People from other cultures don’t necessarily see and do things the same way you do. That doesn’t make their customs, and ways of thinking, interacting, and doing business superior or inferior – just different.

Doing your homework is critical to selling your services in a new market, especially in today’s online environment – whether that market is around the globe or just elsewhere in your own country.

This means more than gathering competitive intelligence, establishing pricing, or determining client preferences. A solid knowledge of religion, politics, history, gender roles, business ethics, social institutions, humor and values will help you determine the value and role of your product or service in another culture. This creates an opportunity to more effectively market the benefits of your product/service, and to build rapport with potential clients. It can also help you avoid cultural blunders which may mean the difference between your success and failure.

Some of the cross-cultural issues you need to study:

• Know the ethnic, social, and class differences of your target market.
• Learn about the history, geography, and politics of your target market.
• Understand and develop a respect for religious differences.
• Learn about regional distinctions and disparities.
• Read/subscribe to international sources of news and info on your target market.
• Develop an understanding of your target market’s education system.
• Identify local resource people or cultural interpreters who can help familiarise you with the deep culture of your target market.
• Familiarise yourself with the popular culture of your target market.
• Compare what you’ve learned to your cultural perspectives.

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Tags: cross-cultural, export