Women play an increasingly important role in exporting. Many are very successful exporters. There is a belief in certain countries that a woman can secure more export orders than a man can. The fact is that the foreign buyer does not award an order on the basis of gender.

Woman at the front line of exporting must be careful when dealing with the buyers from other cultures. It is embarrassing, for example in the Islamic and Japanese cultures, for a woman to initiate a handshake to a man. A nod of the head or a slight bow is preferred over a handshake. In the Hindu and Thai cultures, placing both palms together over the chest in a prayer mode and bowing slightly is the norm.

Some foreign buyers may not be comfortable with a woman driving. The role of women is limited to the family in certain cultures. For example, a woman driving a car is a taboo in Saudi Arabia. In countries like Canada and the U.S.A., a woman driving a car is a business and/or personal necessity.

In business meetings and social gatherings with the buyer, it is important to dress conservatively and to avoid any flirtatious movements lest the buyer misinterprets the intention.

Do not try to sell refrigerators to the Eskimo. The export destination of a product depends on its market suitability and competitiveness. The product competitiveness is based on the price, quality, delivery, and service.

The country with a large population is not always the best export destination. The purchasing power (income) of the consumer is important.

The estimated percentage of population by continent/region, with an estimated world population of 6.0 billion people, is as follows:

The consumer's spending habits in a country also influences the export destination of a product. The higher the purchasing power does not always mean the higher the spending. It depends on the spending habits of the consumers.

U.S.A., Germany and Japan share about one third of the world imports. Other world's largest importing countries (areas) include France, United Kingdom, Italy, Netherlands, Canada, Belgium, Hong Kong, Spain, South Korea, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Mexico, and Australia.

Good statistical sources of export destinations and import sources may include the International Financial Statistics from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the export-import statistics from the national customs or statistics office.

Exporters must consider the economic and political risks of exporting to a particular destination. The risks of an importing country fluctuate. For example, the internal turmoil and the regional conflict may increase the risks of exporting to a country.

Always use clear, simple and straightforward language when corresponding with a foreign buyer. Avoid poetic and artistic expressions, idioms, colloquialisms, and slang, these will confuse the buyer.

Avoid using too many abbreviations in fax (facsimile), e-mail (electronic mail), telex (teletype exchange) and cablegram for the purpose of saving transmission costs. An abbreviation often is ambiguous and can create misunderstandings.

When to Reply

For the established buyer, reply within 24 hours after the receipt of buyer's fax, letter, e-mail, telex or cablegram. If for some reason a fax, an e-mail or a telex reply will be sent after a few days, let the buyer knows immediately that you will respond within the next few days. However, if the buyer's demands are unreasonable, it is helpful to maintain complete silence for few days. Being silent is an intimidating tactic.

For the prospective buyer, also reply within 24 hours if the communication is initiated by the exporter. Otherwise, please refer to the Uninvited Inquiries in International Trade below.

The exporter must reply within the shortest possible time, but never expect the buyer to do the same.

Means of Reply

Use fax (facsimile) or e-mail (electronic mail) in corresponding where possible. The fax is still widely used in international correspondence.

A letter will take several days to a few weeks to reach the buyer. Sometimes a letter may be lost. A letter, however, is preferred over a fax or an e-mail for the initial contact.

Avoid replying by telephone as there is no reference copy at both sides for future use. Moreover, the calls may often be answered by people unfamiliar with English in a non-English speaking country and the contact person may not be available to take the calls.

Different Date Formats, Decimal Fractions,
and Units of Measurement

The date 2/3/04 is February 3, 2004, in some countries and it is March 2, 2004, in others. If the foreign importer needs the shipment on February 3, 2004, and the exporter enters March 2, 2004, in the order, such a misunderstanding can create chaos for importer and exporter. It is better to write the month in word, instead of number, in the international trade.

A comma, not a decimal point, is used to separate a whole number from the decimal place in some countries. For example, 800.05 is written as 800,05 in Germany.

A unit of measurement like the ton may refer to the metric ton (2204.6 lbs. or 1000 kgs.), short ton (2000 lbs. or 907 kgs.), or long ton (2240 lbs. or 1016 kgs.). The exporter must clearly differentiate units of measurement in the correspondence to avoid problems. Please see Conversion Factors - Units of Measurement.

Few companies venture into international trade totally unfamiliar with the English language. Most export and import businesses have personnel who can write and read English, though some have difficulty with spoken English. It is a lack of fluency in English that has prompted some buyers to write in their own language, not because they do not know English at all. Some buyers use their own language because of national pride.

Sometimes an exporter may receive an inquiry from a prospective foreign buyer in a language other than English. If the inquiry is from an export priority market, it is important to reply in the buyer's language. For other markets, reply in the buyer's language if possible or else use the English language.

Some inquiries are for purpose of product and price information, not for importation. Unless the prospective foreign buyer is known to the exporter, it is not necessary to reply at once. Reply by letter and do not divulge sensitive information like the bottom price.

A buyer rarely places an immediate order in the initial contact. At times the inquiry is from a foreign competitor inquiring on the pretext of buying, or to put it bluntly 'spying' on the exporter.