General Business Talk

The trucking industry is constantly applying new technology to improve its competitive edge and is demanding an ever-changing need for quality drivers rising to an all-time high. The trucking industry is a vital section of the US and Canadian economy; many States depend on the efforts of excellent drivers to transport their goods and raw materials.

Trucking does the heavy lifting to move, through the supply chain, nearly everything we consume or use. Trucking hauls a higher share of high value-added manufactured goods and finished products than any other freight transportation mode. With as many as 750,000 interstate motor carriers in the United States, the trucking industry is the driving force behind the US. According to a recent survey conducted by the Ministry of Transportation and Statistics Canada, the trucking industry is one of Ontario’s largest employers providing jobs for over 230,000 people (5% of Ontario’s labour force). In the Canadian trucking industry, a rapidly growing proportion of women work as transport drivers, dispatchers, sales representatives, managers and presidents of trucking companies. Trucks are involved in fewer than 4% of all road accidents, and Canadian drivers are in demand globally precisely because they have proven that trucking is a safe occupation. This is the beginning of a change for truckers.The trucking industry is a completely demoralized industry with myriad problems yet looming over the horizon.

The trucking industry is heavily regulated, with strict rules such as licensing requirements, limits on how many hours truckers may be on the road before taking a break and other rules in place in every state and province. The trucking industry is the one that transports all kinds of goods that all people use in their everyday lives including the clothes that everyone wears down to the foods that are eaten each and every single day.

The trucking industry is still one of the five fastest growing industries in the United States, and it will always be an important part of the country’s economy. As a consequence, the trucking industry is a highly fragmented industry, resulting in intense competition (both price and non-price competition) and low profit margins.

What does this new kid on the block mean- b2b? It is a short form of business to business which signifies a portal providing body:a platform for online trade from one business to another.

What is a B2B portal?

A b2b portal is a collection of web pages where both large scale sellers and buyers can register themselves to commence business activities. It acts like a base where sellers can display there product features, price and the minimum order approved to attract large scale wholesalers or dealers globally.

At the same time, it also acts as a one stop shop for all the buyers, dealers and wholesalers to source products of their choice without going through any hassles. All that is needed is to register to a b2b portal and most of your business needs will be sorted. A b2b portal also provided with useful related articles and important business leads to help you reach newer growth heights. In today’s time, a b2b portal has almost become a necessity for any size of business as it helps in reducing costs and increasing revenues.

What are B2B Manufacturers, Suppliers and Exporters?

Manufacturers and suppliers of any kind of product who register themselves on a b2b portal to provide access to a wider consumer base are known as b2b manufacturers or suppliers. It does not however mean that these suppliers commence business only through such portals. These are manufacturers and suppliers with already running business units. By registering to a b2b portal however they get an access to a global base of customers and have an opportunity to enhance their business performance to a much large extent.

Similarly, b2b exporters are the manufacturers or suppliers that engage in international supply of their products by getting orders through such a portal. For instance, a supplier of leather shoes could register and display his products on a b2b portal and get overseas orders. He becomes a b2b exporter by supplying goods internationally. You can find a list of all the b2b exporters or suppliers in any of the online B2B Directory. You just need to do a search of the product that you are looking for. These directories are normally designed alphabetically and are very easily accessible.

Today more and more business houses are commencing business through such portals as it not only gives a larger consumer base but also increases efficiency and revenues in no time at all. Companies also get a one up by registering with a b2b portal before their competitors do so as they would be more widely known than others in the international market. A b2b portal has therefore become an indispensable device for the growth of every kind of business.

Imagine losing sales just because your clients do not have enough trust in you, your product or your business.

You might think this does not happen often. After all, most business professionals recognize the intrinsic need for trust in all business to take place. Without trust, customers do not want to buy from you.

And yet, this is the reason why most international leads usually fall through.

Additional Cross-Cultural Barriers To Trust

You see cross-cultural communication is mined with trust breakers at just about every turn you make.

And even worse, you can lose your international prospects without even knowing how or why.

You do have one very good weapon to help you detect trust breakers.

Basic Personal Communication Skills

What basic personal communication skill is common across all cultures?

Listening

Listening is the very first place to start. This is where communication begins.

Listening helps you to:

* Create a relationship with your international clients
* Be liked – everyone likes being listened to
* Show interest and respect
* Create trust

We all think we are good at listening. But we are all human beings, and we all also like to take part in the conversation.

Ad this is were good cross-cultural communication demands stronger listening skills. You need to put aside your own natural desire to talk, and sit back and listen more attentively for a little while longer.

Focused Listening

To understand your international clients better and anticipate where trust breaks down you need to concentrate on focused listening.

Focused listening gives you a deeper understanding of your international clients.

* It often only takes a few more seconds or minutes longer. But demands a heightened sense of concentration on listening.
* It allows you to pick up the whole conversation and listen to both verbal and non-verbal signals.
* It slows down your own conversation for you to take the time to ask questions and get clarification.
* It creates a real conversation somewhere in the middle between two cultures.

Yes, curiosity can also help you to understand your international clients… after you have listened to them first.

Basic Trust Building Block

For these reasons, focused listening is the first trust building block.

And it is something easy to do.

At least it should be something easy to do. The trouble is that many people do not take the time to listen, nor do they make the personal effort to listen attentively.

Increase your listening skills and you increase your cross-cultural skills quickly too.

The truth is, your personal listening skills have a greater direct impact on your international sales than you think.

So, spend a few extra seconds and focus your listening the next time to speak to your international prospects or clients.

Studying human behaviors is inevitable if you want your business to be competitive today. And how this current best practice also has a direct impact on your international sales success.

Today I am going to show you how another current business best practice can grow your international business.

Competitive Business Today

There is a very similar parallel with the evolution in the need for market segmentation to be competitive in the business world today, and the skills you need to build an international business.

Market Segmentation

Market segmentation used to be easier. You only had a few criteria: products, distinct communications channels and locations. Businesses had control of how their clients heard about their products.

Today, customers have control. And they initiate contact with businesses at varying stages of buyer readiness. As a business today, if you do not increase your marketing segmentation your customers know it. And you can appear totally out of synch with their needs.

Segmentation gives you more effective multichannel marketing to get your message right when it matters most.

Some people may think this only concerns web marketing. But don’t forget, your customers use the web to look up more information.

All online statistics also come from segmentation. If you want to get any benefit out of this you need to be able to take action… in segments. This is how web statistics can help you make more sales.

International Business Today

Market segmentation has always played an inherent part of international business development.

International business development always starts with one country. And you need to adapt your marketing, communication and sales to this one country.

Have a look at The 7 Traditional Paths To International Business Development.

After you know how to do this in one country, you go into another country.

Prior to internet, international business development often meant opening offices in different countries. A visual example of segmentation.

And today? With international web marketing?

A few years ago international web marketing followed the traditional international business development paths. It was all about:

• Localized websites – websites with top level domains in each different country.
• Local language websites as soon as possible, often before getting to know foreign markets well enough to write culture-customized content.

Today the improvements in search engine algorithms give more reason towards creating a “first step” or “initial phase”:

• Country-specific categories or sub-domains on your main website or an international website.
• Creating the connection, mainly with English language content that you progressively culture-customize as you learn more from you web statistics.
• Using web statistic analysis to improve your international marketing, communication and sales and investing in translations once you have the viability statistics.

Where Current Marketing And International Best Practices MeetCan you see how there is even more segmentation in international business development today?

The evolution of consumer practices today means that businesses need segmentation to get the right marketing message across at the right time.

And these skills of knowing how to segment your marketing efforts are the same skills you need to carry out effective international marketing today.