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:

• Social Media Examiner
• Top Sales Experts
• ClickInsights
• Bloggertone
• Sales Bloggers

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?

More on International Business Networking:

• Networking With The Wrong Questions
• 2 Habits To Grow Your International Network
• The Biggest Mistake In International Networking
• Follow Up With Your First International Clients
• Online Business Networking When Cultural Communication Styles Clash

Copyright Cindy King 2006-2010 - International Business Blog

Two Great Business Networking Habits To Grow Your International Network

White Papers For International Sales

This past week several people have asked me questions about how to get business through your online presence. And it still amazes me that some people do not realize the value of online content.

You need to have content online simply to be present.  Look at what is in front of you.  Content.  Of course there are different forms of content, but it is all content.  Content creation should be big on your agenda if you want to develop your business online.

Content Brings In Business

Businesses also need to be strategic about the content they produce if they want to be better than their competitors.   And this is why I’m writing today. Like everyone else I’ve been thinking about my own content plan for 2010.  Yes, I know it’s hard to believe 2010 is just around the corner. Like me, you’re likely putting plans in place for next year. Better customers, more of them and so on.

I’m planning on using a proven content marketing technique next year. And it just so happens that there are some amazing marketing superstars I know putting on this really great event that will help us grow our businesses thanks to this proven marketing technique.

Before I tell you about it, I want to share a story to inspire you.

Back during the last market crash (the dot.com implosion), there was this guy—a small business owner—who really was hit hard. He lost his biggest clients, had young kids to feed and really wasn’t sure what to do.

He was thinking of spending a lot of money on advertisements. Fortunately someone told him it was a waste of time.

So here’s what he did and what happened.

He wrote a 10-page piece, sharing his tips and secrets to his craft. His friends said he was nuts and shouldn’t “give away” such great knowledge.

He ignored them.

Once his “masterpiece” went up on his website, he immediately started getting leads. The first week was 43 prospects. After 4 weeks it jumped to more than 400.

After only 8 months he had thousands of quality leads coming in, was landing huge projects and frankly had more work then he could handle.

Fast-forward to today. That document he wrote back in 2003 still brings him more than 30 leads each day (84,261 leads so far) and has helped him land millions in new business (from big names like Microsoft, FedEx and Dow Jones). And it led to a best-selling book.

His name is Michael Stelzner. And his super weapon was an educational white paper. MarketingSherpa calls him “The Grandfather of White Papers.”

And funny enough, times are tough again and the white paper is the top marketing tool used by businesses today (according to an Eccolo Media study).

Are you using educational white papers to grow your business? Would you like to know how?

About The Event

If you’re looking to attract more high-quality leads in 2010 and position your business as a leader, you’ll want to check out White Paper Success Summit 2010.

It’s a live online event that will empower you to attract quality leads and grow your business during this economic slump—all with educational white papers.

Not only can you gain amazing leads for your business with white papers, you’ll also grow your lists and establish your business as a leader.

The world’s leading white paper experts will show you how.

Here’s a sample of the presenters:

Michael Stelzner (author, Writing White Papers), Bob Bly (author, White Paper Marketing Handboo k), John Jantsch (author, Duct Tape Marketing), Brian J. Carroll (author, Lead Generation for the Complex Sale), Roger C. Parker (author, White Paper Design that Sells), Joe Pulizzi (author, Get Content Get Customers), Jonathan Kantor (author, Crafting White Paper 2.0) and many others! Together this team of “who’s who” in white paper marketing will help you succeed using practical tactics.

This is the world’s only event designed to empower marketers and small business owners to master the art of white paper marketing. And the great news is it’s a live online summit you can attend from your home or office.

Check it out here.

What’s In It For You?

First, you don’t need to be a techno-geek to create good white papers. White papers are really articles on steroids with a slant. The right person with the right direction can create a white paper that goes viral (yes, that could be you!).

Second, it’s not just technology companies that use white papers. Any business (big or small) that sells to other businesses should use white papers. For example, FedEx, Dow Jones, Monster.com, LinkedIn and thousands of smaller businesses all use white papers as marketing material. Even if you sell to consumers, white papers can be very effective.

