B2b search for clients of business partners abroad. From looking for business contacts abroad - to a deal. What is the secret of success? Search for business partners

When developing your business, you often have to deal with foreign suppliers, investors and partners, but not everyone is ready to make contact right away. The heads of successful Russian companies shared their experience with Theory and Practices - how to make useful contacts, communicate in social networks, establish cooperation and not stop after the first refusal.

Almost from the very beginning, the goal of our company has been to become a major wholesaler of designer gifts, accessories and home furnishings. Since we are based in London, the first suppliers of EnjoyMe were only English companies. At some point, we started working with a large carrier, sorted out the intricacies of customs clearance and began to develop our wholesale sales. The suppliers were small design studios and several fairly large local companies: Luckies, Black + Blum, Suck UK, Thabto. The following year, a couple of decent mid-size European brands were added. It was not difficult to negotiate - at that time we did not enter into exclusive contracts, but simply did what we loved.

Once I saw Joseph Joseph's Nest bowls and fell in love with the brand at first sight. Then I decided that these products should appear in our store, and wrote them a letter. In response, I received a questionnaire and was a little surprised - it turned out that it is not so easy to place an ordinary order, the company must be sure that their goods are sold in a worthy place. Our EnjoyMe, unfortunately, was not suitable for this, but we did not give up. In three months we made a site (www.famouskitchen.ru) specifically for kitchen accessories and again contacted Joseph Joseph. They were surprised that someone had created a site just to sell their brand's products, and they let us place our first order as a simple wholesale buyer. Their representatives came to Moscow, and we needed to show EnjoyMe in the best possible light. To do this, we had only 10 days - we organized meetings with all potentially interesting chain stores and large customers, and conducted a series of successful negotiations. This helped in further development, but Joseph Joseph chose another distributor - a large company that has been working with cookware for over 10 years. This first small defeat made us make a powerful leap forward.

We started working with chain stores using the brand name, but supplied them with fewer products from suppliers, honing our skills for working with large customers and building our company with a full-fledged wholesale department. A year passed, we got stronger, and suddenly there was a call from Joseph Joseph - the distributor they had chosen did not live up to expectations. Then we were offered to meet again. The company was impressed with how we had grown and moved on to negotiate exclusive distribution for the year. Several more companies from the tableware market fought for this right, but by some happy coincidence they chose us. This brand has become a ticket to big business. After we held Joseph Joseph for a year, and then for the second, other large companies began to come to us. When we proved that we can cope with the Russian market, it became easier to negotiate.

Alexander Platonov, founder and CEO of Passion Fruit

Here are some tips:

If you are looking for a specific company, you need to identify the key decision-makers in that business. Find them on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc. Most of the foreign managers are active in one way or another with social networks. Follow them, see what they tweet, who they follow, like their posts, comment, ask questions about the posts. If you are original, they will notice you, and you can neatly get close to them. If a person has 5,000 followers, a hundred likes and fifty comments for each post, analyze who and whose posts this person retweets or shares the most. You can always find a way to reach out to who he considers to be an opinion leader. And already through it, contact the one you need.

Try to get to know one of the stellar foreign entrepreneurs right away. It may seem impossible, but not so long ago, Richard Branson suggested an entrepreneur with a better idea to pitch a project in front of him personally on his own island, and then take part in the largest US exhibition, CES, for free.

Another way to find a partner is to get a well-known US news resource to write about you, read by someone you need. For example, TechCrunch editor Mike Butcher enjoys writing about Russian startups. He even made up perfect option a letter that I would like to see.

After selling my business in Russia, I had two opposite tasks. On the one hand, I wanted to invest part of my money in some foreign project from the real sector of the economy. On the other hand, I wanted to attract foreign investment in my new Internet project. Joint investments reduce the risk of each of the partners, and I just wanted to attract Western money - here is a different approach and standards. I had to study, strain my head, improve my English, and train my pitch about the project. However, as often happens, the investor was found in a circle of friends. I just went to my American friends whom I knew on Facebook, through conferences and personal contacts, talked about an interesting project, and asked my friends to help me find investments. Instead, a friend suggested joining the project. As a result, I received not just an investment, but an excellent partner. I myself have invested in a construction project in San Francisco - also on the advice of friends. True, I hired a lawyer and did mini-investigations. I watched whether there were conflicts or litigation around these people, as they went through the years of the 2008-2009 crisis. Since all information is open in the United States, you can raise all cases for all companies with which potential partners are associated, and then sit down and study them.

