Passages

When I started my career in international business, I thought that only large companies could be successful exporters. However, after establishing successful international distributors in Latin America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, I realized that companies of any size can succeed.

The insights, strategies and tips I shared in my previous articles are lessons and practices I learned and developed from working as an exporter and consulting for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) all over the country. People in other countries want products from American companies, and we can bring our products to them through international distributors. 

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The days, weeks and months immediately after signing a new international distributor are crucial for the distributor’s long-term success. One piece of advice I always share with clients regarding new distributors is this: You must be ready to guide them and help them hit the ground running from day one to launch the brand, start making sales and gain market share as soon as possible.

So, what can you do to help a new distributor have the best chance for success in the short term and build a solid foundation for long-term success?

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After a candidate has reviewed the International Distribution Prospectus (IDP)—learn how to create one in my previous article— selecting the right candidate to become one of your international distributors is still a few steps away.

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One of the most useful tools to help select the right international distributors is an International Distributor Screening and Selection Process that helps interested candidates self-qualify or self-disqualify as potential distributors (see my previous article). A critical element of the Screening and Selection Process is the International Distribution Prospectus (IDP).

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In my previous article, I described why it's critical to not only select the right distributors, but also to keep them for the long run (see the Fit/Tenure Matrix) and develop them into highly productive distributors.

Choosing international distributors without a thorough selection process is less than ideal and to be avoided at all costs: selecting the wrong distributor is a tremendous setback for the exporter and the distributor alike.

In my experience as an exporter and as a trade consultant, I have realized that this situation can be avoided by implementing a solid screening and selection process that is used for every candidate, every time.

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One of the most common questions I hear almost daily is, “How do I find distributors abroad?” When the pandemic started and travel restrictions were imposed, the question became, “What do I do now? How do I find distributors abroad without traveling?” 

I wrestled with this question while working in the private sector, and I have helped clients answer it countless times using the lessons I learned. The answer, whether pre-pandemic or today, is a two-part answer.

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