10 Top Tips for Tip Top International Marketing Literature

Your Marketing Literature may be the only contact you have with an overseas customer in the early stages of a sale. It should reflect your company, your positioning and the experience the customer can expect to receive from you.

1. Position your material against competitors
2. Design your literature with translation in mind (keep copy to a minimum)
3. Be sure you are completely happy with the English first
4. Localise your material, even in English-speaking markets
5. Don’t use machine or web translation – this is designed to give the ‘gist’ only
6. Consult your Regional Languages Network to find the right translator
7. Give your translator as much background briefing material as possible
8. Allow plenty of time for the translation
9. Discuss ‘localising’ your brochure with your translator
10. Get translator (and also partners) to proof-read the typeset copy before print

These tips relate to our blog post Promoting Yourself Overseas. We will be posting more of these in the next few days. If you want more now, you can go direct to the ExportSavvy page. Whilst there, take a good look around at our Export Best Practice content.

10 Top Tips for Using International Exhibitions

International Exhibitions are a good way to understand new markets into which you are going to sell and to reach potential partners, distributors and customers. Here are some tips on making the most of Exhibitions and ensuring a return on the – often significant – investment.

1. Research the exhibition. Visit the year before you exhibit if possible
2. Be clear about your objectives
3. Contact specific targets in advance and arrange to meet
4. Block out time to follow up BEFORE you go
5. Do a cost/space share deal with your partner(s)
6. Get experience on a shared trade association stand
7. Get student help for interpreting
8. Walk the floor to get competitor information
9. Don’t appoint partners at the show!
10. FOLLOW UP your leads!

These tips relate to our blog post Promoting Yourself Overseas. We will be posting more of these in the next few days. If you want more now, you can go direct to the ExportSavvy page. Whilst there, take a good look around at our Export Best Practice content.

Export Basics – Pricing and Discounts

In negotiating your Partner agreement you will want to create a win/win situation. So understanding your partner’s need for profit is an important starting point.

Research market prices and understand your competition. Do not assume that pricing will be at the same level as in the UK.

Position your offer carefully taking account of the ‘competitive landscape’ and agree this with your partner. Be clear about the relationship between your pricing, the specific benefits of your product and the way in which the product will be promoted. Getting this right and being confident that you partner is in agreement with your strategy is key to maximising your (and your partner’s) profitability.

Top Tips for Approaching Partner Selection

Every experienced exporter will tell you that this is one of the most difficult tasks facing the new entrant to a market. Everyone has made mistakes in this area and everyone will tell you that they are difficult to avoid. So the best you can hope to do is take the steps that help you minimise the risks.

1. Profile your ideal partner carefully. What will they need to offer? What geographical coverage will you need to achieve? Are there market segments you want to address through a different route?
   You will address this in detail in the ‘Assessing Capacity and Capability’ module of ExportSavvy
2. Do your market research. Understand how the market works and take account of this in your strategy. Understand the value of what you have to offer.
3. Be systematic in your approach. Trawl the market for the right kind of contacts. Evaluate them according to your criteria and target the people you really want. Avoid ‘knee-jerk’ decisions.
4. Research your partner carefully.