Veronica Taraba, Deputy General Director of KROK

A chance helped us. When we decided to go outside Russia, there was a feeling (based on attempts at presale) that we are more interested not in the Old World or Eastern Europe, but in the neighborhood on the other side, where the markets are more dynamic. We already had experience of working with Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, we wanted to go further. Nobody was specifically looking for. One of our managers was approached by a supplier of specialized IT solutions for a company that was bought in Turkey by a customer CROC. This vendor discussed with us some kind of joint business, and it was he who introduced us to an IT company that also worked with this client and was looking for opportunities for faster development. It was a Turkish system integrator NGN, a company with five years of experience. We studied the market (demand in the outsourcing market, its dynamics and specifics in Turkey), the capabilities and features of a Turkish company (finance, personnel, clients, vendors). We talked with their key vendors and clients, understood the needs of their clients in Turkey and abroad, made a business plan for the construction of a data center and entered into partnerships.

At some point, we saw that our clients have requests for PR support abroad. In addition, many of our employees talked about their desire to undergo an internship in another country, as is done in large network agencies. Since the market is very competitive, we had to keep the bar - we started looking for a partner abroad. We have opened the global rating The Holmes Report, where the largest PR agencies in the world are represented - we started with them. At that time, only 25 people worked for us, and our turnover was a little less than $ 2 million. Most of us did not answer at all - we wrote a hundred letters, and there were about 20 replies, mostly with a refusal, where it was said that the companies already have partners in Russia. Then we started writing to international associations of PR agencies. The situation was about the same - there were many refusals, but there were still responses. We went to meetings with the Global Alliance and IPRN. We filled out a questionnaire, provided client and employee recommendations and financial statements for the last two years. When we joined IPRN, the Global Alliance found out about this and refused us, although it was not initially stipulated that one cannot be a member of two associations at once. It was frustrating as we spent a lot of money and time.

At the same time, we understood that we still need a partner. Then we went the other way - we began to write in the blogs of the heads of foreign agencies. So we got in touch with Andres Witterman, vice president of the global communications agency LEWIS PR, and tried to establish a dialogue. For example, he wrote a post that the market is growing. We answered: “Great, the market is growing, but we know that LEWIS PR does not work in Russia yet. We want to invite you to work with us. What do you think?". In the end, everything worked out. We give them our clients, and they give us theirs - now it is already the third year of our joint work. We also send our employees on internships. They have already been to France, Australia, Germany, Great Britain. We're glad the blog method worked. Since then, I have been actively communicating with the heads of PR agencies around the world - mainly through social networks.

LinkedIn or Xing to find foreign business partners?

For many companies, in the short or long term, the topic of bringing their company to the world market or working with foreign business partners remains relevant. However, most of them face the question where and how to look for potential business contacts abroad.

In 2003, two of the most popular professional platforms were created: LinkedIn in the USA and Xing in Germany. Both platforms have the same goal of bringing online businesses and professionals together.

Xing and LinkedIn are business networks that are similar to social networks, but there is one difference - all events, accounts, discussions are exclusively professional in nature, not personal.

These platforms will help you and your business if you:

Looking for foreign business partners, investors or clients.
Do you want to directly contact top managers of companies abroad.
You are looking for new effective opportunities to promote your business (project) with minimal investment.
You want to effectively use the Internet in your business, quickly find and strengthen new business connections.
Look for qualified foreign specialists.
Want to create a strong online positioning for your company.
Want to draw attention to your business (project).

Today, the most famous professional platform for finding foreign business partners around the world is LinkedIn... In Ukraine, this network is also gaining popularity.

