Want to Expand Internationally? Start with Business VoIP

Have you thought about expanding your business internationally? From a market perspective, there are significant opportunities outside of our national borders, offering companies with the right product, service, skills and technology to take advantage of expansion. Implementing business VoIP is an important step to ensure you have the communication technology in place that you need, but it’s really just the first step to international success.

A blog by business VoIP provider, Nextiva recently focused on how you can make sales internationally. The example used in this article is geared toward the guy with the small pizza shop. No, he isn’t across the street from the border, which is exactly why this example works. The goal isn’t to sell pizzas internationally, but to find something of value that will appeal to that market.

For instance, the offering could be converted into information. Buyers in the target market may want to know how to open a pizza shop and are willing to invest in videos where tips and secrets are shared. A cookbook with grandma’s authentic recipes may be in high demand or the special pizza sauce could be canned and shipped all over the world. When pushing the brand through to the target market, use Skype as a way to make connections and shake hands virtually.

The local culture is something of value to certain markets overseas. If you establish yourself as a uniquely American business, you could sell your business model, share coaching tips and even promote cross-cultural awareness by engaging others in conversation. Build a community around these topics and invite participation.

Don’t forget the value of the written note. In this day and age, everything is digital and receiving something fun in the mail is not a common occurrence. Change this trend by sending your current and prospective clients in another country a handwritten note on branded stationery. This will make you and your brand more memorable.

Determine how best to handle other currencies and leverage tools like PayPal or other services to streamline the process. Once you have this well underway, consider establishing a presence in the target market. This doesn’t always mean you have to build a location, but do plan to travel for appearance or set up shop in a local bank one week out of the month. Whatever strategy your schedule will support will only help strengthen your hold in that market.

Remember, business VoIP is an excellent tool to help you expand internationally, but it isn’t the only tool you should have at the ready.