Small Business Advice: International Marketing

Four Considerations

When Marketing Your
Business Internationally

By Sean Claes
You’ve got a great company and product. You’re ready to grow larger than your shadow. You’ve been marketing locally or stateside but you have an untapped client base in the International market. All you need to do is translate your current marketing materials into the language of your new audience, ship them off, fly over there and nab some new clients, right?

Not so fast. There are a few things to learn when entering into a campaign to an International audience. Below we will discuss four things you definitely want to consider before making the leap across the pond. It could mean the difference between getting a new client and offending a nation.

Learn the Culture
You should already be aware of this on a small scale as America is a melting pot of cultural diversity. But, when you are entering into someone else’s culture you should be deeply aware of customs and business practices. You can easily lose a potential customer by not adhering to the differences in the cultures.

Did you know that in Japan, dressing in a dark colored suit and bowing (not hands) will make the best impression? How about the fact that in China, a gift is usually refused three times before being accepted?

Learning about someone’s culture is a great way to get to that next level and potentially gain their business.

Same word – Different Meaning
How you speak in your marketing materials can change depending on the audience you are attempting to reach. Different cultures, many times, will require different language. Sometimes the same word had different meanings.

Examples? The term “gift” when translated into German means “poison.” Using the word “enjoy” is fantastic, unless you’re translating it to Portuguese, where it is similar to the word “enjoar” which means to make sick.

So, before you ask someone to “enjoy this free gift with your offer” you should think again.

Oh, and if you do bring a gift to a potential client in China, don’t bring a clock… it is representative of death.

Meeting Etiquette
So, you landed a face to face meeting with an international client. Now more than ever you should assure that you know how to carry yourself in this social situation. You should walk in understanding their customs.

Canadians are very time conscious, so make sure you’re not late. In Japan, the most senior member in the room (for both sides) has the floor and others seldom (if at all) speak. If you are having a business dinner in China, be aware that there are many “toasts” so monitor your alcoholic intake closely.

Each culture has their own etiquette so do some brushing up before you make a blunder.


Non-Verbal Communication:
Did you know, if you flash the “peace sign” to someone with the back of your hand facing them in many countries you just flipped them the bird?

How great of a relationship ender would THAT be for an International client?

The “OK” hand gesture in the US usually means… well… OK. In France it means “zero.” In Japan a request for payment. In Turkey it is a sign of homosexuality.

But there’s more.
In Russia it’s deemed odd and impolite to smile at strangers. In Bulgeria the American head shake for “no” is their gesture for “yes.” In Asian countries, prolonged eye contact is considered offensive.

The gist is, make sure you learn what non-verbals mean in that culture.

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There are many other things to consider when delving into the International space with your marketing. These are just a few examples to help you along your way on the journey. 

 About The Author:

Sean Claes has worked with Mom and Pop shops, International Corporations and the Music Industry on their branding, marketing, events and communications for more than 15 years. This article is just a sample of the observations he's made over the course of that time. For more information or to see how he might be able to help grow your business, contact him at seanclaesATseanclaesDOTcom.

Read more Small Business Advice via his Small Business Marketing page - link.

Small Business Advice - Reach New Customers

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Three Ideas To Reach New Customers

Beware of the “Me and all my friends” mentality. In order to have a successful business, you must look outside your own circle of connections.  I have about 3,000 friends on Facebook… about 200 I know in town… but there is no way my circle of friends can sustain a business. Yours either.

Yes, I know… you have a network of friends and folks who frequent your business are considered friends as well… but that still isn’t enough to call your business a success. Unless you sell something that is needed frequently (food products for instance) you can’t count on the same people coming by week after week. And even if you do have a steady stream of regulars, you can’t count on them forever. If some of your regulars don’t make it in that month… you shouldn’t feel the sting on your bottom line. If you do… you’re not being smart about your business.

Jewelry booth at the Kyle Fair & Music Festival (2007)

As a small business, you should ALWAYS be looking for new customers. The best way to reach new customers is by being a good, solid business that people WANT to check out.  Make sure your house is in order. Do you make sure you provide a positive experience to each and every person who comes through your door? Do they WANT to come back? Would they tell others to swing by when asked if they know a place to get the product you sell?

The question remains, how do you reach people you don’t know? Where do you find new customers? Here’s three places you are likely to find new folks.

