How To Compete In A Global Marketplace
By Lee Percival
If it were not for the ability to be able to market your products and services to other countries and locations, think about how much worse your business would be in during these times. Now that is not always true for every business, but it holds true for those who have a marketable product or service that can be bought and sold across any physical boundaries.
These businesses are not just online, either. Some produce products which are able to be shipped with relative ease around the world. Which brings us to ask the question: what things must be done in order to compete globally? How can a business take advantage of customers who live around the world and speak a different language?
Identify your market. The first thing you must do is to identify your target market. This might be the same as your home country, but it might not. You have to take into consideration whether or not cultural or ethnic barriers exist in the selling of your product. If they do, then you move on to the next market. Find those with the least resistance and most acceptance of your product.
Pick a marketing strategy. Next, you must choose a strategy in which you will market to these potential customers. Most businesses choose an Internet-based theme. This allows you to market in a format that is acceptable world-wide. Your web pages can even be translated into other languages which helps prevent you from having to hire web design services in another country.
Make it easy for potential customers to contact you. Here is where the rubber meets the road. If you have any easy method for contacting you and placing orders, you can have success in making money globally. But, beyond just taking orders over the Internet, you need to provide a method for reaching you that will augment your efforts online.
Consider, then, implementing an 800 number and PBX system which provides an entry point for potential customers to reach you with questions. Even if you only use this for your business in your own country, it is well worth the cost. Making yourself available through with one of these systems tells customers that you have their best interests at heart.
Being able to run your business 24×7 is mandatory in a global marketplace. An 800 number and PBX system keeps taking and routing calls even if you are not there. After all, you do have to sleep sometimes. But your system does not. And that is the beauty of one of these systems.
Callers can obtain information from your PBX system anytime day or night when you implement that part of the system for their benefit. Information that includes pre-sales and post-sales support is invaluable to you as well as your customers.
Putting all of this together means that you are ready for and equipped to reach the world with your message. The only question that remains is when will you implement your global business solution to the world?
About the Author: Lee Percival is a small business owner who uses Get800Today.com
toll free number
service. He recommends getting a
toll free phone
number for business use to improve your professional image and customer service.
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