Are you looking to learn new effective ways, how to get more export orders for your business? Maybe you are just starting your export-import business and struggle to get first order?
Learning more about how to be better at getting export orders may be the best thing you can do for your business. Because obtaining export orders is the primary task for any export business owner, this is what brings money in.
Related reading: learn, how to start export import business from home
A prerequisite for getting export orders
In order to be able to get export orders, export businesses have to select industries and products with total costs (production costs + export costs) smaller than the average value in the world market. They must rely on commodities, which exploit the country’s advantages both in relative and absolute terms.
If export-import business don’t follow it, then practically impossible to get export orders
For example, in Asian countries, some key export products are oil, fisheries, rice, coal, fruit, garment, jewelry. These are the products that exploit absolute advantages (because only a few countries have conditions to produce the items). Garment products mainly exploit comparative advantages of cheap labor costs.
However, distinguishing absolute advantages and comparative advantages only carries relative meaning.
Ignoring or not paying close attention to the prerequisite is maybe one of the main reasons, why new export-import businesses fails, or struggle to get profitable export orders.
Enroll in export-import course
We understand that problem, and we have created a practical export-import online course. This course shows how to discover rights products, right target markets, and how to do marketing and sales. The course covers all the other relevant topics like export-import procedures, documentation, contracting, custom and much more. This course is suitable for everyone, no matter where you from.
You can learn and register for our online export-import course – Zero to first deal.
Also, we have personal business mentoring service and other export import online courses, check it all out here: Our programs- learn and start your exim business.
But now, after you know about the prerequisite of getting export orders, lets continue with article.
How to get export orders
Any company that wishes to exports, needs to focus on marketing and sales activities and strategies to obtain export orders to sell their products. Below are effective export marketing strategies, activities and channels which help you to get export orders.
If you are looking more ideas, about what kind of export import business you shall start, then check out: best export-import business ideas
1.Use internet possibilities to get export orders online
Before the 1990s, getting contacts of foreign buyers was a very difficult task and was affordable only for a large corporation. But with the expanding of the internet, the world has changed tremendously. The digital world is now connecting people around the world. Now it is not common to get export orders online
How to utilize internet to bring export orders online
a) Register a domain and Build a quality website that is reflective of your company and products. With your new website, you will receive the initial credibility and attention for your product and your company as well. To enhance your credibility, you can upload product images of your company, factory, production process, etc. And don’t forget to add recent testimonials.
To create your website, all starts from registering and hosting your website address (domain). We are using by ourselves and advise to register and host a domain in Bluehost. You can start choosing and register your domain in the box below:
b) Search engine optimization (SEO) plays an important role in search engines like Google, Yahoo. This is very important as people are searching for similar products, suppliers just like you, every day. So, if you leverage SEO possibilities, you can be far more findable in the searches than your competitors, who do not pay attention to SEO.
c) Connect your website with social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Plaxo. You can create your company Facebook page and post your offerings there. Do not forget to adjust the comments or the wrong feelings by appropriate management.
d) Youtube, Flicker, e-Magazines can also be used to increase the outreach on the internet. You can create educational or intro videos about your company and products on Youtube for free.
e) Use paid advertising, to get targeted searchers to your website, fast! This means if someone is searching example “best leather handbags” on Google or Yahoo, then it is possible to make your website appear on the first page of google against this search term. But you need to pay every click if someone clicks and comes to your website.
f) Use paid targeting in Social media. Similar like paid google adds, you can be findable for targeted people (potential customers) in facebook, linkedin etc.
g) Partner with same category company and leverage his network to get new clients and export orders. For example, you are selling mangoes, why not to reach an agreement with strawberry sellers, that they can do promotion for your products in their website and you can do same for them in your website. This partnership is beneficial, because probably, there are many strawberry buyers, who also interested about mangoes.
NB! To leverage internet possibilities, we really strongly advise, start from registering and hosting your domain first, so you can build your website first. Because if you do not have website, then you can not leverage any internet possibilities properly and be able to get export orders online.
Having your own business website is a BIG step closer to get more export orders. So, if u haven’t jet registered and hosted your domain, start from below:
2. Improve your communication skills
Effective communication plays an important role in every business. If you can communicate effectively with buyers to convince the quality and justify the price of your products, the buyer will definitely ask you to send your product samples. And if the sample is ok, you are probably getting the export order.
We advise to don’t refuse to send samples if buyer’s request. While shipping samples, at least two sets of samples are completely legitimate. Many exporters loose the export orders, because they refuse to send the samples.
3. Attend trade fairs, exhibitions
There are many international trade fairs taking place in your own country and abroad. In fairs you can display your products to attract foreign buyers.
In trade fairs, you have 2 main ways, how to get new contacts and potential clients.
a) Attend in the fair under your own booth or stand. You can present your products, solutions and introduce your company. With this way, you can get contacts of the most targeted prospects, who are interested about your products. But this is also costly, you need to pay the attending fee, build your booth, prepare marketing materials, transport costs, staff.
b) Visit the fair. Like this, you can just purchase the visitor ticket and visit the fair. You shall have punch of visitcards, cataloges. Like this it is also possible to collect contact details of potential clients. But it is not so effective like attending with your own booth, but the cost is also much lower.
