How to avoid common exporter mistakes – Part 1

For many companies who are new to exporting, doing business outside their home market for the first time can seem like a daunting task. It is true that there are many pitfalls that need to be avoided (some very costly!), but just as there are common mistakes that first-time exporters make (and many experienced exporters!), so too are there common solutions that will help companies to avoid these.

Having worked with several hundred exporters, assisting them to successfully export to new markets, Handel Export has come up with a series of what we perceive to be the most common exporter mistakes and tips on how to avoid these. We will profile these in our next blogs over the following days and weeks.

Part 1: Failure to develop an export strategy or plan

If your company has no coherent strategy for entering a new market, you have little chance of success. Writing an export plan does not necessarily mean undertaking a long paper exercise, it can be just making bullet points and developing a concise action plan. It is an excellent way of looking at your business objectively, focusing on your strengths and weaknesses and looking at potential opportunities and threats. Obviously your strengths as a company are what you will want to maximise and reinforce in any sales and marketing activities in the target market; the weaknesses may be things you need to address before embarking on exporting.

One of the key differences between selling in the domestic market and exporting is that in your domestic market, much of the business you have will have been obtained through word of mouth and referral. Prospective customers can lift the phone and enquire about your company reputation through others they know and whose judgement they trust. Gaining new business in the domestic market can therefore be largely reactive.

In an export market, gaining new business is all about being proactive as prospective customers may have never heard of your company or your customers before. Writing an export strategy / plan can assist you to think about how you will get your sales and marketing message across to potential customers.

Handel Export provides a range of services to both new and experienced exporters to make sure that they maximise their resources and avoid costly mistakes. See the section on Services on our website for details or Contact us for further information. If you would like to stay informed on future blogs and the next postings on this topic, please sign up for our updates by email.

If your company is new to exporting or you are already exporting, we are interesting in your comments on what you found to be the biggest obstacle or the most difficult issue in establishing sales in another market. Please send us your comments and observations!