Small manufacturers are frequently intimidated by the idea of international business.  They’ve heard horror stories about letters of credit, payment delays, lost shipments, the cost of advertising support, and other issues.  I’d like to simply share two stories from companies who are now very active international marketers but who started slowly.  Incidentally, there are many resources available to help you, ranging from government offices at the Federal and State level to shipping firms such as UPS and Fedex, who can provide guidance.  Other groups within your industry can also help.  Today, going global is easier than ever before.

As Dan Lambert, Marketing Manager for Anomet Products, Inc., a small manufacturer of custom clad composite metal products for aerospace, electronic, instrumentation, and medical device applications said, “Don’t be afraid to explore new markets or regions.  Cost-effective product releases allow you to try new markets or new market segments without breaking the budget.”

In Anomet Products’ case, Venmark International has been preparing product news releases for them since 1978, focusing on different product applications.  The beauty of our approach is it depicts a problem being solved and offers a solution.  It is a great way to attract sales leads from prospects who are interested in a specific solution or from prospects looking for a product with specific performance characteristics.

At Venmark International we have many situations where clients have received orders they can trace back to our product news releases.  We have a letter on file from a client who received a $35,000 order from Chile and wrote us that we were responsible for the order and they were happy not to have to pay a commission to an agent!  That same client, by the way, began selling internationally many years ago and only accepted orders via American Express at first.  That policy helped eliminate some of the risks he feared early on.  Today that client has international distributors all over the world who generate millions in sales annually for him.

International product publicity is also the best way to test overseas markets for any company. Representatives around the world are looking for products in the trade media because they want “credible products” to represent and product publicity provides the credibility.  Making news makes sense.  Whether you sell to OEMs in the medical market, material handling, utilities, or any other niche market, Venmark International can help you uncover interested prospects in the most cost-effective way.

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© 2012 Steven M. Stroum