Common Mistakes Made by Exporters (and How to Avoid Them!)

In a rush to get their products selling in an overseas market, many business owners fall prey to one or more common "exporting pitfalls". It's understandable that a business owner is excited about the possibilities that a new, wide-open market can bring to the company, but it's important to remember that exporting involves big money and big risk. In order to give your business the best chance at a successful exporting experience, it's crucial to take note of the most common mistakes made by new exporters.

Exporting mistakes to avoid

Choosing overseas partners too quickly - Many times a company is so focused on the goal of getting their products overseas, that they form partnerships too quickly and rush into business relationships with people/companies they probably shouldn't. Whether it's a warehouse, distributors, or marketing companies, it's imperative that you thoroughly check the background of each and talk with past clients, if possible. Just like in the U.S., there are plenty of people overseas who are in business to scam small business owners.

Failing to adapt product, packaging, or literature to foreign market - It seems like an obvious mistake to avoid, but thousands of companies (including big-name companies) have fallen into this trap. Perhaps they didn't change the electrical adapter to fit a particular country's outlet, or the packaging and instructions aren't in the local language, or the wording was poorly translated, or packaging pictures, language or even the product name is considered offensive. There are plenty of things that can go wrong, so double check everything and have the finished product inspected by several people who are from the country you are exporting to.

Putting domestic customers before foreign customers - This is probably one of the easiest and most common exporting traps to fall into. If your product is a successful seller in the U.S., perhaps a good part of the reason is because of great customer service. While it may be more difficult to communicate with customers from a non-English-speaking country, it's certainly not impossible. You could hire someone who speaks that language to answer e-mails and serve as the customer service contact, or you could outsource that job to an overseas company. It's important to treat your foreign customers the same way as you treat your domestic customers, even if it means extra effort or expense on your part.

Failing to have a marketing plan in place - It's funny, but some business owners think their products will magically sell in a foreign marketplace once they arrive at the port. It will take plenty of time and research to devise a marketing plan that details how your products will get into the hands of customers. It's best to have this plan in place well before your goods are loaded onto the container ship, or else your products could end up sitting at the overseas port for months and months. If you're unsure about marketing in a certain country, then it would be a good idea to hire someone in that country to help you with or oversee your marketing efforts there.

Taking these common mistakes into consideration could very well save you from future expenses and headaches. If you are new to exporting, then it is important that you are aware of all the risks involved and what you can do to avoid them. Exporting products can, no doubt, be a very lucrative business if done properly. Good luck!