As the world we live in, becomes more interconnected and globalized, the opportunity for export-import businesses to realize export-import business ideas and to sell their products abroad has never been greater. However, expanding into international markets can be daunting, with unique challenges and barriers to overcome. For these reasons, having a solid export sales strategy is critical for businesses looking to increase their sales globally.

In this blog post, we’ll explore key points to help you increase your export sales and grow your export-import business by expanding to new export markets.

By the end of this article, you’ll learn about important factors like identifying best target markets, developing a pricing strategy for your business, building strong relationships, using negotiation and influencing techniques, approaching sales in a systematic way, and overcoming export sales barriers. These key points and concepts will help you to develop a comprehensive export sales strategy that will help you increase sales internationally and grow your export business. For sure you will learn how to raise a sale of your products and to close more orders.

So, let’s dive in and explore the key points for increasing your export sales, no matter what you are selling. And if you want to skip around, then below you can use the table of content to go to the topics you want directly.

II. Understanding the Export Markets for your products

Expanding into international markets can be a lucrative opportunity for export-import businesses, but it’s important to understand the unique challenges and barriers that come with it. The global market presents a huge potential for businesses, but it also has its challenges. To succeed in the export sales market, businesses need to have a deep understanding of the market where they want to sell, identify potential opportunities related to their products, and develop strategies to overcome challenges.

Here are some important factors to consider when understanding the export market:

  • Cultural and language barriers: When expanding into international markets, it’s important to understand the local language and cultural differences. Language barriers can make it difficult to communicate effectively with potential customers, while cultural differences can impact consumer preferences and purchasing behaviour.
  • Regulations and trade practices: Each country has its own set of regulations and trade practices that can add complexity to the exporting process. Businesses need to understand these regulations and trade practices to ensure compliance and avoid costly mistakes.
  • Identifying target markets and segments: Identifying target markets is an important step in developing an export sales strategy. By identifying potential markets, businesses can focus their efforts on the areas where they are most likely to succeed. Factors like population size, GDP, and market trends are important to consider when identifying target markets. Also you must validate, that your products are matching the expectations of the consumers in the target markets.
  • Competitive landscape: In order to be successful in the export markets, businesses need to have a deep understanding of the competitive landscape. Understanding your competitors’ pricing, products, and marketing strategies can help you to develop a competitive edge and differentiate your business in the market.

By understanding these factors and developing a comprehensive export sales strategy, businesses can increase their chances of success in the global market.

III. Developing an Export Sales Strategy

Now that you have a solid understanding of what to consider regarding your export markets, it’s time to develop a comprehensive export sales strategy. below are key points to consider when developing your strategy:

  • Identifying target markets and segments: Identifying your target markets is a critical component of your export sales strategy. Researching potential markets and identifying the ones that align with your product offering can help you to focus your efforts where you are most likely to succeed.
  • Establish optimal sales and marketing channels: Are you using local agents, distributors, importers, or selling directly to your end customers in export countries? The right channels how to generate sales will depend on the unique circumstances and resources you have available.
  • Developing a pricing strategy: Pricing can be a significant barrier to success in the export market. To develop a successful export sales strategy, businesses need to research pricing trends and develop a pricing strategy that is competitive in the target market. This strategy should consider factors like currency fluctuations, local taxes, and shipping costs.
  • Creating a sales funnel: A sales funnel is a systematic approach to sales that guides potential customers through the buying process. Developing a sales funnel can help you to track potential customers, nurture leads, and close sales.
  • Building strong relationships: Building strong relationships is critical for the success in the export sales market. This can include developing relationships with distributors, suppliers, agents and other key players in the target market. Strong relationships can help you to navigate cultural and language barriers, and can also help to establish your business as a trusted player in the export markets.

By considering these components when developing your export sales strategy, you can increase your chances of success in the global market.

Read also: Export marketing – Step-by-step system to get export orders.

IV. Target Easier Markets First To Get Sales Faster

There are always export markets to where it is easier to enter, find customers, and generate sales, compared to some more distant markets.

Naturally, it is easier to get orders and grow export sales to neighboring and culturally similar countries. It may also be the case that you already have contacts and sales channels in some countries.

We recommend that you start your marketing and sales activities in countries where you have some kind of advantage.

You can always target further countries later on when you have more experience and resources.

If you are wondering, which countries you should export and target, then we recommend reading: How to select markets for Your Export: A comprehensive guide.

Related reading: How to choose products for export.