White Paper Success Summit 2010 will help you discover the best ways to market your business with white papers. You’ll also learn how major white paper campaigns were executed and how you can achieve similar results (play-by-play steps provided).

It’s fully dedicated to empowering you. You’ll discover how to grow your business without the uncertainty of trial and error.

Yes, attending this online event (and applying the techniques) will grow your business. But there’s much more. You’ll also join a community of like-minded peers who’ll share their experiences and wisdom.

Go here now to learn more.

You can get 50% off if you act now. There are 12+ original sessions on using white papers to market your business. Be sure to check them out. I know that each of the presenters has created NEW content for this event.

Remember, the experts teach the sessions live (and it’s all online). These are big names, including Michael Stelzner, Bob Bly, John Jantsch, Brian J. Carroll, Roger C. Parker, and Joe Pulizzi. And here’s the cool part: you don’t need to leave your home or office!

As a way of saying “thanks” for checking out the summit, there’s a gift just for marketers (valued at $42) waiting for you here.

My Second White Paper Success Summit

This is the second White Paper Success Summit I’ll be attending. And I’m really looking forward to it. I enjoyed the lively community and interaction with other peers. I learned a lot last year. And I want to keep my skills current. There are different types of content, different forms of viral ebooks and reports. And I want to know what is working today so that I can craft a great content plan for 2010.

I’ll hang out in the member forum quite a bit. I learned lots there last year and made several good business acquaintances. Please reach out and say hello if you do join.

More on White Papers For International Sales:

• European Versus American White Paper Marketing
• Get International Clients With The Right Content
• The Best Sales Tool In A Slow Economy
• White Papers For International Lead Generation

More on International Lead Generation

• How To Avoid Wasting Your International Potential
• Create Front End Acquistion Information Products For International Sales
• International Lead Generation With An Information Product Strategy
• Up-Sell Expectations Across Cultures

Copyright Cindy King 2006-2010 - International Business Blog

A Proven Marketing Technique

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.

More on International Business Networking:

• Networking With The Wrong Questions
• 2 Habits To Grow Your International Network
• Follow Up With Your First International Clients
• Online Business Networking When Cultural Communication Styles Clash

Copyright Cindy King 2006-2010 - International Business Blog

The Biggest Mistake In International Networking

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:

• Networking With The Wrong Questions
• 2 Habits To Grow Your International Network
• The Biggest Mistake In International Networking
• Online Business Networking When Cultural Communication Styles Clash

Copyright Cindy King 2006-2010 - International Business Blog

Follow Up With Your First International Clients

Cross-Cultural Communication Challenge – Expand Your Mindset

Today’s Cross Cultural Communication Challenge Tip is about using your cross-cultural skills to get international sales.  Bring your personal cross-cultural skills into your professional arena.

Cross-cultural communication skills improve your communication with your international clients.  Use this improved communication to develop your international business.

Cross-Cultural Communication Challenge Tip #14

Your challenge to improve you cross-cultural mindset:

• Read your daily tips every day during the challenge
• Think about what this means to you
• Reflect on how this could help you get more international clients

Suggested Reading:

• How To Avoid Wasting Your International Potential
• Create Front End Acquisition Information Products For International Sales
• International Lead Generation With An Information Product Strategy

Get All Cross-Cultural Communication Tips:

• Read more about all of the 2009 Cross-Cultural Communication Challenges
• Cross Cultural Communication Challenge 1 – Expand Your Mindset
• Cross Cultural Communication Challenge 2 – Get Extreme With Clarity
• Cross Cultural Communication Challenge 3 – Build Trust

Free Mini-Posters With Monthly Calenders

Mindset	Clarity	Trust
Expand Your Mindset	Get Extreme With Clarity	Build Trust

Copyright Cindy King 2006-2010 - International Business Blog

Cross-Cultural Communication Challenge Tip 14

Book & Product Reviews

I have been waiting impatiently for this book to come out ever since I first heard it was in the works last year, because:

• Casey Hibbard is the leading Case Study and Success Story expert.
• Success Stories are great lead generation tools for international sales.  They can often be the tipping point you need to get the international sale, simply because stories are so powerful and can translate across cultures.

