The world is increasingly becoming a smaller place to live and experience – thanks to globalization and modern technology. Call it the Domino Effect or otherwise, businesses are no longer remaining to the confines of a single state. Markets and economies are expanding and so are the developing countries.

One of the best and the most lucrative of all jobs is the marketing job and in the international scenario – it has incentives unparalleled elsewhere. International marketing employment has truly become the buzzword of the modern days. So what does it take to be an international marketing job?

Job Profile

• Creativity: Creativity sells and how! Marketing jobs are getting trickier by the day and more so because of the ‘international’ word being attached to it. You’re now catering to more people than ever before and that too with varied tastes. Quite literally, if a dish is a delicacy in a country – it may be frowned upon in other countries! You need to jerk your grey cells and start thinking like you have never before.

• Time: Time is a precious entity in international marketing jobs but is as scarce. That is, there are no fixed job hours for an individual. It may be the most lucrative and high-paying job on the planet, but is as exhausting. This is precisely the reason why only a few manage to cling onto the top!

• Personality: Personality and appearance go hand in hand and especially when you’re catering to a global market, you always need to be in your best form. You cannot afford to be lax or complacent. The moment you fall in to the trap – someone else takes over. You need to give your best and that too every time.

• Think Global: Think from the perspective of the customer you’re going to serve. This will help you market your product well. Broaden your horizons – it is time to go global.

• Knowledge: International marketing jobs have a requisite that you need to upgrade your knowledge base every now and then. You cannot sell with your ‘cobwebbed’ knowledge. Upgrade yourself often and make sure you know better than the client you’re going to serve! Always be one up on the customer.

There are international marketing opportunities that can be availed by sitting at some even! They pay less but are an attractive option too. You just need to have an active internet connection and you’ll be in no time starting your international marketing job. You can do the following things online to market internationally:

• Write Blogs

• Create websites

• Help people troubleshoot their problems and market your product in between.

• Indirect marketing by putting up advertisements on other websites. There are many ways you can earn. One needs a correct perspective and a positive attitude to find the best.

Recognize that the use of Web 2.0 technologies alone is not an internet marketing promotion; rather, consider it as an element of an integrated approach. It must be built into an integrated marketing plan for Global business. While it comes to worldwide outreach and localization, the genuine return upon investment arrives from a well-integrated promotion that potentially includes online marketing and advertising as one element. A well designed web site instilled with the right keywords and phrases, along with onsite and offsite search engine optimization is a basis for a marketing campaign.

Multilingual internet communication today needs human interaction to make it work properly. Think about recruiting business associates that speak different languages and are from different cultures to participate in a global business team in order to attract foreign buyers that are local and overseas.

Since English will not always neatly translate into French or German for example it is essential to have somebody on your global business team that is competent in order to write posts plus respond to communication on Facebook, Linked In, Twitter as well as Google + in their particular foreign language. Each team member ought to create fresh, pertinent subject matter in relation to the business on a frequent basis plus watch additional websites, tweets plus posts in the market, as well as comment regularly as part of the total social media stratagem.

Also keep in mind that all the countries around the world are not Google centric. For example Baidu is a primary platform used extensively in China.

Making YouTube videos of every team member talking in their native foreign language can be incredibly effective because they will almost instantly develop online trust.

Creating online trust will build influence and improve a business’ reputation and is achieved through transparent human interaction that is honest and genuine thus building relationships that will last.

There are a few complexities in international marketing research. It is an easy process if you are using the power of the internet and know where to look. There are a lot of ways to get the information you need. Here are 3 areas to use for a solid marking search.

1) Google – The catch-all for anything you want to know is a search engine. Google is one of the big boys when it comes to internet searches. You can use this program to find a lot of different data, even maps to pictures. You will be able to locate information about international markets with a series of questions. Start here and you will find a lot of answers.

2) Articles – There is a lot of information brought forward in articles. The best thing about this form of research is that the authors have already done their own research and compiled the information for you. Just be sure to confirm the information in other ways.