V. Build a Sales Funnel and Approach Sales Systematically (Extremely Important)

Building a sales funnel and approaching sales systematically is essential for successful sales, especially for the export sales strategy. The sales funnel consists of different interconnected stages, from the first contact (lead generation stage) to closing the deals. The first stage is always finding and getting the buyer’s contacts

Simplified stages in the sales funnel can be seen below:

  • Awareness: The first step in the sales funnel is creating awareness. This can be achieved through various marketing and advertising efforts, such as social media advertising, influencer marketing, and search engine optimization. The goal is to get your brand in front of potential customers and make them aware of your products, so they will start asking inquiries from you.
  • Interest: Once you’ve created awareness, the next step is to generate interest. This can be done by offering valuable content, such as blog posts, whitepapers, or webinars that provide useful information to potential customers. This will help to establish your business as a thought leader in the industry and can help to build trust with potential customers.
  • Consideration: Once you have generated interest, the next step is to move potential customers into the consideration stage. This is where you can begin to provide more detailed information about your products or services, such as product specifications or case studies. It’s important to keep potential customers engaged and answer any questions they may have. In this stage you are giving offers to your customers and having negotiations.
  • Purchase: The final step in the sales funnel is the purchase stage. This is where potential customers become paying customers. To encourage purchases, it’s important to make the buying process as easy and straightforward as possible. This can include offering various payment options and providing clear shipping information.
  • Repeat purchase: After the customer has purchased, it is extremely important to provide great aftersales service and address all the concerns they might have. Only, if the customer is satisfied after the first purchase, then he/she might become a repeat customer and long-term customer.

As you understand, in each stage, the goals and the ways how customer/potential customer should be handled is different. Also, the skills and methods are different in each stage.

Approaching sales systematically involves understanding the customer journey and providing excellent customer service throughout the sales process. This includes responding to inquiries promptly, providing regular updates throughout the shipping process, and following up after the sale to ensure customer satisfaction.

Building a sales funnel and approaching sales systematically will help to close more sales and rise revenue, increasing customer lifetime value. But also helps to track and measure everything, so you can analyze to find areas where to improve.

A sales funnel is basically a set of systems, tools, and procedures to manage new customers, and inquiries in a systematic and effective way. It can bring your sales to another level, and drastically improve the results in your sales if managed well.

The best part regarding systematic sales is, that it allows you to measure different key metrics (KPIs) in different parts of your sales funnel. For example, the close rate and the customer lifetime value or how many inquiries will finally convert into real orders (there are more than 15 different key KPIs in the sales).

Most people don’t have such a systematic understanding of sales.

We have a comprehensive sales mastery online course, where we will show you step by step, how to build your own sales systems (sales funnel) and benefit from this to rise your sales drastically. You can check the content and join the course waiting list by clicking on the image below:

Or go directly to the export sales training course page to join the waiting list here: Sales Mastery Online Course.

VI. Building Strong International Relationships

Building strong international relationships is a key component of successful export sales. Here are some tips for building and maintaining strong international relationships:

  • Cultural Understanding: Understanding the culture of your target market is critical to building strong international relationships. This includes understanding the values, and communication styles of your target market prospects. Take the time to research and learn about the culture of your target market to ensure that you are communicating effectively and respectfully. We recommend visiting and spending some time in your target markets.
  • Language Skills: Language skills are another important component of building strong international relationships. While it may not be necessary to become fluent in the language of your target market, having basic language skills can help to build trust and establish relationships. Consider hiring a translator or interpreter to help bridge any language barriers.
  • Networking: Networking is key to building strong international relationships. Attend industry events and trade shows in your target market to meet potential customers and partners. Joining international business organizations and chambers of commerce can also provide valuable networking opportunities.
  • Relationship Building: Building strong relationships takes time and effort. Take the time to build personal relationships with potential customers and partners. This can include inviting them to business dinners or cultural events or simply engaging in friendly conversation. Building personal relationships can help to establish trust and loyalty.
  • Communication: Communication is key to building strong international relationships. It’s important to communicate clearly and consistently with potential customers and partners. This includes responding promptly to inquiries and providing regular updates throughout the sales process. It’s also important to be respectful of time differences and cultural communication styles.

By building strong international relationships, businesses can establish a solid foundation for success in the export markets. It will also help to increase the closing rates for the offers, because customers with whom you have relations and trust, will more likely purchase from you.

