Cindy King's International Business Blog » international negotiations

12 Reasons Why International Selling Is Harder

Cindy King — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:00:39 +0000

Before I started my own consulting business I worked for a variety of industries, mainly related to communication and new technologies. I had daily contact with clients in a sales capacity, sometimes with more marketing responsibilities than others. But I always dealt with international clients. Clients from different cultures to the company I represented. I negotiated sales, facilitated sales and over the years I worked in all of the functions within the international sales process.

International Selling Was The Only World I Knew

International selling was easy for me because I developed cross-cultural skills very early on. And I always try to find the right way to connect with people, even across cultures. Besides, living in a foreign country and being fully integrated inside this foreign country, adapting to different cultures comes naturally to me.

Dealing with international clients was the only thing I knew.

The Differences In International Selling

I’ve had my business for almost 2 years now, and I now see how big the differences are between selling to international clients and selling to people from your own country.

Here are 12 reasons why international selling is harder:

When you’re selling to international clients you have to focus on trust all the time. Losing trust is one of the biggest reasons why you lose international sales. Cross-cultural differences create a minefield of possible trust breakers. All salespeople know they need to build trust and actively do this. But in an international environment the cultural differences increase the difficulty in nurturing, building and maintaining trust on many different levels.
When you’re selling to international clients you might not notice when you lose trust. This is the hardest one to deal with. Just as cultural differences create trust breaking situations, they also make it difficult to see when you lose trust. And when you lose an element of trust without realizing it and continue selling, this creates complex situations which are not good for sales.
When you’re selling to international clients you also have to deal with your own personal reactions to different cultural situations. Learning how to deal with our own personal cultural baggage and not let it interfere with international business takes work. And it can also raise difficult questions to answer concerning personal integrity and personal ethics. Learning how to separate reactions to these and how to act appropriately is hard work.
When you’re selling to international clients you have to identify any differences in doing business, often beyond the scope of sales. Different countries do things differently, we all know that. And yet it is surprising how many of these differences can pop up and effect your business and your selling.
When you’re selling to international clients you have to look for wrong assumptions which can pop up in unusual places. Many cross-cultural blunders happen because of wrong assumptions. In sales wrong assumptions can be disastrous.
When you’re selling to international clients you have to monitor what is said and the different understandings of what is said. People can take away different understandings for a variety of reasons: wrong assumptions, cultural differences in communication, and different levels in language skills. You simply cannot do business when both parties have different understanding of what is said. So you have to keep your ears open continually and summarize understandings at regular intervals.
When you’re selling to international clients you need to become skilled at multitask monitoring. There are many different things to monitor in international sales. Trust, mutual understanding, wrong assumptions are just a few related to the communication. You also need to monitor how cultural differences impact certain aspects of the business deal itself. There are also risk elements to monitor. International selling requires excellent multitasking skills just to monitor the different levels of what’s going on.
When you’re selling to international clients you have to be flexible and maintain your business focus at the same time. Different cultures have different styles of doing business. So you need to be flexible and adapt to these differences. When you are not used to certain situations it is easy to lose your business focus. Being both flexible and business focused can be challenging at times. It takes practice and skill to master this.
When you’re selling to international clients you must always be ready to adapt to unexpected situations. Both the ability to adapt and the readiness to adapt are important. Unexpected situations are common in international business. Dealing with this change demands personal energy.
When you’re selling to international clients you have different risk factors to take into consideration. There is always a more elevated risk factor in international business. Successful international salespeople know how to be the lookout post for any relevant risk factors for his business. International selling is a more varied occupation.
When you’re selling to international clients you need to adopt a marketing hat as well. The role of lookout post also involves marketing feedback. Most sales professionals understand the valuable role they play to their companies marketing functions. In an international environment this marketing role is critical. The international salesperson is usually the only person with constant direct insights into his company’s market.
When you’re selling to international clients you must have a very clear vision of your business goals and the framework you work in. Without an accurate and clear vision and understanding of your company’s goals you will not be able to find the best way to do all of the above. In international sales negotiations this alone is a very powerful tool.

