An export company has to be LARGE enough to be noticed. The high regard for 'things of beauty' leads to all sorts of export presentations to attract foreign buyers.

Company Title

In countries where English is not the official language, the government may strictly regulate the use of company titles in its own language, but it can be lenient in other languages like English.

The misapplication of English company titles is not uncommon especially in the past. For example, company title like "Co. Ltd." is being used by some sole proprietorships, and titles like "factory", "manufacturing" and "industry", which suggest a manufacturing entity, are being used by some export-traders. The exporter may misuse the company title in order to project a more attractive image to the buyer. The misuse of the company title may not be intended to harm the buyer, but it is tantamount to deception which may lead to the buyer's loss of confidence in the exporter.

Letterhead and Mailing Envelope

The first impression is long lasting. The letter usually is the front line of an export sale, that is, it is first to come in contact with a buyer. A neatly typewritten letter with a well designed letterhead and mailing envelope will attract the buyer's attention. A fancy or complicated design reduces the professional appeal of a letter. The proper choice of paper, texture and color is important. Environmental consciousness is growing worldwide. The use of recycled paper is becoming more important than ever.

Product Catalogue

With the existing printing technology, it is easy to make impressive catalogues showing flawless products. It is difficult to really know the quality of a product from catalogue. Buyers should never rely solely on catalogues to place a new order.

Office Setup

An office being neat and clean is sometimes not enough. A flashy office is the trend. An office demands quality furniture and fixtures and complete office equipment. A larger office normally attracts more attention. The office is often equipped with more desks than needed in order to impress the buyer. Many offices are equipped with the 'voice mail' receptionist, that is, the answering machine is the receptionist.

Number of Employees

The number of employees a company has often is inflated in order to impress the buyer. The inflation is noticeable when a company is small. The buyer seldom counts the number of employees in a larger firm. Never judge the stability of a company by its number of employees.

Number of Telephone Lines

The number of telephone lines a company has often is used to gauge its size. Some letterheads may show the number of telephone extension lines as 5 lines or 10 lines in order to impress the buyer. Quite often, '5 lines' may be 3 lines and '10 lines' may be 5 lines only.

Website (Online Home Page)

Growing number of companies worldwide are having their presence on the internet to market their company, products and services. Many small companies have a home page (website) these days. Company having a home page gives the impression that it is up to time. The content---the depth of information and its useful applications---of a website is the leading factor in attracting worldwide viewers to the site.

Job Title

The job title is a powerful tool in export marketing. The managerial title gives the buyer a greater sense of assurance. The job title "export manager" is more impressive than "export representative", although both titles may have similar job functions. In some companies, a job title does not have the authority and remuneration that it implies.

Market data, distribution channels and other export information can be obtained through different sources as follows:

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Government External Trade Department

Government can be the best source of export market information. The government normally maintains the external trade department or organization, for example, the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) in Canada, the International Trade Administration (ITA) in U.S.A., and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) in Japan. Please consult the Useful Links for other international trade organizations.

The government external trade department or organization maintains its trade offices abroad usually under the organization name or under the name of The Trade Commission, The Consulate, The Commercial Section of the Embassy, The Foreign Commercial Services, or The Trade Service Centre (or Center). Please see Global Business Opportunities and the Importance of Trade Commissions Abroad for related information.

Foreign Government Trade Offices

The primary goal of a foreign government trade office in a host country is to promote its own exports to that country. It usually provides information to the host country about its own market as well. It normally maintains the export-import related publications in its office. The foreign government trade offices can be located in your local telephone directory (Yellow Pages) under the category of Trade Commissions, Consulates or Embassies.

Export Associations

There are privately funded non-profit export associations in many countries. An export association can be a chamber, a federation or a confederation of manufacturers, industries, traders, and individuals. In other words, an export association represents an industry, a group of industries, or the exporting community in general for the purpose of promoting exports. The association disseminates the export information to its members, usually through its own publication.

Libraries

Public libraries in some countries may have export books, directories and magazines. Some private libraries, such as college and university libraries, may also have export reference materials.

Miscellaneous Sources

Other sources of export information include trade fairs, customs brokers, freight forwarders or consolidators, foreign buyers, other exporters, ocean shipping companies, airlines, private agencies selling the market data, and friends.

The trade commissions abroad are very important. They are the market intelligence unit of the exporting country. Unfortunately, some people unfairly brand the trade commission as a spy agency. Its market information gathering is an overt operation that is sanctioned by the host country, as opposed to the unauthorized covert operation of spying.

Export market information, such as business opportunities and market analysis of target products and services, and various trade publications from the host country are being relayed by trade commissions abroad to the head office. Such information is then relayed by the head office to the exporting community through its trade publication.

Exporters in some countries may find it unnecessary to contact their trade commissions abroad for export information. The information is often available at the head office.

The responsibilities of a trade commission generally are similar from country to country. The primary responsibility is to assist its exporters in selling their products in the foreign markets. The trade commission, however, cannot do everything for the exporter. Some of the can do's and cannot do's of the Canadian Trade Commissions to the Canadian exporters that are outlined by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) in Canada are as follows:

Can


• Recommend appropriate technical experts to help exporter negotiate a deal
• Help exporter find good translators and interpreters
• Help exporter select effective agents
• Maintain a liaison with exporter's agents and encourage them
• Advise on the settlement of overdue accounts
• Advise exporter on situations and circumstances affecting travel to and within a country

Cannot


• Be present at all the negotiations when exporter is closing a deal
• Serve as exporter's translator and interpreter
• Act as exporter's agent
• Train or supervise exporter's agents
• Act as exporter's collector
• Act as exporter's travel agent