How can you grow the export volume of your product or service while shaping life to be more enjoyable? Export deals and business results are created between people. We live in an era of abundance, overstimulation, and noise, where rules don’t apply, and formulas no longer hold. Yet people are craving a good atmosphere, which has become a rare commodity.
On one hand, it’s important for individuals to manage their own doubts, anxiety, and concerns, avoiding the reflection of negative feelings in work situations. On the other hand, sustainable growth for businesses requires generating new and expanding sales results in competitive markets. The question arises: Who is a good partner, and who is not? How do you move forward?
There’s no shortage of export and marketing strategy theories, and the longer a person is active in the job market, the more confusing it can be to sift through all the different wisdoms. For instance, there was a time when Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne’s Blue Ocean Strategy was all the rage. You might feel like you know a lot, but still, the question remains: Which direction is the right one? What should you focus on, and what should you leave behind? The abundance of information and choices can cause stress.
The comforting truth is, there is no one recipe or rule. An export strategy that works for one company might not apply to yours. Nobel Prize-winning social psychologist Daniel Kahneman has shown that a successful leader at one public company may not necessarily achieve good results at another. A partner who works well for one entrepreneur might turn out to be the opposite for another. But one thing is certain: clarity of goals and awareness of immediate feedback is essential for success, and it can be enjoyable. Sometimes, goals are too long-term or vague.
An export manager may not know exactly where double-digit growth will come from, but the sales team must have a sense of their intentions, metrics, and analytics. Activities that lead sales to the next level should signal whether you’re moving in the right direction. You need to create your unique export strategy based on current company conditions, contacts, and market experiences. In other words, it’s essential to pay attention to small signs and signals that give us clues to success. For example, who do you already know, and where are they? Personal contacts or recommendations are often good ways to reach a deal partner and build trust. You need to learn to notice which transactions have worked best and find ways to increase the number of suitable, goal-oriented deals.
Based on my entrepreneurial experience, I’ve developed a 4-step process, which I call the CALM method, to grow exports while enjoying life. Here's how it works:
1. Create Contacts (C)
To understand the strengths of your product/service/company, why foreign customers should buy it, and how to offer it, you need to create an extensive number of contacts in strategically chosen sectors and engage with them intensively. This will provide practical answers about the purchasing arguments that resonate with customers in foreign markets. The more contacts you make and work through to the final decision, the wiser you’ll become about your target market. Different segments and interest groups will ask different questions, giving you valuable feedback on your competitiveness and what arguments work or don’t.
For example, you may find out that small modular houses are bought more because they are mobile and energy-efficient in one market, but on another market, it could be their certification or cost-effectiveness. Such variations teach you how to position your offering more effectively in different regions.
How do you handle the emotional toll of rejections and keep communication with export partners fresh? Enjoying the process means developing relationships. Repetition and plan execution become more enjoyable when you are ready to control and improve them.
2. Assort (A)
Among the numerous contacts created, you need to decide which ones have the highest likelihood of success. Don’t waste time on those where deals are less likely to materialize. Making choices is one of the most challenging tasks for humans because our brain has two parts – the analytical and the emotional. By understanding how and why people make decisions, you can learn to make better choices.
Quick decisions may often feel right initially but change upon further reflection. For instance, you may feel angry about an unjustified quality complaint from a client and rush to send an emotional response, refusing compensation. However, calm consideration of the bigger picture might lead to a less costly solution while preserving a good relationship.
3. Learn from Feedback (L)
Information overload is common in businesses, making it hard to focus on what’s strategically important. Many companies struggle with focusing on their most profitable products or services. You can’t do everything. Focus is also about monitoring the effectiveness of your chosen strategy in foreign markets and being aware of changing conditions. Remember, deals are made between people, and human behavior can be unpredictable. Paying attention to feedback is crucial – it helps shape your strategy.
4. Multiply (M)
After creating numerous contacts, deciding what to focus on, and sharpening the company’s product or service portfolio, it’s time to start multiplying successful actions. With belief in your efforts, even the smallest feedback can bring joy. For instance, if a metal components manufacturer has a successful collaboration with a German medical equipment company, it’s worth seeking similar deals in the same or neighboring markets. Or, if one segment is already saturated, it might be time to diversify into other segments to reduce business risks.
Export development is a creative process, and thinking about it can be enjoyable. Business diplomacy and collaboration with international opportunities offered by the public sector can help maintain and grow long-term positions.
Shaping Life to Be Meaningful and Enjoyable
Growing the business while making life enjoyable requires continuous self-development. Our ability to enjoy life lies in how we shape our mindset. The most important things are not in the distant future but in the moments we live now. Business strategies, such as the CALM method, help structure the path to success. Setting goals, learning from feedback, and enjoying the journey and human interactions along the way are skills that we can develop.
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