This is a guest post from Mark Rodgers, CEO at Cipherion. Like many of us in Enterprise Ireland, Mark is totally passionate about regaining Ireland’s once enviable position as a nation of multilingual businesspeople:
At a reception in the Japanese Embassy in Dublin last week, there was an interesting discussion about one topic that’s hot with Japanese CEOs, i.e. the need for Japanese exporters to adopt a “China plus One” export strategy.
The current concern among Japanese CEOs is that should something happen to the Chinese economy then Japanese exporters could be left with little alternatives within Asia. Currently exports from Japan to China are doing well. However, a more balanced approach to exporting can mitigate against market risk. Japanese organisations are now focused on targeting multiple Asian markets: i.e. adopting a “China plus One” strategy meaning, for instance, “China plus Vietnam” or “China plus Malaysia”.
At Cipherion we believe that this concept could be used to Ireland’s benefit, albeit slightly modified, to encourage Irish CEOs and exporters to be more adventurous and more ambitious in their business development efforts.
By adopting an “English plus One” export strategy, Irish organisations would focus on, for example, exporting in “English plus French” or “English plus German”. So as well as targeting our traditional English-speaking UK or US markets, Irish exporters should be encouraged to take the leap and target another non-English speaking market – for example, the large French, German, Spanish or Italian markets where there are over 250 million consumers.
What’s the real challenge for Irish exporters? (more…)
Content, localisation, Marketing
A smart investment in localisation could be the killer move for Irish companies targeting European online customers whose spending will remain buoyant in 2012 according to Cipherion and the Irish Internet Association:
Multilingual website translation and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) are forecast to be in strong demand by Irish organisations operating overseas, according to research released November 24th, 2011 by leading global communications provider, Cipherion Translations, based in Dublin. The research, conducted amongst Cipherion’s client base in tourism, hospitality, life sciences, exporting, technology and multinational sectors, reveals that 58 per cent of companies will require website translation services in the next year and 35 per cent will be rolling out international Search Engine Marketing and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) campaigns.
The research also indicates that French, German, Spanish and Italian will remain the focus for exporters and multinationals, with over 70% of respondents indicating a future requirement for these languages.
According to the UK’s Centre for Retail Research over 85% of European online retailing spend of €202.9 billion will be made by non-English speaking consumers in 2011. Commenting on these figures, Mark Rodgers founder and CEO of Cipherion said: (more…)
Internationalisation, localisation, Search Engine Marketing
We all need to improve our game and keep ahead of the posse, and learning more about how to grow international sales is crucial to our growth. As part of the Excel at Export Selling 2010 Workshop Series, the topic of Improving Sales Pipeline Management will be addressed at practical one-day learning workshops, for up to 10 EI Clients, on Tuesday November 2nd and Tuesday November 2nd and Tuesday November 9th. The venue is Enterprise Ireland, Eastpoint Business Park, Dublin 3.
The primary aim of the workshops is to ensure your company consistently and systematically applies a sales process and pipeline methodology, the specific objective being the achievement of sales targets on a predictable basis, and improving sales forecasting for the benefit of your company, your salespeople and your investors. It is recommended that 2-3 people per company should attend so that follow-on implementation is a shared objective.
The workshops will be presented by internationally regarded DEI Sales trainer, Michael McGowan, whose no-nonsense, straight-talking approach and outline is a primary reason for their success. If you have clients who need persuading that they should participate in, for example, International Selling 2011, then it would be no harm making them aware that several companies who took part in a 2009 one day workshop on Sales Pipeline went on to undertake the International Selling Programme in 2010. Also, for companies at an earlier stage of export growth, these workshops rigidly apply good practices from the very start. The workshops are followed within four weeks by a two-hour individual review session for each participating company. There will also be a series of follow-up telephone calls over a nine month period.
The extremely positive feedback from various companies includes:
Michael Murphy, Business Development Manager, Trustwater:
“I would recommend it to any Sales Manager / Senior Management staff, either within a new start-up or existing organisation to re-energise not only the sales process but also the whole sales team.”
Finbarr O’Regan, CEO, Xerenet:
“I’m only sorry I didn’t attend the course three years ago. It should be mandatory for all EI clients.”
For further details and registration, click here
Pipeline, Potential Exporters, Sales
If you or your company are looking at upgrading the already proven tools of best international selling practice, upskilling for export growth, or wish to gain access to honing your selling skills, then you will be pleased to discover that Enterprise Ireland has developed a series of one-topic workshops that facilitate these areas precisely. The workshops are readily accessible and user-friendly, and draw on the combined experience and skill-set of our team (past and present) of international market advisers.
The workshops are structured to equip Irish companies with the necessary skills to master the basics of export selling and to make a beneficial impact on international markets. They, therefore, focus on the three primary building blocks of of successful international selling: the development of a persuasive Customer Value Proposition, the integration of a systematic and replicated Sales Process, and the execution of a rigidly defined Route-to-Market strategy.
Each workshop is one day in duration, and will take place at EI’s offices at Dublin’s Eastpoint Business Park. For optimum impact, an individual company will be offered a follow-up session (usually less than one month after the workshop) with expert facilitators. Participation in both the workshop and the follow-up session is crucial to the successful implementation of the series.
The workshops being offered are as follows:
Enterprise Ireland is funding the workshop (for EI Client Companies at 70% for an SME or 50% for a large company. The typical cost to a client company is €300 and this covers the 1 day workshop plus associated individual company follow-up sessions - the charge covers up to 3 senior participants per company to attend.
For further details about the series of workshops contact Rena Cushion, EI Event Manager.
Everyone one knows that partnerships in the technology business are crucial in widening the international market access of a company, but in order to maximize this managers and their staff need to be aware of partnering strategies, how to identify partners, and how to engage with the dynamics of successful partner relationships that can be utilized in the generation of business revenue.
Enterprise Ireland and Maidsfield Associates are conducting a one-day workshop on Sales Partnering, which will provide participants with the essential practical steps and tools for their business to identify, secure and create effective sales generating partnerships.
The workshop – delivered by Maidsfield Associates CEO, Donagh Kiernan – is suitable for CEOs and Senior Managers of internationally focussed hardware or software technology product, software-as-a-service and specialist service businesses. Participants will be supplied with a variety of methodologies in order to devise suitable partner strategies, accomplish partner recruitment programmes, and integrate successful partnerships for their organisations.
The aim of the workshop is to provide attendees with a clear awareness of precisely how to develop a partnering strategy, and to make this strategy applicable to any business. It takes place on October 1st at the Enterprise Ireland office, Cork. Each participating company will be charged €300, which covers up to three participants per company for the workshop and for an individual two hour ‘next steps’ session, which takes place within 2-3 weeks of the workshop.
For further details, contact Angela Byrne, EI Client Management and Development.
Update: October 1st Session is now full. Watch here for updates on additional courses.
Skills that will enable you to get international sales channels right first time
To register your interest online for this programme or forthcoming Partner Skills programmes planned for 2010, visit the Excel at Export Selling website (link).
Stage One: Partner Skills Development Workshop – 26th May 2010
A one day highly interactive “Partner Skills Development Workshop” ideally focused on companies that have a strategic goal to drive international indirect sales through and with partner organisations. This may include companies that are at the beginning of the cycle in developing overseas sales channels, as well as organisations which have had experience working with in-market partners but recognise the need to revisit and improve partnering skills.
The workshop will include a variety of modules, practical exercises and opportunities for interaction and group discussion, in addition to providing high-level skills transfer and consultancy to participating companies.
(more…)
Excel at Export Selling, Potential Exporters
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