It took one month for this book to get here from Amazon.com.

• Stories That Sell – Turn Satisfied Customers Into Your Most Powerful Sales And Marketing Asset – by Casey Hibbard

It was a long wait, and when expectations are high, there is a greater danger of disappointment.  This was not the case: no disappointment here.  In fact, I got more excited as I read through the book.  Stories That Sell spoke to both the writer and the marketer in me.  

The Quotes Frame The Story

Before I go any further, I have to tell you something else.  Many books have quotes in the beginning of a chapter.  Few of these quotes really stand out.  The quotes in Stories That Sell added depth to my reading experience.

I want to share them with you.  Here are the quotes Casey uses in her book:

• The fast is, everyone is in sales.  Whatever area you work in, you do have clients and you do need to sell. – Jay Abraham
• If you tell me, it’s an essay.  If you show me, it’s a story. – Barbara Greene
• You have to understand, my dears, that the shortest distance between truth and a human being is a story. – Anthony de Mello
• Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today. – Robert McKee
• Stories give life to past experience.  Stories make the events in memory memorable to others and to ourselves.  This is one of the reasons why people like to tell stories. – Roger C. Shank
• People are hungry for stories.  It’s part of our very being. – Studs Terkel
• Stories are the single most powerful weapon in a leader’s arsenal. – Howard Gardner
• If you’re trying to persuade people to do something, or buy something, it seems to me you should use their language, the language in which they think. – David Ogilvy
• Stories have power.  They delight, enchant, touch, teach, recall, inspire, motivate, challenge.  They help us understand.  They imprint a picture on our minds. – Janet Litherland
• Our species thinks in metaphors and learns through stories. – Mary Catherine Bateson
• The story-from Rumpelstiltskin to War and Peace- is one of the basic tools invented by the human mind, for the purpose of gaining understanding.  There have been great societies that did not use the wheel, but there have been no societies that did not tell stories. – Ursula K. LeGuin

What Are Success Stories?

Success Stories are stories of satisfied customers that are leveraged to  improve the sales process.  Here are the different types of Success Stories:

• Success Stories – from a paragraph to 2-3 pages long
• Case Studies – generally a bit more in depth than Success Stories
• Testimonials
• References

Stories That Sell goes into detail about the many ways to use these different types of Success Stories for both marketing and sales.  Many companies have Customer-Reference Programs to encourage, qualify and track suitable customers.  This book also gives you ideas on how you can get more Success Stories and in a way that is suitable for your business.

Why Success Stories Bring In Sales

Employers use references before deciding to hire someone.  People like hearing stories from others who have bought something they are thinking of buying.  It is a natural part of the decision process.  We seek confirmation before purchasing something:

• At the top of the list: we trust people we know
• In second position: we trust strangers with experience.  This is where Success Stories come into play.

Success Stories became popular with the rise of expensive high tech equipment.  Hearing the story of other happy customers:

• Proves there are other customers
• Proves the product gets results

Success Stories show, they do not tell.  This helps companies gain credibility, which in turn gives them a competitive edge. These stories answer many of the questions buyers have.

Stories Than Sell gives you details to help you create your own Success Story Marketing strategy.

Why You Need More Than One Success Story

The more a Success Story reflects your prospective buyer’s situation, the more relevant and valuable a Success Story is in the decision making process.  And your buyers always feel their situation is unique, so they look for similarities between their situation and your Success Story.

Success Stories work best when they mirror the reader’s own particular situation. It provides an effective case for buying the product or service.

Buyers now want Success Stories about their particular industry and they want stories that show how to solve the exact problem they have.  This means that you should have Success Stories for each of your different customer profiles.  You can have Success Stories for different:

• Products and services
• Industries
• Customer size
• Geography
• Problems/solutions
• Technical or business focus

One Success Story can cover several of these points.  Stories That Sell shows you how to strategically plan your Success Story creation to fit your business needs.  It shows you how to create Success Stories to present a new idea, new product or new benefits.

