International Lead Generation: a Passport to Success

So- you've managed to perfect your customer acquisition strategy in your home country. You know the channels that work. You know your cost per sale- and the content that delivers. You know what your prospective customer looks like. Tried, tested models of sales success have led to the decision to start generating business in other countries as part of your entrepreneurial growth- and your desire for global domination! An incredibly exciting opportunity. Just do everything you've done again- utilise those lead generation strategies and channels in this new market. Right?

WRONG.

Experience in both current role and previous entrepreneurial experience has taught me some valuable and sometimes tricky lessons; this has compelled me to create a list of pointers to ensure your entry into new countries and markets goes well. This isn't a guarantee of success- needless to say your own research, value proposition and insight of target customers underpinned by canny forecasting and a stout business plan is mandatory- though it is worth bearing the following 'travel essentials' in mind too:.

1. DIFFERENT BUSINESS CULTURES

OK- this does resemble the cheesy rhetoric of a corporate careers homepage, a tech start-up or that of any other post- but there is so much truth in this and one needs to be sensitive to this. Do your research- particularly if flying out to a far-flung destination to pitch your product. You're up against not only competitors but those in the buyers' home country- so do not fall down on the formality hurdles. Your greeting in Tokyo will be different to that in Toronto. Know when to wear a tie- and be 100% sure before you ask them for a beer! In fact going the extra mile to learn the way of business will definitely score extra points in the all-important pitch.

2. PLAN AROUND THE TIMEZONES. AND PLAN SOME MORE.

It's late on a Monday afternoon- 5:30pm- in London. You've been in since 8:30am. The chances are you've started to mentally 'tap-out' for the day. A call comes in. It's from California. 30 minutes into their working day. You can almost smell the coffee that’s supercharging their energy down the line. It's clear that there's disparate levels of energy and hence productivity. Ensure you align your working day to this. If you are planning on working Singapore or Sydney- get in early and get an early night. San Francisco? Pull a later one. Preserve that energy and ensure you're there to deliver on promises and not affect client turnaround. Also if spending significant time up in the air, (unless you're going to upset your boss by expensing extortionate on-board Wi-Fi)- you must manage non-contact expectations.

3. ADAPT TO THE WAY THESE NEW COUNTRIES WORK

To add to the above- you'll find that some countries will be in early- others leave late. Some will work to live. Others vice-versa. Some countries seem so laid back it may frustrate you. Some take 30 days holiday- others about 8. You want to close that Q4 sale on the 31st- but the free bar in the client's hip office is well and truly open! The scanning and signature of your contract doesn't seem like such a priority compared to the flowing Prosecco. This of course varies by business- but over time you will see the geographical and industry connection and learn to work with it. Believe me.

4. KNOW YOUR LAWS

The most mundane but often critical point. Don't be caught short in terms of engagement and prospecting rules. Understand local direct marketing laws and the delivery of your particular product/solution and avoid getting tried in foreign courts.

5. GOOGLE TRANSLATE ISN'T ENOUGH

Generating leads via a site? Again in the homeland you have responsive design, copy and a strong call to action. However do not just feed that into a translation engine. Utilise your multi-lingual team or hire a translator- and do NOT skip this step. If you are trying to sell an IT/telecom enterprise-level solution and you've not checked properly- they may think you're trying to sell pets- or something a lot less savoury! This ties in with the business culture point too; what works in one country will not necessarily work on another.

6. DON’T UNDERESTIMATE LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

When you get to know your prospective customers in these new geographies through your perfected new business development skills- you will pick up a real understanding of what is happening in a particular sector or geography. Apart from the diverse use of languages, phrases and commercial clichés, you could find out anything; from where the new start-up scene is (Old Street in London, Palo Alto in California, Austin in Texas) to THE hottest networking/business events. The search engines just won't give you the same feedback as those who set up their company pre-recession and are thriving in his/her town.

7. BE OPEN AND LEARN FROM THE EXPERIENCE

You've started this journey into the relatively unknown- picking up on successes and learning from errors along the way. Exploring new geographies means getting to meet a diversity of personnel, travel, learn what the need is- and even open up new products/market that didn't seem so obvious back home. The world really is your oyster.

Be sure to work with a company who can help you achieve your international lead generation goals- albeit translation, telemarketing outsourcing, responsive design or any other customer acquisition consultancy. Get as much right first time as possible- you'll get one first impression so get that launch right; you could be out of that market just as quickly. So go for it- but get those 7 stamps on your passport first.

Bon Voyage!

About Author: Simon Akers manages international partnerships at MVF- a London-based global customer acquisition firm with 1500 clients in 55 markets.

Photo: Dollar Photo Club