The second, less well-known professional network, which few people in Ukraine know about - XING. DE. XING is especially popular in German-speaking countries, so if you are doing business, looking for business partners or foreign specialists in Switzerland, Austria or Germany, this platform can be especially useful for your business and can become the main source for finding business partners or clients abroad.

Many people wonder whether it is worth choosing one network or registering a profile in both networks at the same time. On the one hand, LinkedIn has 313 million users in over 200 countries. On the other hand, Xing, with only 14 million users, is predominantly from the German-speaking region of Europe.

Statistics show that the leaders of all successful global companies are registered on LinkedIn. In addition, about 40% of users of this network log into it daily. LinkedIn has about 2.1 million and over 3 million companies showcasing their brand and offerings.

Xing is the largest professional network in Europe. More than 40% of users are in management positions, where about 90% of premium users visit the network regularly. Xing has over 50,000 specialized teams.

Both networks share great similarities, but LinkedIn offers more opportunities to promote your business. For example, the sales navigator ( LinkedInSalesNavigator) helps salespeople quickly find distribution channels. Thanks to this tool, you can receive updates on companies and individual employees of the companies that are of greatest interest to your business. LinkedInSalesNavigator has advanced search capabilities of the LinkedIn database and you have the ability to search through news feed updates. In addition, the news feed is more structured, thanks to a breakdown of updates by company, company representative, which helps in finding news for a more structured approach to doing business with different companies internationally.

Xing is doing better in finding jobs for workers and finding employees for companies. Xing focuses on collaboration with Germany's popular job site Kununu. But LinkedIn is also very actively used by recruiting companies for recruiting. That is why there is a paid option specifically for HR employees.

Xing's functionality gives it an edge over LinkedIn, allowing users to not only find events that match their interests, but also create and promote their own. In addition, Xing has organized a powerful program of regional representatives who are responsible for organizing events and are the liaison in promoting events on the network. This network is quite strong in cities in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and could be the key to penetrate these regions.

Compared to Xing, LinkedIn users have a wider geographic distribution. For a business operating in the international marketplace, LinkedIn will be the most attractive. However, Xing is more developed in Europe (especially in Germany, Austria and Switzerland). This makes it an ideal platform for businesses that develop in the region.

Most of the users of both professional networks are over 35 years old. LinkedIn attracts older users because it positions itself more as a platform for business development and business contacts, which allows it to attract new clients and create its own professional image.

One example is related to Xing. Dell, entering the OEM market, was in dire need of new contracts, but cold calls will not bring big contracts. Contracts that generate millions in profits are rarely cold-called. To conclude one of the major deals in the SME market in Germany, the first contact with the director of the company was established through Xing. The director of the company, which at that time was using a competitor's OEM (), was invited to join for networking and discuss partnership issues. The director accepted the invitation and sent the contact details. After communicating with the director, the data of the person who dealt with the technical side of the issue was received. After 9 months, a contract for 2 million euros annually was nailed as a result.

Many examples can be cited in connection with LinkedIn. Through this professional network, several important offline contacts were found to negotiate the $ 7 million deal that were not listed in the contact database. Why? Because the network has shown its dynamism in terms of updates within the company, which cannot be reflected so quickly in static databases.

Summing up, I would like to note that if you are interested in finding partners and developing business around the world, then your network is. If you work in Germany, Austria or Switzerland, or are developing a business and looking for partners in this region, Xing is a great option. However, there is a tendency to create accounts in two professional networks at once.

Complete your professional profile as much as possible on one or another platform as a leader in English, tell us about you and your business.
Try not only to invite your friends and colleagues to your contacts, but also to connect with new people in your industry from different countries and regions. The wider the circle of your international acquaintances, the greater the prospects for the development of your company in the international market
Don't forget to recommend your colleagues and business partners. The more you give, the more recommendations you will receive in return, which creates a certain level of trust in you.
Create your topic group and start filling it with useful content, articles and recommendations.
Be sure to optimize your profile for search engines by adding the keywords you need in the text.

Start building your international base now! Good luck.

