Becky DeStigter
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October 14, 2019
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Export Basics
It happens more than I would like to admit. A company tells me that they have downsized their international customer base or pulled out of international markets altogether. International markets are just not profitable, they say.
Upon closer investigation, a common issue is the lack of international negotiation skills.
While some of the savviest companies attend extensive training in this area, here are five rules that can help address some of the biggest issues.
Becky DeStigter
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December 10, 2018
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Export Basics
Have you ever left a negotiation with a potential international client or partner and felt like you didn't get what you wanted or expected?
Maybe you were being honest about what you were thinking and that led to the other side taking the conversation in a direction you weren't expecting. Or perhaps you were trying to keep the conversation going when the other side just stopped talking.
Becky DeStigter
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November 19, 2018
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Import Basics
We live in uncertain economic times. But I believe that we learn far more about how to grow stronger companies in lean times than in times of plenty.
That said, this month I am sharing some of my hard-won marketing advice that I often give to internationalizing clients in B2B markets.
Becky DeStigter
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April 6, 2015
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Export Finance
As international business professionals, our focus is normally towards expanding into new markets.
We research and plan. We execute and problem solve. But as much as we may plan, things don’t always go right. In fact, most of us have had to pull back out of a market when things went completely wrong.
Becky DeStigter
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March 2, 2015
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Export Basics
Most of us remember the first time we worked for a truly talented business leader.
For me it was Mike Vasquez, a smart young entrepreneur who had built up a healthcare software company in the Midwestern United States. Mike was one of those genuine leaders with lots of charisma and inspiration. Everyone liked him.
What made it even better was his story.
Becky DeStigter
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February 2, 2015
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Export Basics
Many companies that I know either use local distributors to manage their international clients or they rely on a small team within the company to work directly with the clients.
Regardless of which model they’ve set up, in reality they likely have various staff members interacting with their foreign clients.
Becky DeStigter
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January 12, 2015
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Intellectual Property Rights
I will never forget when I discovered that my company had a copycat. I assumed that my consulting firm was too small to attract attention and imitation. But there was my competitor in all my major markets with a confusingly similar online brand name and a mirror of my digital marketing program down to the blog topics and my twitter tips on international business. It was a creepy feeling, to say the least.
Those who enter international markets frequently encounter copycat brands and marketing. Companies in China often report from customer service that consumers seek product support only to discover that their product is a counterfeit. In the U.S. and Canada, it is particularly frustrating when legally remedies in the home market are more straightforward.
Becky DeStigter
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December 8, 2014
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Export Finance
When I meet with new clients, I normally review their current international marketing and operations. Oftentimes I find the same core issues that hold companies back from reaching their potential.
Here is what I find:
Becky DeStigter
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November 10, 2014
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Export Finance
Many companies begin their journey into international markets through country representatives or distributors. Oftentimes these representatives seek out your company at trade shows or online and approach staff with offers to represent your products in their home country.
Becky DeStigter
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October 20, 2014
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Export Basics
We’ve all seen it—insensitivity to cultural differences that derails business efforts, especially around exporting. It’s like watching a train wreck in slow motion, powerless to stop it.
A few years ago I had taken the role of chief operating officer for a start-up software company. For months a colleague and I had been cultivating a business relationship with a potential partner in Israel. Our contact was excited enough about the software and our company to fly from Tel Aviv all the way to Denver, Colorado, to meet our team.