Yellow Papers / How to start selling in international markets?

We are sure that many of you thought that selling internationally was a thing of the big foreign multinationals, something far away. You had heard that these big companies, among their hundreds of different departments, usually have one dedicated to export, made up of a team that manages to speak three, four or five languages all over the world and manage to sell in other countries.

However, due to the crisis that started in 2008, almost without expecting it, many companies started to internationalise.

You can admit it quietly, you didn't want to, but pushed by circumstances, one of the steps you had to take was if you wanted it to go ahead. At first it was difficult: where to start? You decided to start small (well done!) and turned to the nearest neighbouring countries. You started looking for companies that could be potential clients: contacting a company referred by one of your suppliers, daring to visit an international fair, making calls to some companies searched on the internet and wow, you got your first foreign demand! Moreover, you lost your fear and took the plunge, and today you have managed to make exports a significant percentage of your company's turnover. Congratulations!

But if this story doesn't sound familiar, don't worry, we are here to help you. At ieTeam we work with companies of different natures and sizes, which are at different stages of an internationalisation process.

If your case is that of a company with no experience in these matters, but with a desire to do something conscious of the importance of internationalisation, here are some recommendations to start taking the first steps:

   - A specific internationalisation plan that provides you with practical information.

   - A practical market analysis that allows you to make the first contacts and start to get to know the reality of the market.

   - Organising visits to an international trade fair.

   - A commercial agenda abroad to meet and get to know previously identified potential clients.

With or without help, the first steps must be taken. If you go slowly and carefully, there are no major blunders. What you can gain is more than you bargained for.