Going Global in a Regionalized World
June 21, 2011
When I turn on the news here in the US, it’s economic “doom and gloom.” The economic recovery that most economists believe began in 2009 still hasn’t taken hold in some industries. But other regions of the world, such as China, are experiencing growth at a rapid pace of 9%, while the US and Europe are plodding along at 3%.
What can distributors do to take advantage of these faster growing environments? You’re under pressure to expand and invest in the emerging economies. But how do you know which markets are going to be hot, and how can you capitalize on that?
If you’re looking for a starting point, invest in your sales team; arm them with newer, better technology to deliver the same experience in face-to-face meetings as their customers are familiar with in online transactions. By providing access to historical buying patterns, margins, and the hot products, you make them smarter and give them more ammo to up-sell.
When you go global, it also makes sense to leverage your existing country-level resources and partners. You need to understand the dynamics of operating in different regions (operational requirements, customs, holidays, work schedules, etc.) to enter into new markets successfully. What better way than to partner with someone who already has a foothold?
Want to learn more? View the full post on this topic, as well as other posts just like this on The Informed Distributor blog, where product experts move the information that matters to you through the Infor distribution community via two-way conversations and interactions.
Posted by Andy Berry, Vice President and General Manager, Global Distribution Business Unit, Infor