Word of Mouth

Cost: Free

This is the most powerful kind of promotion and it’s also sometimes the most dangerous. It’s powerful because people ask their trusted connections for advice on where to buy things. If your circle of friends tells their circle of friends about you… and then they tell their friends… you’ve got a good thing going.

How is this dangerous? Two reasons. First, People tend not to share good experiences and/or recommend things to others. Secondly, negative news travels faster than anything I’ve ever seen along the information highway. Want to test it? Post something positive about a local business on social media. You will likely get 4-5 replies and a handful of “likes.” Now, post about a negative experience on the same page…. And watch it BLOW UP.

As a journalist, I’ve written stories and features on a variety of subjects and also kept a personal blog. I have a rule that I guide myself by and that is to only talk positive. Personally, there is so much negativity in the world that I don’t believe I need to add to it. But, every now and then I have what I call “soapbox moments” or something I feel so strongly about that I feel I need to let the world know.  In 2009 I had an issue with a contact lens company that wouldn’t honor my coupon. I blogged about it. I have over 2,000 hits on it and 7 comments.  That was without posting it past my personal social media. It’s my 4^th most read post on my blog of 11 years (467 blog posts.. this will be 468).  

The point is…. Bad news travels MUCH faster than good news. So, make sure each customer walks out with good news to share. And there’s no fault in asking people to share about your business… and invite their friends to swing by.

Participate In Events

Cost: Moderate

Is there a 5k happening in your area? How about a Farmer’s Market? A festival or celebration? Community gathering? Events at schools or businesses that allow vendors? Be there. Especially if it’s free or has a low cost of entry to reach a great amount of people. Especially if you have a product that you can set up in a booth and sell.

But here’s the deal with events. They can be a great experience or a horrible waste of time. There’s a little “luck of the draw” when you participate. Make no mistake, though… they are what YOU make of it. If you sit in a chair and let people walk by you and when they stop you shrug and say “grab a flier if you want” you’re likely not going to have a positive experience… but it may not be the fault of the event… it may be because of your attitude.  On the other hand, if something is poorly attended and you are a shining light of positivity and have fun and make sure that everyone is aware of you and your product, you might gain a good amount of interest in your product and people may talk about you. 

Advertise

Cost: Medium - Heavy

Every facet of your business is advertising. Your storefront is advertising, your product labeling is advertising, the signs you post, the sticker you have on your car, the shirts you and/or your employees wear… all advertising.

But I’m more talking about the outward advertising here. I posted a recent blog with five ideas to promote your business for free – link – so I’ll stick to some that have a price tag to them.  Now… let’s note that you MUST have a strong message and action to go with your advertising or it doesn’t matter what you’re selling.

On a small scale, having fliers and cards to hand out is a good idea. ALWAYS have some handy. Make sure people you talk to about your business walk away with something in their hand that enables them to reach you and/or find your store when they’re ready to purchase something. Advertising collateral is key to marketing yourself.

Are you in a niche market? Is there a trade show for your product? If you sell pet products, there’s a Global Pet Expo coming up (link). If you sell decks, there are several woodworking trade shows coming up (link). If your product is perfect for a wedding party, check out the Bridal Shows coming up (link). There is likely a Trade Show on a scale you can afford to match your business and help you get introduced to new customers. Google “your business” and Trade Show to see if there’s something there for you. Oh, and make sure you have advertising collateral.

Do you have a commercial? You can either do it yourself or (I recommend) hire a professional to shoot a video about your product. Once you have a 15-second, 30-second, and 1-minute commercial shot, you can post it up to YouTube and share it via the Internet. Also, you have something you can take to Internet shows, websites, television stations and even radio (audio only of course) to help promote yourself. Dealing with buying media is a slippery slope though, so having someone who knows how to deal with salespeople in these positions is key to get the best deal possible for your money. 

This is a commercial for a small, local business in the town where I live. Lone Star Delights.

These three things are not the only way to get your word out and meet new customers, but they are all good starting points. This article is just an aide to hopefully get you to thinking outside your network of friends and into the world. Thanks for reading.

 About The Author:

Sean Claes has worked with Mom and Pop shops, International Corporations and the Music Industry on their branding, marketing, events and communications for more than 15 years. This article is just a sample of the observations he's made over the course of that time. For more information or to see how he might be able to help grow your business, contact him at seanclaesATseanclaesDOTcom.

Read more Small Business Advice via his Small Business Marketing page - link.