Facing international sales or marketing challenges or dilemmas? Our services are here to help!

'International Sales' is the business function, directly responsible for generating revenues and profits from foreign markets, as well as developing customer relationships, across borders and cultures.

This function is a complex array of management and execution of many processes and activities, people, and teams, as well as cooperating with external bodies such as customers, channel partners etc.

The international personal sales process includes many activities such as analysis, forecasting & planning, prospecting, negotiating, acquisition, deal structuring, closing, relationship building, channel & account management and more.

On top, the international sales team management includes overall sales analysis, objectives setting, strategizing & planning, personnel recruiting, developing, motivating, evaluation and rewarding, as well as synchronizing with marketing and other business functions, and much more.

The success of the function is critically reliant on the personal experience and capabilities of the international sales organization's members.

Proxy objective is to guide and support its customers to improve their international sales performance. Our services are targeted at CEOs, CROs, VP of Sales, Sales directors, and Regional Sales managers – all whom are challenges by the international business environment. These are delivered in either consulting, mentoring, or training formats.

We offer a wide range of services relating to the international sales function, including (examples are listed):

• Sales performance analysis. Processes & funnels analysis, design & optimization.
• Sales forecasting, objective setting, strategy formulation and sales planning (personal, account, channels).
• Sales force structure design, role definition, interviewing, selection, and on-boarding support. Quota & compensation plans. Sales team training program design.
• Sales cross-cultural skills development: cultural sensitivity & etiquette, communications, customer & DMU analysis, prospecting, negotiation, presentation, in-tradeshows, networking, trust & relationship building etc.
• Sales – marketing alignment and coordination improvement.

'International Marketing' is the business function, operating across borders and cultures and is responsible for (based on CIM's and AMA's definitions):

• Identifying, anticipating & satisfying customer requirements (by)
• Creating, communicating, delivering & exchanging offering that have value to customers, partners etc. (and)
• Managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization (profit) & its stakeholders.

The international marketing function is a complex and ever developing array of management and execution of many processes and activities, people, and teams, as well as cooperating with external bodies such as customers, channel partners, marketing suppliers & agencies etc.

International marketing includes many areas of expertise such as market analysis & insights, objective setting, strategy & planning, marketing mix (product/services, pricing, place/channels, promotion/marcom/IMC) design & development, as well as marketing operations, information systems, organization, budgeting etc.

We see the international marketing function as a critical leading element for international business success. Many small & medium companies underestimate its importance and lack the expertise and resources that are required for marketing in international markets.

Proxy objective is to guide and support its customers to improve their international marketing performance. Our services are targeted at CEOs, CMOs, VP of Marketing, Marketing Directors, Regional Marketing Managers and Marketing Communications Managers – all whom are challenges by the international business environment. These are delivered in either consulting, mentoring, or training formats.

We offer a wide range of services relating to the international marketing function, including (examples are listed):

• Marketing research, analysis & insights - secondary information & sources identification and collection, market potential estimation, segment identification, competition analysis, channel analysis & mapping, opportunities identification, international marketing audit.
• Marketing strategy formulation - setting & synchronizing objectives, country and target market selection, entry mode selection, positioning, differentiation and developing competitive & growth international strategies.
• Marketing planning – strategic, tactical (marketing mix) and operational (structure & budgeting) marketing planning, including Go-To-Market and Channel marketing plans. Formulation, review, and improvement of business plans' marketing chapters.
• Marketing mix - review, ideation and improvement of pricing, channel marketing and integrated marketing communications (marcom) plans, tools, and activities (i.e. collaterals, events, and tradeshows).
• International market/marketing orientation improvement.

Research & analysis are critical functions for success in international markets. The complexity, heterogeneity and turbulence of the international environment means that related sales & marketing decisions are very difficult to take.

Targeting foreign markets, without up-to-date and reliable market & industry information and insights, is a huge business risk to take. No international marketing or sales strategy, nor planning, can be formulated without being based on market information.

Our objective is to guide and support our customers to improve their international sales & marketing performance, by supplying quality market information, analysis, and insights.

Our services are targeted at business owners & entrepreneurs, CEOs, top executives, and managers who engage in international sales, marketing, and business development.

Our international research & analysis services include:

• Business problem analysis, international sales & marketing audits, internal analysis, sales & marketing funnels & processes analysis. International market research brief development.
• Identification of secondary sources, data, and information on the macro environment (PESTEL), industry (supply chains, channels, competitors) and markets (customers, organizations, decision makers, segments, countries, regions).
• Analysis & insights development of collected information from the perspective of the customer for the purposes of business, marketing, GtM, channels and sales strategy and planning. This includes segmentation analysis, competitor analysis, channel mapping, market potential estimation, opportunities, threats & barriers identification. SWOT and other analysis techniques are applied.
• We do not engage in primary market research. As needed, we collaborate with professional primary research agencies from the target market, or with qualified data suppliers.

Setting SMART objectives, strategy formulation and methodical planning in international sales & marketing are essential for success in international markets. Without clear objectives, focused strategy, and detailed plans it is easy to get distracted, lose sights of the target market, invest in the wrong directions, and waste valuable resources, most importantly unrecoverable time. These must be based on quality market information and insights.

