How SMB Exporters Can Build and Strengthen Relationships With Overseas Partners
By A.M. Sall

It is easy for exporting SMBs to establish, build and maintain flourishing relationships with their overseas partners, be they customers, representatives, or distributors.

It is all a matter of communicating on an ongoing basis. The Translation Service Provider is the cornerstone of your communication strategy which will go a long way towards earning you long-term goodwill from your overseas partners.

As you are well aware, a foreign contact should be treated and served exactly in the same way as a domestic contact. For example, customers and contacts should be kept notified of all changes, including price, personnel, address, and phone numbers.

An SMB that cannot afford - or does not have the time for - frequent travel to its target market country, may use fax, e-mail, (and telephone) to keep the working relationship active and up to date.

Adapting to local practices and cultural preferences is one of the prerequisites of doing business in a foreign country. And a Translation Service Provider does not just translate, they also "localize", and this sometimes includes slightly changing the format and style of your correspondence, because "Some overseas firms feel that the usual brief U.S. business letter is lacking in courtesy." ("Basic Guide to Exporting")

For some, if not most of your overseas customer, representative, or distributor, English is only a second language. And research has established that even if they know some English, they will always prefer to receive correspondence in their own language.

You must introduce your firm sufficiently and establish it as a reliable supplier: you do this by providing a short, but adequate introduction to the firm, including bank references and other sources that confirm reliability.

Also remember to clearly state your policy on exports, including cost, terms, and delivery, maybe even a pro forma invoice and general information on the firm's goods or services and, as the need arises, user’s guides, packaging, operating and safety instructions, warranty terms, e-business information, etc.

All these documents should be in your overseas partner's language, even in countries where this is not a legal requirement, if you really want to build a viable long-term relationship based on mutual trust, respect and understanding.

You may even go as far as letting your partners know that you don't mind them sending you their communications in their own language! Make them feel that you won't be deterred from communicating and building your relationship by any so-called "language barrier".

This will create extraordinary trust and goodwill on their part, and the huge, long-term benefits you will derive from this bold initiative will far outweigh and even eclipse any investment you may have made in translation/localization services.

Relationship is everything in business (and in life in general). And good communication builds and strengthens relationships.

A "must visit" for any SMB going global: 30+ year veteran translator, global communication coach/consultant A.M.Sall's small-sized, SMB-type Translation Agency, with languages covering 98% of the global marketplace at http://www.translationtrophy.com/

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