What Is International Sales and Marketing?

International sales and marketing typically refers to a specialized form of sales and marketing designed to appeal to international markets and business opportunities in other countries. The exact nature of this marketing and sales strategy often depends a great deal on the particular countries or regions being targeted by a campaign. International sales and marketing typically covers the entire process of performing market research in a region, developing a campaign that effectively targets people, and tracking sales figures to alter or continue developing an advertising campaign once it is begun.

One of the most important facets of international sales and marketing is an understanding of different cultures, languages, and sensibilities that may make an item more appealing in different areas. There have been numerous examples of a misunderstanding or a lack of understanding of language and culture that have negatively affected the way in which a product or service has been received by international markets. Products including food and automobiles are often given names that sell well in one country, since the name seems meaningless or provides a vague sense of purpose. Those names can fail when it comes to international sales and marketing, however, when they closely resemble words in other languages that may convey a negative connotation.

It is also important to understand how to appeal to different cultures and countries when considering international sales and marketing. This is especially important when it comes to traditional images or societal roles that might be portrayed differently in different countries. Images or concepts that may be considered innocent in some countries can be potentially offensive in other countries, which can then negatively impact sales of a product or service. This is why a variety of approaches should be taken to international sales and marketing, to maintain a multicultural perspective.

International sales and marketing also tracks the effectiveness of sales campaigns in different countries to properly alter or grow a campaign after launch. If one sales approach works well in one country, then it may work well in a country that shares similar values or languages. By tracking the effectiveness of different campaigns, and using such information to improve campaigns in the future, a company can better prepare and develop an advertising campaign. International sales and marketing also frequently involves an understanding of import and export laws between countries, and how products or services can be most effectively and cheaply moved between countries and continents.