Who Should Read Stories That Sell

Stories That Sell is written for both:

• People who write Success Stories
• People who use Success Stories and would like to improve their sales results with better Success Story Marketing

For Success Story Writers

Casey covers everything you need to write Success Stories.  There are guidelines and examples at the end of the book.  I found the comparison at the end of the book very useful.  There is an example of a Success Story in traditional format and one in a feature-story format.

For Marketing & Sales Managers

Marketing managers will appreciate all of this book.  Stories That Sell lays out all you need to create an effective Success Story Marketing program.  There are suggestions on how to deal with any problems that come up, and also many ideas on how to market with Success Stories.

Sales managers are always looking for the right tools to have in their arsenal.  This book shows how collaboration between sales and marketing teams can give sales people their strongest sales tools.  Sales people are on the front line.  They often hear about Success Stories from their customers and know the details before anyone else.  And sales people also know what stories they need in order to close more sales.  Stories That Sell shows you how sales and marketing teams can work together to get more effective sales tools.

To Get More Sales

I would like to add that anyone interested in improving their sales should read this book and learn more about Success Story Marketing.  This book lives up to its title and shows you how and why Success Stories can become your most powerful sales and marketing asset.

What I Got Out Of It

I have used Success Stories effectively in previous marketing positions.  And yet I discovered things I did not know in Stories That Sell.  I also greatly appreciated Casey’s advice on how to deal with approval’s for Success Stories.  With my international business background I usually rely on my cross-cultural skills for International Success Stories.  But after reading this book, I feel that I now have a few more tricks up my sleeve.

As I read through the book, I jotted down ideas for Success Stories for my own business.  I suggest anyone reading this book to do the same.   I came up with 14 new ideas for Success Stories that I had not thought of before… simply because I now have more ideas how to market them.

Thank you Casey, for writing this book.  I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to facilitate the sales process in national or international markets.  This book is particularly valuable in today’s economy.

Read more Book Reviews:

Communication For International Sales

Here are reviews of the books I have read recently to help me with communication for international sales:

• A Writer’s Guide To Powerful Paragraphs By Victor C. Pellegrino
• Content Rich By Jon Wuebben
• Get Content Get Customers by Joe Pulizzi & Newt Barrett
• Letting Go Of The Words – Writing Web Content That Works By Janice Redish
• Stories That Sell By Casey Hibbard
• The Culturally Customized Web Site By Nitish Singh And Arun Pereira
• The Magic Of Pre-Writing By Steven Osborne
• The Secret To Writing A Successful And Outstanding Blog By Liz Strauss

International Sales

Here are reviews of the books I have read recently to help me with international sales:

• All of the Little Sales Books by Jeffrey Gitomer
• Asinine Advertising By Herschell Gordon Lewis
• Influencer: The Power To Change Anything by Kerry Patterson – Joseph Grenny – David Maxfield – Ron McMillian & Al Switzler
• Sales Strategy From The Inside Out By Duane Sparks

International Web Marketing

Here are reviews of the books I have read recently to help me with international web marketing:

• Bit Literacy Productivity in the Age of Information and E-mail Overload By Mark Hurst
• Dotcomology The Science Of Making Money Online By Stone Evans
• How The Internet Works By Preston Gralla
• How to Win Sales & Influence Spiders By Catherine Seda
• Landing Page Optimization By Tim Ash
• Mastering Online Marketing By Mitch Meyerson
• Multichannel Marketing By Akin Arikan
• Online Competitive Intelligence By Helen P. Burwell
• ProBlogger by Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett
• Stats Faceslap By Ed Rivis
• The Ultimate Web Marketing Strategy By Ed Rivis
• Website Optimization by Andrew B. King

Here are some Product Reviews:

• Ed Rivis’ Stats Faceslap
• Success Chef’s Marketing E.S.P.
• The Management Tools I Use For Content Created To Be Re-Packaged
• The Ultimate Desktop Copy Coach By Tony Flores
  
• Web Video University And International Marketing
  

All of the book and product reviews here are totally unsolicited… spontaneous …and without affiliate links. These are books I have read recently and only the ones that I share with friends. So all of the reviews you find here are on books and products that I highly recommend.