3) Blogs – Blogs are another great way to find out information. No matter what you are researching, there is a good chance the subject is blogging or being blogged about. Take a little time to browse blogs and you will find out a lot.

The complexities in international marketing research can be simplified if you know where to look. You will need good, solid research data to be sure you have the whole story. These are just a few of the really great research tricks that are out there. Find a good marketing and mentoring program and learn the rest.

Marketing is what each and every product company follows to promote their business and today, in this competitive world proper tools should be used and selected in promoting any products. So as the competition for the products keeps on increasing, more and more companies are emerging. To make your product to withstand in such competitive market, trade shows are essential and it is one of the promotional tools that can be used as a tool for international marketing. Not only in the international market, even in the local market it can be used in a better way. It is like an exhibition in which you can exhibit your product and demonstrate your latest products and services to the public. So let us see how these promotional tools are useful in marketing your products.

Any company without proper trade show displays can be compared to a soldier marching towards the enemy without any weapons. Yes, the business industry is like a war and if you want to succeed in this war, you need proper weapons. In trade fairs, the trade show exhibits are the appropriate weapons to handle the enemies. There are different types of exhibits available and each type has their own distinctive features and benefits. In these booths, you should have the appropriate trade show displays and accessories so that you can present your products in a better way. It allows you to highlight your products and make your presence a more attractive one in those crowded place.

There are more advantages available to the users who use proper trade show displays since the company can get more new customers and can communicate with them in a unique fashion way with increased recognition. You can ask me, how this can be used an international marketing tool. As said above, nowadays there have been more trade fairs conducted and media people will be definitely available at these places so this enhances your expo to be seen by the people around the world. Even business people over there who need the kind of your product can watch this and can contact you. Celebrities and other VIP’s can contact you to know more about your product and this again increase the fame of your product and organization.

The other reason for exhibiting your products in the trade fair is that you can get the customer feedback in direct and if they found any suggestions, you can improve it. Also, you can read the minds of people about various products and this let you to start a new product or business. You can get contact from other business people who have been participating in those shows and this develops a good social culture. Remember one thing; this all can happen successfully only if you exhibit your product with proper trade show displays such as banner stands and more.

Insofar it is the ‘world market’ pure and simple (due to market sizes, buying volume, number of inhabitants, etc.). And it becomes for very many entrepreneurs more and more essential (= their survival) to get into/stay in foreign markets – but, of course, very thoughtful.

Concentrating on the home markets only will ´restrict – especially SMEs – to their ‘limited’ market places back home. Even if these are huge markets like e. G: USA.

Nowadays the sharp price competition needs companies/owners who strive to be ahead of their respective markets segments – not necessarily with regard to pricing but surely with regard to competitive advantages/customer ´benefits. (The marketing guru Prof. Kotler even argues a bit tougher: ,,We should get out of markets where we can’t be the first …”.)

If we do not concentrate on the clients’ needs and sell ‘our fingerprint’ (plus whatever such clients ask for !) which is always different even from the toughest competition, as well companies from Europe as from other parts of the world (especially SMEs – who still stand for the majority of a countries’ GDP) would only have a shadowy existence, which – due to their number of inventions and technical solutions – would not be justified.

On the contrary they should open themselves for new foreign markets and/or find foreign collaborators in order to broaden their market existence/shares.

Hereafter I touch therefore only four aspects – which in no case, however, cover the whole field of marketing of a specific company – which can give the entrepreneurs some idea though how to ‘better place the enterprise’ in the markets and by this initiate a better present and long-lasting ‘starting position’.

We are on a ‘buyers’ market’, where it is important to have a detailed view and perspective for the own enterprise and the products produced – especially as the recession seems to be over soon and the economical development is seen ‘quite bright’ by the various institutions.
So, what can be done by an individual company – now ?

o I. Analysis

In my eyes that is the necessary starting position in general.

It has to be found out how the enterprise – with its present products – is accepted in the market place, where it is less successful than the competition, where the positive points are to be found (price, delivery – logistics timing -, quality, service, etc.) or simply:
“How the company for the time being is represented to its clientele and how it is valued”

Parameters for this situation are the own selling results, the profit-situation for all products, the total production/import/export statistics of such products in the area looked at, the buying structure, the advertisements/sales promotion done, etc.

