Seven Rules for Selling Software to International Firms

As outsourcing gains in popularity among IT managers in the United States, software sales reps are more likely to find they are selling to firms headquartered in foreign countries. Unfortunately, not every software sales rep knows that the rules for selling are very different abroad. And some sales reps mistakenly believe that the way business is conducted in the United States is inherently superior to the way business is conducted elsewhere and thus expect foreign firms to adapt to their selling process, rather than the other way around.

To prevent you (or your firm) from making a deal breaking blunder, here are seven rules of engagement for selling software outside the U.S.:

Rule #1. Work with a local sales rep. Successful sales opportunities entail relationship building and collaboration. The best way to ensure that this process proceeds apace is to follow the lead of whatever local representatives you’re working with. They can help you avoid attempting to impose U.S. business behaviors or attitudes that might scuttle the sale.

Rule #2. Learn and rehearse the local business behaviors. There are many sources describing how business is conducted in various regions. The trick here is not just to read the book, but incorporate those behaviors into your day-to-day behavior. Example: In Japan, the presentation of the business card is key, so you should practice it until you can do it gracefully.

Rule #3. Learn some of the local language. Any attempt to speak the local language, even if awkward, is greatly appreciated because it shows respect for the local culture. Even better, such usage helps overcome the stereotype of the dumb American who only speaks English. Needless to say, if you’ll be doing business regularly, learn the local language more thoroughly.

Rule #4. Avoid slang; define buzzwords. Because its culturally specific, software industry slang confuses international audiences. If you simply must use a buzzword, define it using plain language. Example: Software sales reps frequently use fuzzy terms like virtualization that are likely to sound like gobbledygook anywhere else in the world.

Rule #5. Approach opportunities with humility. When you meet with international colleagues and customers for the first time, set their minds at ease by stating, at the outset, that you have no intention of trying to impose American sales processes where they wont work. Explain that you’re there to learn and help where possible, with the goal of cooperating and collaborating.

Rule #6. Ask questions and listen to the answers. Even if you’ve studied how to do business in the local region, rehearsed the right behaviors, and learned some of the local language, you must continually be aware that you’re simply not going to be able to read all of the subtleties of the local culture. The only remedy to this is to frequently (and politely) ask questions and listen very carefully to the answers and then act upon what you learn.

Rule #7. Be sensitive to time differences. Doing business around the world means grappling with time differences. When you’re scheduling teleconferences and Web conferences, or making telephone calls, check the time zones of the attendees so that the meeting isn’t scheduled when key personnel might normally be asleep.

The above is based on a conversation with Jim Holden, author of The Selling Fox: A Field Guide for Dynamic Sales Performance (Wiley, 2002).