A successful business strives to develop and grow beyond borders, including state ones. In many industries - from applied sciences and high technologies to the sale of services and goods - it is very important to start working with foreign contractors. Cooperation with foreign partners opens up new opportunities and can become a guarantor of your reputation. Or, at the very least, add stability to the company. And that's not to mention that foreign companies often also want to develop in Russia.

How to prepare for working with foreigners?

Before entering into an agreement with a foreign partner, you need to pay attention to the following points:

Research the market.
Create connections. In many countries (but more on that later) personal acquaintance and communication is important to get started. Joint activities with a foreign company "shine" for you only after the establishment of relations.
Sign a detailed contract. Everything said should be recorded on paper. You, of course, know this very well. But a very important point of working with a foreign partner is that legal norms and documents can and will be very different from Russian ones. Be sure to consult with lawyers from both (or all) countries.
As a legal entity, consider the structure of your work in terms of the current legislation of both countries and tax regulations.
Check out your business partner. You do this when you conclude agreements with Russian companies? Each country has websites with the ability to check the company you want to work with.

One of the verification stages: an extract from the commercial register of the country of origin.

Examples of information resources:

UK: http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/
Germany: https://www.handelsregister.de/
Netherlands: http://www.kvk.nl/english
China: http://www.cr.gov.hk and http://www.icris.cr.gov.hk/

Much depends on the form in which your joint activity with a foreign company will be. Do you export or import goods / services? Are you going to buy in the country, or is your partner interested in a franchise in Russia? You may be looking to open a subsidiary or independent organization in another country. These are all critically important questions that need to be answered “on the shore”.

Working with foreign contractors has additional difficulties. We leave the language barrier aside for now, we believe in translators and our own abilities. The main difficulty is the difference in mentality.

How to communicate with foreign partners?

Your business partner grew up in completely different conditions, with a different upbringing and in his work he is used to focusing on unusual moments. What to do?

Study the traditions of the country with which you are going to work. Americans will play tennis with you and show you pictures of their beloved dog, but they do not consider you a real friend at all. The Chinese are always convinced of the superiority of ancient traditions and regard foreigners as superficial. The French will not appreciate speaking in English. The Japanese need detailed information and a clear gradation of representatives by age and position. Even a minimal knowledge of the traditions of your partner's country will give you an edge.
Explore the business traditions of your business partner's country. Contracts with Germans or Finns will be clear, detailed, with clearly defined work stages and deadlines. But the agreement with the Japanese will eventually turn out to be short and unclear, open to interpretation by both parties. In the process of concluding an agreement, the Chinese value calm, confident and restrained partners. The British will joke a lot and say things that they do not mean, but in fact they will show high efficiency.
Learn the language of your business partner. Seriously. It is not necessary to speak it fluently, there are translators for this. But even a superficial acquaintance with language norms will allow you to better understand the mentality of a person who speaks this language. A striking example of such a phenomenon is the combination of a clear and clear structure of the German language with the German's habit of order, serious questions and thoughtful answers to them.

Even a superficial acquaintance with language norms will allow you to better understand the mentality of the person who speaks this language.

There are many subtleties in cooperation with foreign partners, from the language barrier to the difference in legal norms. A well-thought-out joint business strategy, a well-drafted contract and mutual trust within reasonable limits will lead to your long-term successful cooperation with foreign partners.

If you do not have established relationships with a supplier (manufacturer) / buyer of certain goods or services, or your existing supplier / buyer does not meet your business needs, LCM GROUP employees who speak several foreign languages will select the best contractor for you for import or export, will conduct pre-contract negotiations on your behalf in order to obtain the optimal commercial offer from the supplier / buyer and prepare the basis for concluding a foreign economic contract.