We support our customers in setting objectives, formulating strategies, and preparing plans for their international sales & marketing functions. We deliver our related services in either consulting, outsourcing or project-management formats. These services are targeted at business owners & entrepreneurs, CEOs, and top executives, who engage in international sales & marketing.

Our international marketing & sales strategy & planning services include:

• Setting objectives for marketing, marketing mix elements, channels, and sales at different business hierarchical levels.
• Formulating marketing strategies – country selection (PLIMES™), targeting, entry mode, differentiation, and positioning. Growth & competitive marketing strategies. Marketing mix strategies; marketing strategy for business plans; go-to-market strategy for new ventures.
• Setting channels & sales strategies including growth, territories, channels, and account prioritization (KAM/GAM), selection & targeting.
• Preparation of general or specific (product / territory) marketing plans, tactical / marketing mix plans, pricing, discount structures & price plans, integrated marketing communications plans, marketing funnel planning, channels, partners & account marketing plans, operational marketing plans (activities, milestones, organization & HR, budget) and more.
• Preparation of sales plans (quotas, funnels, processes, sales-cycles, activities) at different levels – organization, team, territory (region / country / vertical), channel, account (KAM/GAM), and individual sales manager.
• Ideation and planning of marketing & sales tools & activities, such as collaterals, demos, tradeshows, partner events etc.

'Marketing Channels' are a business system that enables products to reach end customers. They are also named ‘Sales Channels’ or ‘Distribution Channels'. Marketing channels are composed of companies & individuals connected by various processes. They interact with, and depend on, each other to deliver products to customers at the right place, time, cost, and quality, thus achieving business objectives.

International marketing channels, operating across borders and cultures, are a complex and dynamic structural and behavioral system. They are critical for vendors’ selling success. Most international business is done via various types of international channels. Such channels may have numerous different structures and are composed of many different players such as importers, distributors, VADs, wholesalers, resellers, system integrators, retailers, VARs, agents, vendors, etc.

International channel management is a highly complex business domain, that includes many processes and tasks, shared by many across the organization, including executives and personnel from sales, marketing, support, service, logistics, administration and more. Achieving well managed channels in international context is a significant challenge, especially for small and medium companies.

Well managed international channels are the primary factor for exporters growth and sustainability, scalability, and profitability. It is also a key source for a sustainable competitive advantage. Good understanding and practices of channel management is the difference between frustration, even personal anxiety, and enjoying business and achieving significant business results.

Our objective is to guide and support its customers to improve their international marketing channels performance. Our services are targeted at CEOs, CMOs, VP of marketing & sales, marketing & sales directors, regional marketing & sales managers, marketing communications managers, support managers and more – all who are engaged by their company's international channels. Our services are delivered in either consulting, mentoring, project-based or training formats.

We offer a wide range of services relating to the international marketing channels domain including (examples are listed):

• Channels research and analysis - performance monitoring & evaluation, analysis, audits, and corrective plans. Channel analysis & intelligence (macro, market, industry, channel mapping, players, prospects' intelligence).
• Setting channels objectives, channel strategy, channel structure design & marketing mix adaptations. Channel pricing, discount structures and price lists. Setting channel marketing communications & tech support guidelines.
• Planning and accompanying of channel set-up. Consulting and mentoring on partners acquisition funnel, players profiling, identification, prospecting, presentation, channel value proposition design, qualification, negotiations, distribution agreements (non-legal aspects), and trade terms & conditions. Planning, consulting, and mentoring on initial channel motivation and commitment.
• Developing on-going channel leadership & management plans. Execution consulting & mentoring for sales and marketing personnel on relationships and trust building, negotiations, channel power & influencing techniques, conflict resolution, needs identification and adaptation, channel marketing (push & pull) and support (sales, marketing, technical, administrative).
• Channel management structural design. Role definition design, professional interviewing, selection, and on-boarding support. Quota & compensation plans design. Channel team training program design. Channel managers cross-cultural skills development.

Talented people are by far the most critical factor for companies' international business success. Numerous research studies have shown that export performance is highly correlated with human related factors such as market knowledge, international experience, managerial commitment & capabilities, networks & relationships, cultural awareness & adaptability etc.

Therefore, building and developing a professional and capable international sales & marketing organization is a must for any exporting company. This entails issues such as structure & job design, recruiting, selecting, on-boarding, training, motivating, compensating and more. Many executives, with limited international experience, find this to be very challenging due to unfamiliarity with the specifics of international sales & marketing professions. For example, it is very difficult to evaluate and select international sales managers.

We support our customers in their organizational design and HR processes related specifically to their international sales & marketing functions. We deliver our related services in either consulting or outsourced formats, depends on the specific task. These services are targeted at business owners & entrepreneurs, CEOs, CMOs, CROs, VPs and other executives from HR, International Sales & Marketing, who engage in staffing and developing the international sales & marketing organizations.

We offer a range of services relating to the international sales & marketing organization and HR including (examples are listed):

• Organizational structure design, job analysis, job definition & description.
• CV's review, professional interviews, selection support, on-boarding design.
• Motivation, compensation, and professional training design. Role conflict resolution.
• Market / marketing orientation development, internal interfaces improvements.
• Reporting & evaluation system design & adaptations.