VII. Use Negotiation and Influencing Techniques to Close More Sales

Negotiation is an important skill for any business owner and sales professional, especially in the export markets. Here are some techniques and methods to help you negotiate effectively and close more sales for your export-import business:

  • Preparation: Preparation is key to successful negotiation. Before entering into a negotiation, research the potential customer or partner and his company. Know your own strengths and weaknesses, as well as your bottom line and where you can compromise if needed, and what are goals you would like to achieve. In the other words, create a plan before negotiations.
  • Active Listening: Active listening is another important aspect of successful negotiation. Take the time to listen to the other party’s needs and concerns, and address them in a respectful and constructive manner.
  • Win-Win Solutions: Aim for a win-win solution in your negotiations. This means finding a solution that benefits both parties and meets their needs. This approach can help to build trust and establish a positive long-term relationship. Off course Win-Win is not always possible, the most common end result in negotiations is Compromise.
  • Flexibility: Flexibility is another key component of successful negotiation. Be open to compromise and willing to adjust your position in order to reach an agreement. This can help to break down barriers and build a stronger relationship with the other party.
  • Confidence: Confidence is important in any negotiation. Believe in your product or service and your ability to provide value to the other party. This confidence can help to establish trust and demonstrate your commitment to the relationship.
  • Use influential techniques to persuade & influence your partner: There are different techniques and principles, like reciprocity, authority, sympathy, urgency, social proof, Commitments, and consistency. Knowing how to use these in the right time and right way, can help you to influence your partner or opponents in that direction what is beneficial to you, and help you to achieve your goals.

By using this negotiation and influencing techniques and principles, businesses can significantly increase their chances of closing more sales and building stronger relationships with international companies.

In our sales mastery online course, we have dedicated a full module for business negotiation strategies and influential techniques, with practical examples of how to use these. We personally know, how effective and powerful tools these are if used the right way and at the right time. Negotiations techniques and influencing methods are valuable in almost every field of the life, not only in business. If you need to persuade your boss to get a promotion or rise your salary, or get someone to do something for you – Negotiation and influencing techniques can help.

VIII. Overcoming Export Sales Barriers

Increasing export sales and expanding to foreign markets can be challenging, as businesses face various barriers in the process. Here are some common barriers and tips for overcoming them:

  • Language and Cultural Differences: Language and cultural barriers can be significant obstacles in the export sales process. To overcome these barriers, consider hiring a translator or interpreter and investing in cultural training for your sales team. Also, make sure to research the culture and customs of the countries you’re exporting to, so you can adapt your sales approach accordingly.
  • Regulatory Compliance: Export sales also require compliance with various regulations, such as customs laws, trade agreements, and product standards. Make sure to research the regulatory requirements for your target markets and ensure that your products meet the necessary standards.
  • Payment and Currency Issues: Payment and currency issues can also be a challenge in the export sales process. Consider working with a reputable financial institution to help manage currency exchange rates and mitigate payment risks. Also, consider offering flexible payment options to accommodate the needs of your customers. Letter of credit, documentary credit or even use Alibaba trade assurance to deposit your customer money, can all help to close more sales.
  • Logistics and Transportation: Logistics and transportation can also be a challenge in the export sales process. Consider working with a reliable logistics provider to help manage shipping and delivery logistics. Also, make sure to research any import restrictions and customs clearance requirements in your target markets.
  • Political and Economic Uncertainty: Political and economic uncertainty can create risks and challenges for export sales. Make sure to monitor political and economic developments in your target markets and adjust your sales strategy accordingly. Also, consider diversifying your customer base and target markets to reduce the impact of any one country’s economic or political situation.

By understanding and proactively addressing these barriers, businesses can increase their chances of success in the export markets.

Related reading: Biggest risks and solutions in export business.

IX. Conclusion

Expanding and growing your export-import business through export sales can be a challenging but rewarding experience. By understanding the export market, developing a strategy, building strong relationships, using negotiation techniques, approaching sales systematically, and proactively addressing barriers, businesses can increase their chances of success in the global market.

However, it’s important to note that export sales success doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, effort, and dedication to build a successful international business. By staying committed to your goals, being open to learning and adapting, and continuously evaluating and adjusting your strategy, you can achieve long-term success in the export markets.

We hope that this guide has provided to you valuable insights and practical tips for growing your business internationally through export sales. Remember, every business is unique, and it’s important to tailor your export sales strategy to your specific needs and goals. With the right approach and mindset, you can power up your export sales and take your business to new heights!

Looking to bring your sales to the next level by approaching sales in a systematic way?

Take a look and join the waiting list of our comprehensive export sales training course: Sales Mastery Online Course.

If you want to learn more how to start or grow your own export-import business online or offline, as a direct merchant or agent, then you are in the right place. We have tools & resources and programs which help you to grow and expand your business and get more customers and raise profitability.

You are advised to take courses and use the resources ad tools listed below: