Waldemar Pfoertsch - Going Abroad 2014

4 Trade fairs and exhibitions

There are millions of salespeople throughout the world. The sale of goods and services contributes not only to the survival of business, but also to the health and survival of the economy as a whole. The stimulation of demand by promotional activities – indeed selling – is an important and proven method of reducing unemployment and improving a nation’s standard of living. Firms are heavily dependent on salespeople to keep orders coming in. Furthermore, the sales force is of primary importance to the success of most organizations and to our economy in general.

The term “personal selling” describes the process of developing customer relationships, discovering customer needs, fitting the appropriate products with these needs and communicating benefits through informing, reminding, and / or persuading. Consequently, it is an important form of customer service. Success in selling depends much on the salesperson’s ability to develop, manage and maintain personal relations with the customer. People seldom buy products or services from someone they dislike or distrust. Most customers are more apt to openly discuss their needs and wants with a salesperson with whom they feel comfortable.

The world is rapidly becoming a one-world economy and market place. Companies that never ventured abroad until recently are now seeking foreign markets. International marketing is the performance of business activities that manage the flow of a company’s good and services to customers or users in more than one nation for a profit. The difference between domestic and international marketing is the uniqueness of foreign marketing. There are unfamiliar problems to solve, a variety of strategies to choose from, different cultural influences and their potential impact in successful international marketing to discover. The difficulty facing the sales personnel in adjusting to the culture lies in recognizing their impact and power. Generally, people are unaware of the various cultural influences that fill their environment and that are simply a part of our history. International personal selling, therefore, signifies the ability of a tough salesperson to deal with these problems in a foreign country.

There are different types of international salespeople:

The expatriate - When products are highly technical and the demand is for good knowledge of the company and products, an expatriate sales force is the best choice. The chief disadvantage of expatriates is the huge cost of relocation. If the location is not attractive, finding personnel willing to go abroad will be a challenge, no matter how good the financial package.

Foreign nationals - They do not have any issues with cultural and legal barriers and their salaries and expenses are considerably less than for expatriates. The disadvantage is not only that they are “outsiders”, they may also be more loyal to their own interest.

Internationals - They come from a pool of people whose experience is international and bring with them an open mind and ability to be flexible. Skills and motivations must match the needs of the company, and they are still confronted by cultural barriers.

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