Also, as these are books and products that I have recently read since, this is not a list of my all-time favorite books. Hopefully I will get around to reviewing my favorite culture and international business books sometime soon.

Use these skills in your international tactics on the…
Get International Clients International Sales Road Map:

Guide To Multichannel Marketing • Do you know how to communicate with different countries? This guide shows you how

Guide To International Web Marketing • Do you know how to pull all of your different international marketing pieces together? This guide shows you how

Step 5 – Connect With Your International Markets Connect… • With culture customized content • With trust and empathy • With strong cross-cultural communication

International Business Success Basics • Do you feel at a loss with regards to dealing with international business? This guide gives you the background information you need right from the start.

Copyright Cindy King 2006-2010 - International Business Blog

Stories That Sell By Casey Hibbard

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:

• Networking With The Wrong Questions
• 2 Habits To Grow Your International Network
• The Biggest Mistake In International Networking
• Follow Up With Your First International Clients

Copyright Cindy King 2006-2010 - International Business Blog

Online Business Networking When Cultural Communication Styles Clash

Improve Your International Sales Skills

Do you already have a few international clients? One of the easiest ways get more international sales is to ask questions. This is the simplest way to learn more about your new foreign markets.

What You Can Find Out

Ask your international clients to learn more about:

• Why they bought from you?
• Why they like your product?
• What problems do they have?
• What have they already tried to solve their problems?
• How did they came to your product?
• What else will they be buying?
• How do they evaluate your product?
• With what criteria do they evaluate your product?
• How will they use your product?
• When will they use your product?
• What outcome are they looking for?

You will probably add more questions to this list.  The key here is not so much in the list of questions.

Yes…

There are some questions on this list that will be critical for your international sales and marketing strategies.

But it is how you use this list that is really important. The questions on this list will help you begin a conversation, but where will your conversation take you?

Identify The Immediate Questions

Let’s take a closer look at the last question:  What outcome are they looking for?

Your prospect or client may be at a different stage in his buying cycle.

Buying cycles can be different for different markets. They can also be shorter or longer.

So you do want to make sure you identify the right questions you must answer today.

When you open a sales conversation and ask questions you need to find out:

• What does your client want from this conversation?
• How can you help him now?
• What does he want to know today that will help him in his buying cycle?

Your sales conversation begins when you answer these questions for your international client.  So you need to find the right questions to ask.

Also, remember, if you have marketing information online, you also need to find out what your prospect already knows. You need to know what he has seen before diving into your sales cycle.

Most of your international clients will not mind if you are new to international sales.  The difference is in your choice of questions.  They will notice whether you are trying to understand their problems and sincerely want to help them.

Questions Can Show You Opportunities

Cross-cultural differences can make it difficult to find out what your prospects wants, or needs, an answer to.

This happens to me often with clients from cultures where indirect communication is predominant.  And it usually takes a few extra steps to find out the question I need to answer.

Consistent effort helps you to dig up the real problems your international clients are faced with.  And this can help you discover your real international business opportunities.

When you have a few international clients it is worth this extra effort in finding the right questions to answer.  This is how you can learn about different markets.

Even when clients come to you accidentally, you can use these clients to dig up more international opportunities.

More On Improve Your International Sales Skills:

• Basic Skills You Need To Stand Out Today
• Do Not Give Up Too Soon On Your International Business
• Do You Have A Clear Vision Of How To Get International Sales?
• Do You Know The Real Questions Your International Clients Are Asking?
• Emotion Buttons For International Sales
• How Good People Skills Also Grow Your International Business
• Improve Your International Sales Skills For Your Competitive Advantage
• Learning International Skills From A Course Or A Book
• The Multiple Facets Of International Sales Preparation

More In These Get International Clients Business Guides:

• Discover Your International Business
• Cross-Culture Sales
• Cross-Cultural Negotiation
• Cultural Web Tools

Copyright Cindy King 2006-2010 - International Business Blog

Do You Know The Real Questions Your International Clients Are Asking?