We’ve written before on the various business strategies your business can exploit to successfully enter a new market. Previously, we have explored franchising and partnerships but today, we will show you how an international sales agent can be a huge asset to help you take your brand global.
Employing the services of an international sales agent can open up a whole host of avenues to scale your business, guide you to identify the right business partners to establish yourself in a new market without breaking the bank.
Using the services of a sales agent comes with certain challenges, and the need to place a degree of trust in an individual or company not directly employed by your business. These hurdles aren’t insurmountable and by working with experienced language translation experts alongside your international sales agent, you can start off your business expansion on the right foot.
What is an international sales agent?
An international sales agent is an individual or company employed by a business to act as its intermediary in an overseas market.
Their role is to introduce the business’ products and services to potential buyers and distributors that operate in the market. When a deal is agreed upon, they are often paid a commission calculated from the value of the deal to the business.
Finding an agent with the right connections
It’s crucial that your business identifies an agent with a network of contacts that allows them to pitch your business to buyers and distributors on a scale that matches your ambitions.
The right agent will have deep and valuable connections in the market you’re expanding into. They will have experience working as an agent in your niche and should have a track record of success which they can quickly refer to. Preferably, this should be backed up by evidence, so you can see the size of deals they have successfully brokered in the past.
Working with a sales agent can be extremely beneficial for a small business, or businesses without experience in international trade, or particular exposure to certain markets. Starting a relationship is usually affordable for most businesses; there is very little upfront investment, as agents are paid via a commission structure.
Aside from identifying potential clients and partners and negotiating deals on your behalf, a sales agent will act to nurture long term relationships after an initial deal is made. Being based in the market you’re targeting will allow the agent to form close relationships and understand a client’s needs.
The relationship between your company and a sales agent is governed by the International Sales Commission Agreement.
Supporting your sales agent with localised sales materials
To give a sales agent the best opportunity for success, your business should consider creating localised sales support materials. This is especially important in the COVID-19 pandemic landscape: with restriction of movement rules constantly changing in different countries, it’s harder than ever to meet face to “real” face with a sales agent.
Your sales agent themselves may face restrictions and also be confined to the digital sphere of communication. Having persuasive sales messages to hand, therefore, becomes increasingly valuable. This could be a physical or digital brochure to leave with a lead, giving them an opportunity to mull over your core messaging and product or service USPs.
The right sales material will differ between markets, so it pays to do your research on which formats are the most successful in your target market. Even a little market research or discussions with your sales agent will tell you whether email, print, video or social media content is the most impactful.
The most powerful sales messages that leave a lasting impact will be cleverly localised.
This means a translation created by a native language expert. Don’t overlook the value of messaging localised for a country’s unique culture or risk your marketing becoming lost in translation.
What’s the difference between an international sales agent and a sales rep?
It’s crucial to recognise that there is a significant difference between an internal sales agent and a sales representative (rep).
A sales agent has the right to act on your behalf and broker deals, whereas a sales rep’s job is done when they pass relevant leads across to your business.
Another key step in selecting a sales agent or rep, is to ensure that they don’t work with your competitors, as this will create a conflict of interest and could affect the quality of work they do on your behalf.
Our services for sales managers and international sales agents
We have a range of translation services aimed at international sales managers and sales agents, making their roles seamless.
- Marketing Translation – as we’ve already discussed above, translated marketing assets and sales messaging empowers the agent to succeed more quickly and easily
- Contract translation – have contracts in place, but need them translated and localised? We have vast experience translating sales, supply and employment contracts for clients going global
- Instruction manual translation – once your customers are in place, you’ll need to make their experience as frictionless as possible. If you have a technical product which requires usage instructions, we’ll translate it to meet local standards
- Technical translation – From technical sales literature to detailed installation manuals, we’ve done it all before
- Business card translation – often the first impression of a new contact will have of your business. A business card is also a quick reminder of your brand. This makes a professional business card a necessity when trying to win new business. A business card is the physical representation of your business – getting it right is a must!
Partner with a trusted translations provider
We have been privileged to be trusted by more than 1,380 discerning brands across our (almost) 20 years of operation. For language translation services that enable your export sales managers and international sales agents to scale your business abroad, get in touch with us today to give your business a competitive edge.
