1. November 17, 2015 Logistics, Trade and Transportation Symposium 2014 Pursuing a Global Marketing Strategy

2. Exporting for the Uninitiated tidbits > The World is a BIG place with a BIG market > It you can’t or haven’t sold here, there grass isn’t always greener on the other side …… of the ocean > There is Good and Bad in exporting, know the difference > Get into exporting for the right reason > You can’t sell to “a market” you sell to people > Business is done differently by country/region November 17, 2015

3. Understand Shoestring Strategy > Understand where your product/service fits > Not always easy > Understand your potential CUSTOMER (market is a big word) > Understand any regulatory compliance up front > Understand localization and language issues, > Did you know computer keyboards differ by country, language, and even regions? November 17, 2015

4. Be Known > Strategies for affordable international advertising > International press releases are well respected > Serve as defacto hard and digital media advertising at fraction of cost > Helps create a buzz, onshore and off shore > Social media > Tradeshows > Business alliance(s) November 17, 2015

5. Creating an International Buzz > Develop and populate Social Media Presence, have both a corporate profile and a personal profile. > Linked in > Facebook > Twitter > Join Groups, whether tech groups, or market groups in Facebook and linked in. > Post to blogs, OFTEN > Join Technical support groups and participate OFTEN November 17, 2015

6. Validate the Buzz > At some point you HAVE to travel > Make it painless, use your vacations or go for business and couple with a vacation > Find, communicate, understand a trade association, THEN ask to VISIT/present at a local function. RELATIONSHIPS even more important internationally > Find a local company/partner and attend a tradeshow, make sure you or your partner invites local targeted customers to visit you specifically. Have a meeting, lunch, whatever…. Different by country November 17, 2015

7. Have an Agenda > Avoid Shotgun approach or destination vacation > Competitive edge or cutting edge > Protected IP Protected IP Protected IP Protected IP > Use Export Assistance Resources, there are many: > Trade.gov, Mississippi Development Authority, Mississippi District Export Council, Shippers, etc. November 17, 2015

8. The Good, Bad, and Outright Ugly > Real World Experience Great Britain (1), France (3), Switzerland(1), Spain(1), Japan(2), Singapore(1), Canada(5), Central America, and Brazil (2) November 17, 2015

9. The Good > With each and every trip abroad we have an agenda, at least one action item that can be used to broaden market penetration at home. ….. A NEWSWORTHY event, an agreement, MOU, something that we can take away and use independent of the export agenda. > We stay an extra weekend and try to befriend an executive or someone who will “show us around” their town, their office, etc. Not hard to find, builds relationships on a personal level. November 17, 2015

10. The Bad > You can’t have a handshake deal > You can’t routinely go to someone's office to call them on account > You will have a hard time “validating” anything from sales to progress > Many international partnerships require exclusivity, this is common except North America, Pick Wisely November 17, 2015

11. The Outright Ugly > IP is hard to enforce > We have had ideas …. Co-opted? > We have had non-performing sales agreements > We have agreed to exclusive agreements only to have the partner violate that agreement, even if only subtly > Hard to enforce fiscal agreements November 17, 2015

12. Know the Country, Market, and their Values > The World is a Big Place, the World Market is a Big Market – Unless you are Google or Microsoft or IBM, or similar, you have lots of work to create a known and trusted brand > What sells for $50 in US market may only have a $30 value elsewhere > Reseller agreement values vary by country, where in US a reseller may get 28 -35%, International Resellers may command upwards of 70% AND exclusivity November 17, 2015

13. Concluding > Make sure your company is in a position to Export, financial costs, legal costs, advertising, etc. It takes work, perhaps a whole new BD or sales person. International Sales are rarely a “part-time” effort > Understand where your assistance resources are. The Federal, State, and even Local governments as well as non-profit centers all have export assistance, up to and including financial incentives to assist in international business. You will hear more on this from my colleagues today. November 17, 2015

14. Craig Harvey Executive VP NVision Solutions President Magnolia Business Alliance > charvey@magnolia-ba.biz charvey@magnolia-ba.biz > 228-242-0015 Office > www.NVisionSolutions.com www.NVisionSolutions.com > www.Magnolia-ba.biz www.Magnolia-ba.biz November 17, 2015