From the planning stage to the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis to the marketing strategy (segmentation, targeting, positioning, etc.), it's tempting to say that succeeding at home guarantees success abroad. But although the basic concepts of marketing are in fact the same, many a brave soul who has ventured unprepared into unknown territory has failed. Internationalization can be a dangerous, if not fatal move.

To help keep your company's name off the list of brave but forgotten exporters, here are five questions to ask yourself. The fact is that the work begins long before you ever board the plane.

• Why? The motivations may seem apparent, but when the CEO asks you why you want to expand abroad, you'd better have a solid argument. Before looking ahead, think about the company's vision, mission and objectives. How do foreign markets fit into your business plan?
  
  
• Where? What is the best product-market-customer combination? On what data have you based your conclusion that the target country is promising? Are you planning to study the market size, its growth potential, entry barriers – including cultural ones -, known (and unknown) obstacles, and local and foreign competition? The risks should be weighed and assumed. If you do not have all the required information and are not well prepared, you risk being caught off guard when problems surface.
  
  
• Customers? What do you know about the business needs and practices of your corporate customers (B2B)? Do you know the lifestyle and consumption habits of those who will “buy” your value proposition abroad? Will your products be well received as is or will they have to be adapted? You may find that your definition of a successful product no longer fits when a Latin client prefers an informal meeting in a café to browsing your product catalogue… even if it is in his own language. Are you ready to change your way of seeing and doing things?
  
  
• Alone or with others? Will your new recruit really open the door to his local market? Should you team up with partners in Quebec and abroad? How will you find them and ascertain their competencies? As for your business network on the target market… how will you concretely optimize the potential? Are you prepared to accept that in order to grow your business, you'll have to spend countless evenings mingling socially?
  
  
• Where do you start? What are your marketing strategies (direct or indirect) and what is your action plan (agent training, promotion, after-sale service, etc.)? Will you be able to free up the resources (time and money) required to jet off to the other end of the world every time there's a problem? Will your employees adjust to the irregular order flow, to the different payment terms and to the logistical shipping constraints? Will your marketing staff agree to take English classes or work late into the night in order to speak to customers in different time zones? If things don't go as planned, do you have a Plan B?

Be optimistic: You will make it, slowly but surely. Yes, it will take time and be fraught with challenges, but you know that your survival depends on reaching beyond our borders. Just remember, a smart marketing plan is worth its weight in gold… Good luck!

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