What to Look for in an International Distributor

In this episode, we talk about international product marketing and how to implement your brand’s promotional resources in export markets.  

In this episode, we take a deep dive into the documentation involved in international sales and the workflow of the export order process, from the time your customer submits a Purchase Order through to the time the order ships from your warehouse.

Being a good communicator is an important part of being a successful salesperson, and if you’re working with international customers, those communications skills are even more important.  So today we look at some best practices for communicating with international customers.

In this episode, we talk about international credit and some alternatives when credit facilities are not an option.  We look at the documentation required to request credit, credit terms & limits, international credit insurance, Letters of Credit and Cash Against Documents.

No matter what product category you sell, finding the right international distribution partners is the key to your success.  In this episode, we talk about identifying appropriate sales channels and finding distribution partners who can successfully sell your product in those channels.

In this episode, we talk about international sales programs, which are used in conjunction with your pricing and marketing strategies in order to get greater commitments from your international distribution partners and drive sales growth.  We differentiate programs from promotions, and we look at ways to design and implement sales programs for international customers.

Today we examine one of the most important elements of a successful international sales operation: export pricing strategy.  We talk about how to determine export costs, tiered pricing models, selling from multiple warehouses, and how external factors can influence export pricing.

You might think that “a price sheet is just a price sheet” but keep in mind that your international customers require more information than your domestic customers in order to purchase your product.   A well-designed export price sheet should communicate more than just a list of products and prices; it should be your international customers’ all-in-one reference to doing business with your company.

We look at the various forms of international payment that your customers will use to purchase from your company. 

How does your product get from Point A to Point Z and who pays for what along the way?  We’ll talk about Incoterms and the role of an international freight forwarder.