Such an analysis should – normally – be executed by somebody not belonging to the company as then procedures followed so far are questioned, which may be existing without real reasons and/or new selling ideas can be elaborated/ added which are available due to the experience from other industrial fields – and being a consultant even from other companies where similar proposals reached good results.

o II. Targeting

The analysis has to be followed by a segmentation of the markets which are supplied by the company.

This segmentation has to lead to the question whether the company already supplies its clients on the best possible ways in order to really reach all segments in a way as accepted by the respective clientele and in the best possible manner, avoiding any unnecessary frictions.

o Possible catchwords are

o – core abilities -

Due to the multitude of different suppliers who all deal with various technological solutions but with just one problem (e. g. the IT-market, the automotive industrys, etc.) it is extremely important that a company finds/defines its ‘core abilities’ (the ‘fingerprint’ as said above) which are available – in this combination – only with them and that it concentrates on it and ‘markets’/cares for them. Only in this case a kind of ‘sole selling position’ can be developed which in-turn leads to a sharper profile in the ‘market places’.

Now, many people may say that this is not relevant/true for them, but my experience says that it is – in many cases – just a matter of creative justification and formulation to reach such a target of ‘sole position’.

o – research -

of the total quantity of prospective clients per segment/market locally and/or foreign, in order to define implement the strategic/ operational targets and control mechanisms in order to verify the results compared to the targets

o – sales routes multiplication -

i. e. that we have to find out if and when it may be advisable to sell our products (perhaps slightly changed in form/colour/packing and/or execution) to the different market segments following different sales routes

o III. Definition/implementation

- of procedures for the various market segments with a view to the various foreign markets/representatives/distributors, etc.

The results of these examinations has to be part of the overall ‘company planning procedure’ like the financial aspects, the sales organisation (> marketing plan) and all relevant costing procedures.

Especially the last aspect is one of the most important, as the costing procedure (starting with the optimal purchasing (even world-wide depending on the use of raw-/ready materials), the logistics needed, the suitable way of production (not to mention ‘lean-procedures>, the quality aspects, stock-keeping with the distributors, customer service, advertisement/sales promotion, etc.) will still be the finally deciding point for the pricing and this – provided all the rest is the same for different suppliers – will be decisive for the buying decision of our clients.

o Advertising/public relation

has to include nowadays an INTERNET-presence. That means, however, not only to have a site in the NET but also to publish it with relevant associations, client groups, etc., i. e. to ‘market’ it as a conventional means also but, if we want to be really successful it has – first and foremost – to be made-up in a way to lead the ‘searcher’ directly to HIS solution/the solution to HIS problem, i. e. following also strictly marketing procedures as necessary for the respective product/market segment.

o IV. Control and correction

This step belongs to the ones mentioned before like the baby to its mother as only if it is controlled if/how the targets have been reached a correction will be possible and only then we will ‘answer the markets’ to our best.

This refers to the sales routes as well as to the ‘market presentation’ via representatives, advertisements, fairs/exhibitions, pricing, customer service, etc.

And it is as well understandable as logic that these parameters differ from market segment to market segment, from country to country, and I can say form my practical experience that in most cases the results from a deviation of the targets in one market/market segment not only have a real influence on the internal decisions (referring to production, organisation, finance, etc. ) but also gives perfect hints in order to correct and define new marketing ways for the rest of the segments/ markets, which again leads to an increase of sales and a more positive view of the future.

As stated in the very beginning it is not the aim of this article to present final solutions for everybody.

This is absolutely impossible as one company differs from the other nearly totally (even when producing the same final product) and only the detailed individual study gives answers to this – which then again leads to a more positive development of the enterprise.

However, the steps mentioned before – perhaps partly adjusted by further steps, like out- sourcing of different internal procedures, targeted customer service like key-accounting, special service offers to a few good customers/ products, etc. – can be used in general by all companies and as such lead to an increase of turnover and/or profit.