These services are provided within the framework of a contractual relationship. The interaction is carried out as follows:

You are determined with the characteristics of the product, the supplier of which you want to find. The product must be described in such a way that specialists have a clear opportunity to identify it in the search process. Additionally, the client can provide the characteristics of a potential supplier (company size, productivity, age of the company, whether the supplier should be a manufacturer of the goods). Definition of the search region is mandatory. It can be understood as a specific country or group of countries. The more specifically the initial problem is formulated, the more likely the success of the supplier search is.
Before starting work, the specialists of the logistics company LCM GROUP analyze the reality of the implementation of the task set by the client.
The search for foreign suppliers is carried out with the involvement of agents of the international holding LCM GROUP in various countries, as well as using open and closed databases. Usually, specialists find several suppliers of the desired product. To determine the compliance of the supplier and the product with the characteristics declared by the client, foreign economic activity specialists conduct preliminary negotiations with representatives of the supplier's company, as a result of which an idea is formed about the supplier and possible commercial conditions for cooperation with him.
If necessary, it is also possible to collect information about the supplier from third sources in order to check its reliability and business reputation in the market, as well as a qualitative analysis of the terms of cooperation that the supplier offers you and comparing them with the terms of alternative counterparties. We recommend checking at all stages of work, especially before signing the first foreign economic contract and transferring funds to the account of a foreign supplier.

Your pleasure from foreign economic activity is our pleasant concern!

The first question that arises for companies planning international expansion: where and how to look for business contacts abroad? Inna Armstrong, founder and CEO of NeuVenture Global in Germany, shared her thoughts on this topic.

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Stages of export development

1. Market selection

What criteria does your company use to select a target market? When we ask this question, the answers we get are very different:

Have already worked with local partners or been on business trips in a certain country, there is an understanding of how business is conducted there.
A large number of requests from a specific country.
The assumption that this particular market is promising.

All of these rationales are understandable. Depending on the specifics of the business, when choosing a market, it is necessary to rely on 2 main strategies:

If you are a manufacturer of goods or services, you can collect statistics through desk research using TN VED product codes, making inquiries on sources such as trademap.org, Eurostat Statistical Office of the European Union, United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics Database, World Trade Organization Trade Profiles , FITA and an international directory of trade and professional associations.
If you have innovative products, then collecting information should be done using a different strategy - from the first hand of your potential partners or customers. You can collect a list of research institutes in the target country and contact them for any interest in collaborating.

2. Determination of the target audience

For some companies, a direct sales strategy works, for others it is easier to go through an indirect export strategy, finding 1-2 potential partners. If, for example, take, say, for developers of mobile offers or software, you can search for direct customers by sending commercial offers to companies directly, or find potential partners to get into the pool of their subcontractors. When there are projects that are relevant to you, they will call you and offer to set your price.

If, for example, you are a furniture manufacturer, then you should think about how best to enter the market: look for large distributors, in this case the sales cycle will most likely be longer than going to small Internet or retail stores with an invitation to cooperation. From practice, in the latter case, price proposals will play an important role. It will be very important to clearly highlight your competitive advantage. Another option that few people know about is participation in tenders in the EU. You may not win the tender the first few times, but this is a good chance to get highlighted.

3. Areas and ways of finding information

You can use both paid and free platforms to search for information in a new market. The latter, for example, include LinedIn, Xing, Viadeo, Switchboard Yellow Pages, Europages, or Kompass (a business directory containing information on more than two million companies in 70 countries).

4. Distribution of the scope of search in the company

You can search on your own or involve specialists. At the same time, specialists can manually select potential partners through the above resources or purchase contacts from paid databases for further development. For example, if you purchase a database of more than a thousand potential partners in the art materials segment (look for suppliers in the EU countries), you should roughly understand that up to 20-25% of contacts will not always be targeted, and the first stage in the development of the database by your outsourced employees will be it. qualification and further updating. From our experience, as a rule, it follows that the sample for the paid base is about 1235 contacts falling under the segment, of which 239 are manually qualified as potential, 39 are selected as the highest priority, of which 7 have the maximum number of products on demand. After elaboration, it turns out that 6 companies buy products from the 7th, which is the main supplier on the market. Bingo!

5. Search strategies

In any undertaking, the main thing is strategy. By developing business both in the domestic and foreign markets, you can use 2 main strategies: you are looking for or you are found. We have already examined where you can independently or with the help of specialists look for business contacts abroad, let's see how you can attract the attention of foreign partners to your project.

First, these are profiles and groups in professional and social networks in a foreign language (,.

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