In May 2011, the Conference Board of Canada published an interesting report on best practices for SMEs interested in building international sales in a digitized economy. One of the authors’ first observations is that although most Canadian SMEs use the Internet, only some use it to sell in foreign markets despite the fact that Internet increases access to international customers and can improve the quality, speed and cost-effectiveness of communications and transactions. Canadian business owners seem reluctant to sell in digital markets and many don’t know how to reach foreign customers online or how to adapt their business model to take advantage of digital markets. (more…)
Posts Tagged ‘sales’
September 1st, 2011
Leveraging the Internet to build international sales
January 10th, 2011
China Inc.
La Presse Affaires marchés mondiaux announced on December 6 that the global industry recovery is underway. While this is welcome news, an important downside risk is the issue concerning China’s place on the international markets.
It seems that China has its sights on value added industries that Western nations are relying on to set themselves apart, i.e. alternative energies, biotechnologies, information technologies and greener cars.
How should Quebec exporters react? Our World Café held in September asked this very question to ten Laval exporters. Here are some of their suggestions:
- Look for new non-BRIC markets;
- Target specific niches that remain untapped by multinationals;
- Find a local partner that knows the culture and has access to a good network;
- Consider outsourcing certain activities;
- Remain competitive through strict logistics planning and cost control;
- Invest to increase sales capacity;
- Improve customer service and maintain geographic proximity;
- Offer creative programs to attract and keep customers;
- Focus on taking a partnership approach with customers in order to win their loyalty.
I think the key to success is partnership and complementarity. It’s important to focus on what sets you apart and strive to be the best in this area.
It may be easier said than done, but there’s really no other way. Companies that want to survive and prosper have to constantly reinvent themselves.
Véronique Proulx
March 8th, 2010
Only a few weeks following the launch of our new Training and Coaching Sales Program, we are proud to announce promising results with two companies from Laval.
Thanks to this personalised program, Mr. André Brissette from Pyxis Technologies reviewed his market segmentation strategy for its new product Talia. This training has allowed Mr. Brissette to realize how he could concretely increase its sales. For Mr. Nicolas Bourgeois from Citagenix, the training was useful to start a new original incentive program for its sales representatives. Citagenix’s new program aroused enormous interest from the sellers and the supplier.
“Consultants selected by the International Business Centre have a concrete and solid experience on the field. For that reason, I strongly recommend this Training and Coaching Sales Program.” declares Mr. Brissette. He also adds that the three day practical format is very interesting. As for Mr. Bourgeois, he has found it very useful to brainstorm on his own business practices: « Working with consultants coming from different business cultures allows us to come up with new ideas. »
Are you looking to maximise your sales? If so, please contact me. There is only one place left!
Caroline Bouchard
February 11th, 2010
Three common mistakes to avoid in order to win U.S. government contracts
I recently read a very interesting article containing advice from Judy Bradt, a former trade commissioner and now CEO of Summit Insight, a company that has guided more than 5,000 clients to over $200 million in U.S. government contracts.
Too often, entrepreneurs spend thousands of dollars trying to win U.S. government contracts with no results. According to Bradt, the failure is the result of three common mistakes:
- Entrepreneurs set unrealistic expectations;
- Businesses pursue opportunities on a shoestring budget;
- Businesses do not resist the temptation to use shotgun tactics.
Bradt offers a fix for each one of these mistakes. Read the article and then ask yourself if you fall into the same traps. If the answer is yes, you might want to take Bradt’s advice to heart.
Caroline Bouchard