4. Use the export promotion agency
This kinds of organizations has many sources of contacts at the international level. They can guide you in marketing properly. They also help you in finding buyers for your product and getting export orders. Usually export promotion agency or export agent works based on fixed fee from the export order executed through them.
5. Use the commodity advisory council
Also plays an important role in international marketing to seek out foreign markets and getting export orders. You can contact regularly for sales. But you shall explain your products and desired client profiles in details, so the council knows, what exactly you need.
6. Ask help from government embassies
Government embassies have the capacity to help exporters expand and find new international markets in the country in which they operate. But usually government embassies are working with bigger and already well established companies. One need to meet the requirements first, to start working with them.
7. Personal meetings
Once you have a contact person, you can visit the buyer individually and create a good business relationship. This is most effective way to create trust. If you know, that the contact person indeed needs your products regularly, then you shall deffinatelly agree the meeting.
8. Designation of export agents
Some exporters nominate an export agent in the target country, and through the agent select and get the export orders. These agents do all service activities including technical issues if any. Very good way for small companies to reach to the new markets and get export orders.
9. Leverage friends and family contacts
The personal relationships of friends and family also help create a good relationship between buyers and sellers. It should also be said – Terms of payment in the export and import
10. Do marketing research and export marketing to get export orders
With this we mean, anyone whishes to export and get export orders, need to do market research first. You shall make sure, who exactly is your targeted customer, from which sources and channels they are looking the new suppliers. How does the supply chain look like in your targeted customers countries and what is the market price for your products there. What really matters, when you want to get export orders from them.
Doing marketing research really gives you an clear picture. About exporting marketing and how to do it, we have written another in-depth article here: Export marketing- step-by-step system to get export orders.
To get even more ideas and examples, about how to find buyers and get export orders, we have another article: How to find international buyers for your products.
Processing and fulfilling export orders
So, lets say, you use our suggestions above and got many contacts and you are close and ready to seal the deal and get your export order. But you also need to know, how to fulfill and handle the order properly, so you will get more export orders from this clients in the future. Below are important activities you need to deal with, once you get your export order.
Negotiating
This is very important skill, before closing the export order. We already know that negotiation is essentially an academic, scientific and artistic way to use communication and psyhological skills in business. Negotiating is a key to persuade the other side to accept your proposal.
In order to negotiate successfully, the planning of negotiation process plays an important role. It includes preparing the content and defining the objectives, preparing information, preparing negotiating personnel to execute the negotiation program.
Currently in trade and business negotiations, there are in use three basic forms of negotiation:
- Negotiation by mail ( less stressful and suitable for beginners)
- Telephone negotiation
- Negotiation by direct meeting
Signing contracts
Signing a contract is very important, it is fixation of the export order according to agreed terms. After signing an export order contract, the important work that the business needs to do next, is to fulfill the export order accordingly.
Apply for an export license
If your company does not have an export license, you must apply for an export license and ask for it once, before you can actually export.
If exported goods go through many border gates, the agency will issue foreign trade a tracking card. Whenever the actual goods are received at the border gate, the customs office will deduct it from the tracking card.
Prepare export goods and check export goods
After receiving the first payment from the foreign customer ( order confirmation) the company sets up a plan to produce or purchase the goods with quantity and quality as stated in the ordering contract.
Pay attention to the quality, to meet the required standards and conditions! If you don’t provide the quality customer expects, then custom can reject your products!
Packaging products, shipping mark
In this step, you should note the information on the shipment as required by the customer as it relates to the foreign trade contract. Common information is: Name of goods, country of manufacture, net weight, tare weight, shipping instructions (fragile goods, …). These details you shall present on the packing list!
This is an important step in the process of preparing goods, because the goods needs to be packed so, that the package is suitable for the way of transport ( road, sea, air, rail). Also packing way must be suitable for the products and in accordance with the regulations in the contract. And at the same time have high economic efficiency ( not to expensive)
- Type of packaging: often used as a box, bag, package or package, box …
- Signal code: signs with numbers or letters or drawings written on the outside of the package to inform the necessary information for delivery, handling and storage. At the same time, the signer needs to be bright, clear, and recognizable.
Buy insurance for the shipment
Transporting the export goods often presents risks and losses, so the purchase of insurance for export goods is the best way to ensure the safety of exported goods during transportation. Enterprises can buy insurance for their export goods at insurance companies.
You can contact some insurance companies to buy insurance for your shipment, usually the insurance amount depends on the value of your goods. The insurance fee is small, normally in the range of 0,5%-2% of the goods value.
Related reading: Biggest risks in export-import business and solutions for them
Customs procedures
If you packed the goods, before completing the delivery, do the customs procedures. Custom documentation and procedures are not easy for beginners. We advise to use professional custom agent to do all for you. Also, most of the international transport companies can do that for you. in this case, you need to provide only the details of your delivery to them and they do all other for you. You mostly need to give them foreign trade contract (copy), invoice of commercial invoice and packing list packing list.,
Custom procedures and documentation is another wide topic, we have written great article: Import and export procedure(s) & documentation
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