The Multiplying Effect

Skilled sales professionals will probably nod their head and say they do all of the above already. But there is a multiplying effect which makes these tasks harder in international sales.

What’s your experience?

Have you sold to both international clients and clients from your own country?
What differences do you see between selling to international client and clients in your own country?
What do you think, how is international selling harder?

Please leave your comments below.

Get International Clients – Business Guides On Sales

How To Acquire The Right Mindset For International Sales

Cindy King — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 06:00:54 +0000

Mindset In Cross-Cultural Communication

In my experience, your mind-set is more important in international sales negotiations than in domestic sales negotiations. In fact, as you gain more experience in international sales negotiations your own mind-set will change.

In your sales negotiations in your domestic markets, there are several other equally important key elements: the offer, your prospects needs, and your prospects objections.

These key elements are also important in cross-cultural sales negotiations. But before these key elements you need the right international mind-set.

Without it, others will simply not take you seriously. Even worse, they will adjust their own communication and put up communication screens.

If you do not fully open yourself to international negotiations, others sense this and you will lose your sales advantage.

The Right Mind-Set

You see, international sales need a different mind-set.

If you are just starting out in international sales, you will probably not understand what the right international mind-set is. An initial experience in international negotiations will take the blinkers off.

But it takes time and practice to fully develop your international mind-set. Even with lots of experience, you will probably only see the full dimension of the right mind-set after you witness a seasoned international salesperson in action firsthand.

What you can do: Notice good international negotiators.

In The Field Practice

We use different definitions and vocabulary to describe good cross-cultural communication. You cannot pick up the right mind-set through study.

Cross-cultural miscommunication happens almost continually. You will often not even be aware of any miscommunication in your own negotiations.

You learn this skill through practice.

What you can do: Get as much field practice as you can.

Self-Knowledge Is Key

Practice is not everything, you also need good self-knowledge.

The right mind-set opens your mind to other cultures. It is not an easy exercise. People easily feel threatened in unfamiliar territory. Cross-cultural communication opens the door to your own identity.

The right mind-set side steps your own natural prejudices that contaminate your international communication.

You can do something to adjust your own communication.

Good international sales negotiators know themselves well. They understand their own reactions and are able to momentarily put aside any reactions or prejudices that would block effective negotiations. As they put on their international mindset, they

Become curious about other cultures
Develop their ability to empathize with others to its maximum

You can only do this if you are confident in your own self-knowledge.

Good international negotiators are able to open their minds without prejudice to other cultures because they feel confident enough about their own self-knowledge.

What you can do: When something surprises you, question your own reactions and thoughts. Learn about yourself.

Personal Adjustment

Picking up the right mind-set for good international sales negotiations demands personal adjustment.

Good international sales skills go beyond your own desk. You need to practice. It is like riding a bike.

And just like bike riding, once you pick up the right mind-set, you will be able to use the same skills throughout all cultural communication.

Don’t Miss These Other Article On Mindset

Mindset

The Right Mindset For International Negotiations

Cindy King — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:11:42 +0000

International Business Negotiations

Good preparation is the key to good international sales negotiation practices.

After that it is all a question of your own mindset or attitude. The right attitude will reap dividends. It is hard to describe but it is easy to recognize people who do have the international mindset.

It is also blatantly obvious when someone thinks he has mastered international communications…and hasn’t. This is often because he has only dealt with one foreign country, or only has a superficial experience, either in length of time or in personal cultural investment.

So here is my short definition of the intrinsic element to a good international mindset:

Quiet Unassuming Confidence

The key to succeed in international negotiations is having a quiet confidence of your own capabilities. Assume your position without infringing of the boundaries of the others. But do it with quiet confidence.

Knowing you are well prepared will give you confidence. Having the right mindset will lead you through your negotiations.

The smoother your communication the easier it is to appear professional. The more professional you appear the more credibility you have. And the right mindset is important in creating this credibility.