How can you take your small business global? In my interview with international marketer Cindy King we discuss the tools, approaches and core concepts that can make your cross-cultural marketing strategy a success. Cindy King is a Cross-Cultural Marketer & International Sales Strategist based in France. She uses her dual background in sales & marketing to help businesses improve their international sales conversion and develop country-specific international sales guides. Connect with her on Twitter @CindyKing .

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Written by lyceum
5357 days ago

Here is an additional comment to Cindy's last paragraph.

"Use social media for international networking. It works well for many international markets too."

My role will be to enthusiastically take care of the social media conversation marketing activities, located somewhere in America. I have to be close to the local market and at the same time be of assistance to the "base camp" with the research & development and production in Sweden. I will also work with parts of the supply chain and coordinate international projects during time. As an experienced purchaser I know of to search for sources of information, so I will also work as business intelligence analyst, doing SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis, creating vendor and customer scorecards, cost & value analysis, etc.



Written by lyceum
5357 days ago

Shawn: Great interview with Cindy! Do I see a symbolic secular trinity through the interview? ;) I like the number 3 too. I am a strong advocate of The Third Place between your home and your office. A meeting place for entrepreneur and business minded individuals could.

Cindy: Yesterday I had a meeting with an attorney at law. He speaks Swedish, English (both British & American) and French fluently. He is located in Chicago, Illinois. Did you know that Chicago was Sweden’s 2nd biggest city at one point?

He gave me great advice on how to plan for entering the new marketing. He said that the competition is tough regarding the products we are representing (superberries and fine bottled water), but it could work out great if you do “homework”. I will send you information about his company and his father’s work.

I think that your last paragraph is applicable to our case study:

“Choose one product and one country. If you are not sure, or hesitate in where to go, create a more interactive international presence online and stimulate feedback. Use social media for international networking. It works well for many international markets too.”

The “base camp” with the research & development and production is located in Sweden. The new market will be America. The product to start with could be seabuckthorn (Havtorn in Swedish. It is Paula Widén who has founded this business.). Now is time to see where to start up in the United States of America? Where could you find a cross-cultural link between Sweden (expanding later on to Scandinavia – Nordic countries) and America (expanding later to the whole North America)? I wonder if the Swedish – American fraternal organization, Vasa Order of America could be of some help. I am member of lodge #452 in Gothenburg, Sweden.

From VasaOrder.com:

“Over the past century, many things have changed, and the Vasa Order has grown to meet the new needs of the Scandinavian American community. Where in the past, members looked to Vasa to help them learn the ways of the new country and provide them a means to share problems and solutions with their countrymen, today Vasa provides members a means to share their rich heritage with fellow Americans, and helps them to learn or remember the meaningful ways and values of the “Old Country.”"

I definitively think that Paula Widén wants to talk with you about your service in the near future.



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