What manufacturers need to know to create a successful global sales strategy

Entering a new market, much less an international market, is never a fast or easy feat. It requires an in-depth understanding of the buyer, buying habits, cultural nuances and more. Without it, efforts risk falling flat – or worse, creating an unintended risk to your company’s reputation.

Your manufacturing or distribution company experienced sales success at home and you are now looking to global sales growth to drive revenue and expansion opportunities.

But are you ready?

Selling internationally isn’t just about making sure your marketing and sales content – and teams – have translated materials. Or buying or generating sales leads.

Being successful requires not only an in-depth knowledge of the region – the people, the products, the buying patterns, competitors, negotiation styles and market forces – but also a frictionless sales and customer experience. It also requires a sustained commitment to building relationships and visibility with influential partners.

Top tips for going global.

Understand the regional sales style – and how to negotiate.

Of course, you need to adapt your product descriptions, website content, and marketing materials to the local language, culture, and preferences.

But you also need to consider that area’s cultural sales and negotiation styles. Some B2B buyers may purchase directly based on stated price. Others will prefer to see a quote and negotiate.

As a result, you need a platform and system that supports all approaches to quoting management – or risk losing a sale and potential long-term repeat buyer.

Aleran’s platform supports the ability to do this – and more. Manufacturers can quickly and easily launch multiple ecommerce experiences that are based understanding of these differences in sales and negotiation styles by region, country or even individual customer.

Choose the Right Sales Platform for B2B Sales

Look for a platform that offers multi-currency support, international shipping options, localized pricing and promotion, certifications and robust tax and duty calculation features. Additionally, ensure the platform integrates seamlessly with your sales order management system for efficient inventory management, order processing, and tracking.

Even if your B2B ecommerce platform looks incredible visually, if the frictionless ease of use and systems integrations falls short, so too will sales – both for acquisition and retention.

Streamline Sales Order Management:

Your global revenue growth can’t be dependent on email sales order management. There is too much at risk – orders getting lost, in-field sales reps unable to quickly submit and process orders, etc.

Make a plan for implementing the following:

• Centralized System: Use a centralized sales order management system that allows you to track orders, manage inventory, and streamline fulfillment processes across multiple sales channels.
• Order Automation: Automate order processing, including order routing, payment verification, and inventory updates, to minimize errors and speed up order fulfillment.
• Multichannel Integration: Integrate your sales order management system with various sales channels, such as marketplaces and social media platforms, for seamless order synchronization.

Aleran’s platform supports all these functions and more.

Implement Secure Payment Gateways:

Trust and security are paramount in international transactions. Offer secure payment gateways that support international payment methods, such as credit cards, digital wallets, and local payment options. Ensure that your B2B ecommerce platform and payment processing system complies with international security standards to build customer trust and prevent fraud.

Aleran’s platform offers secure, online payment options integrated with many of the popular digital payment processors and gateways.  Manufacturers & Distributors have the flexibility to choose the specific payment options they wish to offer which can vary from country to country.  Aleran only works with payment processors/gateways who are fully PCI DSS compliant and regularly perform rigorous fraud detection and prevention.