What is the purpose of this section?
The Market Entry section of your export plan should include subsections addressing the following topics:
Start working on the Market Entry section of your export plan
Sample
- How are you going to approach export marketing, that is, what market-entry strategy are you going to use to promote, sell, and deliver your product in your target market? You have two general options:
- Your company can work indirectly and pay intermediaries to find overseas buyers, ship products, and collect payments. This might include using U.S. or foreign export management companies or export trading companies.
- Your company can work directly in a target market to find overseas buyers, ship products, and collect payments. This might include working directly with foreign sales representatives, agents, distributors, retailers, or end users
- Which option is best for your company?
With indirect market-entry strategies, your company needs to develop and pay for less expertise internally than they would with direct-export marketing strategies. However, the services of intermediaries will increase by 5-15 percent of the to-market cost of your export product.
With direct methods, your company has more control over the export process, will probably maintain lower per-unit costs, and will likely develop closer relationships in the target market than could be accomplished with indirect market-entry strategies. On the other hand, the company will have to make a large, up-front investment to develop the internal expertise in export marketing.
- How will you need to modify your current promotional methods for your new foreign market? For example, will you need to translate materials or will the company need to hire new sales personnel?
- How will you identify potential buyer representatives in your target market?
- Foreign buyer lists.
- Direct research in the country.
- Trade shows.
- What promotional methods will you use to find customers/ representatives in your target market?
- How will you identify potential buyer representatives in your target market?
- Direct mailings.
- USDA buyer-alert announcements & U.S. supplier lists.
- Advertisement on the Internet.
- Advertising in international trade journals (List the three most popular business journals read in your potential market.)
- Local publications in your target market.
- Active promotional methods.
- Trade missions.
- Trade shows/exhibits.
- Agent/distributor services.
- USDA Export Assistance Programs.
- Other.
Continue on to the Action Plan section of your export plan