In the world of international trade, the complexity is often underestimated. Language barriers, geographical distances, and cultural differences have long separated foreign trade from a company’s overall marketing strategy, turning it into a specialized field that requires unique skills. The focus has traditionally been on finding large clients, which leads many to believe that fluency in one or two foreign languages, along with a deep understanding of international operations and regional markets, is the key to success. However, such expertise is rare, and many professionals rely heavily on standard trade manuals and English textbooks, hoping that mastering these will unlock the foreign market.
Yet, real-world experience is essential—both in language proficiency and operational knowledge. Many young professionals lack the hands-on opportunities needed to develop these skills, creating a gap between theory and practice. This imbalance makes it difficult for companies to expand their foreign sales effectively.
Factory owners often look to the sales department as the main gateway to the outside world, but in reality, it’s just a few phones and computers. Maintaining existing customers is already challenging, let alone acquiring new ones. Old clients can be demanding, constantly negotiating prices, while new salespeople struggle to build trust and confidence.
A year ago, I used to think that if we could find just one or two big foreign clients, hitting $10 million in sales would be easy. But this mindset ignores the reality: customers want real orders, not just promises. They seek reliable suppliers who can offer competitive pricing, minimal risk, and consistent quality.
Would you choose a factory you’re familiar with, even if it doesn’t produce the product? Or one that hasn’t produced it yet? Would you go for a factory with current cost competitiveness, or one that might become competitive in the future?
This contradiction is common in small and medium-sized factories. Without strong capabilities, it's hard to attract high-quality clients, and without those clients, growth becomes nearly impossible.
Many in the foreign trade sector focus on improving their English or perfecting business letters, hoping to sound more professional and persuasive. They dream of handling complex transactions like long-term letters of credit, confirmations, and processing deals. But true success lies in strategic thinking, not just language skills.
On smaller platforms—where annual sales are under $12 million—it’s time to integrate marketing concepts into international trade operations. By dividing tasks efficiently and leveraging team strengths, we can outperform top salespeople working alone. We don’t need to talk about large-scale brands or bulk material trading. Even experienced professionals from major companies may not have the same impact.
I’ve also been thinking about how marketing should influence product development. Many products are launched simply because other factories can produce them. But what if we focused more on specific target markets when developing new products or updating old ones? This could help avoid blind competition and price wars.
Extending marketing to the end-user is equally important. After delivery, the work isn’t over. We must understand where the product is going, whether it will be further processed, if there are complementary products or strong alternatives, and how much profit the customer is making. How long does it take for the customer to receive all goods? These factors are often overlooked, but they can lead to serious issues, like inventory backlogs in overseas warehouses.
The entire marketing process needs to be institutionalized, systematized, and digitized. From product development and market entry to order processing and after-sales service, everything should follow a structured approach. Data collection and analysis are key to identifying valuable insights.
For example, in daily business operations, we track how many emails and faxes each person sends, categorizing them as internal or external, and further breaking down foreign information by region and type. Everyone is encouraged to gather useful data regularly and discuss it in meetings. We discourage wasting time on irrelevant content, like social media or unproductive websites.
While institutionalization and digitization require investment, they are necessary to make daily activities meaningful. Without this structure, we can't improve based on facts, nor can we turn small innovations into sustainable competitive advantages.
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