How to start building an international brand?

Kathryn Read is an international sales and marketing consultant with over 25 years experience developing niche products in emerging markets. She helps companies breakthrough international barriers in Europe and Asia, creating successful entrepreneurs and a thriving global marketplace. With her consulting and mentoring, Kathryn firmly believes that business is done between people and therefore places her focus on building strong relationships that form a solid foundation.

 

When you look at your foreign markets as an entrepreneur, you need to ask yourself, are these the same consumers that I would have at home? Do they value the same things as my existing consumer base? How do I need to communicate the right message? 

 

It’s really important not to assume that things in your home market would work abroad. You need to do your market research.

 

Action Tips

 

1. Don't assume that the things that work in your home market are going to work in the market that you are looking to go into abroad.
2. Do plenty of research, prepare a strategy and be very clear about your USP - what makes your brand special?
3. Localize your content (not just translate!), so that it comes off genuinely to the local audience.

 

Connect with Kathryn Read

-Website: https://kathrynread.com

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathrynread/  

- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq9mPtlxp-P301Ef-5ZHWaQ  

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/international_expansion_kr/

- Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/InternationalExpansion/

 

Get access to our Spotify playlist with all of our guests' favorite songs: https://powerful-marketers.com/podcast/

 

Find out more about Powerful Marketers: https://powerful-marketers.com/ 

What inspires Kathryn:

• Fave song:  "Flying Home" by Benny Goodman
• Fave quote: "When we're trying to solve difficult issues it's sometimes necessary to talk to adversaries as well as friends. Historians have a word for this: diplomacy." — Madeleine Albright

 

Timecodes

0:00 Introduction

2:26 Introducing Kathryn Read

3:04 Kathryn’s first experience living abroad

5:53 Kathryn’s first experience selling to international markets

8:17 Working in different countries

13:47 Tips for small companies

16:34 The culture is important

18:08 Content factor

31:07 How to sell services to other countries

32:29 The importance of connections

35:53 Building meaningful relationships

38:33 Connect with Kathryn Read

40:32 Do your research

43:56 What inspires Kathryn

Quotes

“Mistakes are the best way to learn.” - [09:55]

 

“For a small company, you need to start out with having the commitment of the management board or the owners to really go into export because exporting can be a really good way for small companies to grow their business and their profitability.” - [13:47]

 

“Look at the culture of the country that you are looking to expand into because it's not just what are their preferences for the kinds of products and services.” - [16:34]

 

“It’s very important for you to build the relationships, because if you're selling services, somehow the relationship stands even more in the foreground of any kind of contract than it does if you're selling a product.” - [33:22]

 

“I think every business owner should be comfortable with being uncomfortable.” - [41:41]