultural networking

Two Great Business Networking Habits To Grow Your International Network

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

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?

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.

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?

Online Business Networking When Cultural Communication Styles Clash

Cindy King — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 23:00:22 +0000

International Business Networking

Online networking for international business development using social media brings in results. International social media networking does work within cultures that are comfortable with direct communication. There are times when there are culture clashes between direct and indirect communication.

You can read more about the behavioral scales in different cultures on Get International Clients.

As a person with a direct communication profile and cross-cultural communication skills I find these clashes a bit painful. I always seem to regret giving them too much of my time. And this is an awkward position for a solo entrepreneur to be in. You see, I know there could be a valid opportunity for some sort of valuable international business connection. But social media networking does not work as well with people who are used to doing business with an indirect communication style.

They need more time.

Besides email and online communication is just mined with cross-cultural communication barriers. You need real human contact to be sure you understand each other. Here are some examples where I have been approached with an indirect communicator:

Facebook

A message on FaceBook: I am interested in cross cultural communication

Skype

I have also had several very similar messages come in through Skype where they contact me first:

Them: Hello
Me: Hello
Them: How are you?
Me: What can I do for you?
Them: It is nice meeting you?
Me: Yes, is there anything I can do for you?
Them: Hello
Me: Yes, hello
Them: I like international business
Me: Yes, an interesting subject

I also get a slew of similar Skype messages any time I inadvertently leave Skype open for any length of time. These are mainly from Northern African users who use Skype similar to Meetic. These are messages with at least 5 lines of “hello” after which you understand these are men who want to chat about personal things with women. They are always very polite when you tell them you only use Skype for business.

I have also had several Skype message conversations with translation companies in Asia. Similar to this:

Them: Hello
Me: Hello
Them: You want translations?
Me: No thanks.
Them: I do best translations in the world
Me: Sorry I am not interested in translations
Them: I good service
Me: Try contacting translations agencies
Them: I good all languages
Me: Sorry I cannot help you
Them: (a list of languages)

And usually the English is even more riddled with mistakes.

Emails

The most frustrating indirect communication contacts come in my email. Here the email basically says:

I have a great product (without telling me what the product is and who else thinks it is great).
I want to sell to international markets.

And occasionally there is also:

I only pay commissions after sale.

And a few of these emails have also included:

I am desperate. You are my last hope.

Cross-Cultural Business Communication

Now, as I said before, I am sure that most of these contacts were sincere. But they cannot be aware of my reality as a solo business owner. These conversations take up too much of my time. And I simply cannot spend 30 minutes for every contact. If these people contacted me with a more direct communication I would probably have been able to give them an idea of who they should contact. 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.

More on International Business Networking:

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Online Business Networking When Cultural Communication Styles Clash