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The www Doesn't Stop at Cape Cod
Shortly after Amazon.com put up its website, an order was received from someone in Lancashire, England. The Amazon dispatcher packed the book and mailed it to the purchaser. Other orders followed from Europe. US troops based in Germany were early converts to the new ways of e-commerce. In short order the flow of trade between Amazon and the rest of the world was taking off. Not until Amazon’s customers received notification from the British Customs and Excise regarding customs duty charges did Amazon’s management really wake up to the fact that they were now doing “global” business!
Amari Kumar is a property lawyer with a flourishing business in Bombay, India. He has a strong liking for computers and part of his day is spent surfing the Internet for sites which will aid in developing business. His discovery of Title insurance was a revelation. He clicked on the response links and asked the Title companies for authority to represent them. The majority didn’t reply, one told him that they had no plans to do business anywhere other than the US, one asked him how he had got their name and email address, one responded with interest in understanding something of the property law in India.
The burning question is: If You have a website, are you ready to do business anywhere around the planet? If so, what’s your plan?
As cyber clutter gets more cluttered and competition for website visiting time gets more intense, the need is to develop ways of interacting with our customers and building a prospect base. That’s what e-trade is all about. Sam Godin calls it Permission Marketing. Through e-newsletters, free subscriptions to access information, support advice of all descriptions and just plain companionship of all versions, you will attract a following. With even a moderately active site of 50 to 75 contacts a day, and you should expect anything from 2% to 10% from overseas.
So what are you going to do about them? Try working with them, and expanding your business into the fascinating realm of the international marketplace. Here is one of the greatest opportunity for growth, but also a great chance of failure if it isn’t handled with proper knowledge and care. The risk, however, is worth the journey because the returns can be extraordinary.
One of the main reasons for failure is frustration. Business people get frustrated because the methods of operation in other countries and cultures are unlike our own, so we loose patience and quit. Two big differences existing between the American culture and the rest of the world is what I call the way we value time and the rugged individualism which is a major part of the American education and child raising culture.
The Time Equation
Schedules, promptness, and on-time delivery is all part of the American expectation. Everything is finite. Invading other peoples time without permission is tantamount to theft. Our expectations are all based on time. You only have to experience the pace of a major US Airport to realize that the whole operation is a time machine, everything in its layout and its operation is devoted to timely air travel. Some airports in other parts of the world are clearly not time machines but reunion enclaves. This is not to say that the planes don’t run on time, but that is not the priority of the airport. Its purpose is to be a welcoming zone for arriving passengers.
The expectations of American customers for prompt attention is not enjoyed in many parts of the world. While Americans may provide it, we won’t necessarily receive it. This is not discourtesy, it is just a question of priority. Business must not interfere with family, friends or a long lunch!
We have therefore to put our time values into a different set of priorities. When you live in a deeply historic environment you tend to catch its slower ways. Learning and understanding this need for patience is a crucial recipe for success in your international dealings.
The Hierarchy Tree
From an early age we are taught to be individualistic and stand up for ourselves. No where in the world is there such a massive desire for self-esteem and self development. Immigrants to America know that here “you are on your own”. You succeed or fail by your own efforts. It’s different overseas. Business is much more hierarchical and you rarely find anybody who will give you an immediate decision. Committees abound and managers and staff meet in order to discuss and agree on a plan of action. In Japan we have seen how they work effectively as teams. This system tends to lead to bureaucracy and lengthy decision time. Providing we understand it and accept it, we will survive the journey. Getting into a Global mindset is vital if we are to succeed in the new age of planet-wide business.
The key is in the attitude. The trick with global business success is to “go with the flow” and operate with the usual standards of courtesy, promptness and quality that has made your business a success here. Add to that a liberal helping of understanding, compassion and most of all interest. Your overseas prospect will be delighted to help you understand his ways. Don’t forget that he loves having an opportunity to do business with America and for the most part (despite what the media will tell you) has a great respect for the American Way.
No business is too small to use today’s available technology to spread goods and services to the far perimeters of the planet. The world is waiting for you, go beyond Cape Cod. Take the phenomenal opportunity of our age to just do it!
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